By Lwazi Raul
More than 45 tour operators and agents from Germany are expected to land in Mpumalanga on a trip to familiarization and promote the Eurowings Discover direct flight that the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) together with Kruger Mpumalanga International
Airport (KMIA) is ready to welcome which will be in November 2022.
The four-day familiarization trip to Mpumalanga is expected to start on Sunday, 3 July where it will afford the agents and tour
operators an opportunity to visit some of the tourism attractions in the province including Kruger National
Park for a wildlife experience.
The familiarization trip form part of the activations that are expected to be implemented by MTPA, KMIA and Eurowings
Discover in an attempt to promote the destination. Amongst pne of the biggest tours will be the planned City-to-City tour to Germany, where some of Mpumalangas local tour operators will be granted an opportunity to promote most of Mpumalangas destinations.
“Germany is one of Mpumalanga’s key tourist markets. By hosting these agents and tour operators, we are
reaffirming our long-term relationship that will see us receiving more tourists from Germany. This direct flight
from Frankfurt to KMIA will promote the destination and increase tourist numbers to the province”.
“We are excited to be hosting these agents in the place of the rising sun. We trust that this visit will afford
them an opportunity to learn more about Mpumalanga’s diverse tourism offerings. The planned trade fair on
the second day of their visit will afford them an opportunity to engage with the various Mpumalanga tourism
businesses on various packages that will be on offer and build long lasting relationships that will promote
destination Mpumalanga”, MTPA acting CEO Mduduzi Vilakazi said.
KMIs CEO Grant Ponting expressed said this is one opportunity as an agent they are proud of and it came at the correct time.
“As KMIA we are immensely proud to be hosting an inbound tourism trade fair at Skukuza supported by the
MTPA, SANParks, Skukuza Safari Lodge, Lion Sands, Sabi Sabi and Kruger Shalati. This trade fair is a
wonderful opportunity to not only showcase some of Mpumalanga and the Lowveld’s wonderful natural
tourist assets but also, more importantly, for local tourism entities both big and small to gain exposure to the
more than 40 European based tour operators who will be making the special trip from Germany for this
event”, said Mr Grant Ponting, CEO of KMIA.
