As the sun set on Cape Town on the evening of 17 April, the Two Oceans Aquarium was transformed, displaying its full glamour, to welcome Travel Massive Cape Town - one of South Africa's largest networking events for the travel and tourism industry.

Photo by Dawn Bradwick.

This is the third year running that the Two Oceans Aquarium has been selected as the venue for the official launch of World Travel Market Africa (WTM Africa) which would be taking place over the next three days in Cape Town. WTM  Africa is the largest gathering of tourism professionals on the continent - bringing more than 5 000 industry leaders together for this exclusive business-to-business networking and trade opportunity. Nothing like our view of blue to set the tone for such a prestigious event!

Photo by Dawn Bradwick.

The main event:

The theme for this year's event was "Water Saving and Conserving", and attendees had the chance to learn about the importance of this precious resource as well as the life inhabiting our oceans and waterways.

Photo by Dawn Bradwick.

Two Oceans Aquarium Communications & Media Executive Renée Leeuwner took to the stage to talk to attendees about the work being done at the Aquarium to create awareness of the issues affecting our environment and what the Aquarium is doing to create a more sustainable future - educating over 100 000 children in our classroom and outreach programmes, attaining Diamond Status for Sustainability and retrofitting our building to use as little freshwater as possible.

Photo by Dawn Bradwick.

The stage was then taken by Conservation Coordinator Talitha Noble, who wowed the crowd with stories from our turtle rehabilitation facility - the "hidden" gem on the Aquarium's roof where dozens of tiny loggerhead turtle hatchlings are being prepared for their return to the ocean and where large turtles like the immense Yoshi and the ever-loved duo of Bob and Sandy are cared for and prepared for release.

Photo by Dawn Bradwick.

We then handed over to Dawn Bradnick who kicked the Travel Massive event into the next gear - with lucky draw prizes and a boost to the networking which would set the tone for the next three days of the main WTM Africa even at the CTICC.

Animal facts:

Throughout the night, guests were encouraged to explore the Aquarium and share their favourite underwater animal facts. We got to pick some lucky winners and give them a set of Aquarium tickets to bring their families back during the daylight. Here are a few of their animal facts:

As the Aquarium grew quiet and guests returned to their accommodation, getting ready for the big WTM Africa event the next day, we couldn't help but be grateful to be situated in Cape Town - the beating heart of the African tourism industry. Great things are happening behind the scenes of our city and whether you are a tourism professional, a learner looking for a way to learn the skills needed for eco-tourism or a young professional who'd like an opportunity to work with the ocean - the Two Oceans Aquarium would like to support you and this growing industry. Just want to host an event at one of Cape Town’s top attractions? We’re here to help you create the most unforgettable night yet.

Well done Travel Massive on another successful event! Looking forward to hosting you again in 2019 (wink wink)!

Are you a tourism professional?

If you work in the tourism industry or are a tour operator, check out our page dedicated to you! Special rates apply for our tickets and experiences. 

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