WTM Africa will be held live and in-person from 11 to 13 April 2022, alongside ILTM Africa. As Africa’s only inbound and outbound premier travel and tourism trade show, the event will once again bring together exhibitors and buyers from across the globe to connect, exchange ideas, share news and discuss innovation within the travel and tourism sector.

The three-day live event in the Host City of Cape Town is open to all travel trade professionals. Visitors can look forward to attending conference sessions with speakers from around the globe, face-to-face networking, the African Responsible Tourism Awards, press conferences and more!

Recognising that some buyers might not be able to attend the live event, the event organisers have introduced a hybrid format for the show. The hybrid event will take place on 04 and 05 April and will only be open to exhibitors who are also attending the physical event one week later.

During the virtual event, exhibitors will be able to connect with buyers from around the world who are not able to attend the live event because of border closures, COVID regulations or simply a lingering unease to travel. Both one-on-one meetings as well as virtual speed networking sessions will be available on the same platform that was successfully used for ATW Virtual 2021. The virtual event is exclusive to exhibitors and buyers only.

Different buyers will attend each event meaning that exhibitors will receive marked value as the buyers that they will meet online will be different to those that will be attending the physical event thereby offering a diverse and enhanced pool of buyers.

“Our focus has always been to ensure the best return on investment for our clients. Africa Travel Week 2022 will enable education and content sharing as well as networking, providing the opportunity to meet and discuss business, leading to contracts being signed whilst expanding connections,” says Megan Oberholzer, Portfolio Director: Travel, Tourism and Creative Industries at Reed Exhibitions.

“We are thrilled to finally bring exhibitors and buyers together in person in the Host City of Cape Town. Africa Travel Week is proud to have been partners with the City of Cape Town since the inception of WTM Africa in 2014 and we’re grateful for the unwavering support the city has shown us. As one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town truly is the ideal destination for travel and tourism industry players to not only communicate and connect, but also to share stories and laughs over a glass of wine. Although virtual connections have kept our industry afloat over the past year, it is now time to take it to the next level again. A compelling live event creates memories and meaningful relationships. And, after all, that’s what our industry is all about.”  

This announcement came off the back of a meeting that was held between the City’s mayoral committee member for assets and facilities management, Alderman James Vos, and Wahida Parker, the Cableway’s managing director.

The City is currently busy finalising a Draft Tourism Development Framework, which aims to boost domestic tourism by ensuring visitor comfort, improving and diversifying products and experiences, stimulating demand, as well as generating community involvement, benefits and support.

This announcement came off the back of a meeting that was held between the City’s mayoral committee member for assets and facilities management, Alderman James Vos, and Wahida Parker, the Cableway’s managing director.

The City is currently busy finalising a Draft Tourism Development Framework, which aims to boost domestic tourism by ensuring visitor comfort, improving and diversifying products and experiences, stimulating demand, as well as generating community involvement, benefits and support.

“We have committed to building an inclusive city and to make our tourism offerings accessible to residents from all communities. Through the framework, we hope to champion the further diversification of our tourism products to continue to drive local demand that makes business sense,” said Alderman Vos.

“We have committed to building an inclusive city and to make our tourism offerings accessible to residents from all communities. Through the framework, we hope to champion the further diversification of our tourism products to continue to drive local demand that makes business sense,” said Alderman Vos.

Nominated and judged by airlines, the World Routes ceremony recognises the outstanding marketing services that have supported the launch of new air routes or the development of existing services.

Walking away with the Destination award was the Canary Island Tourist Board – Promotur, which oversaw a record 151 new routes in 2017.

Cape Town Air Access was shortlisted for the award following their win at Routes Africa 2018, where the team was awarded best Destination Marketing award as well as the overall Routes Africa award.

Since its inception in 2015, the CTAA team has assisted in the establishment of 13 new routes and the expansion of 18 existing routes. During this period, more than 750 000 inbound seats were added to its international network.

“We are most proud of this latest accolade to be attributed to our Cape Town Air Access Team, and would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners Bradley Brouwer from South African Tourism, Enver Duminy from Cape Town Tourism, Deon Cloete from Airports Company South Africa, Lance Greyling from the City of Cape Town and Rashid Toefy from the Department of Economic Development and Tourism – for their unwavering support.

