A trainee’s experience at the Tourism Indaba 2009 The San Culture & Education Centre

“A smile alone is not enough”

A trainee’s experience at the Tourism Indaba 2009

As in the past years, !Khwa ttu team members invested a lot of time and energy in the preparations of the Tourism Indaba, held in Durban from 8 to 12 May 2009. André Vaalbooi, one of the most dynamic trainee guides, assisted Michael Daiber, !Khwa ttu’s CEO, in putting together a comprehensive presentation on what !Khwa ttu offers. The DVD, which provides an overall view of the centre’s activities, a corresponding photo presentation and the !Khwa ttu brochure attracted numerous visitors to both André’s “own tiny office” amidst the Cape West Coast Peninsula stand at the Durban Exhibition Centre and Michael’s stand which he shared with others under the theme Responsible Tourism.

The Indaba is advertised as “a top tourism marketing exhibition in Africa and one of the top three ‘must visit’ events of its kind on the global calendar”. Due to the global economic crisis this year’s attendance of exhibitors had decreased by 1,37 percent in comparison to 2008 and the number of visitors had also declined from 12 429 to 12 002 people.

In this context it should be mentioned that a considerable number of people working in the tourism industry in and around Cape Town “have lost work or are on short weeks”. This was partly the result that “revenues were down at hotels and guest houses as more families stayed at home” during the school holidays in July.

Nonetheless the 2009 Indaba was reported to have been successful as keen interest was shown in South African destinations, ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was the focus of the exhibition. !Khwa ttu was certainly regarded as one of the worthwhile destinations because “tour operators, guides, lodge and guest house owners, people from travel agencies, tourists and travel writers asked me what we offer at !Khwa ttu,” recalled André. “I even met a guy from Brazil and a tour operator from Norway. I encouraged them to come and visit us and see for themselves”, he emphasised.

André was also pleased to meet Vinkie van der Westhiuzen, a fellow ‡Khomani woman who had just launched her own tour company at the Indaba. They exchanged their views and André excitedly told her about his experience about “how good people can work together even though we did not know each other before”, referring to the 15 members of the West Coast Peninsula stand. From the first day they had supported each other and “send visitors to each other’s stands”.

André did not only learn about team work amongst an ad-hoc formed group, but he also “learnt a lot about marketing; I feel confident that I know now how to do it.” Furthermore, “now that I have been to the Indaba I know even more [than before] about communication; a smile alone is not enough, you have to take initiative”, he concluded.

Back at !Khwa ttu, André created a long list of contact details of Indaba visitors and media people, who had contacted him and Michael. André explained, “we will write to them about the areas they showed special interest in. For others who want to come to !Khwa ttu we will arrange something special.”

The Tourism Indaba also made André think about himself. “I was thinking about my future and where I really fit in.” And there and then he set himself a long-term goal: “My dream is to have my own tour one day.” Being the determined man that he is, André will probably reach his goal in the not too distant future.