Minister Patricia de Lille.file photo
South Africa's business tourism industry is showing positive signs of recovery after being hit hard by COVID-19, with trade fair Meeting Africa generating R488 million in revenue in the past year and forecasting growth in 2024. Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said the number is expected to exceed that in 2020. she said.
Meetings Africa is a platform for hotel groups and tourism associations from across the country and continent to showcase their products and services. Exhibitors are paired with buyers who are international visitors who are interested in and capable of hosting conferences and meetings in a variety of fields.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the trade fair (themed: Africa's Success Built on Quality Connections) at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg, Delisle said this was a “crucial time” for South Africa's business events sector, which has been in decline for many years. “It's a great time,” he said.
“The partnerships we have formed with various countries, both within and outside the African continent, have contributed to our success in recent years.”
“I have no doubt that it will become clear to everyone here at Africa Congress that the African continent is the perfect place to host any conference, event, expo and indeed incentive trip. ” she added.
Mr De Lille said this year's 17th event saw the participation of 380 exhibitors from 21 African countries, representing a diverse range of products and experiences in the continent's business events industry and highlighting the trade fair's growth. Stated.
He highlighted that on the business events front, over the past year the South African National Convention Bureau (SANCB) has worked with its partners to win international and local hosting bids.
Reflecting on the 2023 Africa Conference, Mr de Lille said it contributed R388 million to the country's economy and created and retained 753 jobs.
“South Africa has successfully secured 40 tenders for the 2022/23 financial year, contributing R338 million and engaging more than 16,000 international and regional representatives between 2023 and 2025. “This is great news for the economy because it will attract more people,” she said.
Mr De Lille said: email and guardian As a result of strengthening cooperation with other countries and working to expand air routes, the country was able to welcome 4.8 million overseas tourists from January to July 2023.
“We put a lot of effort into partnering directly with the airlines that come into our country, so we can do more than just provide them with leisure tourism plans. [include] “It's a combination because airlines also rely on the business class seats they sell to make a profit,” de Lille said.
He cited the opening of the São Paulo route as an example of the relationship and cooperation with airlines to attract tourists to the country, adding that there is a memorandum of agreement with Brazil.
“We are looking at how we can grow the business side between Brazil and South Africa and are also looking at MICE in both countries. [Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions] Strategy and other interests [there are], like how Brazil's black history resonates with South Africa's black history. Business should complement leisure,” she said.
She said that before the pandemic, the main way to market the country as a popular destination was through safaris as a pure leisure destination.
“We only used the destination's tourist attractions, such as the Kruger National Park and Table Mountain. And while certainly those sites will always be there, we wanted to make sure we were adapting our offerings to be able to attract different groups of people. We need to diversify, so in 2023 we started introducing an offering that was never offered to outdoor tourists,” she said.
Sandra Neubuehler, Sales Director, Radisson Hotel Group, said: M&G Even after the pandemic, business was good and Cape Town was recovering well.
“Cape Town is doing very well with high levels of international leisure and business tourism. Johannesburg is doing well, but not at pre-COVID-19 levels, mainly due to safety and security concerns. It has not returned yet. Also, the unreliable load shedding makes it a less desirable destination for regional conferences,” Neubuehler said.
He added that competitions like Meetings Africa are important for the hotel group given its extensive footprint in Africa.
“'Meetings' is one of the sources of our business and is important. This year we hope to secure more future leads and bookings,” she said.
She said all hotels need both leisure and business tourism.
“Places like Johannesburg are particularly suited to business tourism as fewer people visit on holiday. However, those who come to Johannesburg on business may want to extend their stay and spend a couple of nights in Cape Town or on safari. I can’t do it,” she said.
My participation in the trade fair was sponsored by the South African Tourism Board.
