Are travel conventions the modern day equivalent of video store conventions in an era of Netflix? They are high-cost, inefficient, analogue rituals in a low-cost, hyper-efficient digital world.
The insistence on their relevance is born from nostalgia and legacy business models – not a rational look at how connections are made today. The “trust and handshakes” argument that defenders use is the same one Blockbuster executives made about “in-store discovery” and “customer service” – a romantic justification for a model that has been technologically and economically bulldozed. Here’s the contrary view, grounded in the reality of the new digital travel economy.
The myth of the ‘high-trust handshake’
The primary defence for conventions is that African travel – especially luxury and safari – is a high-trust, high-value product that can’t be sold digitally. This is a myth. What is “trust” in B2B travel? It’s risk mitigation. An international agent is asking: “If I send you US$50 000 for a booking, will you deliver a safe, high-quality experience?”
In the analogue era, the only way to vet this was a face-to-face meeting. Today, that’s the least efficient way. Trust is no longer built with a handshake; it’s built with data.
An agent can learn more about a new ground operator in 10 minutes online than in a 10-minute meeting at a chaotic convention. They can check real-time guest reviews on Tripadvisor, analyse their digital footprint, read news articles, conduct a professional video call and check payment security. This is far more reliable than a “good vibe” from a salesperson.
The crushing economics of analogue
The second nail in the convention’s coffin is its obscene cost, which creates a system that favours incumbents and stifles innovation. For a single exhibitor, the costs are staggering:
- Booth space: Tens of thousands of dollars for a few square metres of floor
- Staffing and travel: Flying in a team, paying for hotels and high per diems
- Booth design and logistics: Paying a fortune for custom stands, shipping and setup
- Marketing: Printing brochures and swag that are often thrown away
Research shows this massive investment is increasingly hard to justify. The cost per lead is astronomical compared to digital alternatives. A digital marketing campaign can generate more qualified, trackable leads in a month for the price of one convention’s airfare. The small, innovative eco lodge in rural Zambia or the new community-run tour in KwaZulu-Natal – the very businesses Africa needs to promote – are priced out. The convention floor becomes an echo chamber for the same handful of massive, legacy hotel chains and operators.
AI and digital matchmaking are just better
The core “product” of a convention is connection. And digital platforms, especially those powered by AI, are simply a superior technology for creating it.
A convention relies on serendipity – wandering the floor hoping to bump into the right person. It’s a logistical nightmare of scheduling conflicts and “information overload”.
Modern B2B platforms – even those used by the conventions – use AI to pre-schedule meetings. This proves the point: the most valuable part of the convention is the digital tool that bypasses the convention floor. Why pay US$40 000 to use a matchmaking app in a specific building in Durban for three days when you can use LinkedIn and dedicated travel platforms 365 days a year for a fraction of the cost?
The last Blockbuster on the block
Let’s be clear. Travel conventions aren’t dead – just as Blockbuster wasn’t dead in 2007. It was still big. Still noisy. But it was clinging to a business model that has been fundamentally superseded. The “video store convention” is the perfect analogy. It’s a physical gathering for an industry whose product (connections and information) has become digital. The new generation of travel entrepreneurs in Africa aren’t saving their budgets for a convention booth. They are spending it on:
- Social media and influencers reaching millions directly
- Search engine optimisation (being found when a customer actually needs them)
- AI-powered tools to manage bookings and personalise experiences
The convention has become a nostalgic ritual for executives, a boondoggle funded by marketing budgets that are afraid to adapt. But, like the video store, its fate is sealed. The shift to low-cost, high-efficiency digital connection isn’t just coming; it’s already here.
