FRIDAY May 16, 2025
By Brenda Mokoena
The Tranquility News Correspondent, South Africa
Tanzanian tour operators have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the location and decorations of their booth in the just ended Africa’s premier travel fair of Indaba, describing them as the “cheapest ever” and lacking value for money.
The exhibitors were particularly bitter, owing to the fact that the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) had mobilised its members, encouraging them to pay for participation fees through the association.
Held between May 12 and 15 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban, Africa’s Travel Indaba is an iconic African leisure trade show.
This year’s three-day event, held under the theme ‘Unlimited Africa’, attracted some 1,300 exhibitors and 1,200 buyers from 55 countries, with focus on promoting inter-African travel and breaking down barriers.
The welcoming ceremony graced by the Deputy President Paul Mashatile culminated in the traditional ringing of the bell, a symbolic gesture that resonated through the halls of the Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC, officially heralding the start of business and three days of intensive networking, deal-making, and showcasing the very best of ‘Unlimited Africa’.
As exhibitors from other countries went on showcasing their products after the opening ceremony, a number of Tanzanian participants were frustrated over poor quality of their booth.
They criticized the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) for what they described as inadequate arrangements, particularly concerning the booth’s location and decorations, which they labeled as the ‘cheapest ever’ and not offering value for money.
They alleged that the booth’s decor primarily highlighted a particular balloon company (name withheld) rather than showcasing Tanzania’s national identity or TATO as a whole.
They claim this company, allegedly commissioned by TATO to manage the booth decorations, took advantage by excessively promoting its branding materials.
The exhibitors lamented that despite having paid a significant fee, their booth was presented as though it belonged to an individual company rather than a collaborative effort.
One anonymous exhibitor voiced frustrations over the uninspiring setup of their booth, saying it failed to attract any visitor interest.
Our space looks like an abandoned site, very disappointing. TATO should have organised better,” one of the frustrated Tanzanian exhibitor at the just concluded Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025 in Durban, South Africa.
This not only hampered their marketing objectives but also instilled regret over the unproductive investment of time and resources.
The exhibitor further characterized the experience as a missed opportunity that resulted into a critical waste of resources.
Expressing a loss of trust, the exhibitor declared his reluctance to engage in future events of TATO, such as the Indaba travel show, citing dissatisfaction with the organisation’s ability to coordinate member participation effectively.
“This unexpected situation undermined our efforts to effectively market our offerings to potential clients and partners here at Indaba,” he concluded.
Efforts to obtain a response from the balloon company’s owner were unsuccessful, as The Tranquility News team is still awaiting his reply via WhatsApp.
Leaked voice notes and messages from disappointed Tanzanian exhibitors to TATO reveal their dissatisfaction, with one of them stating:
“The artwork or whatever is the cheapest on these grounds. Kenya’s magical stand cost $2,600 and looks superb. Namibia paid $1,900 and has an impressive display. Everyone has perfect things, except us Tanzanians. No one can recognize it is Tanzania.”
Another exhibitor remarked in an SMS: “Our space looks like an abandoned site, very disappointing. TATO should have organised better.”
When contacted for clarification by The Tranquility News Reporter in Tanzania, TATO Chairman Wilbard Chambulo stated that those attending the Indaba travel fair had organised themselves.
“TATO had no booth there; we only provided pricing information and shared the design for them to decide. It’s not about TATO,” Chambulo remarked, visibly annoyed.
Mr Chambulo blamed the Tanzanian exhibitors for paying for the show fees at the eleventh hour, compromising preparations of the booth.
Most of the Tanzanian exhibitors were tight-lipped even when they were given room to recommend on the branding of the booth, he said.
“Tell them that these are international trade shows, it is not like going to the roadside arranging tomatoes on a sack waiting for buyers,” he quipped.
However, a leaked SMS from Chambulo contradicted his statement, asserting that TATO was the main exhibitor responsible for most of the booth’s graphics.
Mr Chambulo detailed that key TATO materials, including visuals, branding elements, and overarching design themes, were intended to enhance TATO’s presentation and visibility at Indaba.
“We incorporate all our participants in the graphics to ensure proper identification and publicity,” Chambulo wrote in the leaked communication.
He added: “This means logos will be featured prominently alongside TATO’s materials, showcasing our collective partnership and collaboration.”
The contradiction between Chambulo’s statement during the interview and the leaked SMS raises a million dollar question about the consistency and credibility of the explanation of the association’s leaderΩ
Additional reporting by Patty Magubira, Tanzania.
