South Africa shines as favourite for MICE

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South Africa shines as favourite for MICE

Thursday, 1 March 2012

Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk told delegates at the current Meetings Africa expo in Sandton that South Africa was fast becoming one of the world's favourite destinations for MICE, already securing over 200 international conferences over the next five years.

With an economic boost of approximately R1.6 billion and attracting more than 300 000 delegates to the country, Mr Van Schalkwyk said South Africa will encourage business travellers to stay longer, explore the country's tourist offerings and to later return with their families.

The largest business-to-business tourism exhibition in Africa, Meetings Africa hosts more than 200 international buyers from all over the world, including the USA, Australia, United Kingdom, Kenya, China, Germany, Netherlands, Brazil and Nigeria. Over the course of three days they will engage with the South African industry in an effort to grow business tourism arrivals.

Mr Van Schalkwyk said South Africa's capability and infrastructure for business tourism was superb, with this year's event introducing to the industry the National Convention Bureau (NCB) of South Africa, which officially starts operation in April this year and will boost the country's business tourism global competitiveness.

Concluding about the NCB, Mr Van Schalkwyk pointed out that besides the big national convention centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, South Africa is also home to numerous other facilities to cater for meetings and conference organisers, with the same quality, variety and choice that are offered across the larger tourism sector.

Source = e-Travel Blackboard: K.W