Last week, 10 tourism SMMEs attended the ABAV trade show in São Paulo, Brazil, as part of the Department of Tourism’s tourism incentive programme (TIP), which was unveiled earlier this year. The programme aims to help tourism businesses seek out new markets and also help tourism establishments become graded and encourage establishments to retrofit themselves with renewable energy sources.
Namhla Mayeki of Tsheola Dinare Tours and Transfers told Tourism Update at the show that it was an honour to attend the show.
“An event as big as this we have never done before,” said Mayeki. “It mean exposure; it means that as a business we are growing – we are able to see ourselves as part of the growing team.” She added that attending the show would help build relationships between SA and Brazil, and that while it required an investment, it would bring returns for the businesses, provinces and SA.
Pule Pulenyane of Rotwe Travel and Tours said that up until now he has only dealt with local trade and hoped that attending the show would help his business grow an international network of clients.
The Department of Tourism covered all the costs for the businesses that attended ABAV.
Tourism Update attended the ABAV tradeshow in São Paulo as a guest of South African Tourism.
