Indaba ignites fresh hope for tourism industry

Marie-Ange Lundu, a tourism marketer in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is relieved that she and friends she made at previous Tourism Indabas survived Covid and returned to this year’s event. Picture: Duncan Guy

Marie-Ange Lundu, a tourism marketer in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is relieved that she and friends she made at previous Tourism Indabas survived Covid and returned to this year’s event. Picture: Duncan Guy

Published May 7, 2022

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Durban - This week’s Tourism Indaba was rejuvenating after the Covid drought, participants said while packing their bags after some busy days at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.

“The quality of meetings has been incredible because we are all having to dig out of a deep hole, and we have to make it work,” said Stella Mountain, who is originally from KZN and, with her husband Robin, is based in Kentucky and brings mainly American tourists to Africa.

“The quality of meetings was just incredible.”

Robin said that for the past two years, they would wonder every day they woke up whether they would have to close their business.

“But coming to Indaba now and meeting people who have been in the same boat, on the other side of the fence ‒ they have got the lodges ‒ we all realised that if we don’t do this together, none of us are going to make it.

“The positiveness at this meeting has been unbelievable.”

Tebogo Nare, owner of a Rustenburg-based company that provides vehicles to tourists in Southern and East Africa, called the meeting “perfect”.

“We all went out of business for two years. Now it’s a start up.”

Travel writer and marketing specialist Angus Begg, who focuses on Africa, said that while this Indaba was smaller than usual, it was packed with enthusiasm.

“It’s nice to see to see places like the Democratic Republic of Congo here,” he said, noting that in spite of the country facing much conflict, it’s a massive country and that war happened only in certain pockets.

Marie-Ange Lundu, in Durban from Kinshasa to market the DRC as a tourism destination, said her country had last exhibited at Indaba in 2011.

“This year, it was good to get people together again, meet old friends. We didn’t think we would make it through Covid, but we did. Thank God. We are now back at the Indaba we used to know.”

She said she expected this year to still be slow on the tourism front but trusted things would pick up.

The Independent on Saturday

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