Gauteng Tourism exploring Turkish travel market
South Africa’s smallest but richest province, Gauteng, is this year participating at the 16th annual East Mediterranean International Travel and Tourism Exhibition (EMITT).
Currently taking place in Istanbul, the Gauteng Tourism Authority’s (GTA) unprecedented involvement in EMITT can be attributed to growing business and political relations between South Africa and Turkey.
With just under 5 000 Turks in South Africa, most of whom reside in Johannesburg, the provincial tourism authority is looking to build formal and working relations with the Turkish travel and tourism industry.
GTA’s focus during EMITT is the development of relationships with tour operators and travel agent associations, with a view to leveraging Gauteng, and Johannesburg in particular, as a travel destination of choice.
“We are here at EMITT to explore the travel market potential of this country and region that is fast becoming one of the Eurozone’s key political and economic role players. The potential is huge. With Turkish airlines now offering daily flights from Istanbul to Johannesburg and vice versa, the time to act is now,” explained GTA CEO Dawn Robertson.
Top on the agenda of this weeklong visit is formal engagement with TURSAB, the Turkish Association of Tour Operators, in order to drive familiarisation (FAM) visits to Gauteng and the rest of South Africa. The GTA also aims to discuss partnership options with Turkish airlines regarding travel packaging and will actively engage scores of other players in the Turkish travel and tourism market.
South Africa is an extraordinary destination, and it’s economic hub Gauteng is traditionally seen as a business travel destination that presents visitors with an opportunity to leave the ordinary behind and explore a melting pot of cultures and experiences.
“Our approach is to focus on key strategic markets to increase travel numbers to our province – those markets with considerable spend that will enable us to grow our competitive economy and drive our aim to become an international traveler’s destination of choice,” reiterated Robertson.
The GTA is excited about the prospects of doing great business at EMITT 2012. Part of the authority’s work at the exhibition includes the marketing and promotion of Gauteng’s only World Heritage Site, the Cradle of Humankind.
EMMIT runs from 9 – 12February 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey.
For more info contact Barba Gaoganediwe +27834467844 barba@gauteng.net