INDABA DAILY NEWS 2012 | 1

Growing tourist arrivals - region by region

Asia

Emerging giants China and India are changing the face of global tourism. South Africa has not been slow on the uptake and early interventions in these markets continue to bear fruit with China and India, seeing growth in 2011 of 24 and 26 percent respectively.

“In January we saw a three digit growth from China more than 150 percent - and there is no reason why we don’t expect another bumper year in 2012, especially following the opening of direct flights between Beijing and Johannesburg,” said SA Tourism CEO Thulani Nzima.

South Africa’s marketing efforts in India received a boost this month following the country being voted ‘Best Lifestyle Destination for Wildlife’ by readers of Lonely Planet.

“Wildlife remains the point of departure for all our overseas marketing efforts and this award is affirmation of South Africa’s leadership in this regard. Our unique selling point is that South Africa gives you more than wildlife – adventure, lifestyle, cosmopolitan cities with excellent shopping and nightlife, a rich culture and a warm friendly welcome.”

Americas

The US surprised everyone by having one of the biggest groups of travelling fans at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, resulting in a 22,6 percent increase in arrivals in 2010. Giving South Africa good reason to celebrate was the fact that there was growth on top of these arrivals in 2011 of more than 1,9 percent in a tough economic climate and even more positive growth numbers of more than 17,5 percent out of this market in January 2012.

“These numbers confirm that the US is ready to travel again and that South Africa is top of mind. Our focus is on emphasising to value conscious US consumers that South Africa is a destination for all budgets.”

Africa

“When the global financial crisis nearly brought the global tourism industry to its knees, Africa kept South Africa on its upward growth trajectory and remains the source of 70 percent of our arrivals,” said Nzima.

“Our confidence in this market remains high and we are delighted with a R218 million boost to our budget to expand our presence in regional Africa over the next three years. This will see South African Tourism extend its footprint on the continent by opening up country offices in the various regions, starting with Nigeria this year.”

Mobisites have proved an excellent tool for extending South Africa’s market penetration in Africa, with some country-specific mobisites in Africa recording in excess of four million hits in 2011.

Europe

The after-effects of the recession continue to plague Europe, which nevertheless remains South Africa’s key source of overseas arrivals – 1,3 million of South Africa’s 2,1 million overseas arrivals.

“If we exclude those that came to South Africa specifically for the FIFA 2010 World Cup, growth out of Europe would have been 2,4 percent in 2011, which is far more than we expected. We remain as committed as ever to Europe,” said Nzima.

January figures from Europe are already very encouraging with above global average growth recorded from each of the key European markets.

South African Tourism’s marketing approach in Europe focuses on meeting the European consumers’ desire for authenticity. Ordinary Europeans feature in marketing campaigns, bringing authenticity, accessability and believability and driving word-of-mouth marketing that stimulates arrivals growth.

Asian arrivals continue to shoot up, the Americas keep South Africa top of mind, Africa asserts its worth and Europe remains the market to defend.

In a series of one-hour briefings during Indaba 2012, South African Tourism Chief Executive Officer Thulani Nzima, Chief Marketing Officer Roshene Singh and the respective regional directors shared their region-specific insights with the media.

2 | INDABA DAILY NEWS 2012

Another exceptional day in KwaZulu-Natal,

WARMTH

ZULUZULU

HERITAGEHERITAGE

FUNFUN FAMILY-ORIENTATEDFAMILY-ORIENTATED BEACHESBEACHES

ADVENTUREADVENTURE TRADE GATEWAYTRADE GATEWAY

another experience to savour. Zulu Kingdom. Exceptional.If it’s fun in the sun you want, then our Zulu Kingdom is the exceptional choice. Anything but conventional, feel the warm embrace of a province where warmth is more than just the all-year-round warm weather; it’s a climate of sunny smiles, people singing warm welcomes to exceptional times. A province that’s blessed with two beautifully diverse World Heritage Sites of such magnitude; the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg and the iSimangaliso Wetland Parks, inspiring a call for the feeling of adventure in any direction you choose, with family-orientated sea-side getaways or party weekends on our 600km coastal stretch of sun-kissed beaches. A land with a legacy of Zulu royalty unravelling back to the time of the great King Shaka and beyond, with a history of trade going back even further. The gateway to Africa, KwaZulu-Natal is home to two of Africa’s largest

seaports and the continent’s � rst aerotropolis, the Dube TradePort. Map out your experience in our Zulu Kingdom. Exceptional.

Visit us at stand DEC1B29 and let us share with you more about this exceptional destination.

Come and experience the “Senses of KZN” at Mystrals, daily at Indaba between 10h00 and 16h00.

www.zulu.org.za

Today’s programme – Monday 14 May 2012

Exhibition times: 09:00 – 18:00

14:30 – 18:00 Mind the Gap – Understand risk with SATIB seminar Meeting Room 21 DEFG

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Revealing South Africa’s Hidden Treasures Hidden Treasures is South Africa’s most innovative and far-reaching local tourism initiative. These unique small crafts and tourism experiences provide visitors with an authentic taste of South Africa’s rich and varied history and culture.

