MINISTER OF TOURISM OPENS MEETINGS AFRICA Marthinus van schalkwyk minister of tourism
OPEN FOR BUSINESS Marthinus van schalkwyk, the minister of Tourism, officially opened Meetings Africa 2011, the continent’s premier business tourism marketing platform.
“I
AM very impressed with what South African Tourism (SAT) has achieved so far,” he said.
“When SAT raised the subject of buying Meetings Africa, we told them to make sure it was a good investment. After three years we can see that it is indeed a very sound investment for us.” The minister recalled President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation address where he called tourism a major jobs driver. “Business tourism will play a key role in helping to achieve
this objective.” In 2009, business tourism represented 4,7% of total arrivals, signifying approximately 500 000 visitors to South Africa for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. This represents a total economic value of about R4 billion, with business tourists spending an average of R5 300 during their stay in South Africa. The average length of stay for business tourism also increased from 4.6 nights in 2008 to 2.8 nights in 2009. Between January and November last year, the country welcomed 7.3 million foreign tourists. “This was absolutely on target,” van Schalkwyk said. He added that South Africa has already secured almost 200 conferences for the next five years. “This equates to 300 000 delegates, which in turn equals R1.6 billion for the economy.” For example, Durban has been selected to host The United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2011. This critical conference shapes the social, economic and political policies across several countries. KwaZulu-Natal also recently won the rights to host the 2012 international wildlife convention. After his short but sweet speech, Minister van Schalkwyk promptly rang the bell, officially opening the event.
Published by www.theevent.co.za