While South Africa’s business events industry remains in the top 15 long-haul business event destinations in the world and is the premier business events destination in Africa, there is still considerable room for growth and improvement in this sector, according to South Africa’s Tourism Minister, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, who was speaking at the opening of the SAACI conference 2012. 

The South African National Convention Bureau (SANCB), which was introduced this year, is tasked with co-ordinating national bidding, undertaking research and collaborating with city and provincial convention bureaus and the business events industry to present a united front for destination South Africa.

Van Schalkwyk said the Department of Tourism’s ambition was to compete with the biggest and best business events destinations in the world.

South Africa has already secured over 200 international conferences over the next five years, which are estimated to attract 300 000 delegates and provide an economic boost of more than R1.6 billion for the economy. However, of the 10 000 association meetings held worldwide last year, Africa hosted only 304 and South Africa only 86, although it was still ranked 37 globally.

The SANCB is targeting 81 500 convention delegates and 130 association meetings by 2020, which represents a 5.3% annual growth rate.
 
“We have clear plans on how we will go about growing our business events industry as a collective. Part of the NCB’s strategy, is achieving co-ordination and co-operation among city and provincial convention bureaus to combine resources for the marketing of South Africa as a premier business events destination. We are also identifying key industries and sectors that can help us to win more meetings and will work closely with local industry associations,” said Van Schalkwyk.

To achieve these objectives, it has set three strategic goals:

•    Increase the size of South Africa’s business events industry by 57%
•    Double the contribution of business events to tourism yield and improved geographic distribution
•    Enhance the role of the business events industry as major driver of job creation, skills development and transformation

Aligned with these goals are the SANCB’s more specific targets which are to:

•    Support at least 30 bids this year for international meetings, with a potential of 18 000 delegates, which will contribute R162 million in direct economic spend to the economy
•    Grow the average number of delegates attending international conventions in South Africa from an estimated 54 000 in 2012 to 78 000 by 2017 and the average number of delegates attending business events in South Africa from 145 600 in 2012 to 210 000 by 2017.

The minister also highlighted some challenges faced by the industry, which he said the government had been concentrating on to create conditions that would help bids succeed. These include: building and enhancing public infrastructure, enhancing airlift, particularly from Africa; streamlining visas; growing telecommunications capacity and continuing global leadership in meeting greening requirements.

“We all have a part to play in our future successes: convention bureaus, provincial tourism authorities, professional conference organisers, destination management companies, hoteliers, convention centres and all business event suppliers. It is up to all of us to pool our significant resources; our experience; our depth of knowledge; and our creativity to collectively market our destination to become an exceptionally lucrative global business tourism market,” concluded the Minister.