Online registration for South Africa’s flagship tourism careers event, the National Tourism Careers Expo (NTCE), is officially open.

As many as 10 000 learners and teachers are expected to participate in this year’s three-day event at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, from September 29 to October 1.

Now in its 13th year, the Tourism Careers Expo is a collaborative effort between the Department of Tourism, Culture Arts, Tourism, Hospitality & Sport Education Training Authority, the Gauteng Department of Economic Development and its provincial marketing agency the Gauteng Tourism Authority.

At the launch, Deputy Minister of Tourism Fish Mahlalela, said South Africa was rebuilding its tourism sector to ensure its sustainability for future generations.

“A robust recovery plan needs to be firmly anchored in a bold strategy that will position the economy on an upward trajectory and growth path. But to drive the growth and recovery of the tourism sector, we need to boost the talent pool, and therefore a demand-led skills supply is therefore pivotal.”

Since its inception in 2008, the NTCE is held annually and it bridges the information gap between the tourism industry and learners, and offered unemployed youth an opportunity to directly interact with potential employers.

The Gauteng province has hosted the youth expo since 2021, introducing more than 5 283 learners,1 335 university and FET college students, 263 unemployed youth and 688 educators to potential career paths and vocation in the tourism sector.

Over the past two years, the NTCE created temporary employment and business opportunities for the community of Soweto, Nasrec, Riverlea and surrounding areas.

The 2023 leg of the NTCE will highlight the significance of government and private-sector investment in growing tourism. Themed ‘Tourism Investments for People, Planet and Prosperity’, the expo aims to showcase how investments create opportunities that empower communities, in a manner that conserves and sustains the environment, and drives innovation and prosperity for all.

Entrance to the expo is free and will include motivational talks by leading local tourism entrepreneurs and personalities, tourism educator seminars, exhibitions by local tourism products and related services.

It will also feature the following live engagements that are set to captivate learners:

• The Chef’s Corner is a cook-off by graduates of the National Youth Chefs Training Programme facilitated by the South African Chefs Association. This is a firm favourite for youth interested in a culinary career.
• The Mixology Corner will bring the art of creating fun, enjoyable beverages to life. Mixology is a special craft and an age-old tradition of skilfully mixing various drinks and ingredients to create cocktails with or without alcohol.
• Hospitality Corner: The Hospitality Corner will offer insight into the diverse range of careers from hotel and event management to casino directors.
• Conservation Corner: Nature conservation has a direct impact on the future sustainability of tourism. Youth interested in nature and tourism will gain insight into how to join this industry.
• The Virtual Classroom and Recruitment Arena is the place where job seekers can engage with potential employers and get the low-down on job hunting, what employers are looking for, how to craft a CV and how to prepare for interviews.
• Educators’ Seminar provides an opportunity for educators to interact with speakers from various institutions, industry bodies and organisations.

Interested participants can click here to register to attend the NTCE.