Munetsi gave the figure at a side event co-convened by the SADC Secretariat and the Southern Africa Tourism Alliance (SATA) at Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 in Durban. Visas, border efficiency and air access were all on the agenda, three angles on the same challenge. As SATA Project Lead Natalia Rosa told delegates, “Regional connectivity is the single most important strategic conversation the tourism sector should be having right now. Every other conversation, about brand, about positioning, about the growth of our visitor economy, is downstream of it.”

The machinery to achieve the goals set out in the SADC Tourism Programme 2020-2030 is moving. The SADC UniVisa is working through the inter-ministerial process towards the Heads of State Summit in August, a border post audit begins in July, and the air access study is complete and under review.

What industry is asking for

The private sector used the session to table proposals. Munetsi called for aviation policy, taxation and pilot licensing to be aligned across the region. Jillian Blackbeard, CEO of Africa’s Eden Tourism Association, proposed a SADC-wide border training programme with dedicated tourist channels and consistent procedures at crossings, the kind of standard the July audit could adopt.

Dimakatso Malwela, President of Women of Value Southern Africa, took the conversation somewhere it usually does not go. Her proposal, a supply development pilot across three to five member states, would bring women-led businesses into the tourism value chain and report measurable results inside twelve months. Her point was that connectivity moves visitors, but it does not decide who earns from them.

A live delegate poll showed where the consensus lay. New intra-regional air routes and one-stop posts at the busiest crossings were named as the changes most likely to shift things within two years.

The case for Team Tourism

“Team Tourism” kept coming up, because the reforms now under way only work when government and industry pull in the same direction. Governments can set the visa frameworks, the border procedures and the aviation policies, but none of it reaches a visitor unless the private sector is ready to act on it: itineraries built, operators briefed, agents able to sell the region as one place, not one country at a time.

Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa and SATA Chair, put the obligation on both sides. “Apex bodies across SADC must commit to coordinated action,” he said. “Governments cannot respond to fragmented briefs.”

On the UniVisa, the ICT systems, legal frameworks and revenue-sharing models are built, benchmarked against the KAZA UniVisa and the East African Tourism Visa. The founding group of Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe provides a strong foundation for a pilot, and the August Summit is one of several moments where the pilot could be formalised.

A shared visa already makes travel between Zambia and Zimbabwe easier, so the model is proven. Scaling it is a step only government can take. The UniVisa needs an implementation roadmap and a go-live date. The air access study needs a public position on what proceeds, and by when. The July border audit is the moment to ensure training translates into consistent regional standards.

The private sector is getting ready, which is why SATA will keep pressing for all three together. A visa with no routes behind it, or open borders with no air access to use them, helps no one. Move them as one, hold every party to its part, and Southern Africa finally connects itself.

Some of the continent’s connectivity gaps have narrowed over the past year. Qantas added Perth to Johannesburg, Edelweiss introduced its A350 service to Windhoek, Air Congo announced a Brussels link to Kinshasa, and Ethiopian secured approval to serve Mauritius. If those routes can move from proposal to operation, why do others with similarly strong demand remain unserved?

That question sat at the centre of a discussion at AviaDev Africa 2026 in Gaborone, the continent’s main route development forum, where airlines, airports and tourism bodies meet to build new air links. It was chaired by Natalia Rosa, Project Lead at the Southern Africa Tourism Alliance (SATA).

The panel agreed that none of the stakeholders can make a route work alone. Airports need traffic, tourism boards need visitors and airlines need confidence that travellers have a reason to come. Rosa described it as a relationship, but as Keira Langford-Johnson, Business Development Director at Proflight Zambia, pointed out, not an equal one. The airline carries the risk, committing aircraft, crew and operating costs long before it knows whether demand will materialise.

Those costs do not move with the load. A half-empty aircraft burns much the same fuel as a full one, and no marketing campaign can change that. Airlines therefore look for evidence that demand will persist beyond a route launch. What they need, Langford-Johnson said, is proof that the market can sustain itself once the initial excitement fades. Too often that evidence never reaches the table. “What are people doing after they arrive? Where do they go? How do they move? That’s the data that builds a route,” she said.

Rupert Kraus of Discover Airlines, part of the Lufthansa Group, described a similar approach. Passenger numbers alone are rarely enough. He wants to see broader indicators of growth: hotels being developed, cargo volumes increasing and new industries investing in a destination. “If I only looked at the data in front of me, I’d struggle to justify the route,” he said.

