Attendance at this year’s World Travel Market (WTM) Africa in Cape Town is “significantly up” from the more than 4 000 visitors last year, while at least 93% of buyers who attended the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) Africa were new to Africa, says Thebe Reed Exhibitions MD, Carol Weaving.

Exhibitors at WTM Africa said they liked the fact that they were meeting predominantly new, but quality, buyers from all over the world who were serious about clinching deals.  Yasmien Anver, International Sales Co-ordinator at Protea Hotels, reported increased interest from Chinese and Indian markets. 

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Tourvest sales executive, Eva Adriaans, reported user issues about the WTM Africa booking system. She also felt that some international buyers were merely filling up appointments to fill up their required number of slots, thereby wasting exhibitors’ time.

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At ILTM Africa some 79 exhibitors met the same number of buyers. Weaving predicted that the show would grow to 90 sellers and buyers next year.

“Interest has been fantastic,” reported newcomer, Springbok Atlas CEO, Glenn McKeag, who said the aim of attending ILTM Africa was to position the company in the luxury market.

“We have seen agents from all over the world, from Latvia to Mexico and from China to France and the UK. Mature markets like the US and UK have also been here,” said Royal African Discoveries MD, Johan Groenewald.

MalaMala International Sales Manager, Heather Smith, also reported a good spread of buyers. “We will be back next year, but we hope the show doesn’t become too big. What is most important for us is that it is focused on the luxury market and that the buyers are qualified.”

However, Wild Horizons Sales & Marketing Executives, Suzane van Niekerk and Wilma Griffith, said that having attended the event for the past four years, they had seen repeat delegates, while newcomers weren’t suited to their products. “We need agents who are already selling South Africa and now want to expand to Southern Africa, not people who have never been here.”

They also felt the overlap between ILTM Africa and WTM Africa made it difficult for companies who wanted to exhibit at both events. Van Niekerk said they would probably attend We Are Africa next year instead, because “their buyers’ list is longer and better suited to our needs”.

Visa issues were raised by buyers at ILTM Africa. Taiwan-based Royal Jetway Express MD, YT Wen, said: “There are 170 countries in the world where the Taiwanese can go without visas, so why should they come to South Africa?” He said travel from Taiwan to South Africa had declined by 90% due to lack of direct air links.  McKeag also reported that Russian and Lithuanian buyers had complained about difficulties in obtaining visas for clients, which, they said, was a disincentive for high-yield clients.

South Korean, David Chai, Director Contracting and Product Development at Tidesquare in Seoul, commented on the handful of Asian buyers at the show. While Ebola had scared off Asian buyers last year, he had returned to assess the situation first-hand. “Now that Ebola is under control, I don’t see any publicity about this in the Asian market. The quality of products is great and the potential for the Asian market is amazing with the rand being weak, but SA Tourism needs to bring Asian agents and media here together so we can gear our marketing efforts towards what the media is promoting.”

WTM Africa will take place from April 19-21 next year.

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