South African Tourism marked another milestone in its engagement with key travel trade partners across India with the successful conclusion of its multi-city ‘Learn South Africa’ workshop series, which culminated in its final leg in Lucknow on 31 March 2026.
Strengthening its efforts to tap into the growing appetite for international travel across tier-2 cities, the workshop series is designed to offer travel trade partners deeper insights into South Africa’s diverse tourism experiences from cultural routes and adventure offerings to emerging regions beyond well-known favourites like Cape Town and Johannesburg. With rising demand from non-metro travellers seeking curated and immersive journeys, these workshops play a pivotal role in equipping partners with the knowledge and tools to craft personalised itineraries.
Through this multi-city initiative, South African Tourism seeks to deepen engagement with the travel trade community, address market-specific challenges, and strengthen partner readiness to capitalise on the growing demand for South Africa as a preferred leisure and MICE destination. India continues to be a vital source market for South African Tourism. Lucknow is playing an increasingly important role, supported by a strong base of legacy businesses, emerging entrepreneurs, and a growing segment of outbound leisure travellers. Travellers from Lucknow are demonstrating a rising interest in immersive, experience-led holidays that blend culture, heritage, wildlife, scenic landscapes, and soft adventure, along with premium leisure and incentive-led travel.
The workshop equips travel partners with deeper destination knowledge and practical insights to curate tailored itineraries that align with Lucknow’s evolving travel aspirations, further strengthening South Africa’s positioning as an attractive destination for both leisure and MICE travel.
Commenting on the successful event in Lucknow, Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional General Manager for Asia, Australasia, and the Middle East, South African Tourism, stated: “Travellers from Lucknow, including families, professionals, and affluent leisure seekers, are increasingly drawn to meaningful, experience-rich holidays that combine wildlife, nature, heritage, cuisine, and relaxed luxury, preferences that strongly align with South Africa’s diverse offerings. To cater to this demand, we are strengthening collaboration with travel agents in key markets like Lucknow through enhanced destination knowledge and itinerary planning support. Our engagement with the city’s travel trade community has been highly encouraging and is expected to drive greater interest in exploring South Africa beyond traditional entry points, reinforcing its appeal as a leading leisure and MICE destination.”
South Africa continues to gain traction amongst the Indian audience, supported by a favourable exchange rate where 1 South African Rand equals approximately 5.21 Indian Rupees making long-haul travel more accessible and appealing.
The 11th edition of ‘Learn South Africa’ in Lucknow marks a key milestone in South African Tourism’s continued endeavour to strengthen its partnerships with India’s travel trade professionals. In line with the board’s strategic vision to position South Africa as a versatile and high-value destination, the Rainbow Nation continues to deepen its engagement in tier-2 cities, recognising their increasing influence in India’s outbound travel landscape.
