Nearly 10,000 travel professionals from around the world have converged on Durban for Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025 which opens today.
Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025 (theme: “Unlimited Africa”), takes place from May 12 to 15, 2025, at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (Durban ICC) and the adjacent Durban Exhibition Centre in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, is a premier Pan-African tourism trade show aimed at showcasing the continent’s diverse leisure tourism products and fostering global business connections.
Yesterday was Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay) for arriving delegates which included travel trade and media from Ireland. They were hosted at the Red Carnation hotel, the Oyster Box on the nearby Umhlanga beachfront.
The event features workshops, panel discussions, and presentations by global tourism organisations, continental experts, and industry associations, inducing the famous speed dating network. Special areas will include partnerships with brands like Painted Wolf Wines and Travel Africa Magazine.
The 2024 event attracted 9,280 delegates from 22 countries. Over 1,200 exhibitors from across Africa and the Indian Ocean region will display range of tourism products and services. This year 1,300 buyers from 55 countries will attend.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile delivered the opening address, followed by minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille and speeches from industry leaders, such as Lindiwe Rakharebe, CEO of the Durban ICC, and other tourism stakeholders. Three African countries are exhibiting for the first time, Burkina Faso, Chad and Saint Helena. The increased participation Tourism minister Patricia de Lille told delegates, showed a willingness to lead, innovate and inspire the global tourism landscape.
Minister de Lille attended a round table with African tourism ministers. There are 27 African countries represented, of the 54 on the continent.
Categories represented at the event include accommodation (hotels, luxury lodges, mid-range options, chains), tour operators and travel agencies, game lodges and safari companies, provincial and national tourism authorities, outdoor exhibitors (camping, adventure, and safari equipment) and the Hidden Gems zone featuring 120 SMMEs, supported by the Department of Tourism. In 2024, over 24,000 meetings were conducted.
The African Travel and Tourism Association, headed up by Kgomtso Ramothea, a regular at Dublin holiday world, has a prominent presence with a fully booked stand in the ICC, hosting exhibitors like Lemala Camps, More Family Collection, and &Beyond. In 2024, ATTA® featured 69 exhibitor desks, and a similar scale is expected.
The event has previously won awards as Africa’s best travel and tourism show by the Association of World Travel Awards, and its reputation will continue to draw high-caliber participants.
Pre- and post-event tours organised by KwaZulu-Natal Tourism will allow selected delegates (buyers and media) to explore regional attractions, such as township and rural tourism offerings (e.g., Inanda, uMlazi, and Umgababa).
The event is expected to significantly boost Durban’s economy, with the 2024 edition contributing over R500m/€26.3m to the city’s GDP, including R226m/€11.9m in direct impact and R333m/€17.5m in spillover effects, and creating over 1,000 jobs, particularly for youth. Benefits will extend to local businesses, including accommodation, restaurants, shuttle services, and township hospitality venues like The Silokazis and Max’s Lifestyle.
