2011 IOC congress for Durban

“We are delighted and honoured that the IOC has chosen South Africa for its 123rd gathering. The city and the nation look forward to welcoming Olympic Committee delegates in 2011,” said Moeketsi Mosola, CEO at South African Tourism.

Although Durban won the contest ahead of seven other cities, the final vote came down to a choice between Durban and Hong Kong.

“South Africa is now firmly entrenched as a destination with big event capability and infrastructure,” Mosola said. “The IOC's decision to bring its congress here is affirmation of our capacity to host the most high-profile and significant of the world's conferences, meetings and exhibitions. This is a reputation that South Africa has been working hard to build since it successfully hosted the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 and that won it the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup.”

He congratulated the parties that had collaborated on presenting Durban's case to the IOC: Moss Mashishi and his team at the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), Tourism KwaZulu-Natal and the City of Durban.

South Africa, Mosola said, is bidding for a number of other significant international conferences, including the 2011 Climate Change Congress, the 2012 World Conservation Union Conference and the 2015 President's Golf Tournament. These gatherings are typically extremely lucrative for the destination both in terms of foreign direct spend and in terms of word of mouth referrals from delegates and organisers.