With a limited fleet and a growing list of potential destinations competing for capacity, airlines need confidence that a market can support service over the long term rather than generate short bursts of demand.

The data exists, Kraus argued, yet it remains fragmented. Road transfer operators, charter companies and tourism businesses already collect much of the information airlines need to assess whether a route can succeed: who is travelling, where they are going, when they are travelling and in what numbers. Together, those datasets provide a far richer picture of demand than airlines often receive.

Langford-Johnson illustrated the point with three of Proflight Zambia’s recent routes into Livingstone, Maun and Windhoek, all of which emerged from conversations at AviaDev. None were obvious additions to the network, and Proflight does not launch new routes lightly. What changed was the preparation. Airport authorities, tourism boards and regulators arrived with a 72-page business case covering demand, market potential, operating costs and demographics. When information was missing, the airline asked for it and the partners supplied it. “If you’re not exchanging something, it’s just a meeting,” she said. The partners brought the evidence, helping build the confidence Proflight needed to launch the route.

Gathering the evidence is only part of the process. Keeping stakeholders aligned can be harder. As Tatamo Rakotozafy, Head of Aeronautical Activities at Ravinala Airports, explained, tourism authorities, airports and governments often approach route development with different priorities and measures of success.

The route is more likely to move forward when stakeholders can align around a shared economic objective. That common purpose becomes especially important when political priorities change or commercial pressures emerge.

Rakotozafy was describing alignment within a country. Justice Ofentse, Acting CEO of the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), argued that the same principle applies across borders. Smaller destinations, he said, are often more effective when they approach airlines collectively rather than competing against one another for the same aircraft and investment.

His argument was that the region should present itself as a single market, rather than a collection of individual destinations each making separate pitches to carriers.

One event could supply exactly the evidence airlines keep asking for. The 2027 T20 Cricket World Cup, shared by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, is expected to move more than 340,000 people across the three countries.

As Ofentse suggested, the tournament will test whether the three countries can present themselves to travellers as a connected destination instead of three separate markets.

Bronwen Auret, Chief Quality Assurance Officer at South African Tourism, acknowledged that creating that level of coordination requires effort well beyond the tourism sector. The tournament, however, provides a practical opportunity to bring together air access planning, tourism promotion and regional cooperation around a single event.

If the planning is done well, she argued, it could also generate valuable data on how visitors moved through the region and where demand was concentrated.

Those patterns are the evidence airlines keep asking for. Whether the region can bring them together into a convincing demand case may determine which of its long-discussed routes finally move from proposal to schedule.

The panel recording can be viewed here.

The programme, supported by the German Government and the European Union and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, provides a coordinated regional roadmap for sustainable tourism development across the 16 SADC member states.

The session brought together representatives from SADC member states, and delivered evidence that measurable progress is being made on three fronts: visa harmonisation, air access, and cross-border product development.

“Regional cooperation remains central to unlocking tourism’s full potential as a driver of inclusive growth, employment and environmental stewardship across Southern Africa,” said Marygoreth Mushi, Programme Officer for Policy and Market Development, SADC Secretariat.

Air access study charts course for improved regional connectivity

Mushi reported that an Air Access Study has been completed and submitted for ministerial review. The study, which feeds into the Air and Road Access Improvement Programme, identifies the slow pace of Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) implementation as the region’s primary structural constraint, alongside high aviation taxes, insufficient regional and intercontinental routes, and inadequate infrastructure.

Its recommendations include fast-tracking SAATM adoption, harmonising aviation-related taxes and charges, and coordinating infrastructure investment across member states.

“We all understand that tourism might not have a direct mandate over air transport, however it is highly affected,” Mushi noted, explaining the study’s centrality to the region’s broader tourism ambitions.

The Southern Africa Tourism Alliance (SATA), which represents tourism associations across the SADC region, confirmed its role in operationalising the study’s findings once approved: translating ministerial-level recommendations into practical on-the-ground improvements through its private sector networks.

SADC UniVisa pilot delivers cross-border travel progress

Mushi reported substantial progress on the SADC Tourism UniVisa pilot, now operational across Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The ICT architecture for immigration systems, legal frameworks and revenue sharing models have been implemented and benchmarked against the KAZA UniVisa and East African Tourism Visa. A Tourism-Focused Customer Service Training Programme has also been developed for immigration and border personnel, designed to balance security requirements with visitor experience.