Spread across South Africa’s nine provinces, this Tourism Enterprise Partnership (TEP) collection features top-notch, cutting edge South African experiences and products that cultural adventurers can mix and match to create their ultimate art, food or heritage itinerary.

Some of the most successful products are based in Soweto and seven innovative, young entrepreneurs got together to form SO WE TOO which shares the real experience of the Soweto of today - a vibrant, innovative and forever-changing environment. It brings together products and things to do, encouraging a spread throughout various businesses for economic benefit, whilst providing a wealthy and real experience for the end user.

One can now spend 24 hours in Soweto. A typical itinerary includes a night in the only four-star hotel in the township, The Soweto Hotel, historical highlights with a guided tour, quad biking through the suburbs with Soweto Outdoor Adventures, a cycle tour of Kliptown with TK, crafting on the hotel balcony with Lerato, a birding tour and picnic along the dam and vlei and dinner at Roots with Soweto sushi.

Aahaah Shuttle and Tours offers guided tours for local and international tourists and provides information about the history and cuisine of Soweto, exposing tourists to the true township culture and lifestyle.

Bay of Grace takes visitors on a birding experience that allows viewing of birds like the African Marsh Warbler, the Orange Breasted Waxbill and the Marsh Owl – a first for Soweto. It is linked with a picnic at Soweto’s city park.

Mahlatsi arts and crafts offers a unique experience where tourists can make their own mementos. This allows people to make what they want and walk away with a gift for themselves or for others.

Roots Restaurant and Gallery is the only restaurant in Soweto that fuses creative township food with creative township art and music. More than a restaurant, it celebrates the township spirit. Lunch or dinner is a tour

of life in Soweto - from the pictures on the walls to the drinks, these tell the story of this beautiful township

The Soweto hotel offers a unique product which mixes heritage with a relaxed heaven in the heart of this vibrant city. The 48 stylishly decorated bedrooms are all themed according to the jazzy 50’s and unsung heroes of the liberation struggle.

TKD Tours takes people to the people, offering bicycle and walking tours in the Kliptown vicinity. One feels the life and buzz of Kliptown - one of the most historically rich townships - to experience from squatter camp to suburb.

Soweto Outdoor Adventures is set in the heart of Soweto at the foot of Soweto’s towers in Orlando. It offers tours through Soweto on quad bikes. The rides are engaging, interactive and give an honest reflection of the iconic township of Soweto and its people.

For more information visit stand DEC1D04.

Quad-biking through Soweto – that is what one does!

INDABA DAILY NEWS 2012 | 3

Halala South Africa, Halala!It was a fun afternoon spent yesterday in Umlazi, just 30 minutes by coach from the INDABA exhibition halls.

More than 100 international journalists and their South African counterparts attending INDABA joined the South African Tourism team at a lifestyle event to experience for themselves South African’s urban lifestyle culture - by letting their hair down, enjoying a fine meal with friends and locals and enjoying a Sunday afternoon with the sounds of fantastic live

local music under a warm South African sun, as well as some ‘chisa nyama’.

Proceedings were facilitated by Jo-Ann (‘where’s the spaghetti, how much are the shoes’) Strauss, who taught non-South African media a couple of dyed-in-the-wool South African exclamations and had the crowd chanting ‘halala South Africa, halala’. A typically delicious South African shisa nyama (literally a meat cook-off in isiZulu) was served and the party grooved

the afternoon away to the thumping sounds of multi SAMA-nominated hip-hop star, Zakwe.

“We wanted to show journalists what a fantastic destination South Africa is outside the conference halls of INDABA ... we wanted them to experience our culture and a lot of the friendly, warm hospitality that is uniquely and wonderfully South African. It was a hit and a huge success,” said SA Tourism CEO Thulani Nzima.

The occasion was used, too, to formalise a tourism marketing partnership between South Africa’s three biggest cities - Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg - an agreement, Ethekwini Mayor James Nxumalo said, that gave substance to this year’s INDABA theme, Shaping our Future Together.

MC Joanne Strauss had fun with media delegates in Umlazi yesterday.

Head of Global Communications at South African Tourism, Jermaine Craig, Max’s owner, Max Mqadi with Umlazi media lifestyle event MC, Joanne Strauss.

Jiving to the hip hop sounds of Zakwe from left James Nxumalo, Ethekwini mayor, Alan Winde, Tourism, Economics and Finance MEC, Western Cape and Thulani Nzima, CEO of SA Tourism.

INDABA media delegates arriving in Umlazi. Team Japan at the media lifestyle event in Umlazi. Team India enjoying this South African cultural experience.

Bringing a touch of INDABA glamour to Umlazi...

