South African Tourism held its 11th Learn South Africa workshop in Kolkata, engaging travel trade partners on destination planning
South African Tourism has organised the 11th edition of its ‘Learn South Africa’ workshop in Kolkata on 16 January 2026, bringing together over 60 travel trade partners from the city and surrounding regions. The Kolkata programme marked the opening leg of South African Tourism’s latest multi-city workshop series, which is scheduled to conclude in Lucknow on 27 February 2026.
The ‘Learn South Africa’ workshop series is structured as a knowledge-sharing initiative for travel trade professionals, with sessions covering destination updates and practical planning insights. The Learn South Africa workshop focused on expanding awareness of South Africa’s tourism landscape, including cultural circuits, wildlife experiences, adventure tourism, and emerging regions beyond established gateways such as Cape Town and Johannesburg.
South African Tourism indicated that the Learn South Africa workshops are aimed at strengthening engagement with travel trade partners in tier 2 cities, where outbound travel demand is increasing across leisure and MICE segments. Kolkata continues to be identified as a market with a growing base of corporate travellers, MSMEs, and outbound leisure travellers, with demand increasingly oriented towards experience-led and customised itineraries.
The Learn South Africa workshop also addressed market-specific considerations and itinerary planning approaches to support travel professionals in aligning offerings with traveller preferences originating from Kolkata. According to South African Tourism, the sessions are intended to enhance destination understanding and partner readiness as travel patterns evolve.
Commenting on the Learn South Africa workshop, Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional General Manager for Asia, Australasia, and the Middle East, South African Tourism, stated, “The Kolkata city’s travellers, including well-travelled families, professionals, and affluent leisure seekers, are increasingly inclined towards meaningful, experience-rich holidays that blend wildlife, natural beauty, heritage, cuisine, and relaxed luxury. South Africa’s diverse offerings across landscapes, experiences, and city stays resonate strongly with these evolving preferences.”
He also added, “To respond to this evolving travel appetite, we continue to focus on strengthening collaboration with travel agents in key markets like Kolkata, enabling them with enhanced destination knowledge and itinerary-planning expertise. Our engagement with Kolkata’s travel trade community has been extremely positive, and we are confident it will inspire more travellers from the city to discover South Africa’s diverse regions beyond the traditional entry points. These workshops remain central to our strategy of showcasing the depth, diversity, and strong appeal of South Africa as a leading leisure and MICE destination.”
South African Tourism also referenced currency considerations in travel planning, noting that 1 South African Rand is valued at approximately 5.21 Indian Rupees.
The Kolkata Learn South Africa workshop forms part of South African Tourism’s ongoing programme to engage travel trade professionals across India’s tier 2 cities, as part of its broader efforts to understand regional market dynamics and support destination planning requirements.
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