SATA has supported delivery of these frameworks through its member networks, including border management training at the Kazungula crossing connecting Botswana and Zambia and a pilot train-the-trainer programme for disaster risk management officials in ministries and national tourism organisations.

Cross-border integration advancing through Transfrontier Conservation Areas

Nick Tucker of Boundless Southern Africa, working with the SADC Secretariat on tourism market development across Transfrontier Conservation Areas, underscored the practical significance of reducing cross-border friction. “Nothing makes regional integration tangible like a functioning cross-border tourism experience. Every time we reduce friction, we increase competitiveness,” Tucker said.

2030 targets

Mushi outlined the programme’s central objective: to ensure that by 2030, cross-border multi-destination tourism in Southern Africa exceeds the global average growth rate. The session reinforced that the partnership model – uniting government, private sector and conservation stakeholders under a shared framework – provides the institutional architecture to deliver on that commitment.

The session was chaired by Shamilla Chettiar, Acting CEO of SA Tourism, who noted that relationships are foundational to how the sector functions: “We all want tourism to work. We collaborate with each other in order to compete.”

For the first time, five nations – Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe – are marketing their shared conservation estate as a single tourism destination. The Great Kavango Zambezi Birding Route, launched in February 2026 and presented jointly at ITB Berlin 2026 this week, is the first tangible product of that ambition: a cross-border avitourism experience spanning over 650 bird species across the world’s largest trans frontier conservation area.

“No single country in this region can offer what the five Partner States offer together. The birding route makes that case in the most concrete way possible – 650 species, 12 key areas, ancient migration corridors, and a certified guide network to bring it to life,” said Dr Nyambe Nyambe, Executive Director of the Kavango Zambezi TFCA Secretariat.

The route connects 12 key birding areas across the Kavango Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA), tracing ancient migration corridors that follow the life-giving waterways – the Kavango, Zambezi, Chobe, Kwando and Kafue river systems – that sustain both resident and migratory bird populations. These are the same river systems that give the destination its new unified brand identity and its ‘Rivers of Life’ positioning.

The scale of the product is considerable. Birders can move between Botswana’s Okavango Delta wetlands and Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park woodlands within a single itinerary, with suggested routes available at UncoverKavangoZambezi.com.

A hosted international press expedition documented 215 bird species across the region – including 43 species recorded for the first time by experienced international birders, a figure that speaks directly to the route’s credentials among serious avitourists.

A product built for the trade

The birding route has been structured with commercial viability at its centre. More than 100 registered Birding Route Ambassadors – operators, guides, lodges and tourism stakeholders – are involved in promoting the route across the region, having recognised its potential as a differentiating product in an increasingly competitive regional market.

Critically, the infrastructure to support demand is being built in parallel. 69 birding guides have completed intensive 12-day certification programmes through partnerships including  BirdWatch Zambia, BirdLife Zimbabwe, BirdLife South Africa, BirdLife Botswana and Namibia Nature Foundation. 

The aim is to ensure that the calibre of interpretation on the ground matches what international birders expect from an established avitourism destination.

“Avitourism represents one of the fastest-growing segments in nature-based travel worldwide,” said Dr Nyambe. “This route positions Kavango Zambezi alongside established avitourism destinations like Costa Rica and Ecuador, but with the unique advantage of cross-border scale – and a community of local guides and ambassadors who are equipped to deliver truly expert-led experiences.”

Tourism operators can access co-branding tools, professional marketing assets in five languages, suggested itineraries, video content through the ‘Rivers of Life’ series, and guide certification resources through the dedicated Trade Hub at UncoverKavangoZambezi.com. Registration is free.

With 36 protected areas spanning an area larger than France and Germany combined, the Kavango Zambezi TFCA represents a scale of natural diversity that few destinations globally can match. For operators building southern Africa itineraries, the birding route provides a structured, commercially supported mechanism to unlock that diversity across borders.

This unified brand brings together the five partner states to market their shared conservation area as a single tourism destination under the ‘Rivers of Life’ slogan, which reflects the interconnected river systems that sustain this vast ecosystem and the wildlife corridors connecting them. 

