The first International Luxury Travel Market Africa (ILTM) Africa (www.iltm.net/africa) opened today on the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town with a gap Forum that keen on the evolution and issues facing the luxurious travel marketplace for Sub-Saharan Africa. The forum welcomed all 70 African luxury travel experiences participating at ILTM Africa, in addition to the international Hosted Buyers, each specialising in creating and planning luxury travel inbound to Africa, plus a delegation of selected international and regional media.
Minister Alan Winde, Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Western Cape Government, opened the forum by thanking Reed Travel Exhibitions for bringing ILTM Africa as a “vital new important platform for this region to showcase themselves to the luxurious travel buyers of the area.” Winde said that there has been a wealth of various tourist attractions from the wine lands to the V&A waterfront, now considered one of South Africa’s most visited destinations, to ancient art on rock forms and its amazing natural infrastructure. He also informed the audience that there’s to be a brand new luxury cruise liner terminal.
An economic and political overview was presented by Clem Sunter, formerly Chairman of the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund – the premier corporate social responsibility fund in South Africa. He referred to how Africa is not any longer seen because the “hopeless continent” but the way it is now considered “a continent of immense commercial opportunity to which US and European companies are turning.” Consistent with the sector Bank, inside the next 5 years, 7 of the head 10 fastest-growing economies are African. Mr. Sunter mentioned how they’ve seen spectacular growth from tourists within the Far East and the way he views the resort of Sun City as “Macau with Lions.”
The issues facing the posh travel industry in Africa was the topic for a panel discussion that included Tony Romer Lee, CEO, The gathering by Liz McGraw; Adrian Gardiner, Founder&CEO, Mantis Group; and Beks Ndlovu, CEO, African Bush Camps. The controversy addressed the change within the guest demographic from the early days of British travelers to the evolving impact of diversity and global reach that experience also meant a metamorphosis within the tourist’s expectations. The panel, though, believed “We have the depth of product to give everyone and meet all expectations in this continent.”
Tony Romer Lee said: “This continent has a narrative to inform; guests will never forget the relationship they make with its people in the course of the places they stay. It’s unique. People come for thus many reasons, they would like to look all of it, but there’s a lot more than simply the plain attractions.”
Adrian Gardiner agreed that what makes Africa “hot” is “experiences, experiences, experiences.” He said that Africa is “an amazing-value destination” and that experiential travel is booming to any such degree that Mantis has launched Mantis eXtreme if you happen to are looking to paraglide off Cape Town’s Table Mountain, or go shark diving, whale watching inside the Western Cape or diving the sardine run in Eastern Cape. In Zimbabwe, the corporate offers walking with rhinos, and white-water river rafting. Looking ahead, he predicts that Zimbabwe turns into the jewel of southern Africa’s tourism industry.
The debate broadened to discuss the various needs of the international traveler and meeting the expectancies of these traveling from places comparable to China.
David Chai, Director of Product Development-Travel, Tidesquare spoke from the audience about what his clients were searching for. “I am here representing the affluent Asian market traveler. People who have already done Paris, London, and Rome again and again, they don’t want more of an identical. We (as buyers) are here at ILTM Africa to appear for luxury experiences at a brand new level – our clients can communicate well in English and are prepared to pay for whatever they need. In the event that they come to Africa they expect the exotic, they seek an experience that cash can’t buy in the other country, whether a bucket shower or on the other end of the dimensions – Singita. They are going to be happy to attempt your food, but perhaps surprise them with white congee and you’ll have exceeded their expectations.”
The ILTM Africa Opening Forum closed with a one-to-one interview in regards to the evolution of the posh travel industry in Africa with Colin Bell, one of several pioneers of sustainable travel inside the continent and founding father of Wilderness Safaris. He observed how luxury tourism is usually a technique to supporting conservation projects if tourism companies and comfort hotels integrate with local communities.