The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) and Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA), welcomed 45 tour operators and agents from Germany on Sunday (July 3).

The group are on a four-day familiarisation trip to Mpumalanga as part of promoting the new Eurowings Discover direct flight from Frankfurt, which is scheduled to start in November.

Eurowings Discover, Lufthansa’s long-haul leisure brand, will provide a direct Iink to the Kruger National Park, which is extremely popular with holidaymakers from Germany.

In its first season (November 15, 2022 to March 25, 2023), the airline will fly three times a week from Frankfurt to Mbombela KMIA, with a short stopover in Windhoek.

The trip affords the German contingent the opportunity to visit some of the top tourism attractions in the province as well as inspecting the variety of accommodation facilities offered within Kruger National Park.

“Germany is one of Mpumalanga’s key tourist markets. By hosting these agents and tour operators, we are reaffirming our long-term relationship that will see us receiving more tourists from Germany. This direct flight from Frankfurt to KMIA will promote the destination and increase tourist numbers to the province,” said Mduduzi Vilakazi, Acting CEO of the MTPA.

“We are excited to be hosting these agents in the place of the rising sun. We trust that this visit will afford them an opportunity to learn more about Mpumalanga’s diverse tourism offerings.”

Vilakazi added that the planned trade fair, held in Skukuza today, allowed the group to engage with the Mpumalanga tourism businesses on various packages that would be on offer.