The birding route offers access to over 650 bird species across ancient migration corridors spanning the world’s largest terrestrial trans frontier conservation area.

About Kavango Zambezi TFCA

The Kavango Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) is the world’s largest terrestrial trans frontier conservation area, spanning 516,406 km² across Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Established by treaty in 2011, it encompasses 36 protected areas including national parks, game reserves and community conservancies. The TFCA is home to Africa’s largest elephant population (approximately 250,000) and includes two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Victoria Falls and the Okavango Delta.

About the Kavango Zambezi Destination Brand

The Kavango Zambezi destination brand was officially endorsed by Heads of State at the Livingstone Summit in May 2024, uniting the five partner countries under a shared tourism identity. The destination brand development has been co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through KfW. The brand promotes cross-border experiences that follow natural wildlife corridors and ecological linkages rather than political boundaries, positioning the region as southern Africa’s premier tourist destination and enabling visitors to explore the continent’s cultural and natural diversity as never before.

Across three days, delegates participated in approximately 3,768 unique one-on-one meetings, reflecting the commercial strength and deep engagement that define Africa’s Eden events. Exhibitors consistently praised the quality of the buyers, noting the strong alignment with their products, the seriousness of the appointments and the productivity of their schedules. As Natural Selection’s Nadine Smith shared: “A huge thank you to the Africa’s Eden team for delivering an incredible global show — from seamless organisation to unforgettable moments, it was the perfect end to the year.”

Buyers, in turn, highlighted the exceptional calibre of exhibitors, the depth of regional product knowledge and the ease of forming meaningful commercial connections. Daniela Köster of Genus’s Touren commented: “Africa’s Eden is an excellent trade show: well organised with a fantastic selection of exhibitors; I have returned inspired and motivated to sell Africa with even more passion.”

Across both groups, feedback was remarkably consistent: the event was warm, well organised and delivered an atmosphere of genuine collaboration, with many describing the Victoria Falls edition as “world-class,” “exceptional,” and “one of the most memorable Africa’s Eden shows to date.” In the days surrounding the Show, many buyers also joined regional familiarisation tours across Africa’s Eden member countries. These journeys allowed them to experience destinations exactly as their clients would — not through brochures, but through first-hand encounters with landscapes, communities and product. These tours continue to strengthen trade knowledge, bridge gaps in understanding and encourage broader geographical dispersion by equipping global partners to confidently sell a wider range of Africa’s Eden experiences.

The week also featured the Africa’s Eden Leaders’ Forum, a focused working session examining shared regional priorities such as air access, destination marketing, trade readiness, community inclusion, skills development and the need for improved tourism data. Discussions highlighted the region’s significant potential and the importance of coordinated action between private and public sectors to unlock long-term competitiveness.

Complementing the Forum were a series of destination and tourism knowledge-sharing sessions that provided global buyers with meaningful insight into regional landscapes, conservation models, air access developments and product diversity across Africa’s Eden’s eight member countries.

Reflecting on the show’s achievements, Jillian Blackbeard, CEO of Africa’s Eden, noted: “This year’s Global Edition demonstrated what is possible when our region comes together with purpose — a showcase of collaboration, creativity and commercial strength that reflects the very best of Africa’s Eden.”

Africa’s Eden now looks ahead to its next major industry gatherings:

• Africa’s Eden Travel Show – Africa Edition, 29 March – 1 May 2026 in Victoria Falls
• Africa’s Eden Travel Show – Global Edition, 17 – 20 November 2026 in Kasane

Registrations for both events have already opened, with strong early interest from regional suppliers and international buyers.

Africa’s Eden Tourism Association (Africa’s Eden), in partnership with JLL and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), unveiled a strategic roadmap to accelerate sustainable tourism growth across four countries in Southern Africa. The findings are based on JLL’s globally recognised Tourism Readiness Index, a proven framework previously applied to over 200 destinations worldwide. This latest analysis provides a data-driven assessment of Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, outlining a clear path for investment, policy action, and tourism product diversification.

The Index uses more than 70 indicators across eight pillars — Scale, Concentration, Leisure, Business, Urban Readiness, Safety & Security, Environmental Readiness and Policy & Prioritisation. The research underpinning the Africa’s Eden report was conducted between October 2024 and June 2025. 

“This Index is a living document — a tool for our members, our partners, and all stakeholders in tourism,” says Jillian Blackbeard, CEO of Africa’s Eden. 