4 | INDABA DAILY NEWS 2012

TEP IS HEADING IN A NEW DIRECTION

What does TEP Offer? Registered TEP clients, having paid an annual administration fee, gain access to:

• Asourceofrelevantanduptodateindustryinformation

• Anetworkoflikemindedbusinessownersandentrepreneurs

• Accesstoservicessuchasskillsdevelopmentandmarketaccess

• TEP’sBusinessDevelopmentFund,whichcanassistwithupto50%costsharing ofapprovedbusinessservicesthatmeetimpactandjobgrowthcriteria

Private and Public Sector organisations gain access to:

• TEP’sEnterpriseDevelopmentPortfoliowhichoffersupfrontpointsforB-BBEEscoring

• Taxdeductibilityoncertaininvestments

• Tourismprojectdevelopmentandmanagement

For more information please visit us at stand DEC1D04 or at www.tep.co.zaTel: 011 880 3790, e-mail: info@tep.co.za

The staff of Jenman African Safaris have undressed for rhino conservation.

“We’ve got a Facebook page, of course, and we recently noticed that hundreds of pages were springing up to protest the horrific rhino poaching that’s been hitting Southern Africa,” said Jenman’s Operations Manager, Wayne Powell. “We said we should do something, rather than just talk about it.”

So, inspired by the movie Calendar Girls, marketing manager Katja Quasdorf (above) came up with the idea of an (almost) nudie calendar that features the company’s office staff posing as the iconic animals of the African bush.

“Jenman sponsored the resources, including the vehicles, the time out of the office, and the time the staff needed to organise the shoots and find other sponsors, and our partners – Shumani Print World, Mardi Gras Costume & Dress Hire, Zoë Mclean Photography, Sappi Triple Green, the Switchboard Group and Mailwise International - all helped to bring the Save the Rhino 2013 calendar to reality,” said Wayne.

The calendars are on sale for R120 at Stand ODW015 (alongside the northern pathway between the ICC and the DEC), and all proceeds will be donated to the African Conservation Trust: www.projectafrica.com and www.facebook.com/ACTsafrica.

Buy yours now!

The City of Durban is proud to be part of an historic and significant three cities agreement between Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg which was signed at Max’s Lifestyle in Umlazi yesterday.

The three cities have joined forces to simultaneously address the substantive global shift toward urban tourism and the pressures being felt by their respective visitor industries.

The three- year memorandum of understanding between the cities will result in joint marketing and development programmes aimed at establishing the urban dimension of South Africa’s visitor brand and generating demand specifically for each city.

Research has indicated that jointly Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg possess more than 70 percent of South Africa’s tourism assets.

Jenman staff give rhino conservation horns

Gooderson Leisure, partner in the Tourism Enterprise Partnership’s (TEP) enterprise development portfolio renewed its support to small tourism businesses at Indaba 2012.

Gooderson Leisure General Manager Gail McCann-Westphal says the organisation will provide experiential learning opportunities crucial to the success of the small tourism business sector.

“This follows the success of the 2011 mentorship programme conducted at our Tropicana Hotel in Durban.

“This year we will mentor six new small tourism businesses at the Natal Spa in Vryheid, the Drakensberg Gardens in Underberg and the Tropicana Hotel. The hotel group’s experienced general managers will mentor the small, medium and micro enterprises at each of these properties, providing them with the chance to understand how established lodges and hotels operate 24-hours a day.

“We are delighted to renew our partnership with TEP by providing this exciting assistance, which makes a real difference to the small tourism industry in South Africa. We are committed to the development and upliftment of small tourism businesses because we recognise that they contribute greatly to the industry as a whole,” says McCann-Westphal.

“We greatly value the support from corporates like Gooderson Leisure in the implementation of TEP’s new strategic development plan and we invite other corporates to join the team,” says TEP Acting General Manager: Operations, Hannelie du Toit.

“There is enormous benefit for corporates who wish to contribute to the transformation of the South African economy as they receive broad-based black economic empowerment points for enterprise development when they sign up with TEP.”

Tropicana Hotel General Manager Stuart Dunbar, who played the role of mentor in 2011, says the

mentoring programme was definitely worthwhile for the mentees.

“They showed exceptional dedication and application during a very demanding period.”

One of the mentees, Sandy Dludla of Tre Fontane Lodge, says the programme was definitely fruitful.

“I was exposed to the various roles a manager is required to fulfill and overseeing the operations in all areas of the establishment was very informative.”

Drawing on its vast expertise and national footprint, TEP’s enterprise development portfolio is a credible turnkey solution that is verified by Empowerdex certification. TEP has also created a partnership with Success Rate, a micro enterprise development vehicle, through which the amount invested could be tax deductible.

For more information visit stand DECI1805.

Gooderson Leisure continues support to small tourism businesses

Urban partnership - the CEO of Cape Town Tourism, Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold, the Acting CEO of the Johannesburg Tourism Company, Phelisa Mangcu and the CEO of Durban Tourism, Phillip Sithole.

Historic three cities agreement

INDABA DAILY NEWS 2012 | 5

Trusted tips for travellers on our Blog travelblog.portfoliocollection.com was Runner up: Best Travel Blog: SA Blog awards 2011

You might’ve seen my tweet: RT “@MartinHatchuel: Be ashamed, very ashamed #SocialMedia is the future & it’s here now. You lose.”

I was referring to yesterday’s TripAdvisor/ Tourism Grading Council master class, and I was whacked by this apparently poor interest in social media. As I said yesterday: no social media? Your marketing’s a Model T.

