Get the great travel and tourism stories at INDABA 2015

By mid-April, with less than a month to go to the 2015 travel and tourism INDABA, more than 517 journalists from around the world were confirmed to come to Africa’s biggest travel tradeshow to get to the heart of the exciting, and thriving, African travel and tourism story.

Of those journalists, 377 represent South African media titles, and 130 represent titles outside South Africa.

INDABA offers travel and tourism journalists; business and economics journalists; and current affairs reporters a fantastic opportunity to speak to the people who are defining the future of leisure tourism in Africa… from a tradeshow floor of more than 1 100 pan-African exhibitors, to a number of media engagements and press briefings that are offered with the express intention of putting tourism decision-makers in front of the world’s media.

INDABA 2015 offers four Media Talks events over the three days to ensure journalists have access to every angle of the African travel story.

1. A Ministerial briefing on tourism in which National Tourism Minister, Mr Derek Hanekom will speak to journalists about the critical job creation and economic growth role tourism plays in South Africa. He will be joined in the panel discussions by South African Tourism CEO, Mr Thulani Nzima and Mr Bruce Whitfield of 702 and CNBC Africa. This event takes place from 12:30 to 13:30 pm on Saturday, May 9;
2. A media talk themed: Gearing up for Growth in Africa in which a panel of African tourism experts will discuss the critical importance of regional tourism on the continent and examine whether South Africa’s tourism businesses, in particular, understand the value of regional tourists and whether this understanding reflects in services and products honed to meet the needs of African leisure tourists. Sophie Ikenye, presenter of Focus on Africa on BBC will moderate the panel discussion. This event takes place on Monday, May 11 from 9:00 to 10:00 am;
3. A media talk in which the critical role of small and emerging tourism businesses is examined as a panel of experts address the topic: Bringing small businesses into the mainstream tourism economy. Present on the panel will be four of these emerging tourism businesses, as well as spokespeople from Fair Trade Tourism South Africa and the Tourism Enterprise Partnership. This event takes place on Sunday, May 10 from 10:30 to 11:30 am; and
4. The final media talk at INDABA 2015 will be the bid party wrap briefing that gives journalists an opportunity to engage with INDABA organisers. This event takes place on Monday, May 11 from 11am to noon.

All media talks take place in the INDABA Media Centre that is centrally situated in the INDABA venue: the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban.

INDABA 2015 media events are open only to INDABA-accredited journalists. To get media accreditation – and access to this full and interesting media programme – visit the INDABA websitewww.indaba-southafrica.co.za and click on the ‘media’ tab.

The INDABA Media Centre is one of the best equipped, and media-friendly, providing journalists with an office away from the office for the duration of INDABA. It is managed by a contingent of exceptionally helpful and knowledgeable people who are happy to work with journalists to set up interviews with any of the INDABA exhibitors and South African Tourism spokespeople.

INDABA 2015 takes place from May 9 to 11 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, Durban. Media applications remain open until the tradeshow ends.