Bekuwunyaka ezinhlelweni kodwa ngesikhathi kuvalwa i-Africa Travel Week yokuqala, i-Afrika yayisibone isonto layo lokuqala elihlanganisa yonke imicimbi yemboni yezokuvakasha. Umphakathi wamazwe omhlaba othengayo kanye nalabo abavela esifundeni beza ukuzobona ukuthi kumayelana nani, ukwenza ibhizinisi kanye nokugqamisa i-Afrika. I-Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) ngokubambisana ne-ReedThebe yethule umbukiso wokuqala ngqa wemboni yezokuvakasha ohlanganise amabhrendi omhlaba angu-3 ndawonye ezwenikazi elilodwa.

I-ILTM Africa, IBTM Africa kanye ne-WTM Africa badale umthelela ababewuhlelile kusukela ekuqaleni. Kugxilwe embonini yezokuvakasha yokunethezeka, umkhakha we-b2b MICE kanye nohlangothi lwezokungcebeleka lwezokuvakasha, umcimbi ngamunye ubuhlanganisa ukuqokwa kwebhizinisi okuhleliwe komuntu oyedwa kuya koyedwa, abathengi abasingathwa bamazwe ngamazwe abaqeqeshwe ngaphambilini ababefakazele ibhizinisi lokuletha (abaningi ababengakaze bavakashele Afrika ngaphambili), kanye nabasebenzi bemboni yezokuvakasha abavela kulo lonke elase-Afrika abafaneleka njengezivakashi zohwebo futhi banquma i-ajenda yabo yebhizinisi. Konke kwahlanganiswa nengxube yezikhathi zemfundo nolwazi, izingqungquthela ezibalulekile kanye nenhlobonhlobo yokuxhumana namaphathi akhombisa iKapa emhlabeni.

“Ukwesekwa nobufakazi bebhizinisi ababambiqhaza bethu abaluzuzile belukhulu. Ithimba manje seliqhuba kahle ngokuhlela i-Africa Travel Week 2015, okuzokwenziwa futhi e-CTICC. Sizibandakanya nababukisi abacele indawo ethe xaxa, nabanye abafuna ukuba khona embukisweni ongaphezu kowodwa kanye nabambalwa abafuna ukuba khona bobathathu. Ukusebenzisana phakathi kwemicimbi emi-3 kuzonikeza imboni yezokuvakasha yase-Afrika kanye ne-Afrika eseningizimu ne-Sahara isiteji esikhulu nakakhulu sika-2015” kusho u-Craig Moyes, uMqondisi wePhothifoliyo, i-Africa Travel Week.

“Sicelwe ukuthi sibheke izinhlelo ezintsha zokweseka imicimbi, simeme bonke abazohambela le ngqungquthela ukuthi babe seForamu elandelayo bese bewela namathuba okuxhumana phakathi kwezinhlelo njengoba kuqhubeka isonto. Sithatha konke futhi sizobe simemezela ukuthi u-2015 uzobukeka kanjani ezinyangeni ezizayo. Kodwa sikholwa wukuthi sikuzuzile ebesizimisele ukukwenza ngesikhathi siqala ukumemezela izinhlelo zethu ngoJuni odlule, ukuthi sizokwethula umcimbi ohamba phambili emhlabeni wonke wemboni yezokuvakasha e-Afrika futhi ababambiqhaza bethu basitshele ukuthi senzile”.

Izibalo (zisazocwaningwa ngokuzimela) zizikhulumele. I-ILTM Africa isingathe abathengi abavela emazweni angama-31. I-IBTM Africa yayinamazwe angu-17 amelwe futhi i-WTM yamukele abathengi abavela emazweni angu-47. Abahleli batshale imali ohlelweni lwabathengi olusetshenziswe kahle ukuze abathengi bamazwe angaphandle ababalelwa ku-700 babe seKapa ukuzothamela imicimbi yaleli sonto.

Izinkomfa, amasemina, imihlangano yokucobelelana ngolwazi nezikhulumi eziqavile konke bekuyingxenye yesipiliyoni futhi imihlangano eyaziwayo engaphezu kuka-10,000 yenzeka.

LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:

“We have been asked to look at new initiatives to support the events, to invite all those who attend to be at the next Forum and to cross over opportunities for networking between shows as the week progresses.
Focused on the luxury travel industry, the b2b MICE sector and the leisure side of tourism, each event comprised one-to-one pre-scheduled business appointments, pre-qualified international hosted buyers who had proven business to deliver (many who had not visited Africa before), plus travel industry professionals from across Africa who qualified as trade visitors and decided their own business agenda.
But we believe we have achieved what we set out to do when we first announced our plans last June, that we would deliver a leading global event for Africa's travel industry and our stakeholders have told us that we did”.