For those who are using social media though (and TripAdvisor is *the* definer of social media for us in tourism) the really exciting news at Indaba has been that TripAdvisor and the TGCSA have entered into the first ever partnership of its kind. (So, once again, Mzansi shows the way: Very Proud.)

It makes sense. As South African Tourism’s William Price said, “TripAdvisor is the world’s biggest DMO.”

Look, travellers are no longer prepared to wait for information. Why should they? Especially since mobile social media gives us immediate access to the latest information - about price, availability, and even what the chef picked fresh today. And it lets us compare and review products immediately; to share, and to be shared.

But the one thing that stood out from Tori Delaney’s presentation was the importance of engaging with customers on an emotional level. Guests want to be treated for who they are, they want to feel welcomed, important, noticed. And this is what social media has done: it’s taken the statistics out of marketing, and, for the first time ever, finally put the humanity into it.

We’ve left the old web behind: now, it’s a conversation, and, especially, it’s about peer-to-peer conversations - and then it’s about the conversations you have with your customers.

An all-Africa Indaba is what we need.

This is the word from Cecily Mbarire, Kenya’s Assistant Minister for Tourism.

Speaking to Indaba Daily News, Mbarire said a tourism marketing exhibition that included exhibitors from across the continent would attract even more delegates from elsewhere in the world. “As one of our exhibitors said earlier – we need an African ITB.”

Mbarire said Kenya found Indaba particularly valuable. “Not only is it an excellent opportunity to interact with tour operators from key overseas markets, but also with members of the South African travel trade. South Africa is a very important market for us.”

Tourism is Kenya’s second largest earner of foreign income, after agriculture, and is a critical pillar of the country’s 2030 vision.

According to Mbarire tourism in Kenya was at its highest point ever in 2007, with 2 million visitors. The post-election violence in that year brought tourism activity down to almost zero. “We had to start from scratch, convincing the world that there is no war in our country, that it is safe.

“In 2008 we embarked on a new marketing campaign aimed at both the travel trade and the consumer, backed by adequate resources from our government. We have seen a dramatic growth in tourism since then, recording close to 1,8 million visitors last year.”

She said Kenya had also been affected by the worldwide economic downturn. To retain and increase market share, the country’s traditional tourism products such as wildlife and beach destinations, are now being complemented by sports tourism, especially water sports and golf tourism. Kenya now boasts some world-class, upmarket golf courses.

And while traditional tourism source markets like the UK, the USA, Italy, Germany and France remain important, new markets like Eastern Europe, Russia, China, Japan and India are now also being targeted. Kenya now has tourism offices in most of the new markets and works closely with Kenya Airways to

secure the relevant air travel connections. There are currently three daily flights between Nairobi and Johannesburg.

Marketing efforts in recent years have been backed up by infrastructure development, including a proper road network, investment into training initiatives and the reclassification of hotels according to a star- grading system.

Mbarire said a lot of work had been done to ‘clean up’ Kenya’s beaches, as there was a perceived safety problem. Informal vendors are now being accommodated in special markets. This has resulted in greater profits for these entrepreneurs, keeping both sides of the supply and demand chain satisfied.

She assured Indaba delegates that all stops had been pulled out to ensure a safe experience for every visitor to Kenya, including the closing of the border with Somalia.

For more information visit stand SADCA004.

Which is why *what they* say is all important - but *how you* reply makes all the difference.

And it is important to reply. As Tori said - not responding to a review is like listening to a guest in your lobby - and then silently turning your back on her. You wouldn’t do it in your hotel, so why do it on line? (But, of course, you don’t need to respond to every review. Still, I’d say that how you decide to respond is a good indication of your product’s humanity. And today’s netizens can see that.)

Yes, the net can deliver vicious trolls who say nasty stuff. But here’s the thing: 47 percent of all votes on TripAdvisor rate their subjects as ‘Excellent,’ and only 7 percent as ‘Terrible.’

Again, most users can tell the difference between an honest review and a personal attack. And they know how to ignore the attacks.

So, as Tori said: “Forget about TripAdvisor. Make sure your guests get great service and that they have a good time with you.” The results will show.

You live or die by what people say about you - which is why I’d like to predict that the partnership between the Tourism Grading Council and TripAdvisor will do this: it’ll make our industry more accountable to our guests.

And that’ll do more than anything we’ve ever done to improve our tourism statistics.

Comment

TripAdvisingKenya calls for an African Indaba

by Martin Hatchuel

Calling for an African Indaba - Kenya Tourist Board Managing Director, Muriithi Ndegwa and Assistant Minister for Tourism Cecily Mbarire.

Joburg is hot this winter From business to pleasure, having a great time is always in fashion

in Joburg – regardless of the season. As the weather cools down, the

action heats up! Come warm your heart and soul with everything from

excellent dining, exciting entertainment and sensational music - to

world class art, designer shopping and some of the season’s not-to-be-

missed social events. The l ine-up includes rugby and soccer fixtures

aplenty, alongside the glamorous Inanda Africa Polo Tournament

and the uplifting Standard Bank Joy of Jazz. So whether you’re

looking to strike a scorching deal, have a terrif ic time – or both

- Joburg is your year-round capital for sizzling, non-stop action.

