Tourism in South Africa is an expanding industry. This year, revenues are expected to top 672 billion dollars, an estimated 10% of which will be generated by the country’s budding conference and meeting sector.
32nd in the ICCA ranking
South Africa, which currently attracts 63% of African conferences, is ranked 32nd in the world as a conference destination. Concerted efforts are being made to convert the country into one of the world’s top ten destinations by 2010, the year South Africa will host the football World Cup.
Last year, 7.3 million tourists visited South Africa, 10% of which were business travellers. The goal for 2010 is 10 million tourists, one million of whom are hoped to be business travellers.
Strengths and weaknesses
South Africa has the wherewithal to host large-scale international conferences: Durban and Cape Town each have centres with a capacity of 10,000, the facilities at Johannesburg being nearly as large.
Other strengths include the country’s world-famous game parks, such as the Krüger National Park, beautiful and varied scenery, fabulous beaches, and a long list of other tourist attractions.
On the negative side is the country’s high crime rate – which the authorities say is highly exaggerated by the press – and strong competition from Far Eastern destinations, like, for example, Bali, with cheaper accommodation and airfares. In addition, service standards are lower than in India, Austria or Germany.
Innovative products
Among other strategies aimed at attracting conference and meeting tourists, above all from the States, “survivor” business meetings and incentives in the South African bush is one of the most innovative. This modality, which was recently presented in the States, draws on the country’s unique multicultural history, introducing concepts borrowed from Afrikaans and Zulu traditional meetings and gathering in which everyone, regardless of their position, is free to speak their minds.
