Cape Town Event Recap: How travel and culture can bring people together, regardless of background or ability

Cape Town Travel Massive recently hosted Empowerment Through Travel: An Inclusive Experience in December at the iconic Artscape Theatre. Organised by Sherise Dreyer, the event brought together passionate individuals, industry leaders, and creative collaborators to explore and celebrate the power of inclusivity in the travel industry.

Performances, Speakers, and some Prizes

The event started with a mesmerizing performance by The Edinburgh Festival Carnival, choreographed by Nkosinathi Sangweni. This performance set the stage for the day, beautifully capturing the intersection of travel, culture, and inclusivity — with a message that travel and culture can bring people together, regardless of background or ability.

Attendees were welcomed by Sherise Dreyer, Chapter Leader of Travel Massive Cape Town, who highlighted the significance of inclusivity in the travel industry. Sherise shared insights on how inclusivity drives innovation and fosters greater connections among travellers, businesses, and communities.

Marlene le Roux, CEO of Artscape, spoke about the importance of inclusivity in both the arts and travel sectors. She shared how Artscape is committed to creating welcoming spaces and ensuring equal opportunities for everyone to participate in the arts. Marlene’s words resonated with the audience and reinforced the value of creating environments where all individuals can feel welcome and valued.

Fuad Peters, Chapter Leader of Travel Massive Cape Town, spoke about Travel Massive’s mission to create an inclusive, dynamic travel community. Fuad emphasized the importance of collaboration and networking as a business strategy in the travel industry.

Balini Naidoo-Engelbrecht, an advocate for inclusive fashion, shared her personal journey and discussed how her designs are transforming the way we think about accessibility in travel. Her insights highlighted how design can enhance the travel experience for people with diverse needs and ensure greater comfort for all travellers.

We were also delighted to welcome William Boswell, a new member of the Cape Town Travel Massive community, who generously gifted a stunning painting to the event — a reminder of the creativity and generosity that defines our community.

The event’s prize giveaways added excitement and fun, with Thenjiswa winning an exhilarating shark cage diving experience, courtesy of Bonny from Shark Explorers, and Annalie Janse van Rensburg receiving a prize sponsored by Brent Karbonkelberg Tourism.

Thank You to Our Partners

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our incredible partners who helped make this event possible:

• Artscape for hosting the event and providing the perfect venue. A special thank you to Marlene, CEO of Artscape, for her inspiring speech and dedication to promoting inclusivity in the arts and travel industries.
• Cape Town Magazine, for their continuous support of community initiatives. A special thanks to Stephanie Philander for her heartfelt speech about how Cape Town Magazine supports and champions inclusivity in the local travel scene.
• The Edinburgh Festival Carnival, in partnership with Edinburgh, for their opening performance and for bringing the students to showcase their incredible talents.
• Balini, for sharing her journey in fashion and demonstrating how the travel industry can be transformed through thoughtful design and accessibility.
• CPUT, for their involvement in the event by providing student assistants through Chapter Leader Michaela Crowe. Their participation was invaluable, helping the event run smoothly.

Learnings and what’s next

This event demonstrated that inclusivity is not just a moral responsibility but also a powerful business strategy. By embracing inclusivity, the travel industry can build stronger, more welcoming communities and create experiences that cater to the diverse needs of travellers worldwide.

We encourage everyone to reach out to Sherise Dreyer and the Travel Massive Cape Town team to learn more about how inclusivity can help grow your business, create new opportunities, and enhance the travel experience for all.