“The Tourism Readiness Index offers a standardised global approach to destination assessment,” says Bernadine Galliver, JLL’s Head of Tourism Advisory for MEA. 

The Index at a Glance

• The four countries are categorised as “Dawning Developers” — destinations with strong natural and cultural assets, emerging infrastructure and major upside if strategic investment and policy reforms are pursued. 
• Zimbabwe leads on scale and leisure metrics, achieving the highest international arrivals among the four, and has further opportunities for growth in business readiness and governance.
• Zambia is the region’s business-travel leader, with business travel accounting for approximately 63% of tourism spending. The country also scores strongly on urban readiness, presenting immediate opportunities for MICE and bleisure tourism.
• Botswana stands out for its environmental stewardship and strong policy frameworks, with opportunities to further enhance the scale and geographic dispersal of visitors beyond its iconic safari nodes.
• Namibia scores highest on safety and offers a strong value proposition. There are opportunities for targeted investment to further enhance urban and environmental readiness.

From Status Quo to Roadmap:

“Designed to facilitate critical conversations between stakeholders, the Index provides a roadmap for unlocking sustainable tourism growth,” adds Gloria Guevara, WTTC Interim CEO. 

The Index is not a ranking system: it identifies the “delta” between what destinations offer today and what they will need to service future visitors sustainably. That means actionable guidance on where to invest — from air connectivity and road links to visa openness, MICE infrastructure, and product diversification (culture, events, coastal and city experiences) – so growth is inclusive, climate-sensitive and resilient. 

Strategic insights for Investment and Policy

• Air connectivity & scale: Zimbabwe and Zambia show stronger seat capacity and route networks; Botswana and Namibia need targeted route development to unlock new markets and reduce over-reliance on a few nodes.
• Product diversification: All four countries rely heavily on leisure/wildlife. The Index highlights immediate opportunities to grow culture, adventure, city breaks and MICE to smooth seasonality and extend average length of stay. 
• Sustainability & resilience: Botswana leads on environmental readiness but each country needs a clear tourism resilience strategy — from protected-area finance to encouraging more hotels to adopt sustainability standards.
• Visa & policy levers: Updating visa regimes and creating coordinated regional travel corridors (SADC cooperation) would materially improve multi-country itineraries and boost arrivals. 

From Insights to Action

The full report is being made available to government agencies, tourism associations, investors and civil-society partners today, accompanied by regional webinars to turn insights into action.

With demand surging, so too does the risk of dealing with unverified businesses that can put both consumer trust and the industry’s reputation at stake. There is a noted pattern of deception targeting both local and international tourists, with fraudulent operators becoming more sophisticated in their use of stolen credentials and digital platforms.

SATSA has also noted instances of companies displaying its logo without authorisation, misleadingly implying membership. While this may seem a minor detail, the implications are serious: the SATSA logo is widely recognised as a trusted mark of credibility.

“SATSA’s logo indicates the tourism product’s commitment to ethical conduct, financial transparency, and accountability,” says David Frost, CEO of SATSA. “Every SATSA member is subject to an enforceable Code of Conduct and stringent annual checks.”

To safeguard against disappointment or financial loss, SATSA advises:

• Verifying membership by consulting SATSA’s official membership directory at www.satsa.com or by contacting SATSA directly at info@satsa.co.za.
• Working with accredited SATSA members and to report any suspected misuse of the SATSA name or logo.

The call to vigilance comes at a critical time. South Africa is set to welcome thousands of visitors over the festive season, and fraudulent activity often rises in parallel with increased travel. SATSA’s appeal is simple: pause, verify, and book with confidence.

“By checking for SATSA membership, travellers and businesses are not only protecting themselves – they are strengthening the integrity of the entire tourism ecosystem,” Frost concludes.

Many tourism businesses are being audited by SARS and required to pay VAT on the fee that is charged to international clients for arranging their inbound travel to South Africa. SARS claims these businesses are acting in the principal role, when these are in fact agents and therefore are not required to on-charge VAT on their fee to international travellers.

“SARS has publicly stated that it intends to minimise the burden of compliance for SMMEs and to clarify any uncertainties so that SMMEs understand their tax obligations better. This new requirement for agents to pay VAT on fees levied to international travellers flies in the face of this,” explains David Frost, CEO SATSA.

