By Simon Nare
The SA Township and Village Tourism Association is going up a notch at the Africa’s Travel Indaba underway in Durban, by creating a platform for its members to interact directly with international buyers and businesses at the exhibition.
SATOVITO executive director Lusanda Fibi told Inside Travel that the organisation invited businesses from villages and townships who normally do not exhibit, to attend the indaba and share their stories directly with buyers.
Fibi said this provided them with an opportunity to learn invaluable lessons.
He said they were prepared to meet the buyers, so they knew how to behave professionally and execute their tasks.
“One of the highlights of the indaba from our view is that Africa is able to showcase people’s culture, the heritage of the continent and not only be seen as a safari destination.
“People need information, and with the face-to-face, people are able to get that information easily as well as creating friendships and forming relations that are long lasting from their destinations,” Fibi said.
He said that it was about time that village and township tourism was explored to its fullest. Encouragingly, a panel discussion on the subject was held at the indaba.
Fibi said SOTOVITO had engaged widely with these businesses, and market access and red tape was still a major hinderance.
The association currently serves on the Tourism Department’s master plan committee where it is driving the inclusion of village and township tourism.
“We also have a memorandum of understanding with South African Tourism (SAT). This gives us an opportunity to engage them into really marketing and showcasing the culture,” he said.
“We, on our side, are mobilising our members from township and village tourism to be able set standards of quality that are at international level.
“And, also standards that can cut across as a norm in all townships and village places. We have done workshops to make sure that we achieve this be it them being graded which guarantees travelers in terms of what standard they are expecting.”
With the sponsorship of SAT and the department, the organisation will be sending its members to an exhibition in Germany where they will be selling their stories on an international platform.
The association will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding at the indaba with the Lesotho Development Agency to exchange ideas.
INSIDE POLITICS