Inaugural destination marketing conference at Indaba

Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (Retosa) is organising a Destination Marketing Conference which will take place on 7 May 2011 in Durban during the Tourism Indaba. The event will focus on how the organisation and its member states can create an enabling environment for regional tourism growth and development.

The main objective of the event is facilitation of members to develop and grow tourism through promotion of cooperation, with a view to developing tourism, ensuring job creation and the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of people of the region.

Representatives from tourism ministries from the 15 Southern Africa member states, international travel and tourism experts, as well as regional delegates will participate in this conference.

The aim of the conference is to create a platform that reaffirms the region as a single but multi-faceted travel and tourism destination. The conference will further provide delegates with the opportunity to provide input into Retosa’s regional tourism growth and development strategy, while learning from some of the global best practices.

Retosa chairperson, Dr Sylvester Mangaunidze, says that as international attention is now focused on Africa after, sadly, the recent chaos which has occurred in Northern Africa, the conference has come at the right time for Southern Africa to rise up to new heights,

“Given that Southern Africa is now seen to be politically and financially stable and the fact that it is one of Africa’s most resource rich and economic potential regions, it is evident that it has gained competitive advantage over its competitors,” he adds.

Other issues that will be examined at the conference include new marketing strategies in destination marketing, such as destination branding, digital marketing and e-publishing; eradicating bottlenecks hampering regional tourism growth and development; increasing the member states’ brand visibility, tourism arrivals and receipts; changing perceptions about the region among travel trade and media; and responsible tourism.

Francis Mfune, Retosa’s executive director, says: “The conference will also give tourism stakeholders the opportunity to learn and develop a common and shared vision for the growth and development of tourism in Southern Africa and Member States.”

Retosa is the entity responsible for the development of tourism through marketing and promotion of sustainable regional tourism in Southern African Development Community (SADC) member countries. The organisation aims to work closely with member states, institutions and society to ascertain their interests and priorities, to help identify potential counterparts and promote tourism growth and development by marketing the region as a multi-faceted but single destination.

The upcoming Tourism Indaba takes place at the Albert Luthuli Convention Centre in Durban (Durban International Convention Centre) from 7 to 10 May 2011. It is one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar and considered one of the top three “must visit” events of its kind on the global calendar.