Visit www.joburgtourism.com to see what’s hot and happening.

Visit • Work • Play

info@joburgtourism.comwww.joburgtourism.com

Tel: +27 11 214 0700

Follow us on:

Growing concerns about climate change, a loss of biodiversity and the poor management of natural resources have prompted the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) to go green at Indaba this year, says Sybert Liebenberg, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the ECPTA.

Green elements and recycled material have been used in constructing their stand and QR codes are being used for the dissemination of marketing information rather than printed brochures.

With the Eastern Cape government being the first province in the country to develop a climate-change response strategy, conservation tourism is one of the ECPTA’s core mandates. The ECPTA has not only put in place some of its own interventions to reduce the impact of tourism on the environment, but is also actively encouraging and promoting projects that will reduce the negative impact of tourism.

“The ECPTA, will in consultation with the Eastern Cape tourism industry, draft regulations that aim to establish minimum greening and environmental standards for the tourism industry. We believe that these standards will drastically increase the competitive advantage of the Eastern Cape as a tourism destination,” says Liebenberg.

Sustainable development initiatives set up by the ECPTA include the Payment for Ecological Services initiative, which aims to incentivise landowners and communities to maintain intact ecosystems, restore the natural environments of degraded land and to use natural resources sustainably. The initiative recognises that landowners and communities face financial losses in foregoing certain economic activities to conserve and restore natural environments and that

compensation is necessary to compensate for these losses. The justification for these payments is that conserved ecosystems can provide important natural services, such as regulating the flow of water out of catchments, the silt loading in rivers, pollination, clean air and sequestering carbon.

Another initiative, the Carbon Sequestration Project and community involvement in the management of provincial nature reserves, involves the large-scale planting of an indigenous plant, the spekboom, that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores high levels of carbon in its roots. The project aims to create some 1000 jobs and raise over R200 million in the global carbon trading market.

For more information visit stand DEC1G02.

2012 sees two initiatives for Tourvest Destination Management passengers – Wi-Fi and green seats.

“Our vehicles will be equipped with wireless internet facilities,” says Chief Information Officer Dieter Holle.

“Initially, passengers travelling to the Kruger National Park will have access to Wi-Fi. Guides will assist clients throughout the journey to find the best connectivity.

“Customers bring their smartphones and iPads along on their travels and instead of dealing with prohibitive

roaming costs when they return home, they will now be able to connect on these devices using our Wi-Fi facilities.”

Voluntary carbon offsetting schemes have long been offered by the airline industry, but have yet to be rolled out comprehensively by tour operators.

“We will be offering travellers the option to contribute towards reducing their own carbon footprint, as well as supporting the war against rhino poaching by

purchasing a ‘Green seat’ on our day and overland tours, prior to travel.

“Funds accumulated and distributed to accredited partners will then be used to buy and plant trees, as well as to train and equip rangers to fight rhino poaching. These are just two initiatives among many that allow clients to travel responsibly through Southern Africa,” says Holle.

For more information visit stand ICCDO18.

Eastern Cape goes green at Indaba

Wi-Fi AND green seat facilities for tourvest passengers

An innovative and dynamic destination marketing campaign has been devised to promote Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park – the largest national park in the country.

Cleverly called Herd of Hwange, the campaign was conceived when a number of the park’s leading tour and hospitality operators met late in 2011 to discuss ways of marketing the area and attracting more tourists to what they believe to be one of the finest safari destinations on the continent.

The campaign is being run from the website, www.herdofhwange.com, which features information and stunning photographs of the Hwange National

Park and provides links to individual member properties within the park. It is supported by a social media campaign which incorporates Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

The Herd of Hwange campaign is currently supported by 12 members, but more are anticipated to join as the campaign gets into full swing.

Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s largest national park and boasts some of the continent’s most beautiful landscapes where large herds of wildlife roam diverse and fertile plains, woodlands and savannah. The park is 14 650 square kilometres of pure Africa.

For more information visit stand SADCD010.

Herd of Hwange – have you heard of them?

Visit Hwange for its wealth of wildlife and scenic landscapes. It’s the largest national park in Zimbabwe.

Hooray for the Eastern Cape! Erenst Bergins, Vuyo Zitumane, Sybert Liebenberg and Lavinia Subboo.

4th Tshwane International Trade and Infrastructure Investment Conference

23-25 May 2012CSIR International Convention Centre, Tshwane, South Africa

www.titiic.co.zawww.twitter.com/TITIIC2012

As part of its annual Business Month activities, the City of Tshwane’s Economic Development Department will host the fourth Tshwane International Trade and Infrastructure Investment Conference (TITIIC) at the CSIR International Convention Centre from 23 to 25 May 2012.

The three-day event is aimed at attracting domestic and foreign investment, facilitating strategic economic development partnerships resulting in growth, competitiveness and job creation, and highlighting the inherent potential of Tshwane to export local niche products and services. TITIIC 2012 is envisaged to cement the achievements of the preceding conferences, enhancing the favourable investment profi le of Tshwane and attracting large-scale, long-term investments.

