Mosola waves Eteya finalists off to WTM

THE nine provincial Emerging Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Eteya) finalists jetted off to London on October 3 to exhibit their products on the South African Tourism stand at World Travel Market. Speaking at the send-off event at the SA Tourism offices ceo Moeketsi Mosola urged the finalists to make the most of the opportunity. “You have been given this opportunity, through Eteya, to sell your products to the world. The global stage is yours to act as ambassadors for Brand South Africa. You are the embodiment of the new, exciting and affordable experiences that South Africa has to offer; and we are convinced that your energy and enthusiasm will inspire the visitors who use your products and ultimately help uplift the communities in which you operate,” said Mosola. He also re-iterated that one of the biggest challenges facing the tourism industry in South Africa is that of transformation and empowerment; and said that Eteya has proved highly successful in encouraging SMME development within the tourism and hospitality industries. “Tourism is one of the country’s top five leading economic growth sectors, and through SA Tourism’s in-depth research we have discovered that there is an increasing demand for new, authentic and more affordable African experiences. This is exactly where the SMME market can flourish, and we are sure that the international market will be very supportive of our new entrepreneurs,” added Mosola. (Lucy Siebert)