George, Wilderness and Uniondale Tourism Showcases the Region at World Travel Market Africa 2025
In the photo: Various exhibitors on the GR&KK stand at WTMA 2025 along with the Garden Route District Mayor
Cape Town, South Africa – 16 April 2025 — George, Wilderness and Uniondale Tourism – the official tourism bureau of George Municipality, proudly participated in the World Travel Market (WTM) Africa 2025, held from 9 to 11 April at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Representing the region as part of the Garden Route and Klein Karoo stand, the team joined forces with surrounding Garden Route towns and tourism exhibitors to promote the destination to a global audience of travel professionals.
WTM Africa is a premier international travel trade event that connects tourism buyers and sellers from across the globe. This year, George, Wilderness and Uniondale Tourism engaged in over 30 high-level meetings with international buyers, including tour operators, travel agents, and wholesalers from the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, United States, Nigeria, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Brazil, and South Africa.
“Participating in WTM Africa offers us valuable insights into emerging travel trends and buyer expectations from across different markets,” said Sharon House, Senior Tourism Officer for George, Wilderness and Uniondale Tourism. “It’s an excellent opportunity to showcase the diverse experiences our region offers and to connect buyers with the right local businesses. We also support them with professional media content to help sell the destination more effectively.”
In celebration of the destination’s new brand, buyers received specially curated “George, naturally” gift bags filled with destination maps and brochures. The event also offered an invaluable opportunity to reconnect with buyers who had previously attended familiarisation (FAM) trips to the region, strengthening existing relationships and fostering future collaborations.
Local tourism enterprises added strength to the region’s presence at the show. The Wilderness Hotel and Redberry Farm exhibited on the shared stand, while Views Boutique Hotel and Spa and Oakhurst Farm Cottages participated independently, further showcasing the diversity of George’s tourism offerings. The stand also featured George’s immersive 360-degree VR experiences, allowing buyers to virtually explore the region’s highlights.
The Garden Route District Municipality played a pivotal role in the success of the stand, contributing significantly to the stand fees and enabling subsidised participation. The stand, coordinated by a regional committee made up of tourism office representatives, offered affordable participation packages starting from R26,000. With features such as individual exhibitor desks, a meeting diary, custom branding, lockable storage space and activation slots, the stand once again sold out well ahead of the event.
A highlight of this year’s event was the visit by the Garden Route District Executive Mayor Ald. Andrew Stroebel, who officially welcomed exhibitors and lent support to this longstanding marketing initiative.
George, Wilderness and Uniondale Tourism remains committed to positioning the region as a top-tier travel destination, and WTM Africa continues to serve as a vital travel trade platform for connecting with global partners and promoting tourism growth.
