Last week I attended the World Travel Market exhibition at the Cape Town Convention Centre. It was jam packed with exhibitors talking holiday and travel from all over the world, many of them from the Far and Middle East and much local representation as well. Attending some of the conference talks was an incredible eye opener as to how the travel industry is changing and how people are making their travel decisions. For one, the source of travel information is no more that of the traditional media in the way of television and newspapers. Online sources is now at the top of that list with 98% of all information coming from online media followed by recommendations from family and friends before any other media. So the strength of the online platform is unmistakable.
Nowadays, with smartphone in hand people are tweeting and sharing while they are on holiday. No more waiting to download your holiday pics from a camera after your trip. It’s all in the here and now. Foodie tourism, my favourite kind by the way, is turning out to be one of the biggest new trends. Who doesn’t nowadays take a picture of a beautiful dish at a restaurant and tweet it to all their friends (yes, I am one of those irritating people). Foodie travellers also spend more than any other type of traveller. There was more information available than there was time to take it all in. There were prizes awarded, talks and workshops and tons of networking.
Halaal tourism while not presented in an obvious way was also to be found. Kwantu Game Reserve, a fully halaal game reserve in the Eastern Cape had a stand at the show. The middle Eastern pavillions like Turkey Tourism, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Malaysia were showcasing their destinations. Even the Maldives, Mauritius and Reunion Islands are capable of catering to Muslim Tourists.
This travel expo has really got my feet itching again. I can’t wait to start planning my next trip.
Look out world. Here I come!
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