Africa’s biggest tourism trade show opened in Durban on Tuesday, with government leaders using the platform to position tourism as a driver of economic growth, job creation and African unity.Africa’s Travel Indaba runs from 11 to 14 May at the Durban International Convention Centre, bringing together tourism ministers, investors, airlines, buyers, exhibitors and delegates from across Africa and beyond.
While the event is known for marketing African destinations, this year’s focus is on strengthening regional partnerships, improving travel access and attracting more tourism investment into South Africa and the continent.Opening the event, President Cyril Ramaphosa said tourism was now about more than leisure. “Tourism is more than a sector of the economy. It is a living expression of who we are as a people,” Ramaphosa said.He said South Africa welcomed 10.5 million international visitors last year, a sign that the country and continent were recovering and attracting global interest again. Three-quarters of those arrivals came from the SADC region.“It is significant that three-quarters of international arrivals come from the SADC region,” he said. “This tells us something important: Africans are choosing Africa.”Ramaphosa said South Africa was working with neighbours to advance the SADC Tourism UNIVISA system to allow tourists to move more freely between countries on a single visa. Government is also expanding one-stop border posts and cross-border tourism routes.“When Africans travel within Africa, we strengthen our economies, deepen our cultural ties and build a more integrated continent,” he said.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said the sector remained a key economic driver, supporting around 954 000 direct jobs and contributing 4.9% to GDP.“With a record breaking 10.5 million international arrivals in 2025, we are no longer speaking recovery we are speaking ‘growth’,” De Lille said.She said government and the private sector were working through the Tourism Growth Partnership Plan to diversify products and attract investment. Major projects underway include the R24 billion expansion of the V&A Waterfront, R10.5 billion for Winelands Airport, and the R2.1 billion Club Med Beach and Safari resort in KZN opening in July.De Lille also highlighted new heritage and cultural sites, including the R82 million upgraded Cape Agulhas Lighthouse precinct and the Kgodumodumo Dinosaur Interpretation Centre in the Free State, which has drawn nearly 90 000 visitors since opening in June last year.Durban Mayor Cyril Xaba said the city had expanded air routes and grown its cruise tourism industry. Since December 2025, Durban has welcomed 27 vessels and more than 4 000 international tourists through the Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal.“Sports tourism was another major focus,” Xaba said, noting Durban would host matches during the 2027 Cricket World Cup co-hosted with Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The city is also preparing to host the SADC Heads of State Summit in August.KZN MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Musa Zondi said tourism was a strategic economic driver for the province. “Tourism matters. It confirms that government recognises tourism not merely as a leisure industry, but as a strategic economic driver that creates jobs, supports communities, attracts investment, and positions our country competitively on the global stage,” Zondi said.Ramaphosa stressed that tourism growth should benefit ordinary people, especially young people and rural communities. “They represent families supported, small businesses revived and communities that are being uplifted,” he said. He pointed to young entrepreneurs building digital platforms for township experiences and rural cooperatives offering cultural encounters.De Lille said the MICE sector remained a major opportunity.
The South African National Convention Bureau submitted 100 international MICE bids this year and secured 52. She also announced that Africa’s Travel Indaba would undergo changes from next year to adapt to shifting traveller trends.Closing the event, Ramaphosa said tourism could strengthen African unity and cooperation.“Pan-Africanism is not only a political philosophy. It is a driver of economic progress. It is the foundation of our shared prosperity,” he said.“Every conversation at this Indaba, every partnership formed, every idea shared, these are the building blocks of a continent that is rising, confident in its potential and united in its purpose.”
