Durban’s hospitality sector is seeing a major surge as Africa’s Travel Indaba (ATI) 2025 officially opens this week at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC), drawing several thousand delegates and over 1,300 exhibitors from across the globe.
Tourism officials report hotel occupancy rates between 80% and 90% in both Durban Central and the nearby Umhlanga area, underscoring the significance of the Indaba on regional tourism and hospitality.
The landmark Hilton Durban Hotel, adjacent to the ICC, has also made a notable return — effectively reopening for the first time in five years for ATI 2025. Although it briefly resumed operations after the initial 2020 COVID lockdowns, the 320+ room hotel closed again in early 2021 and only officially reopened in September 2024.
Jaya Naidoo, East Coast GM of Fedhasa (Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa), noted that ATI’s return is a key driver for high booking levels, with the event reinforcing Durban’s position as a premier global events destination.
ATI, typically held each May, was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Its full revival in 2025, alongside the reopening of the Hilton, signals a strong rebound for South Africa’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry and broader tourism sector.
