South Africa welcomes business tourism

With the first official Meetings Africa event taking place at the Indaba Hotel and Conference Centre, Carol Weaving, the Managing Director of Thebe Exhibitions and Events Group [Pictured right with Glynis Anderson and Paul Flackett] gave the opening address to the assembled International Hosted Buyers, welcoming everyone to South Africa and introducing South Africa as a destination where planners, organisers and buyers could break new ground in business tourism.

Weaving highlighted that South Africa was now ranked number two in the world for eco-tourism, showing a DVD with an introduction from Nelson Mandela, that detailed why South Africa is the ultimate destination for business tourism.

One interesting image was of an executive in a mobile phone while an elephant passed by behind him, it made The Mole pause for thought……….in Australia, perhaps we could have Skippy shooting past a telecommunications rep trying to find a signal in rural Australia as part of an election campaign?!

A provincial educational then followed, with representatives from some of the nine provinces in South Africa each giving a short presentation, profiling their destination. All had a different approach.

Northern Cape Province, with its capital, Kimberley, known for its diamonds, described itself as one of the ultimate road trips, as it is a desert destination, the largest of all the provinces, offering long uncrowded roads past magnificent scenery.  

It is a “rural, real and nature based” province with no crowds, no mobile reception in a number of areas, and several game parks for touring, with the Business Tourism theme literally ‘Isolate your next meeting or incentive at one of our great venues for a really unique event – and throw in a great road trip’ !

Limpopo offered itself as a viable substitute for stressful destinations, with a focus on its national parks, eco-tourism and elephants. Ideal for holding business meetings and events in a relaxing environment, with plenty of safari options, while Durban, the provincial capital of Kwazulu Natal laid claim to being South Africa’s event capital, citing a number of recent world events.

It is also popular as a film location and has the country’s oldest game reserve, saving the white rhino.  Durban also has the largest Indian culture outside of India, as well as all the goodies associated with the Zulu culture and there are even famous battlefields to visit.

The Mole loves the idea of seeing the Duzi Marathon, just to hear someone say “Geeze Mate, that one was a doozie!!”

Gauteng is the other end of the spectrum and although it is the smallest of the nine provinces, locals refer to Johannesburg, the provincial capital, as the Manhattan of the High Veld – the province that never sleeps!

Here is the highest concentration of conferencing and meeting venues in South Africa and it is here is where you will find the sophisticated crowds, a “multi-cultural melting pot of people”, a land where Homo Sapiens, that’s us, actually originated – not surprisingly, the area is called the Cradle of Mankind.

I you think about it in that context, when they say “Welcome Home” to you in Gauteng, they really mean it!

Concluding the event, Angeline Lue, the General Manager of Business Tourism South Africa returned to the theme of breaking new ground by organising your next meeting or event in South Africa, focusing on the diversity on offer in South Africa and on the undiscovered experiences that await people in South Africa.

Packaging a ‘South African business tourism experience’ will be the key to ongoing success, a fact that is being borne out by one of South Africa’s fastest growing markets – Associations.

Meetings Africa report by The Mole