Symbolic Opening of Congress Year 2006 Marks the Official Commencement of Business Tourism Year
Cape Town and Western Cape’s business tourism appeal to be showcased.
Cape Town, (PRWEB) February 3, 2006
The promotion of Cape Town and the Western Cape’s profile as a premier business tourism destination over the year ahead is to be highlighted at the symbolic ‘Opening of Congress Year 2006’, a programme initiated by Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in partnership with Cape Town Routes Unlimited. The event will be hosted at the CTICC on 01 February 2006.
The South African Association of the Congress Industry (SAACI), the Exhibition Association of South Africa (EXSA), and the Cape Town International Convention Centre are Cape Town Routes Unlimited’s strategic partners for this venture.
Apart from profiling the destination in a business tourism context, ‘Opening of Congress Year 2006’ is aimed at stimulating networking opportunities amongst stakeholders within this tourism sector. The event also offers opportunities to new and emerging business tourism products and services to profile themselves, to interface with the established business tourism industry, and in so doing, to gain market access.
Says Managing Director of the Cape Town International Convention Centre, Dirk Elzinga, “the CTICC is intent on opening its doors to the many international associations and their representatives in the Western Cape in order for them to meet face to face with conference industry suppliers.
“Cape Town and the Western Cape is in the fortunate position of having four world class universities in the region and many of the resident scientists and professors at these institutions are themselves members of international associations. We are hoping that Opening of Congress Year 2006 will be the perfect opportunity to show them the remarkable scope of conference capabilities in the region that has won international respect.”
Further aims of the ‘Opening of Congress Year’ are to use the event as a catalyst for business tourism debates; to use the event as a platform to share, dialogue and exchange knowledge; to use the exhibition element of the event to initiate business-to-business networking opportunities; and to establish a partnership amongst business tourism stakeholders to drive collective destination marketing efforts.
Says Nokhuthula Dube, CEO of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, “While Cape Town grows its share of the international and domestic tourism market, Cape Town and the Western Cape is increasingly focusing its efforts on what it has to offer this high value business visitor.
“Being a world class destination is one part of the solution, but for this very lucrative and intensely competitive market, quality services; competitive pricing; outstanding facilities; air access; and value-add in the leisure market is what will ultimately make the difference.”
Currently, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) estimates that about 3.14-billion people attend some 14 000 meetings around the world annually. Internationally there are more than 10 000 registered delegate body associations, with over half of those actively seeking destinations at which to hold their business meetings.
“Viewed from a financial perspective, this translates to a very profitable venture for any region that manages to attract a sizeable share of these meetings”, said Dube.
Already, approximately 63% of all conference business in Africa is secured by Cape Town and the Western Cape. Through the consistent efforts of Cape Town Routes Unlimited’s Convention and Events Bureau, bids have recently been secured in all target sectors, to include education, media and science.
“Moreover, our participation at national and international convention exhibitions and trade fairs affords Cape Town and the Western Cape considerable global exposure, as well as the opportunity to share knowledge, keep abreast of international trends, and secure joint marketing initiatives”, says Convention and Events Manager, Angeline Lue.
Overall, in just 10 years, South Africa has improved from 63rd to the 27th most popular conferencing destination in the world and Cape Town has moved from 42nd most popular conferencing city in 2003 to 30th in 2004 according to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).
Concludes Dube, “According to SA Tourism, business tourism’s current return on investment is in the region of 35:1, and this contributes approximately R 20-billion to the South African economy. It sustains nearly 260 000 jobs and provides more than R 6-billion annually to salaries, additionally contributing R 4-billion to the central fiscus in the form of taxes.
“And it’s not only big business that benefits. There’s an untapped market in the supply of goods and services, with a multitude of opportunities open to anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit.”
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