Diplomatic Inside
Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025, one of the continent’s premier tourism trade shows, concluded with resounding success, affirming its growing influence on the region’s economy and tourism sector. Held under the theme “Unlimited Africa”, the event delivered an estimated R574 million boost to Durban’s GDP, with direct spending surpassing R232 million. More than 2,000 jobs were created, predominantly benefiting local youth and communities, and household income contributions are expected to exceed R140 million.
Hosted at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, this year’s Indaba welcomed over 9,990 delegates — a 7.7% increase from 2024 — and facilitated more than 24,500 quality meetings. A record 1,348 exhibitors and 1,037 international buyers participated, representing the highest figures in four years. New country participants included Chad, St Helena, and Burkina Faso, raising the number of African nations represented to 27.
The event was officially opened by South Africa’s Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille. Both dignitaries highlighted tourism’s transformative potential for the continent. “Travel and tourism contributed 6.8% to Africa’s GDP in 2023, and we are aiming for 10.4% by 2030,” Mashatile said, emphasizing the industry’s role in job creation and economic growth.
Minister De Lille used the platform to reaffirm South Africa’s ambitious five-year Tourism Growth Partnership Plan, which seeks to increase tourism-related employment from 1.84 million to 2.5 million jobs and raise tourism’s GDP contribution from 8.8% to 10%. She also launched a new global marketing campaign titled “South Africa Awaits – Come Find Your Joy!”
South African Tourism’s Chief Marketing Officer Thembisile Sehloho expressed pride in the event’s pan-African character and scale: “This year, we cemented Africa’s Travel Indaba as a truly Pan-African platform. The collaboration across sectors is a testament to the strength and potential of the continent’s tourism offering.”
The event’s economic impact extended far beyond the Durban city centre, said Winile Mntungwa, Deputy Head of Durban Tourism. “The ripple effect touched township and rural tourism enterprises, boosting both formal and informal businesses that hosted or serviced delegates through local tours and hospitality.”
Sibusiso Gumbi, Acting CEO of KwaZulu-Natal Tourism & Film Authority, noted that 26 emerging local tourism businesses exhibited at the provincial stand. His organisation also signed strategic agreements with eSwatini Tourism and the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area, reinforcing regional cooperation.
The Durban ICC’s Sandile Makhanya underscored the event’s role in skills development: “We involved students from Durban University of Technology and local culinary talents, offering them exposure and opportunities within the tourism industry.”
In a push for inclusivity, the national Department of Tourism supported around 400 Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) to participate, while the Sustainability Village offered free exhibition space to small-scale crafters and artisans.
At the closing press conference on 15 May, stakeholders including South African Tourism, KwaZulu-Natal Tourism & Film Authority, Durban Tourism, and the Durban ICC expressed gratitude to the media for its continued support in sharing the story of an ‘Unlimited Africa’ with the world.