One such business grappling with this requirement is African Moments Travel, which has gone to great lengths ascertain from SARS what the business would need to do to fulfil the role of an agent in its eyes, which has yet to be forthcoming,

Says Director, Dennis Spaeth: “We have spent over two years going through various procedural steps to highlight that, as an agent, we have acted correctly by not charging VAT on the fee we charge international clients for booking their travel in South Africa.”

“Our attempts to clarify our position and our role as an agent to SARS have been ignored or not answered directly. Despite not reaching an agreement with SARS as to what role we play, we are now attempting to reach a settlement agreement with SARS to try and put the matter to rest. This is despite the goalposts being continuously shifted further way, with no end in sight to find a meaningful consensus,” says Spaeth.

This is yet another example of unnecessary red tape and inconsistent application of policies, among many others, that hamper the growth of the Tourism sector and its potential to contribute to South Africa’s economy.

“Tourism is a key driver of SMMEs and employment, particularly in peri-urban and rural areas where other industries do not operate. To burden tourism SMMEs with confusing and complex VAT policies that lead to accidental non-compliance hampers their ability to contribute to economic growth,” says Frost.

“We would ask SARS to simplify the way VAT is levied within Tourism, so that it supports instead of hinders the growth of the industry, particularly SMMEs. This is especially as the Tourism sector was amongst the first and hardest hit by the COVID-19 lockdown.

Further, SARS should clarify how VAT should be correctly levied for the various services and roles (agent/principal) found within the industry by working with the industry associations that represent tourism and travel businesses so that we can do our part in helping to reignite South Africa’s economy in a fair and sustainable way,” concludes Frost.

The new logo was unveiled to delegates at the conference being held at the Wild Coast Sun this week, sporting a new tagline that better describes what the association does: ‘The Voice of Inbound Tourism’.

Click here to see the transition from old to new.

SATSA members are encouraged to visit the website to download the logo and change it on all their collateral.

Contact communications@satsa.co.za if you have not received the mailer with details on where to find the new logo toolkit.

That’s the word from Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) Managing Director Peter Shelley who addressed delegates attending SATSA’s conference on the Wild Coast this week.

“Everybody is working on the same page with the same purpose. For any tourism marketing campaign, we have a core theme and variations thereof for each region. We hunt in packs, all singing the same message, and this has largely been the recipe for our success in our current tourism strategy,” explained Shelley.

The equivalent to SATSA in Australia, ATEC is a private-sector tourism body which rebranded to include the term ‘export’ and has since benefited from increased government attention as a result. “Tourism is the second-largest export industry in Australia.”

Shelley described how Australia’s tourism strategy was government-led and industry-supported. “We started with a collaborative discussion where every level of government was brought into the plan. The States’ and Regions’ plans were a mirror of the national plan. We were aligned in our vision and that has been our success.”

As a result, the destination achieved A$45bn in tourism revenue and nine million international visitors in 2018, from just $70bn in 2009.

The Tourism 2020 Strategy was based on several success factors, including a whole-of-government approach, a collaboration between the industry and government, improved funding for bigger, better campaigns, infrastructure that drives demand, reduced taxes and changes, and effective training.

Despite the huge growth seen out of markets like China, Shelley highlighted a number of challenges for Australia as it enters the planning stages of its next strategy. To cut through the ‘sea of sameness’ in tourism marketing, Australia is thinking out the box with such innovative and collaborative campaigns as the Dundee Campaign, which leverages the caché of Crocodile Dundee and Paul Hogan in the US market.

“We have generated 14,500 news articles from the campaign with an Advertising Value Equivalent of A$85m and it has certainly been successful in raising awareness about the destination,” said Shelley.

Australia is also promoting signature experiences as part of its brand strategy, including Wildlife Journeys, Cultural Attractions, Ultimate Winery Experiences and Great Golf Courses.

This is all aimed at countering the consumer challenges of limited knowledge about Australia’s offering outside of iconic experiences and the low urgency nature of the destination. “Australia perceived as a once-in-a-lifetime destination which can be put off for another day” – a similar challenge to what South Africa faces.

The key to Australia’s success, concluded Shelley, was that Australia’s tourism sector were all rowing in the same boat towards a goal. “A collaborative industry and an engaged government leads to a fruitful partnership and progress,” he said.