Africa took London by storm last week with the hosting of Experience Africa, at which 112 exhibitors from across Africa had an opportunity to connect with buyers from the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Ireland, Israel and beyond.
Some 3 000 meetings were held over the three-day event hosted by the African Travel & Tourism Association (ATTA) connecting 130 buyers and media with tourism products from Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa and more.
Chris Mears, ATTA Executive Director, said the appetite for travel to Africa was the star of the show. “Despite running Experience Africa in the middle of one of the largest transport strikes the UK has seen in 30 years, the commitment shown by the buyers attending was amazing and goes a long way to demonstrate how resilient the African tourism industry is.”
His views were echoed by Johnny Prince, CEO of Waybird, who commented on the energy at the show, despite the transport strike. “It is amazing that in the midst of the strike, the event is buzzing and so many have made the effort to meet. There’s been a good mix of new and existing contacts. I’m amazed at the resilience of travel companies and it’s exciting to see the number of new travel companies starting out.”
South African Tourism, one of the key sponsors of the show, hosted Escape+Explore, Bikes ‘n Wines and Wild Routes Africa, which revealed to delegates during a moderated session how South African products had tapped into the new trends of flexibility, sustainability and immersive experiences in a post-COVID era.
Justin Perumal, founder of Wild Routes Africa, explained how the company’s new WanderBUS, launched at the height of COVID, had sought to help local travellers get from A to B, but in a more sustainable and cost-effective way. “We saw a gap, as locals were travelling, but not for tourism, so our routes get them to where they need to go but do so in an immersive way with activities on the way.”
Also attending the event was Holly Budge of How Many Elephants, whose wall of 288 elephants served as a constant reminder of the number of elephants that would be poached over the duration of the event.
Her call to “turn this herd” saw delegates donate to the cause and raise awareness about the devastating impacts of the African elephant ivory trade.
Attendees enjoyed views over the Kia Oval and South African wine courtesy of Steenberg,and with several thousand meetings over the three days, there can be no question that the spirit to reconnect with Africa is back in full force.
“I am delighted that we have been able to facilitate new connections and rekindle old relationships to clearly convey the message that Africa is very much open for business and ready for the future,” Mears concluded.
