Perhaps there is a case for a ‘fringe’ Indaba, where, for example, one-person businesses and SMMEs are given places at tables set up in the unused part of the ICC? But one wonders if the operators would have time to visit them? Although, of course, the success of everyone’s Indaba is the work they put into beforehand - making their appointments - and afterward, in their follow-up.

Martin Hatchuel

Your question is: “do you think there is any way a small player can benefit from Indaba, and how?

The answer to the first part is easy and is a most definite YES!

The answer to the second part of your question is a lot more difficult and not something that can be put in a snappy three liner.

The vast majority of service providers in the tourism business are small businesses going right down to one man tour guides and it is these businesses, along with emergent businesses, that the government claims it wants to develop.

To give you an example as to how large that group is, TKZN recently identified over 1400 tourism related businesses or service providers in the Battlefields Route alone. Of these possibly 5 were able to afford to attend Indaba. Which is a clear indication of how little of the industry Indaba is serving.

Most of these businesses are Bed and Breakfast establishments, curio outlets, restaurants, tour Guides and so on which are just turning over a small income for their owners but not enough to launch into major advertising. They are also businesses that really do not know how to get into the mainstream Tourism Channel and need helping.

I believe by being able to experience Indaba they will realise just what is required to service the larger organisations and the larger organisations will be able appreciate the existence of these smaller players.

Let me try and give an example: At Talana Museum there is the Miners’ Restaurant. It is a very basic place but the food is good and wholesome, the service is quick and the prices very reasonable. It is very popular amongst the Battlefield Tour Guides because their clients enjoy it and appreciate not having been taken to some fancy place where they are fleeced for the same food. But there is absolutely no chance that the owner could afford a stand at Indaba but her service would be invaluable to the tour bus companies that pass that way and for tour operators planning trips through the area. Next door to the restaurant is a curio shop, so if you take the museum, restaurant and curio shop you suddenly have three tourism attractions at one point. But who is going to know about it unless one of the operators is able to afford to go to Indaba and network with the big tour operators so that they can include this point in their itinerary?

A similar situation occurs with the Bed and Breakfast establishments. There are a growing number of tour operators now operating mini-busses, often running specialised tours where the big busses operate and it is important that they have a point where they can network with the many very attractive lodges and small game and other resorts and accommodation providers around the country as well as knowing the various attractions in particular areas.

I would like to see a situation where travel agents are able to offer custom packages to the free independent travel along the lines of offering them a wide variety of places to see and things to do right across the country with details of how long they would require at these sites, costs and so on that the traveller can then choose from. Once the traveller has chosen the destinations the agent is able to book accommodation at these smaller establishments, arrange for guides where necessary and then meet the traveller at the airport with the hired car of choice provide him with all the maps and information he needs to find his way (even provide a GPS in the vehicle) and send him off knowing that everything foreseeable has been taken care of.

Perhaps you feel that Indaba is not the place for this level of networking and that we actually need a pre-Indaba event that caters for this level of networking, if so then the Indaba organisation or Dept of Tourism needs to set one up.

There is another issue that I want to take up with Indaba, although it does not involve the Indaba organisation itself. In KwaZulu Natal, Tourism KwaZulu Natal provides funds for marketing its various brands but these funds go directly to District Municipalities who then staff the stand with municipal staffers who often have no idea what facilities and attractions are available in their area and are certainly in no position to negotiate with other players in the industry. All they do is hand out the brand brochure.

As an example. The Battlefields Route was set up as a development project back in the late 1980s to encourage more tourists to visit an area of the province that previously saw very few visitors. It was, up until the formation of District Municipalities funded by local municipalities on the route because it was felt that most of the businesses, and certainly the emergent businesses could not afford a fee for membership. But these funds have always been minimal and the work creating and promoting the Route has been done largely by unpaid volunteers. Under the new dispensation the responsibility for funding should be the responsibility of the District Municipalities but other than Zululand nothing is forthcoming. The Battlefields Route is now the largest Route in KwaZulu Natal, covering 5 District Municipalities and almost two thirds of the Province. It has seen a substantial increase in visitors to these areas, it has become one of the major brands of TKZN and its promotion of the Anglo Zulu War has created such an interest in Zulu Culture that this is becoming greater than the interest in the Battlefields. However the only way this organisation is able to attend Indaba is by begging one of the District Municipalities on the Route for a place on their stand!

The question perhaps should have been does Indaba serve the Tourism Industry as a whole or just a well heeled minority.

Regards
Dave Sutcliffe
Hon Sec Battlefields Route

My observations of Indaba was that it was definitely not as busy as the previous years, however because of the recession and everything else, I think that we actually had serious buyers only. As a result, we had what I reckon was my most productive Indaba EVER. This was my Indaba # 10 of which is was my # 8 since my own and # 4 actually exhibiting on a stand. We were flat out until the last day where we left it opened so that we could chin wag with industry people and people other people who were exhibiting. It was great. Having said that, it is not to say that these productive meetings will translate to bookings right away, but what it means is that there is a strong bonding and cementing of old and new relationships and that is what Indaba is about, net working and maintaining a strong presence in the market place.

Keep on keeping on with the writing…..

Cheers mate
Beks