The Eswatini Tourism Authority are currently attending one of Africa’s biggest travel shows this week- Africa’s Travel Indaba in Durban. During their time there, they have received excellent feedback from neighbours South Africa and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. Find out more below.
SA Tourism Minister Applauds Launch of Eswatini Air Routes
South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Patricia De Lille, has congratulated Eswatini for the launch of its national airline, Eswatini Air and its routes. This was at the opening ceremony for Africa’s Travel Indaba taking place in Durban, South Africa between 9 and 11 May, 2023.
In her address to government officials and tourism ministers from different parts of the continent, as well as exhibitors participating in this year’s edition of the show held, once again, at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Conference Centre (Durban ICC), De Lille singled out Eswatini in her keynote address when stressing the importance of air access and its role in ensuring connectivity for the advancement of tourism in Africa.
The South African Minister of Tourism noted this from remarks delivered by Eswatini’s Minister of Tourism & Environmental Affairs, MP Moses Vilakati, at the African Ministerial Tourism Dialogue hosted by South African Tourism on 8 May, 2023.
“We heard from the Eswatini’s Minister of Tourism yesterday that Eswatini’s airline now flies to Durban and Zimbabwe. Well done to the Kingdom of Eswatini for that,” said De Lille.
Vilakati had highlighted this milestone while urging the continent’s tourism ministers to address issues of connectivity for improved and seamless intra-African travel. He explained that connectivity was essential in elevating Africa’s tourism profile.
To ensure that Africa’s Travel Indaba continues to yield positive and tangible results, as well present opportunities for countries to devise actionable strategies and measure their progress, De Lille called on the signing of an action plan amongst Africa’s tourism ministers.
“I want us to sign a plan of action that we are going to sign as a collective. I’ve made notes of all the suggestions presented by all the tourism ministers present and I want us to sign a commitment that we are going to work together. Next year we will then report on what we have done,” she said.
Eswatini Signs MoU with Zimbabwe Tourism Authority
With the recently launched route between Eswatini and Zimbabwe by Eswatini’s national airline, Eswatini Air, the Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA) has taken this milestone to greater heights with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).
This took place on day 1 of Africa’s Tourism Indaba at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Conference Centre (Durban ICC). The signing took place between the two entities at Zimbabwe’s exhibition stand and was initiated by ETA’s CEO, Linda Nxumalo and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority’s CEO, Winnie Machanyuka.
The two countries have committed to explore joint business initiatives, undertake joint marketing initiatives and facilitate the inclusion of each other’s tour operator packages in Zimbabwe and in Eswatini.
“The signing of this document is very important because it shows that we are now strengthening our relationship which has existed for quite a long time. Through this we are declaring that Zimbabwe and Eswatini are now going to cooperate in various areas, be it in tourism and trade. The most important this is for us to eradicate poverty by creating employment opportunities to ensure that our countries realise their dreams,” said Vilakati.
In her remarks, ETA’s CEO, Linda Nxumalo said that tourism was about unearthing the unique selling points in each country so this would be a vehicle for ensuring that.
“We will be facilitating knowledge share programmes between the countries to capacitate the teams from the respective countries,” said Nxumalo.
The CEO of ZTA revealed that the two entities would hit the ground running in making manifest their partnership objectives. She indicated that there were already plans being made for the first activity to take place next year.
“What we have committed to doing by the end of the first quarter next year is exchange teams between the ETA and ZTA so that we benchmark that we are doing in the two destinations and identify areas in which we can cooperate even further,’’ she said.
Machanyuka further indicated that the signing of the MoU at Africa’s Travel Indaba was apt as it offered both countries the opportunity to readily engage tour operators and tourism product owners for partnership purposes. She also stated that Zimbabwe had already seen an impressive influx of visitors from Eswatini since the launch of Eswatini Air, thereby affirming the necessity for the officiation of this partnership.