US travel agents and tour operators visit Jozi
05-02-2015

 

Johannesburg Tourism will tomorrow (Friday February 6) host a 50-strong delegation of United States travel agents, tour operators and tourism suppliers on their final leg of their 10-day South African tour.
 

Local tour operators, hoteliers and other stakeholders have also been invited to network with the delegation during their three-day visit to the City.
 

The Americans, who have been in the country since January 30 on what has been dubbed the USA Mega Fam Trip, will spend the next three days in Johannesburg, where they will learn more about what the city has to offer tourists.

Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Development Cllr Ruby Mathang will welcome the guests.

The trip is organised by the New York Office of Tourism SA, South African Airways and Thompson Africa.

The group consists of travel agents and tour operators based in the United States responsible for selling South Africa as a destination of choice.
 

The delegation will kick off the Jozi visit with a half-day tour of the city.

According Joburg Tourism, the aim of The Mega Trip is to attract business and leisure tourists. The delegation will also attend a seminar on what Johannesburg has to offer, visit Soweto and be treated to a taste of South African culture through entertainment at a gala dinner to be held at Emoyeni Centre in Parktown.
 

“Joburg Tourism identified strategic local and international platforms to stage marketing and promotion activations aimed at creating awareness of the brand, forthcoming events and sharing the City’s marketing plans with travel trade, media and tourism stakeholders. Participation at these platforms is also aligned to the mandate to promote tourism growth in the City as stated in the marketing strategy,” the entity said.  

The objectives of Joburg Tourism’s involvement are to:

 Improve travel trade’s knowledge and understanding of Joburg and its offerings;

 Create top of mind awareness of Joburg’s product offering as an all-year round sport, lifestyle, culture, mega events, arts, heritage destination of choice in Africa;

 Initiate discussions with trade to sign up on joint marketing agreements to promote Joburg’s offerings in their packages; and

 Strengthen relations with South African representative offices abroad.