Getaway heeds call to postpone conference

In response to appeals from delegates, Getaway has decided to postpone its Travel & Tourism Conference till the end of August. The new dates, 31 August and 1 September, dovetail with the Getaway Show and will allow conference delegates and show exhibitors to attend both events.

The Getaway Show takes place at the Coca-Cola Dome, Northgate, from 2 – 4 September.

“While the response to the conference was good, we had considerable feedback that it would be easier from a travel and accommodation perspective if we combined the two events,” explained Getaway publisher Jacqueline Lahoud. “Show exhibitors in particular expressed an interest in attending the conference and requested that we run them concurrently, and we’re happy we’ve been able to reschedule our speakers to accommodate everyone.”

The two-day conference aims to address the single most pressing issue faced by the tourism industry right now: how to increase real tourism to South Africa – and perhaps even more importantly, how to fill empty beds. Delegates will be privy to insights from industry leaders presenting papers on the latest trend and challenges facing this sector.

Keynote speakers are Simon Gregory, Director of Markets: Tourism Ireland, and Thandiwe January-Mclean, outgoing CEO, SA Tourism. Other industry leaders offering their perspectives include Simon Gear, Environmental Specialist, Kijani Green Energy; Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold, CEO, Cape Town Tourism; William Price, SA Tourism’s e-Marketing Global Manager; and Branko Brkic, editor of The Daily Maverick.

The full programme is available at www.getawayconference.co.za.