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TRAVELMART tors from the trade, media and consumer world. Product-owners get to showcase their products to the international media, who get the inside story on South Africa’s hottest new hotels, vaca- tions, experiences, attractions and establishments. WHERE TO STAY The HOLIDAY INN GARDEN COURT DURBAN- MARINE PARADE is suited for both business and pleasure. The 414 guestrooms are wireless and have just about any ameni- ty you will need to make your stay comfortable. The hotel, locat- ed near the center of Durban, has views of the city, as well as the sea. The conference center can accommodate up to 350. Whether you need traditional meeting rooms or a stage, dance floor and fashion ramps, most configurations are available. GETTING THERE It’s actually easy to get to South Africa. Direct flights to Johannesburg and Cape Town depart from New York and Atlanta with connecting flights traveling through Asia, South America, Europe and Australia. Johannesburg International Airport is an entry point for many visitors. Durban International Airport is the third largest international airport The best way to see all of the aforementioned fantastic sights and activities is to fly South African Airways (SAA), the coun- try’s flag carrier and largest domestic and international airline company. SOUTH AFRICA AT A GLANCE • The money is called rand. • About 48 million people live in South Africa. Eleven offi- cial languages are spoken including: Tsonga, Venda, English, Afrikaans, Ndebele, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Pedi and Shangaan. • South Africa’s climate is mild. Temperatures range from 60 degrees during a Cape Town winter, to 90 degrees in Kimberley in summer. • The country covers an area of 471,444 miles, which makes it three times the size of Texas and five times larger than Great Britain. However, it only occupies four percent of Africa’s total land mass. SIDEBAR • Indaba – www.indaba-southafrica.co.za • Royal Malewane – www.royalmalewane.com • The Kapama Lodge and Private Game Reserve – www.kapama.co.za • Holiday Inn Garden Court Durban-Marine Parade – email:gcmarineparade@- southernsun.com • Melrose Arch Hotel – www.africanpridehotels.com • Nambitha Restaurant – soweto-tour.co.za • South African Airways – www.flysaa.com • South Africa Tourism – www.southafrica.net LATIN AMERICA TRAVEL & QUITO, SOUTH AMERICA Travel & Trade Show Goes to “ The Middle of the World” BY BILL HERBERT In September a few years back, some 1,000 Travel Industry delegates from 40 coun- tries gathered in Ecuador’s capital city, Quito, for ‘TravelMart Latin America 2008,’ the continent’s premier Travel and Trade show. The culturally rich and historic host city located high in the Andes Mountains provided an exotic setting for TravelMart and showcased Ecuador as an excellent destination for both business and tourist travel. Some 250 tour operator buyers and travel industry journal- ists, and 650 Latin America supplier delegates gathered for the 32nd convening of this event, which was held at the newly renovated Centro de Exposiciones Quito. TravelMart features a pre-scheduled appointments system that arranges meetings between buyers and suppliers in advance. This year more than 7,000 appointments were set up in advance and many more were arranged during the event. This allowed atten- dees ample opportunity to learn about travel and tourism products in South America, including hotels, inns, lodges as well as important archaeological sites throughout South America. In hosting TravelMart, the Republic of Ecuador allowed visitors to discover a diverse array of historical, cultural and architectural attractions guaranteed to enhance all manner of business and tourist travel. In conjunction with TravelMart, an international group of travel writers toured several cities and regions of Ecuador. This tour highlighted the wide range of cli- mate, geography and cultural attractions in Ecuador, from the tropical atmosphere of the coastal area to the cooler climate of the volcanic regions high in the Andes Mountains. The tour began in the city of Guauaquil in the southwest of Ecuador on the Pacific coastline. Guayaquil, the capital of Guayas Province, is the largest and most populated city in Ecuador. Founded in 1534, it is the main port of Ecuador and thus of great economic importance to the country. As recently as 10 years ago, Guayaquil was considered to be one of the dirtiest cities in the world. In recent years, it has under- 18 Black Meetings & Tourism July/August 2010: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com South America’s Premier TRADE SHOW