It was a grand evening at the Taj Palace hotel in New Delhi as South African Tourism organised a gala celebrating 30 influential years of the bilateral relationship between India and the Rainbow Nation on February 10, 2023. The event promised (and delivered, of course) to "bring the soul of South Africa to New Delhi through an immersive experience of delighting senses with authentic South African cuisine and culture."
Full of laughter, excitement, and merriment, the event presented South African music, dance and food to the guests. People in the audience also came together to partake in the exuberant celebrations that were a reflection of the rich culture and high-spirited people of South Africa.
South Africa A Sought-After Destination For Indian Tourists In 2022
Meanwhile, South African Tourism recently wrapped up another successful partnership with SATTE 2023, South Asia's premier travel show, marking their third consecutive year of collaboration. At the 30th edition of the trade event held in Delhi NCR's India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, from February 9 to 11, 2023, the tourism board presented South Africa as a top travel destination and engaged with members of the media.
Thanks to its comprehensive recovery efforts and the "More&More" campaign, which promotes unique and authentic travel experiences, South Africa became a highly sought-after destination for Indian tourists in 2022. By November, the country welcomed nearly 50,000 visitors from India, exceeding its target of attracting 33,900 travellers. This year, the tourism board aims to achieve a 72 per cent increase over last year's target.
Speaking about the association, Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head &ndash Middle East, India and South East Asia, South African Tourism, said, "This is our third consecutive collaboration with SATTE, and we are delighted by the response destination South Africa is receiving here. I want to express my gratitude to the trade fraternity for their support which pushed us to achieve a 200% increase Indian arrivals to South Africa. With our evolved brand strategy and customised engagement models, we have managed to stay on top-of-mind of the consumers. We are already witnessing an uptick in forward bookings for the year, especially from groups of more than six pax, and we intend to keep driving this momentum."
"This association also parallels India and South Africa, commemorating 30 years of bilateral relations. I am beyond grateful that I get to play a part in sustaining this much-celebrated alliance between the two nations through travel," she continued.