Angelyn Paradises

Themba GadebeDurban

The Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) has unveiled the portal as part of its marketing strategy at the Tourism Indaba currently underway.

Speaking at the opening of the indaba Sunday, the Authority's Chief Executive Officer, Advocate Cawe Mahlati said venturing into cyberspace would trigger the demand to visit the province for business and leisure.

She said primarily, VisitGauteng.net portal is set to give the South African tourism market a packaging tool that is capable of converting the tourism demand.

"We need to activate the tourism demand and turn it into fulfilment. That's what this portal is designed to do, to convert a dream of visiting Gauteng, and South Africa into a reality," she said.

The advocate further noted that lack of packaging tools has in the past proved to be the barrier to tourism demand.

"VisitGauteng.net will help breach this gap," Ms Mahlati assured, adding that "it will provide solutions to all communities in the travel industry by automating the reservations process from supplier to end-user."

The package includes various services such as the accommodation and tours being made available on the system.

It will also rope in other services such as airline tickets, car rental and conferencing through strategic partners.

By accessing the portal, a travel agent, can for example, choose from various providers' web services in the online marketplace and create its own added value package of flights, ground transport, hotels, restaurants and entertainment.





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"This combined offering can then be put back into the market place to be accessed by all," Advocate Mahlati said.

More importantly, she said, it would also integrate emerging participants in the tourism industry, like the township based accommodation products, lodges, small convention centres and associated inventory that has no formal business relationship with the main tour operators and travel agents.

"With just the touch of a 'button', visitors will gain access to product information, company services, forms, vouchers and printouts for the bouquet of VisitGauteng.net services," she said.