The consensus amongst Tourism Update readers is that small tourism businesses do not gain enough value from attending trade shows, considering the deal-making sway held by large, established companies.
Of respondents to our latest poll, 72% say SMMEs do not benefit enough from these events, and 28% believe that small businesses do gain value.
At the African Tourism Leadership Forum in Botswana, TBCSA CEO, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa urged that SMMEs not be left behind, considering the leading role they play in driving the industry.
Last week, Founder and CEO of DMC African Soulstice, Allesandra Pizzo Alleman suggested in a letter to Tourism Update that SMMEs could potentially benefit hugely from trade shows if given the right support and mentorship, including shadowing opportunities and specialised training.
South African Tourism has just returned from World Travel Market London, where five SMMEs were among the 25 South African exhibitors attending the show.
Does Nelson Mandela Bay need more flights?
Flight capacity from Johannesburg to Durban and Cape Town is rapidly ramping up but are other key domestic routes underserved and constrained by high ticket prices?
Commenting on a Tourism Update article about airlines upping their domestic flights, tourism expert Shaun van Eck pointed out that flights serving Nelson Mandela Bay (PLZ) were running on an average load factor of 97% at some of the highest ticket prices in the country. Van Eck said it was dramatically affecting the conferences, events and leisure sectors, and hampering overall tourism recovery. For this week’s poll, we would like know:
