Media Release: GR&KK Tourism Team represents the region at the Africa Travel Indaba

For immediate release
26 May 2026

“Africa’s annual Travel Indaba is one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar and one of the top three ‘must visit’ events of its kind on the global calendar,” says Denver Johnson, Garden Route and Klein Karoo Tourism (GR&KK) Coordinator at the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM).

Hosted in Durban at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, during the second week of May, the event showcased the widest variety of Africa’s best tourism products and attracted international buyers and media from across the world.

Representatives from GR&KK and two of the region’s Local Tourism Offices George, Wilderness & Uniondale Tourism, as well as Visit Knysna Tourism at the Indaba.

The Indaba brought together Southern African tourism products and services for the international travel trade. Exhibitors included provincial authorities, provincial products and African countries, accommodation, tour operators, game lodges, transport, online travel, luxury products, hidden gems, media publications and industry associations. Outdoor exhibitors included transport, camping and safari companies.

This year, the GR&KK team again exhibited their tourism offerings at this well-known marketing platform with a secured 12 m² space at the DEC Hall. “By exhibiting on the GR&KK platform with two of the region’s Local Tourism Offices including George, Wilderness & Uniondale Tourism, as well as Visit Knysna Tourism, sent a strong unified message to all tourism and travel markets domestically and internationally,” Johnson highlighted. “This platform provided the region the opportunity to engage with tour operators, travel agents and travel media to direct more tours and travels to the GR&KK,” he added.

Officially opened with an address by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, the event reflected on a government that understands that tourism is a central pillar of growth, jobs, investment, and transformation.

It further proceeded with palpable energy and a clear sense of purpose on its Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay), on 11 May, setting a visionary tone for the continent’s premier leisure tourism trade show. The BONDAY programme launches critical conversations around policy, entrepreneurship, destination competitiveness, sports tourism, culture, and digital transformation. These are all designed to showcase new growth opportunities for African tourism economies.

By collaborating with African neighbours (e.g., Namibia, Botswana, Kenya), the region expands into new markets, sustains visitor numbers, and balances the tourism season across all 12 months – although R835 million was spent on tourism it total, it supported more than 1,122 jobs across the region.

Feature Image: FLTR: Denver Johnson (GR&KK Tourism at GRDM), Thozeka Sikhali (Visit Knysna) and Sharon House (George, Wilderness & Uniondale Tourism) with the Western Cape Provincial MEC of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr Ivan Meyer, at the Africa Travel Indaba.

ENDS