Paarl Travel & Tourism Expo Brings Industry Together at Nantes Estate

The Paarl Travel & Tourism Expo happens once a year, and when it does, the region’s tourism operators turn up. On 3 June 2026, the Drakenstein region’s tourism sector will do exactly that at the Paarl Travel & Tourism Expo, held at Nantes Estate on the R45. From 9am to 1pm, the event brings together travel agents, tour operators, accommodation providers, activity specialists and tourism services under one roof offering a chance to meet, network and discover what the region has to offer.

For an industry where relationships matter as much as product, this kind of gathering is practical. It shortens the distance between providers and distributors, allows for face-to-face introductions, and creates the kind of connections that phone calls and emails often cannot.

The expo is aimed at anyone involved in selling, promoting or facilitating travel in and around Paarl and the broader Drakenstein area. That includes tour guides looking for new partnerships, travel media seeking story angles, corporate PAs organising incentive trips, and event coordinators planning group bookings.

What to Expect at the Paarl Travel and Tourism Expo

The format is straightforward. Registration opens at 8:30am, with the expo running from 9am to 1pm. Exhibitors will showcase experiences, destinations and services from across the region; everything from wine estates and adventure activities to accommodation options and guided tours.

For travel agents and tour operators, this is an opportunity to meet suppliers directly, ask questions, understand capacity and pricing, and build working relationships. For those promoting Paarl, whether through social media, publications or word of mouth, it is a chance to see what is new, what is working, and where the gaps might be.

The venue itself adds context. Nantes Estate sits in the heart of Paarl’s wine country, offering views across vineyards towards the surrounding mountains. It is the kind of setting that reminds attendees why people travel here in the first place. The wine is great… naturally, but the landscape, the history and the slower pace that the Winelands provide is hard to beat.

Why It Matters

Paarl has long been overshadowed by its more prominent neighbours (Stellenbosch and Franschhoek), in the tourism conversation. Yet the town and its surroundings offer as much variety, if not more, than many better-known destinations in the Cape Winelands.

The area includes wine routes, mountain trails, rock climbing on Paarl Rock, historical architecture along Main Street, and food experiences that range from fine dining to farm stalls. There are boutique hotels, working farms that offer stays, and family-run guesthouses that have been hosting visitors for decades.

What Paarl lacks is not product, but visibility. Events like this expo address that by bringing the offerings together in one space, making it easier for those who sell travel to understand what exists and how to package it.

For international visitors planning trips to the Western Cape, Paarl is often positioned as a stop between Cape Town and the Garden Route, or as an add-on to Stellenbosch. The expo encourages a different approach, one where Paarl is the base, not the detour.

Who Should Attend

The expo is designed for industry professionals rather than the general public. Travel agents looking to expand their packages will find suppliers they can work with. Tour operators can meet activity providers and accommodation partners. Corporate PA’s organising team-building events or incentive trips can scope venues and experiences.

Tour guides based in Cape Town or the Winelands can use the expo to update their knowledge of the area, particularly if they haven’t focused on Paarl recently. Travel media and influencers will find story angles and contacts for future coverage. Tourism institutions and destination marketing organisations can connect with stakeholders and assess the current landscape.

The first 100 registrations are free, with subsequent tickets priced at R150 per person. The free offer reflects an understanding that bringing the right people into the room matters more than revenue at this stage.

Practical Details

Nantes Estate is located on the R45 between Paarl and Franschhoek, approximately an hour from Cape Town. Parking is available on-site. Registration is required in advance via the online form.

The half-day format, finishing at 1pm, allows attendees to combine the expo with other appointments or site visits in the area. Many will likely extend the trip into a working lunch at one of the nearby estates or restaurants, continuing conversations started at the expo.

For international visitors or those travelling from outside the Western Cape, this is best combined with a longer stay in the region. June is mid-winter, with cool days and cold evenings. The mountains may have snow, and the vineyards will be bare, but the area is quieter than in summer and high season has not yet begun.

Beyond the Paarl Travel and Tourism Expo

What happens after the event matters as much as the event itself. The connections made at the expo need follow-through, phone calls, site visits, itinerary development and actual bookings.

For Paarl’s tourism sector, the expo is part of a longer effort to position the town and its surroundings as a destination in its own right. That requires consistent messaging, quality experiences, and ongoing engagement with the trade.

The challenge is not in attracting interest, Paarl has the product. The challenge is ensuring that when a travel agent in Johannesburg or a tour operator in London is planning an itinerary, Paarl comes to mind early rather than late.

Registration and Contact

Registration is open now via an online form. Attendees will need to provide their name, company details, role in the tourism industry, and a brief description of their portfolio or business.

Whether you are looking to build partnerships, discover new offerings, or better understand what Paarl has to offer, this is an event designed for connection rather than presentation. The value is in the conversations, not the brochures.