Today the Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, announced the postponement of Africa’s Travel INDABA, which was scheduled to take place at the Durban ICC from 12 to 14 May 2020.
This follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address last night, where he announced a national state of disaster in order to better manage the Coronavirus outbreak in South Africa. One of the strategies to reduce transmission of the virus is the prohibition of gatherings of more than 100 people.
Sisa Ntshona, CEO of South African Tourism, says, “We are in full support of the Minister’s decision and are duty bound to protect our nation and industry.”
South African Tourism, through its National Convention Bureau (NCB), will be contacting all of Africa’s Travel INDABA exhibitors about the postponement and will consult the broader industry to establish future dates for the show.
Other strategies to stem the spread of the Coronavirus include travel bans on foreign nationals from high-risk countries, as well as the prohibition of non-essential travel outside of South Africa, and its discouragement within South African borders. This will have a profound impact on the tourism sector in the short term. To address this, South African Tourism has committed to work closely with tourism industry stakeholders to find ways to ensure the sector’s quick recovery and to protect it going forwards.
“We appreciate that this is an extremely difficult time for our industry as the repercussions of the virus reverberate through the entire value chain. We should use this opportunity to collaborate to find solutions beyond the current crisis, which will have long-term benefits for our country as a travel destination of choice”, says Ntshona.
Stakeholders are encouraged to visit www.southafrica.net for regular updates.
Photo supplied by South African Tourism.
