Simon Nare
THE annual Mpumalanga Tourism Expo is set to go up a notch on its fourth edition by showcasing – what the beautiful province – where the sun rises, has to offer visitors.
This year’s expo is also much bigger because it includes a collaboration between the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency authorities together with four other provincial and international partners.
Organisers of the annual tourism pilgrimage said at the media launch in Mbombela on Thursday night, that this year, tourism agencies from Kwa-Zulu Natal and Limpopo as well as from neighbouring Swaziland and Mozambique – will be there as service providers and exhibitors –
showcasing what the province has to offer.
Acting Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency chief executive officer Justice Mohlala told guests that the expo has been growing in leaps
and bounds since it was launched four years ago.
“Mpumalanga remains a preferred destination of choice both on the domestic market and the international market,” said Mohlala adding that the province took a serious knock during the Covid-19 pandemic but things were starting to look up.
Before the pandemic, the province used to host over 1.8 million visitors a year and during the pandemic that number went to zero but it has picked up again and the province got the same pre-Covid number of visitors, he said.
Mpumalanga has been riding the crest of the wave on the tourism front having recently overtaken the Western Cape as the second tourism driver in the country and is the proud home of the majestic Kruger National Park renowned for its abundance of wildlife.
The exhibition which brings under one roof all service providers to interact and sell their products to clients on a face-to-face basis will this year be held at the Riverside Mall in Mbombela on the weekend of 4 to 6 October 4.
The province has been tapping in on neighbouring countries eSwatini and Mozambique where visitors are enticed with the prospect of having
breakfast in Mpumalanga, lunch in eSwatini and dinner on Mozambican beaches.
Mohlala has stressed that the expo is a catalyst for regional tourism
It is also a catalyst for Regional tourism integration particularly with Mozambique and the Kingdom of Eswatini in the spirit of Triland, across borders aimed at encouraging visitors to enjoy Breakfast in Mbombela, lunch in Eswatini and an intimate dinner with fresh fish in Maputo.
The expo provides a platform for tourism stakeholders and students to experience tourism in action. The events is organised by Jakada holdings under the leadership of Xolani Mthethwa.
Mthethwa said the feed they have received since the expo started in the first year has been very positive from your operators and other service providers.
He said the feedback they received was the service providers were getting direct bookings from the expo.
The expo has grown from strength to power since 2021 when it started with 26 exhibitors including the participation of The Kingdom of Eswatini Tourism authority and Mozambique tourism authority.
This year 44 to 50 are set to showcase their tourism products and services to the consumers. And more jobs have been created since 2021.
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