The Cape Town Air Access initiative is a prime example of the potential that can be achieved when collaboration takes place across government and the private sector. We look forward to continuing to secure new direct routes and expand on existing routes,” commented Wesgro CEO Tim Harris.

Brussels Airport was named the Overall Winner and also won the 20-50 Million Passengers category. Despite being located in the most competitive region of Europe, the airport managed to pass the 25 million passenger mark for the first time in its history.

As part of the Wesgro presentation, our Senior Economist, Janine Botha identified a number of key trends in the global economy. These included:

• 2017 was an excellent year for the global economy, representing the greatest synchronised upsurge since 2010;

• Consolidation seen in global output in 2017 is expected to continue in 2018 and into 2019, with 2018 being the first year since the global financial crisis that global economy will be operating at full or near capacity;

• US, Europe & Asia’s economic growth running above potential, resulting in global growth close on 4% in 2018;

• Emerging & developing Asia will lead (growth) charge at a forecasted 6,5% & 6,6% in 2018f and 2019f;

• Aggregated growth for the Latin American region is projected at 1.9% in 2018 & 2.6% in 2019, from an estimated 1.3% in 2017;

• Six of the ten fastest growing economies globally will be in Africa in 2018 according to the World Bank;

• The three fastest growing economies projected for 2018 are Ghana, Ethiopia and India;

• The US expects steady growth this year, but latest protectionism push poses major risk to global economy;

• The Eurozone has bright prospects for 2018. Uncertainty around Brexit will impact on UK economy.

• The global Islamic economy provides major opportunities for growth. The global Muslim population is projected to increase by 70% to 3 billion by 2060.

With these insights in mind, the Wesgro team led by CEO, Tim Harris, set out how it plans to maximise opportunities for the Cape in line with its key mandates of tourism, trade, investment and film promotion.

In a statement issued by Wesgro is said the following:

Trade Promotion:

The Trade Unit stated their two-fold approach: to promote global exports of goods and services from local companies, and to support the operations and expansion of Cape companies into Africa. The unit will look to implement their Halal Export Strategy (HEP), conduct an in-depth review of the Canadian markets, ensure greater engagement with the BRICS consortium (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and the implementation of a focussed Outward Foreign Direct Investment Strategy.

Destination Marketing (Tourism):

The Destination Marketing team at Wesgro identified three opportunities for the new financial year. These included promoting incentive travel, through the Convention Bureau, which is a key driver in the Asian market; adopting an holistic approach to emerging markets, by working closely with other key departments of Wesgro on joint programmes such as Angola Wine Project; and promoting niche tourism experiences. These experiences include cycling, culture and heritage – with the Madiba Centenary Celebrations providing great international excitement – and food and wine tourism. Wesgro will also be continuing to send out the message that Cape Town and the Western Cape are open for business, and that tourists are welcome, but should be mindful of the drought and help save water.

Film and Media Promotion:

Our Film and Media team will continue with their key objective of building a truly competitive film sector by 2020. In doing so, they will focus on markets where bi-lateral production treaties currently exist, the USA, BRICS partners and the rest of Africa. New initiatives include the expansion of the Western Cape’s E-asset register to all five regions; the development of a strategy research paper following recommendations of the City of Cape Town/Wesgro Film study findings; and the hosting of ad hoc training opportunities with focus on African Film Commissions Network “film friendly regions”, film finance, upskilling and understanding the film legal environment.

Investment Promotion:

Working across sectors, the Investment Promotion (IP) Unit will continue to position Wesgro as the “first port of call” for potential investors, while providing essential knowledge, access and expertise. In alignment with new research undertaken and key markets identified, 14 missions are scheduled for the 2018/19 financial year. The Agribusiness Investment Unit will conduct a total of 6 missions. Wesgro’s IP team will also seek to ensure complete strategic alignment with the InvestSA One Stop Shop in the Western Cape.

In response to Minister Hanekom’s focus on making it easier for tourists to access South Africa , Minister Winde commented: “We welcome the opportunity to have a frank discussion with Minister Hanekom about ways to grow our important industry. I am pleased that he has said that he will be engaging with the Department of Home Affairs around the visa issues that have plagued tourism in recent years. I am also pleased that he shares our concerns for tourist safety on our mountain trails and hope that our departments can work together to put a solution on the table that helps ease the minds of our visitors and mountain users so that they feel safe while enjoying our exceptional natural surroundings.”

Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris, emphasised Wesgro’s intentions for the year ahead. “We will look to take advantage of the global opportunities to benefit local companies with the objective of growing the Cape’s economy and creating jobs. Cape Town has positioned itself as a pioneer in addressing water scarcity and we must continue to build a climate change resilient destination that the rest of the world can aspire to emulate. We are open for business and our team is ready to assist you in investing in the Cape.”

The Executive Mayor of the City of Cape Town, Patricia de Lille commended the excellent work done by Wesgro. “I am always encouraged to see the good work Wesgro are doing despite the tough economic climate. In the last three months of 2017 alone Wesgro and other industry bodies funded by the City facilitated R1,3 billion in investments. These investments created thousands of jobs in the business process out-sourcing, ICT, manufacturing and renewable energy sectors. Wesgro’s stellar work with Cape Town Air Access is attracting more visitors and investors to our city and I look forward to more successes in 2018. Cape Town is showing resilience despite the many head winds it’s facing. We must continue fostering more partnerships and working harder to position Cape Town as a forward looking, globally competitive business destination.”

The park is monitoring the situation closely and has now implemented the following precautions

With the exception of visitors on Boulders Beach boardwalk, nobody may access the main breeding colony.

In instances where staff need to go off boardwalks to collect injured birds or hats, camera lens, caps etc dropped by visitors they will limit their access to essential work and then sterilise their boots afterwards – gum boots have been issued and are easier to clean than the normal boot.

Monitoring routes used for moult/nest counts have been reviewed to ensure that staff and Penguin monitors do not walk through the main breeding colony.

Western Cape Veterinary Services, CapeNature, SANParks, the national Department of Environmental Affairs, City of Cape Town, SANCCOB and other seabird rehabilitation centres and private veterinarians are working in close cooperation to monitor the situation and perform further testing.

The Western Cape is most affected. The virus is spread from bird to bird, by contaminated bird faeces and other body excretions, and by handling sick birds. Even though the virus is unlikely to infect humans, precautions should nevertheless be taken. Gloves, shoes, clothes, and other protective gear should be worn if handling birds.

Any equipment including vehicles and protective clothing that could possibly be contaminated should be sterilised.

While the virus is highly pathogenic to chickens and other poultry, the impact on wild seabirds is not that well understood (so far 1 tern and 2 penguins from Boulders have come back positive for H5N8). Closing the colony to visitors is not justified at this stage.

Tips for visitors
Visitors must stay on designated board walks
Visitors should change shoes and clothes if visiting other seabird colonies or poultry farms to prevent contamination from one site to another.

On 9 March 2018, Alderman JP Smith visited the Grand Parade and is pleased with the City’s state of readiness to host the 41st edition of the Cape Town Cycle Tour, giving all involved the thumbs up.

‘It’s all systems go on the Grand Parade for this year’s iconic event. The City’s Disaster Risk Management Department has done extensive emergency planning with the event organisers, service providers and emergency services on various scenarios that could play out on the day. I am confident that all stakeholders are well prepared to tackle any emergency situation that arises during the event. I am sure that participants will find the new starting point a lot more spacious and comfortable as well as a safer option,’ said Alderman Smith.

From a safety and security perspective, the City’s enforcement agencies will be out in numbers. More than 500 enforcement staff will be on duty for the day including our volunteers.

In addition, two station commanders will be assigned to the Joint Operations Centre (JOC) for the duration of the event and will liaise directly with the City’s Fire Command Centre.

In terms of reactionary response, over 200 firefighters will be on duty at 30 of the City’s fire stations located across the metro to respond to any emergency. Firefighters at the fire stations located close to the cycle tour route will be on hand as first response should the need arise.

The City’s enforcement teams will augment and support the South African Police Service who are serving as the lead agency for the event.

‘I would also like to acknowledge and thank the event organisers for playing their part in saving the City’s potable water during this unprecedented drought. Residents can rest assured the water management plan for the cycle tour will not deplete our scarce resources,’ added Alderman Smith.

Water has been brought in from outside the province for drinking and refreshment purposes along the route. A total of 2,2 million litres of water, purchased outside of the Cape Town drought-affected area, has been introduced into the municipal grid under the guidance of the City of Cape Town in order to offset out-of-town participants’ water usage during their stay in Cape Town.

