President Ramaphosa to Open Africa's Travel Indaba in Durban on 12 May
President Cyril Ramaphosa will officially open Africa's Travel Indaba at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban tomorrow, 12 May 2026, at 10h00. The event, running from 12 to 14 May under the theme "Unlimited Africa: Growing Africa's Tourism Economy", brings together African tourism industry leaders, investors, international tour operators, media, and government representatives to drive continental tourism growth, shape emerging policy, and facilitate trade in tourism products from across Africa.
South Africa's tourism sector provides strong context for the gathering, having accounted for 953,981 direct jobs by 2024 and contributing 4.9% to the country's GDP – surpassing its pre-pandemic contribution of 3.7% in 2019 – while sustaining approximately 1.8 million direct and indirect jobs nationally. Last year's Indaba underscored the event's economic significance, generating R246.8 million in direct expenditure, contributing R610.6 million to South Africa's GDP, supporting 1,104 jobs, and recording a hotel occupancy rate of 97%. The 2026 edition is expected to build on that momentum as Africa's leading tourism trade platform.
Source: South African Government
