The Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC) in Durban came alive with colour, culture and celebration on Tuesday morning as thousands of delegates from across Africa gathered for the official opening of Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026.
From brightly patterned West African garments to elegant East African robes and proudly worn traditional Southern African attire, the Durban ICC transformed into a vibrant tapestry of African identity as delegates proudly showcased the cultures and traditions of their home countries. The guests were welcomed and entertained with true KZN cultures with performances by the Durban Gospel Choir and Drakensburg Boys Choir.
Hosted under the theme *“Unlimited Africa: Growing Africa’s Tourism Economy”*, the continent’s premier tourism trade show was officially opened by President Cyril Ramaphosa alongside Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli and eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba.
The leaders officially welcomed tourism buyers, investors, exhibitors and media representatives from across the continent and abroad, describing the Indaba as one of Africa’s most important economic and tourism platforms.
Addressing delegates during his keynote speech, Ramaphosa said South Africa’s tourism sector continued to show strong recovery, with the country recording 10.5 million international visitors last year.“Tourism is more than a sector of the economy. It is a living expression of who we are as a people.The increases we have seen in tourism figures are not merely of statistical interest. They represent families supported, small businesses revived and communities that are being uplifted,” said the President.
Ramaphosa said the fact that three-quarters of South Africa’s international visitors came from the SADC region showed that Africans were increasingly travelling within the continent.
“This tells us something important: Africans are choosing Africa,” he said.
The President also highlighted efforts to strengthen regional tourism through the proposed SADC Tourism UNIVISA system, improved cross-border travel and new electronic visa reforms aimed at making travel easier and more accessible.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said Africa’s Travel Indaba continued to position Africa as a united and globally competitive tourism destination.
“Africa’s Travel Indaba is more than a trade show. It is a platform to position Africa as a unified, competitive destination,” she said.
She added that tourism remained one of the country’s strongest economic drivers capable of creating jobs and uplifting communities.
“Tourism is one of the few industries that directly supports job creation, stimulates GDP growth, and uplifts communities across accommodation, transport, SMMEs and cultural enterprises,” said de Lille.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli described the province as proud to once again host the continent in Durban.“We are proud to host Africa once again here in KwaZulu-Natal. Tourism continues to play a critical role in growing our economy and creating employment opportunities for our people,” said Ntuli.
He added that KwaZulu-Natal’s rich cultural heritage, coastline and tourism attractions continued to position the province as one of Africa’s leading destinations.
Adding to the significance of the event, tourism stakeholders and business leaders also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening collaboration, tourism investment and economic growth within the sector.
Among those who participated in the signing were Durban businessman and film producer Anant Singh of ASurban, alongside representatives from tourism, hospitality and investment sectors. The agreement is expected to strengthen partnerships between government and the private sector while promoting Durban and KwaZulu-Natal as leading tourism, business events and film destinations on the continent.
Africa’s Travel Indaba remains one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar and attracts thousands of delegates, exhibitors and buyers from across the world.
