The leading virtual trade show for the African and Indian Ocean tourism industry, OurAfrica.Travel, is gearing up to be even better than last year.

In 2023, the show attracted 186 exhibitors and over 440 buyers and media worldwide. The platform facilitated over 6 500 meetings, 44 192 networking chats, and received over 85 000 profile views.

This year, the show has surpassed last year’s number of exhibitors, with 197 lined-up. At the time of writing, the show has attracted 366 buyers from around the world, and it is expected to increase before the show starts in February.

“This year, we've successfully drawn in both established brands and new properties, complementing our existing exhibitors. This diversity has not only captured the attention of a broad spectrum of buyers but also opens doors to fresh and exciting opportunities,” said one of the show’s organisers, Storm Napier.

The statistics surrounding the show’s buyers can be seen in the graph below:

First trade show of the year for Africa

OurAfrica.Travel will be the first trade show for Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands this year.

“This is the first trade show interaction of 2024 for industry players to update themselves in real-time,” said one of the other show organisers, Allie Hunt.

Napier and Hunt believe that the show, now in its fifth edition, has evolved into a respected and trusted platform.

“The show continues to save participants travel costs and time – users can fit their meetings around their work hours. We bring people together who can’t necessarily meet in-person, but who want to conduct business. It really brings Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands to your desk,” they told Tourism Update.

They stressed that the show would not be possible without its partners – Wetu, ATTA, The Africa Hub, NightsBridge, Africa’s Eden, and Umlingo PR.

Hunt added that the trade show had seen a strong collaboration amongst these key players in the industry, who all want the end goal to support tourism to Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.

Exhibitor registration for the trade show closes on January 23 – the same day that the diaries open to schedule appointments. Buyer registration closes on February 2.

The trade show runs from Monday, February 5 until Friday, February 9. All the meetings are 20 minutes long, and users have an unlimited amount of meetings they can schedule.

Interested participants can click here to register.