South African Tourism is calling on all tourism businesses and service providers to participate in the 2020 Virtual Speed Marketing sessions this month.

The sessions are an initiative of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) and create a platform for tourism businesses to gain local and international exposure for new and existing tourism products with the aim of building a quality visitor experience.

Speed Marketing is a market access platform created to give tourism businesses an opportunity to interact and forge business relationships between products and buyers, tour operators, and destination marketing companies who are already packaging and selling the destination or have an interest in doing so.

The impact of COVID-19 has been devastating and the tourism industry was at the forefront of the impact. With the strict restrictions on people’s movements and travel, the sector saw cancellations of many accommodation bookings, conferences and big events in South Africa and globally. As part of its efforts to aid in the recovery of the sector, the TGCSA is re-imagining the future of the tourism industry, by contributing to its recovery through these Speed Marketing sessions. This will be the first time that these sessions have been hosted virtually, with a focus on bringing the supply and demand of consumers and products together.

In keeping with this year’s theme for World Tourism Day, which focused on Rural Development and Tourism, the sessions will recognise the important role that tourism plays in the development of rural communities. Through this theme, the TGCSA undertakes to foster tourism awareness in local communities, emphasising the less-visited rural areas of each province.

“As the TGCSA, we are committed to contributing towards the recovery of the sector from the adverse impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. So we are excited to be able to provide a platform for tourism industry products and services to be able to showcase their offerings to the relevant buyers. We trust that this platform will help to foster long standing business partnerships,” said Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo, Acting Chief Quality Assurance Officer.