South Africa ready for business tourism – tourism minister

Business tourism encompasses meetings, events and conferences, exhibitions and incentive travel.

He said that Cape Town International Convention Centre plans to double its size, construction on the Bloemfontein International Convention Centre is complete, with the main arena accommodating up to 5000 delegates, while Port Elizabeth is to get its own Nelson Mandela Bay International Convention Centre.

This conference preceded the annual business tourism exhibition – Meetings Africa – which ends today, Friday, 29 February 2008, at Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

“On average, business travelers spend three times more than leisure travelers and 40% of them return to a destination within five years. Eighteen percent of business travellers go on tours prior to their business activities, while 22% do the same afterwards,” said Van Schalkwyk.

“SA in an excellent position”

“I can say with the utmost confidence that SA is in an excellent position to welcome more and more business and leisure travelers to our shores in the days, months and years to come. SA stands ready!”

He said that overall foreign tourist arrivals to SA increased by 8.6% between January and November last year.

“Up to seven% of all tourist arrivals to SA for 2007 will be business tourists. This translates to 550 000 estimated arrivals as compared to 470 000 in 2006.”

According to Van Schalkwyk, the South African Government and the private sector continue to invest in the country's infrastructure to enhance its position as a major competitor in the global business tourism industry.

“The Airports Company of South Africa has injected R5.2 billion into extensions and refurbishments that are currently in progress at the country's three main airports, namely OR Tambo, Cape Town and Durban International Airports. The new R2 billion King Shaka International Airport is under construction at La Mercy north of Durban and the Polokwane International Airport now boasts a new terminal worth R45 million that can accommodate 200 000 passengers per year.”

Major international events secured

South African Tourism CEO Moeketsi Mosola said at the conference that South Africa continues to secure bids for major international events. “These include the 15th International Near-infrared Spectrocopy Conference in 2009, the World Social Security Forum in 2010, the International Federation of Dental Hygiene conference and the World Critical Care Conference in 2013.

“Securing such events form an integral part of SA Tourism's Business Tourism Growth Strategy, of which the key segments are inter-governmental meetings, the corporate and incentive market and association meetings.”

Delegates at the business tourism conference have been addressed by various local and international business tourism experts around topics such as worldwide corporate and incentive trends and business tourism opportunities presented by the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament.

For more information, go to www.meetingsafrica.co.za.