Emirates partners with South African Tourism Board to aid sector recovery

Both parties will develop and promote itineraries, special packages and travel agent incentives

Emirates has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the South African Tourism Board to promote tourism and boost inbound traffic to South Africa from key markets across the Emirates network.

The South Africa Tourism Board will work closely with the airline to support travel trade partners and tour operators across the Emirates’ network to introduce itineraries, special packages and incentives, among other marketing initiatives.

Both parties will also explore opportunities to collaborate on joint advertising and marketing campaigns, as well as familiarisation programmes to South Africa for travel trade and media representatives. 

The MoU was signed at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022 by Emirates senior vice president of Commercial Operations for Africa, Badr Abbas, and South Africa Tourism Board acting chief executive officer Themba Khumalo, in the presence of Emirates chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim and South African Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu.

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Commenting on the collaboration, Kazim said: “Emirates is well-placed to support the recovery of South Africa’s tourism sector and help raise the profile of the destination again, offering convenient connections from over 130 destinations, and providing even more links for travellers who want to explore beyond our three South African gateways through our four airline partners.

“For more than 25 years we have invested in and grown our operations to South Africa. We’re working hard to restore our services to pre-pandemic levels to help generate more opportunities for travellers from around the world to experience South Africa’s unique natural experiences, world-renowned cuisine and local culture.”

Sisulu spoke about the mutual benefits of the agreement, saying: “We look forward to welcoming more travellers from the Middle East, to experience the various quality assured products and experiences that cater for this market, including family-friendly accommodation and activities, diverse cuisine, wildlife and safari.”

Speaking about the tourism sector’s continuing recovery, Khumalo added: “The Middle East is a critical market for South Africa, so this partnership will be instrumental in ensuring ease of access to and from South Africa for travellers from this region. This will increase direct airlift, making room for more travellers.”

For more information, visit www.emirates.com