Details of the hospitality investment conference announced

Durban – Particulars of the first of its kind Hospitality Investment Conference for Africa (HICA) were announced at the South Africa’s premier tourism showcase, INDABA in Durban on Sunday.

The conference to be hosted by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) in association with Pam Golding Property Group will be held at the Cape Town’s Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel from 30 September to 2 October this year.

Mmatšatši Marobe, Chief Executive Officer of the TBCSA, says the conference will strive to present a networking platform for new investors in tourism, attract developers and financial institutions in an effort to profile Africa as a viable investment destination.

According to Marobe since the mid 1990’s African countries started liberalising their economies with an aim to ensure economic efficiency and to mobilise domestic as well as foreign investments, but despite all these efforts Africa has not attracted expected levels of both domestic and foreign investment.

She says a surge in African tourism shows great potential and opportunities. “It is against this background that the first ever Hospitality Investment Conference for the African continent was decided upon to share world trends, in an effort to align the continent to international best practices in ensuring economic efficiency for the continent.”

Marobe says high powered international speakers have been confirmed to address the conference, these include Carlos Romero of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Jean Claude Baumgarten of the World Tourism and Travel Council, David Clifton of Interval International, Richard Stockton from Morgan Stanley  and James Wilson of Nakheel.

She says the international speakers will be flanked by their local counterparts who will give usable and relevant information to inform investment of hotels, resorts and other chains in the hospitality sector in South Africa. These include Joop Demes of the Golding Hotel Investment Consultants – a division of the Pam Golding Property Group, Southern Sun’s Deon Viljoen and Protea Hotel’s Arthur Gillis.

The conference will be officially opened by the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka.

The conference will amongst others focus on topics such as Unique Selling Propositions for Africa, Investment Trends and Vehicles in Africa, Financing, Aviation Attractiveness, Moving beyond the legacy, Regional Investment Trends and Global trends.

The conference is endorsed by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, World Travel and Tourism Council, South African Tourism and Interval International.

For more information on the Hospitality Investment Conference for Africa contact Jacqueline Obando on telephone +27 12 654 7525 or visit www.hica.co.za or www.tbcsa.travel/hica

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