From 29 September to 2 October, Gqeberha is hosting the Skål International World Congress 2026, welcoming tourism and hospitality professionals from across the world to Nelson Mandela Bay in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province.
The event is taking place at the Boardwalk Hotel, Casino and Convention Centre in the Summerstrand area of Gqeberha and is being organised by Skål International Nelson Mandela Bay, the local branch of the global tourism organisation.
Skål describes the congress as its most important annual event. Its programme includes networking, knowledge-sharing, discussions about industry trends and the organisation’s Annual General Assembly. It is being held under Skål’s motto, “Doing Business Among Friends” — a reflection of its desire to form professional relationships across the international tourism industry.
The event also gives Nelson Mandela Bay a great opportunity to present the Eastern Cape as a diverse and unique tourism destination. Delegates can take part in excursions to attractions including Addo Elephant National Park, the Alexandra Dune Fields, St Croix Island, Jeffreys Bay and Cape St Francis. There are also options linked to more unusual experiences such as seabird conservation, marine wildlife, surfing, golf and cultural activities.
One of the excursions, for example, combines a guided game drive in Addo Elephant National Park with lunch and a traditional Xhosa dance; another offers a boat trip around St Croix Island, where visitors can see penguins and dolphins. There is, of course, also an ocean safari, a visit to the SANCCOB seabird rehabilitation centre and a tour of Cape Recife Nature Reserve.
For Gqeberha and its surrounding region, the congress is more than an industry meeting — it allows accommodation providers, event venues, tourism organisations and local attractions to present their products to professionals who work in, promote or sell travel. It also places the Eastern Cape’s coastal, wildlife and adventure offer at the centre of an international tourism gathering.
Thus, it is easy to conclude that the event can help strengthen the region’s profile as a fine destination for both business and leisure travel. Although the official event information does not provide attendance figures or estimate its direct economic impact, the programme already shows how Nelson Mandela Bay is using the congress to promote a much wider destination rather than just the city itself.
