Key stakeholders in wine and tourism are uniting to present the country’s first specialist wine tourism exhibition, Vindaba, in Cape Town as the National Tourism Sector Strategy works towards positioning South Africa as one of the world’s top 20 travel destinations by 2020 and the Western Cape seeks ways to attract spring tourists.With the backing of national and provincial government, Vindaba will be showcasing the best in South African wine-related tourism when it is held in Cape Town in September next year, targeting the local and international travel trade, as well as wine, travel and lifestyle media.
Wine tourism has been identified as one of the fastest-growing and most lucrative sectors of the global tourism market by the Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk.
Vindaba, which marks a new spirit of collaboration amongst tourism bodies, is intended as a launching pad to position South Africa on the world map of wine tourism.
Forming part of a long-term strategy to boost wine tourism, the initiative represents a partnership between Wines of South Africa (WOSA) and SA Tourism, as well as the Wine Routes, Cape Town Tourism, Cape Town Routes Unlimited and the Department of Finance, Tourism and Economic Development of the Western Cape.
It will be welcomed by all hoteliers, restaurateurs and tourism business operators in the Western Cape.
SA Tourism’s global manager for events, Sugen Pillay, says wine tourism is an important part of South Africa’s leisure offering to travellers and that the wine industry should be supported by the tourism industry.
“South Africa offers a diverse and exciting range of tourism experiences. The Winelands bring a further degree of competitiveness to our industry. At the same time, local and international tourism can help to augment the revenue streams of the wine sector.”
The organisers plan to turn Vindaba into a world-class event that will assume the status of a leading wine exhibition amongst the international wine and travel fraternities. It will also offer specialist seminars, focus on gastro-tourism and provide tailor-made wine tours for the international and domestic travel business fraternity.
Although conceived as a stand-alone event, it will be staged simultaneously with Cape Wine 2012 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Cape Wine, hosted biennially by WOSA, is a showcase for South Africa’s wines and wine styles to the international wine trade. It also attracts wine, travel and lifestyle media.
Cape Wine is considered the most successful international wine trade show in the Southern Hemisphere. It is expected that some 320 wineries will exhibit next year.
The wine industry in its entirety currently provides employment for 275 000 people in South Africa.
Van Schalkwyk has identified South Africa’s wine tourism as central to marketing the country as an attractive long-haul destination. Speaking at a tourism stakeholder workshop in April, he said: “Wine tourism is a vital product offering in South Africa’s tourism product as it helps improve the country’s competitiveness against destinations like Brazil, Australia, Kenya and Thailand.”
Van Schalkwyk said travel and tourism’s contribution to global GDP was expected to grow this year, despite the fragile world economy, and was projected to reach $5 990bn, while providing 258 million jobs.
The South African wine industry has an estimated annual turnover of R22bn, with exports contributing R7bn and wine tourism, a further R5bn.
The picture above of vineyards near Paarl was taken by Hendrik Holler.
Derived from: Hotel & Restaurant
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