Held in collaboration with the South African Airways, the event provided a window on tour and travel business opportunities in the African country where tourism opened up in 1994 after Nelson Mandela came to power, according to Yusuf Jeeva, who has come with marketing proposals for Cantu Game Reserve in Port Elizabeth. "Since 1994, when the natives were allowed to buy landed properties in South Africa, the business has flourished by several times," Jeeva said.

Medha Sampat, country manager (acting) of South African Tourism, a government body, said the meet aimed at relationship building between tour operators of the two countries on a business-to-business basis was expected to raise tourism inflow on South Africa to 10 million by 2010 from the current nine million.

She said that apart from the road shows, SA Tourism would organise familirising trips for Indian operators with a view to educate them about the South African culture, economy, business and social life that could invoke interest in their clients.

Sampat said the average spending by an Indian tourist in South Africa has gone up from 11,000 rand (1 Rand = Rs 5) per person per trip of nine days in 2005 to 13,000 rand in 2007. The tourist flow had also increased from 36,000 to 52,000 during this period.

"We expect a 20-per cent jump in tourist flow and 10 per cent hike in average spending this year," she said, adding that cricket matches, beauty pageants and football tourneys were but a few activities that attracted tourists in large numbers to that country.