OBJECTIVES OF TITIIC

The objectives of the conference are to –

• increase the rand value of exports from Tshwane;• highlight development opportunities of economically important sectors in Tshwane;• inform potential investors and/or business communities of incentives in Tshwane for business retention and expansion, and attract new investments;• sell bankable projects and strategic land parcels in the city to attract new investments;• facilitate business-to-business linkages; and• showcase Tshwane’s value-added goods and services.

BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN THE CONFERENCE

In addition to being able to network with various stakeholders, conference participants will enjoy the following benefi ts:

• Access to information on investment and funding opportunities;• Access to a database of local producers, service providers and small enterprises that operate in the city; and• Exposure and access to Tshwane tourism facilities and related opportunities.

For information on the programme, sponsorship opportunities, and conference and exhibition fees, visit www.titiic.co.za or please direct your enquiries to:

Mr Dylan JamesConference Director, Tshwane International Trade

and Infrastructure Investment Conference087 150 3003

titiic@tshwane.gov.za

Igniting Excellence for Accelerated Shared Growth and Development

For the North West Province to be at Indaba 2012 meant – green.

The wood for the stand structure is compressed particle board of recycled wood chips. The floor is of laminated wood, made from recyclable materials. Energy efficient lamps are used that produce high quality light, whilst using very little wattage. The paints used on the stand are all water-based paints that are nontoxic. So when paint brushes were cleaned, the waste that went into the sewer system was not harmful to the environment. Furthermore, textured paints were made with water-based products, enhanced with natural river sand.

Surfaces have been left in their raw state, or given a

sealer to enhance the product and not covered with coat after coat of harmful paints.

“We tried to minimise the impact on the environment, not only by sourcing materials that are not harmful, but are easily sustainable and are sourced and manufactured in South Africa,” says General Manager: Marketing Mpho Motshegoa.

“Visitors will experience what can actually be done with creative thinking and good planning – and in our case green is not for envy,” he says.

For more information visit stand DEC1H18.

15 Years ago, Hazel Mbangutha’s face appeared on Ocean Blue’s Qolweni Township Tour brochure distributed through the tourism circuit, locally, nationally and internationally. At the time, ten year old Hazel had no idea that in 2012 she would be at Indaba speaking to an international audience and playing host to the very people that send their clients to experience township life.

At the time this Ocean Blue initiative supported a local school that employed three teachers and taught all of 25 primary school children, Hazel being one of the pupils.

Today, Hazel proudly hosts three to four tours a day, taking international clients to experience Qolweni, and the tour includes a stop-over at her primary school run by nine teachers caring for 250 children. Hazel’s 2012 career highlight includes attending her first Indaba, representing the product she has been associated with for 15 years.

Another G.R.E.A.T (Garden Route Environmental

Awareness through Tourism) project, Storms River Adventures was rewarded for their efforts by Fair Trade in Tourism last night by receiving acknowledgements for best socio-involvement, best health and safety for employees and best environmental practice.

More specifically one must consider that since 1998, 1 600 community members have been trained, developed and have received some form of form of formal qualification in eco-adventure tourism, and these individuals have found employment locally, nationally and internationally. These statistics must be seen in context of the total population of Storms River - only 2 600 people.

The ‘Act Local Impact Global’ ethos strives to ensure that the efforts of each operator result in a measureable net gain within the system they operate – socially, ecologically and economically.

For more information visit stand ICC E007.

Greg Vogt

North West Province has never been greener

Act Local Impact Global (part2)

From learner to expert - Hazel Mbangutha.

Mpho Motshegoa, Allan Osaba, Siphiwe Masango and William Mathipa of the North West Parks & Tourism Board taking pride in their heritage.

Bonamanzi in Hluhluwe, KwaZulu-Natal is located in South Africa’s oldest private game reserve, but has the youngest most passionate, multi-lingual team to host you, including two German twins as marketers.

The reserve is a natural heritage site, bordered by Lake St Lucia and is recognised as one of the best birding destinations in southern Africa, boasting more than 16 species of birds on the CITES endangered species list.

Bonamanzi provides a safe and interactive bush experience where visitors can walk or drive, with or without the company of trained field guides.

And, it is the only exhibitor that has decorated its stand with nature - directly from the ancient sand forest on the reserve.

For more information visit stand ICCK009.

Voyage opportunities and a user-friendly reference for first-timers at sea are referenced in David Hughes’ guide “All aboard!” - ships, ports and cruises published by Just Done Productions in Durban.

The guide provides information on cruise liners that call at South African ports, showing would-be-cruisers, as well as regular cruise aficionados the variety and scope of voyages available.

It also highlights freighter-container ship voyages, current world cruise ships, ship agents, ports of call and the history of ships.

Huges is an avid ships enthusiast and travels regularly, often at sea. He is also the author of two previous books on passenger liners.

Order on www.justdone.co.za

Bonamanzi IS different!

