ILTM AFRICA 2015 HIGHLIGHTS BIG OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFRICA

ILTM Africa - the first event of Africa Travel Week which opened recently in Cape Town -   proved a definitive forum for African suppliers of luxury travel experiences, products and services to meet with international Africa specialist buyers hosted from over 20 countries.  This third edition of ILTM Africa closed today having facilitated over 4,000 pre-arranged, one-to-one appointments, an average of 54 per participant.

With an over-arching theme of ‘Transformative Travel’, ILTM Africa 2015 also explored Africa’s place at the heart of the contemporary luxury travel trend for philanthropic experiences. High profile luxury travel editors from across the world were also hosted to exclusively meet with the elite African suppliers who attended: Divia Thani, Editor of Conde Nast Traveller India commented that “the range of exhibitors and the news that had to share was amazing” and Annie Fitzsimmons of National Geographic said the meetings she had had were “incredibly useful – I have sourced so many new stories”. Maria Pellicer of Mexico’s luxury travel magazine, Travesias also observed “Africa is such a diverse continent and most of the time we forget about its huge diversity. As a group of professional journalists from around the world - the US, UK, Australia, China, India - we have learned to understand the differences in our readers perceptions through our own different perspectives on Africa! ILTM Africa has been truly enlightening”.

The ‘Transformative Travel’ scene was set at the event’s Opening Forum where Anita Mendriatta, International Strategist and Advisor on Tourism and Economic Development, explored the world of African luxury travel - “a continent that celebrates its differences”. She highlighted that there were 20.4 million tourism jobs in Africa and luxury travel was a more than significant contributor.  Moderator Michaela Guzy commented that ‘People come to Africa for the animals, they fall in love with the landscape and they return because of the people”, which defined Transformative Travel for those present.

At the close of ILTM Africa 2015, after 3 days of successful business, hosted luxury travel buyers from across the world were delighted. Joel Cabrera of Zoom Vacations in the US comments: “ILTM is really important to me as, at each event I really do meet the best of the best – this is my first time at ILTM Africa and it is no exception. I have been to Africa many times but ILTM Africa has made me realise just how much of the continent I haven’t yet seen and how much the landscape is changing”.

Also from the US, Victoire Spoerry of Coastline Travel adds: “I pride myself with only working with the highest end of luxury hotels, DMCs and suppliers. ILTM Africa has been truly mind-blowing because everybody who could and should matter to me is here: amazing experiences to share, new places and new visions for African luxury travel.  I cannot wait to share these travel solutions with my clients”.

And Storm Napier of Koolivoo in Australia says: “ILTM Africa has been incredibly efficient, very insightful and impeccably well run. I have met with an excellent selection of exhibitors from across Africa, both during the show and at the surrounding social networking events”.

Exhibitors too were delighted with not only the quality of the buyers that they met, but also the high level of international media they met. Helen Wilson of Makweti Safari Lodge says: “I would take part in ILTM Africa again just to meet these amazing media – they have given me a mammoth worldwide audience. The quality of the buyer is also incredible and we are delighted. See you next year ILTM Africa!”.

Nicky Fitzgerald of Angama says: “As the owner of a stand alone property in the middle of Africa, we could never have achieved the reach we have at ILTM Africa – both the media contacts and the buyers. This has been an incredible opportunity for us”.

Carol Volkwyn of Sabi Sabi Game Reserve adds: “ILTM Africa has been awesome for Sabi Sabi – we have had so much interest and we are delighted to be part of such a successful show. I love the fact that I know exactly who I’m going to meet, the timings of the meetings and the many, many business opportunities that have been literally delivered to us by ILTM Africa”.

ILTM Africa is one of three co-located travel industry events at the CTICC this week that form ‘Africa Travel Week’.  The others include IBTM Africa (Incentive, Business Travel  & Meetings), also 13 – 15 April and WTM Africa (World Travel Market), which takes place 15 – 17 April 2015.

For further ILTM Africa information, please visit www.iltm.com/africa and for further Africa Travel Week information, please visit www.africatravelweek.com.