Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) listed tourism and hospitality industry player Cresta Marakanelo Limited (CML) recently played a significant role in showcasing Botswana as one of the leading tourism destination on the continent at the Africa Travel Indaba 2022.
Africa Travel Indaba 2022 is a platform for buyers to meet, network and market Africa as a travel destination to the international market.
“We believe this platform strategically markets Botswana as the leading tourism destination in Africa and grabbed the opportunity to do just that. Through networking with buyers, industry leaders, key government officials and media from various countries we exhibited our hotels and strategically showcased the beauty that Botswana beholds. Our motivation was to play our part in helping to revive the Botswana tourism industry and position Cresta Hotels as the leading tourism and hospitality player. It is our responsibility to grow the industry and we take this role seriously,” said CML Managing Director Mokwena Morulane.
More than 3 700 delegates attended the 2022 Africa Travel Indaba at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre last week. Altogether, there were 655 exhibitors, with 126 African products from 19 countries around the continent, being showcased. In addition, a total of 377 media personnel from 21 different countries were present at the event.
The CML Managing Director is confident that Cresta Hotels’ attendance at the Africa Travel Indaba 2022 will add impetus to the country’s tourism and hospitality industry and attract international visitors and media.
Morulane mentioned that CML management attended the event with the purpose of engaging in conversations with key stakeholders with emphasis on greater collaboration between African countries in the quest to advance tourism. “With Covid-19 regulations being relaxed across the world, it is imperative that industry leaders pull together to chart the way forward and advantageously position Africa as the destination of choice,” said Morulane.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the continent welcomed some 18.5 million foreign travellers in 2021, up from 16.2 million in 2020. Of that figure, 6.1 million made their way to North Africa and 12.3 million went to sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, the UNWTO showed that January 2022 experienced a 51 percent improvement in international tourist arrivals compared to January 2021.