“All aboard!” - ships, ports and cruises

INDABA DAILY NEWS 2012 | 9

Visitors to Joburg, Africa’s buzzing metropolis, can expect an array of things to do this winter.

Announcing activities at Indaba 2012, Acting Chief Executive Officer Phelisa Mangcu named three additional routes and itineraries. Joburg’s Nature Route includes sites of natural beauty and anthropological relevance in the city, the Indian Route provides a history of the Indian community in Joburg, with a focus on Mahatma Ghandi, who lived in Joburg from 1903 to 1914, and the Adventure Route includes some of the high-octane spills and thrills on offer in Jozi.

“Urban tourism is coming into its own in Johannesburg with an increasing number of visitors keen to explore diverse aspects of the city – from all the exciting developments downtown to the heritage routes and sites in Alex and Soweto. This includes the rejuvenation of entire districts or precincts, along with the development of public street art, pedestrianised zones, heritage sites and lifestyle activities like the neighbourhood market in Braamfontein and the Sunday market at Arts on Main.”

New SA focus on culture and heritageThe national heritage and cultural tourism strategy recently launched by Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk has been welcomed by the industry as the first blueprint for heritage and cultural tourism development in South Africa.

The strategy aims to guide the integration of heritage and cultural resources and tourism into mainstream tourism, the Minister says.

The strategy also aims to stimulate sustainable livelihoods at community grass-roots levels and to create awareness of the needs of heritage and cultural resources for sustainable tourism.

The National Department of Tourism will invest R6 million over the next three years for further development and active promotion of the eight World Heritage Sites in South Africa. A further R80 million will be invested over a three-year period in projects known for their ‘global significance’. These projects

will include the Dinosaur Interpretative Centre in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park and the National Heritage Monument.

Heritage and cultural tourism is undervalued in South Africa, says tour operator Paul Miedema, owner of Port Elizabeth-based Calabash Tours, who specialises in cultural tours.

“As a destination, we assert our African status by and large focusing on our wildlife and our landscape. Politically, lip service is paid to the importance of heritage and culture, but within the private sector there is often a resistance to packaging it.”

Miedema says this resistance could be due to cultural

and heritage tourism involving communities and it sometimes being more abstract in content and harder to define. “Perhaps it also underlines the lack of innovation and willingness from the private sector to embrace a more ‘people-centered’ tourism product,” he says.

Heritage and cultural tourism products are the fastest-emerging competitive niche products within domestic and international markets. The World Tourism Organisation estimates that heritage and cultural tourism constitute 40 percent of international tourism.

For more information visit www.tourism.gov.za.

Joburg’s calendar of diverse events ranges from the Joburg open golf tournament in January, the Joburg Fashion Week in March, the Africa Cup Polo in July and Joy of Jazz in August, to Arts Alive, the Joburg Shopping Festival and Taste of Joburg in October and Africa Fashion Week and the Sansui Summer Cup in November.

“Although Joburg is such a youthful city, having celebrated its 125th anniversary last year, it is a treasure trove of economic, social, political and anthropological history,” says Mangcu.

“The city boasts layers of fascinating history, development and human interest stories – of course not forgetting the leisure and lifestyle aspects of entertainment, sports, music, arts and culture. At Joburg Tourism, we work with both the public and the private sector to publicise the development of city precincts, nodes, sites, attractions and products which are of interest to both locals and visitors,” says Mangcu.

For more information visit stand DEC1C10.

A hot winter forecast for Joburg!

At the beginning of 2012, South African Airways (SAA) added the new generation A330-200 Airbus to its fleet and passengers now have the benefit of six of these faster, quieter and more environmentally-friendly planes. Every 52 seconds an A330-200 takes off somewhere in the world.

On the A330-200, business-class and economy-class SAA passengers enjoy enhanced comfort and the best and latest in-flight entertainment technology.

As part of its growth plan SAA has engaged Airbus and Boeing respectively for a total fleet solution and is also evaluating new generation aircraft such as the Boeing B787 and Airbus A350. These discussions are to be finalised later this year.

SAA flies to more than 20 destinations in Africa. The Africa route network now also includes five of the fastest-growing cities on the continent, namely Ndola in Zambia, Cotonou in Benin, Pointe-Noire in Congo, Kigali in Rwanda and Bujumbura in Burundi.

Growth and development are key pillars of the SAA strategy, says Chief Executive Officer Siza Mzimela, and regional market growth and the African expansion programme are central to this strategy.

Regular travel awards continue to bear testimony to

the national carrier’s commitment to provide a quality customer experience and product relevance. SAA was awarded first place in the 2011 Sunday Times Top Brands category Domestic Airline Consumer Metro and Coolest Domestic Airline at the Sunday Times Generation Next 2011 Survey Awards.

In the 2011 Skytrax Audits, the carrier once again achieved a four-star rating for the tenth consecutive year, winning the Best Airline in Africa and the Best in Service Excellence awards.

For more information visit stand ICCSAAC1.

Best airline in Africa expands fleet

New in the South African Airways fleet is the Airbus A330 – a faster, quieter and more environmentally-friendly plane.

