Pune: The Learn South Africa Pune Workshop, organised by South African Tourism, successfully engaged over 85 travel trade partners as part of the 11th edition of its flagship ‘Learn South Africa’ multi-city workshop series.
The Pune session, held on December 12, 2025, marked the start of the latest phase of the initiative, which will continue in Kolkata on January 16, 2026, before concluding in Lucknow on February 27, 2026.
Designed to strengthen engagement with India’s growing tier-2 outbound travel markets, the Learn South Africa Pune Workshop focused on providing in-depth destination knowledge covering South Africa’s diverse tourism offerings.
These included cultural routes, wildlife experiences, adventure tourism, scenic road trips, wine routes, and emerging regions beyond the traditionally popular hubs of Cape Town and Johannesburg.
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The workshop aimed to equip travel trade partners with the expertise required to curate personalised and immersive itineraries for evolving traveller preferences.
Through this multi-city initiative, South African Tourism continues to deepen collaboration with travel agents, address market-specific opportunities, and enhance partner preparedness to tap into rising demand for South Africa as both a leisure and MICE destination.
Learn South Africa Pune Workshop Highlights Emerging Regions Beyond Key Gateways
India remains a key source market, with cities such as Pune playing an increasingly important role, supported by strong IT, manufacturing, education, and corporate ecosystems.
Travellers from Pune are demonstrating a growing inclination towards experiential holidays that combine nature, adventure, wildlife, and cultural exploration, alongside premium leisure and incentive travel.
The Learn South Africa Pune Workshop empowered partners with insights into destination planning and product diversification, enabling them to design customised travel experiences aligned with Pune’s evolving traveller profile.
Commenting on the successful Pune engagement, Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional General Manager for Asia, Australasia, and the Middle East, South African Tourism, said that Pune is emerging as a high-potential source market, driven by young professionals, well-travelled families, and a rapidly expanding corporate and MICE segment.
He noted that travellers from the city are increasingly drawn to immersive experiences such as safaris, adventure activities, wine routes, and culturally rich city stays, all of which South Africa offers extensively.
He further highlighted that strengthening partnerships with travel agents in emerging markets like Pune remains a strategic priority, as it enables deeper destination understanding and more effective travel planning.
The strong engagement witnessed during the Learn South Africa Pune Workshop is expected to encourage greater exploration of South Africa’s diverse regions beyond established gateways.
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Pune has recorded a steady rise in international leisure travel, contributing significantly to outbound tourism from non-metro Indian cities.
Value-driven, experience-rich holidays are gaining traction among travellers, with South Africa benefiting from increased interest, supported by a favourable exchange rate that enhances long-haul travel affordability.
The 11th edition of the Learn South Africa Pune Workshop represents a key milestone in South African Tourism’s ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships with India’s travel trade community.
In line with its strategic vision, the tourism board continues to deepen engagement across tier-2 cities, acknowledging their growing influence in shaping India’s outbound travel landscape and reinforcing South Africa’s positioning as a versatile, high-value leisure and MICE destination.
