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20 May 2025 Media Release: Reinforcing the Garden Route & Klein Karoo’s place in Domestic & International Tourism

Media Release: Reinforcing the Garden Route & Klein Karoo’s place in Domestic & International Tourism

20 May 2025

The Garden Route and Klein Karoo Tourism (GR&KK) Regional Tourism Office (RTO) exhibited at Africa’s Travel Indaba (ATI), last week from 13 – 15 May. This year’s ATI was hosted at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban.

The RTO secured space alongside the Cape Town and Western Cape platform – a space provided by the official Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion Agency for the Western Cape (Wesgro). GR&KK was joined by three Local Tourism Offices (LTO); George, Wilderness & Uniondale, Iconic Mossel Bay and Visit Knysna.

Africa’s Travel Indaba is one of the largest tourism marketing platforms on the annual African calendar and one of the top three ‘must visit’ events of its kind on the global calendar. The platform provided representatives from the region the opportunity to engage with domestic and international tour operators, travel agents and travel media. In time, more visits would therefore be directed to the Garden Route & Klein Karoo.

Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Executive Mayor Andrew Stroebel highlighted: “This region is one of the top destinations in South Africa, attracting tourists and holidaymakers from our continent and the six others. It is therefore critical that, as part of our mandate as the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), we continue to actively market our region on both national and international platforms”.

“Our presence at the ATI shows our commitment to supporting tourism businesses, including guesthouses, hotels, golf courses, shark cage diving operators, and more to excel, create jobs, and contribute to economic growth. That is why, as a Mayor, I consider it a priority to strengthen our region’s visibility and appeal through every available platform.”

Exhibitors included, above and beyond the travel trade and media partners, also provincial authorities and products and African countries, accommodation, game lodges, transport providers, online travel, luxury products, hidden gems, publications and industry associations. Outdoor exhibitors focused primarily on transport, camping and safari companies.

Denver Johnson (GR&KK Tourism Officer), Richard Dyantyi (GR&KK Tourism Manager), and Zama Mcambi (Assistant Director National Department of Tourism)

Throughout each day, panel discussions and networking sessions for tourism industry practitioners took place where experts exchanged insights, explored emerging trends, shared best practices

To date, the GR&KK RTO has participated in ATI since 2004. However, it is important to note that several global events have disrupted the consistent hosting of ATI, of which the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a three-year suspension. The event resumed virtually in 2022 and made its full physical return in 2023.

For further enquiries contact the GR&KK Tourism Officer, Denver Johnson.

Cell: 067 037 0352
E-mail: denver@gardenroute.gov.za

RTO and LTO websites for this region

Feature image: Western Cape Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr Ivan Meyer, with GRDM Tourism Officer, Denver Johnson at the GR&KK exhibition space. 

ENDS