2010 business tourism gains momentum in Cape Town
04. Nov, 2007
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Cape Town – In Cape Town and the Western Cape it is not only soccer fever that is running high ahead of the year 2010, but also conference fever as the destination’s business tourism calendar for 2010 is filling up rapidly. As South Africa, its people and infrastructure developers are eagerly preparing for the FIFA Soccer World Cup, the world’s biggest sporting and media event, it is becoming abundantly clear that the growing interest in the host destination also has a business tourism side to it. The Cape Town and Western Cape Convention and Events Bureau, together with key tourism role-players like the Cape Town International Convention Centre and associations involved in the bidding processes, have already secured altogether 10 conferences, congresses and conventions for 2010*. These conferences are expected to bring a combined 16 300 business tourists and an economic impact of approximately R166.3 million to Cape Town and the Western Cape.
A team from Cape Town Routes Unlimited, the official tourism destination marketing organisation for Cape Town and the Western Cape, is currently attending the 46th ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) Congress and Exhibition in Pattaya, Thailand (27 – 31 October 2007). They are promoting Cape Town and the Western Cape as a preferred business tourism destination, establishing new business relationships and gaining expert knowledge on the latest international business tourism trends.
The conferences that will be held in Cape Town in 2010 include:
* Lausanne III – International Congress on World Evangelization, expected to draw 5 000 delegates and an economic impact of approximately R77.4million;
* The International Union of Food Science and Technology World Congress, expected to draw 2 000 delegates and an economic impact of approximately of R23million; and
* The International Communication Conference (IEEE ICC), expected to draw 1 000 delegates and an economic impact of approximately of R14.5million.
“The 2010 FIFA World Cup provides the Western Cape, South Africa and the African continent with an unprecedented opportunity to market ourselves not only as a world-class, but also a unique tourism destination,” says Calvyn Gilfellan, Acting Chief Executive of Cape Town Routes Unlimited.
“While we have the world’s eyes on us and we are preparing to receive thousands of soccer enthusiasts, we must use this opportunity to position our destination in such a way that those who will be visiting South Africa in 2010, do visit the Western Cape, and that they return soon for more, bringing with them their friends and family. We believe that having conferences and events run parallel to the soccer tournament will help us to achieve this. And should Cape Town’s facilities get filled up, we have five other regions in the Western Cape that stand ready to host delegates,” he says.
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My name is Muzi Mohale a full-time travel blogger, your host at Travelwires.com responsible for all editorial on this blog. I blog about the travel and tourism industry in Africa. Apart from blogging about tourism, I also run 
As a small business owner in Cape Town, I can fully agree with this article as I see the effects right in front of me. I have even blogged about Cape Town and its virtues in my personal business blog (www.startupceo.co.za).
Events like this always are good for business.