Virtual tours maybe the best move to ever happen for tourism economy in the Eastern Cape following a flock of visitors including buyers during the Africa’s Travel Indaba 2023rd Edition, who could not get off the view of offerings that the province have in store, through the digital equipment.
The Eastern Cape joined other countries and provinces to showcase their innovative approach to tourism during the Indaba in Durban. The event ran from May 8th to May 11th, and brought more than 6000 delegates including tourism professionals and stakeholders from around the world to explore new travel products, services and destinations.
The province is situated on the south-eastern coast of South Africa and boasts a unique blend of natural beauty, cultural diversity and heritage. There are also best kept traditional tourist attractions in the province such as the Addo Elephant Park, the Wild Coast and the Mandela Museum; out of their latest tourism offerings, the virtual tours, in the province came up during the official opening of the Baviaan’s Kloof near George, which is a lamp post to the Kloof’s hiking trail embedded with fauna and flora and the rarest wildlife.
The province’s virtual tours allow visitors to the Eastern Cape, to experience the province’s tourism offerings from the comfort of their own homes. At the Indaba, the EC virtual tours showcased everything from hiking trails, game reserves and cultural attractions. The virtual tours were accompanied by immersive audio and video content, which provided visitors with an authentic experience.
During the Indaba, the province also proved to be rallying behind up and coming SMMEs. This year’s Travel Indaba provided an opportunity for SMMEs to showcase their tourism offerings, products and services to a global audience. Visitors to the Eastern Cape pavilion were able to interact with these entrepreneurs, learn about their businesses and even purchase some of their products.
According to the CEO of Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), Vuyani Dayimani, the province has a strong focus on promoting local tourism entrepreneurs and supporting small and medium-sized businesses.
Dayimani led a tourism delegation of the province and he was satisfied of his team’s participation at the Indaba event
“Our virtual tours and support for SMMEs were well received, and we hope to continue building on this success in the future. We are excited that the event provided an opportunity for the Eastern Cape to showcase its unique tourism offerings to the world. The province’s commitment to promoting local tourism entrepreneurs and showcasing its unique tourism offerings bodes well for the future of tourism in the Eastern Cape.” Dayimani said.
