INDABA 2006

Indian trade buyers give event a thumbs up

Reema Sisodia - Durban

If one has to go by the feedback received from the Indian delegation that attended Indaba 2006, the event surely met its purpose of being a resourceful platform for buyers and sellers to strike the right deal.

Lance Littlefield, country manager (India) of South African Tourism, said, "India is an extremely valuable market for us and we are working hard to bring together right business partners who can help augment tourism traffic into South Africa from India. Apart from the FIT business, we are also focusing on business tourism especially in terms of boosting MICE into the country."

From veterans in the business to that of new entrants, Indaba 2006 proved to be a winner. As Heena Munshaw, MD of Beacon Holidays puts it, "If you are serious about business with South Africa then one cannot afford to give Indaba a miss. It is the best business platform for South Africa as well as other African countries. This year proved to be great for me in terms of business development and building new bridges. I also feel that the days are too short to actually get the most of the event; every minute was well spent. I must also acknowledge the efforts of the South African Tourism team in India."

Supporting her view is Nikhil Dalal, MD of Lifestyle Holidays, who says, "Our experience at Indaba 2006 was extremely rewarding. It was a step forward in understanding and strengthening ties with the South African tourism market. We took our relationship with our suppliers be it hotels or ground handling services to a different level."

The suppliers on the other hand are getting more and more positive about India and are consequently pouring in investments into the market. Modifying the product to meet the needs of the Indian clientele, especially vegetarian food, is what most suppliers dealing with the Indian market have readily accepted. Whether it is Alvin Kushner, director of Cape Rainbow Tours, Edward Mitchell, sales manager (Middle East, Africa, Far East, Russia and Eastern Europe) of Thompsons Africa or Barry Hurter, MD of ERM Tours (Pvt) Ltd, all are unanimous about their confidence in the Indian market.

According to them the FIT market in India is on the rise with an increase in demand for exotic tours and holiday experiences. In terms of the corporate business, it is the incentives business that shows a lot of potential. Providing Indian clients with hotel rooms that can accommodate an entire family is yet another aspect that the South African hotel sector is trying to address. Says Bernadette Nickol, group sales manager, Peermont Global Limited, "We as hotel chains are trying our best to meet the Indian requirement of providing family rooms. India is an extremely important market for us and we are taking every effort to meet its demand. We have recently sent two of our chefs for training to India and we will also host an Indian food festival at our property in Johannesburg soon."