The South African Deputy Minister for Tourism Tokozile Xasa says more than 80 percent of tourism, travel and hospitality companies registered with the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (Cathsseta) fail to train their employees as required by the National Skills Development Strategy and the Skills Development Act.

Cathsseta Chief Executive Officer Mike Tsotetsi said at Indaba 2012 this leaves about R43 million available for training.

“Our biggest challenge is that, of some 3 800 levy payers, only 17 percent or 670 claim mandatory grants. The SETA collected more than R100 million from paid levies by the sectors. Of this, 80 percent goes to the SETA of which 50 percent is for skills development to be claimed back.

“Only R26 million has been claimed back – demonstrating that organisations did nothing to train and develop their employees, which is the prerequisite to qualify for the pay back on submission of training reports.”

Tsotetsi said one of the greatest challenges of the SETA is that it cannot verify the authenticity of submitted

annual plans.

“We rely on what they give us without any mechanisms to verify. This is an indictment, considering that the hospitality and tourism sector contributes largely to the economy of the country, complimented by arts and culture. Combined, these sectors have a great potential to create the much-needed jobs for the country. However, underpinning the success of job creation is the provision of a sufficiently-skilled and qualified workforce. This is the mandate of the Cathsseta,” says Tsotetsi.

“The modus operandi of these companies is malicious compliance, which defeats the purpose as they merely treat the skills development levies as a tax and therefore either do not train their staff at all or only offer in-house or non-credit-bearing training.

“Many of these employers are afraid that, once qualified, staff will resign. The long-term benefits of a skilled labour force are not limited to the benefit of the company or the sector. It must be seen as a key intervention in the alleviation of poverty and addressing the social inequalities that currently plague our country,” says Tsotetsi.

The Routes Africa 2012 conference takes place in the Seychelles in July 2912 to discuss aviation air links and new openings in Africa.

Already many airlines, airport authorities and tourism boards have registered for the conference, says Seychelles Minister of Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange. St Ange leads the Seychelles tourism trade delegation at Indaba and is accompanied by Tourism Board Chief Executive Elsia Grandcourt, other members of the board and private-sector representatives.

St Ange has held bilateral meetings with tourism ministers of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe at Indaba and plans to meet with the ministers of Lesotho, Zambia and Kenya, the Airlines Association of Southern Africa and the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA).

The RETOSA Board of Directors Meeting also takes place in the Seychelles in July.

For more information visit stand SADCD001.

Fans of Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts don’t despair – Angsana Balaclava is opening right on your doorstep.

Angsana Hotels and Resorts, the sister brand of Banyan Tree, has added Mauritius to its growing portfolio. The Angsana Balaclava is a five-star boutique resort with a spa, 51 suites – many with private plunge pools and a villa with four bedrooms, emulating a traditional thatched Mauritian village.

The main public area features three overlapping swimming pools separated by waterfalls leading from an expansive seawater pool, complete with sand, lap pool and wading pool below.

The spa offers nine treatment rooms, a yoga pavilion and a restorative vitality pool with several different water jet stations. Eight spa therapists, trained at the

Banyan Tree Spa Academy in Phuket, offer Asian and Ayurvedic spa treatments, using local ingredients from botanical coconut, ylang ylang and sugar cane and marine elements such as seaweed and mud.

Only a four-hour flight from Johannesburg, and just 15 minutes away from the capital of Port Louis, Angsana Balaclava is ideally situated along the Baie aux Tortues or Turtle Bay – famed for its turquoise sea and sandy beaches. Gone are the days when Banyan Tree enthusiasts had to travel to Thailand, China or Mexico to enjoy the signature blend of romance and travel with a green conscience, as fans of the brand will now be able to enjoy absolute luxury in neighboring Mauritius.

For more information visit stand SADCD001.

R43 million available for tourism training

Seychelles to host Routes Africa 2012 conference

Angsana Balaclava now in Mauritius

Seychelles Minister of Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange and Tourism Board Chief Executive Elsia Grandcourt are promoting Routes Africa 2012 at Indaba.

INDABA DAILY NEWS 2012 | 11

S(c)ene@INDABA 2012

Shiying Deug and Xuu Wei, members of the Chinese delegation getting in touch with Indaba.

Heidi van der Watt says tourism in cities is BIG! Route 22 - some interesting sights.

Kerrie Muldoon and Michelle Stahlhut - interacting with South Africa’s tourism offerings.

Vanessa Sand of AA travel guides offering accommodation guides you can trust, as always.

The Africa Golfing Indaba stand attracted many a golfer’s attention. Melissa Reddy gets putting advice from Itayi Munyukwi.

Welcome party fever on Saturday night.

The speed marketing meeting proved to be great fun - Johan Radcliffe, Laura Amy Smith, Even Pepler and Fred Orban.

Fair trade in tourism - signing up against child exploitation.

Julian Luther, Marketing Manager.1 of 562 AVIAREPS employees worldwide.Julian Luther, Marketing Manager.1 of 562 AVIAREPS employees worldwide.

Chiara Ravara, Public Relations Manager.1 of 562 AVIAREPS employees worldwide.

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