Locally produced desalinated water will be used for all cleansing purposes. The number of water stations along the route will be reduced to 14 essential stations, which are necessary from a medical point of view. In addition, suppliers to the cycle tour will sign service level agreements that specify their usage and where their water will be sourced. Suppliers will not be allowed to use water from the city’s grid.

Motorists are advised to take note of the temporary road closures that will be in place over the weekend and to plan their trips accordingly.

The complete list of road closures is available here

‘I would like to welcome all participants and spectators from out of town to Cape Town for this iconic event. I wish all cyclists the best of luck and hope you achieve the goals you set for the race. Please do not be deterred by the water crisis; we do hope you will enjoy some of the City’s tourist attractions while you are here. Our only request is that you save like a local,’ added Alderman Smith.

The amphibious wheelchairs were supplied by Blue Flag partner AccessRec and have a unique design that allows them to move easily on the sand, as well as to enter and float in the sea.

This initiative has been launched by WESSA – the implementer of the international Blue Flag programme in South Africa – in partnership with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities. The aim is to create awareness and to achieve universal access to Blue Flag beaches, through improved infrastructure and amenities.

The City of Cape Town, Overstrand, Bitou and Kouga municipalities were identified as recipients for the chairs, based on their existing disabled access to beaches and on their commitment to making their Blue Flag beaches usable for all people. The sponsored chairs were presented to the selected municipalities at an event held on Muizenberg Beach in Cape Town on Monday, and will be freely available for disabled beachgoers to use at Blue Flag beaches to be determined by the recipient municipalities.

“This is yet another example of how mobility can improve the quality of life for people in many different ways,” said Mike Schmidt, director, Education and Global Community Development, Ford Motor Company Fund. “We’re happy to support this unique project that will allow more people to fully experience the joys of the beach – from traveling along the sandy shores to going into the water.”

Speaking at the event, WESSA National Coastal Coordinator Robert Slater said: “We are grateful to have the ongoing support of the Ford Wildlife Foundation for WESSA’s national coastal conservation and education programmes. Everyone has a right to enjoy South Africa’s beautiful coastline and through this new initiative with the Foundation, financially supported by The Ford Motor Company Fund, we are improving the accessibility to beaches for persons with disabilities.”

WESSA is working to improve access to all Blue Flag beaches and it is hoped that future partnerships will allow them to procure additional amphibious wheelchairs for more beaches in South Africa flying the prestigious Blue Flag.

Watch: Differently abled Capetonian Andrew Merryweather volunteered to demonstrate one of the new Blue Flag Beach Amphibious Wheelchairs at Muizenberg beach.

The city is working hard to avoid Day Zero which is estimated to kick in on 22 April 2018.

In a statement the city said that some 54% of our consumers are saving water to avoid Day Zero. “We need absolutely everyone to come on board because the prospect of queuing daily for an allocation of 25 litres per person is a reality and we must do more to avoid it at all cost. Day Zero comes when our dam levels reach 13.5% and most taps will be turned off.”

The water map marks residential properties using less than 10 500 litres per month with green dots. According to the city, the map is a transparent tool and will assist in actively managing and reducing consumption to avoid Day Zero. “The greener we go, the more we push Day Zero away. The map shows that many households across Cape Town are working hard to save water as part of the effort to get us through our worst drought.”

While consumers save, the City is pulling out all the stops to deliver additional water as fast as possible from groundwater, desalination and water reuse sources.

At this critical stage, water consumption remains too high for too many homes. The residential sector uses approximately 65% of our water allocation. This sector holds the key to helping us avoid Day Zero.

Each household must reduce their consumption within the water restriction limits. Please check your consumption and ensure everyone in your householdis using less than 87 litres per person per day.

Consumption is indicated on the map as follows:

• Dark green dot: household using less than 6 000 litres per month
• Light green dot: household using between 6 000 and 10 500 litres per month
• Grey dot: estimated readings when the water meter is not read for some reason; or if no information is available for the property

Households with higher consumption may have many people living on the property or may have an undetected water leak. The City continues its interventions with these users.

The map only shows consumption for free-standing houses and not cluster housing, flats or other land uses. In addition, the map shows consumption for the previous month and is updated around the third week of the following month. For example, January 2018 consumption information will be available in the third week of February 2018.

For more information click here