In the eleven years since the advent of democracy our country has made major strides in the fields of political, social and economic advancement. South Africa is now amongst the top 10 emerging economies (lying number 6) in terms of our ability to withstand crises as well as avoid them - we beat countries such as Russia, China and Egypt.
Our province, the Western Cape, offers among the best that South Africa has to offer - a fast rate of economic growth, some of the most profitable export markets, and the fastest growing rates of investment in economic infrastructure.
The Western Cape prides itself in being able to offer visitors an exceptional Cape-flavoured combination of natural splendour, cultural tradition, entertainment and world-class meetings and convention opportunities.
This variety was last year recognised by Conference and Travel Publications, a respected UK magazine, which named Cape Town as the number one long-haul destination for the second year in a row.
This 'trends & spends' survey was based on research gathered from planners of meetings and incentive travel throughout the UK. Cape Town was favoured ahead of other international cities including New York, Dubai, New Orleans, Orlando, Barbados and Las Vegas.
And since the opening of the Cape Town International Convention Centre we have become a favourite location for international conferences like the one the detour group is holding. Reasons people choose Cape Town and the Western Cape include the fact that our destination offers:
· Great value for money. We are an affordable meeting and incentive destination.
· We are built to host meetings and incentives. We have excellent infrastructure and service-related facilities with a wide range of meeting venues.
· We have unforgettable natural beauty. The region has numerous natural wonders, which leave a lasting impression on visitors.
· We are easily accessible. Cape Town is linked to multiple global hubs offering daily or weekly services on the major international airlines.
· Good weather. The Western Cape's temperate climate attracts meetings and incentives year round.
· We have rooms in abundance. The city and its surrounds offer thousands of high quality guest rooms for attendees together with a wide inventory of meeting rooms including the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
We welcome and applaud your decision to hold this important convention of the Detour group in Cape Town. We understand that Germany is a very important market for South African tourism.
According to statistics released by our South African Tourism during 2004 about 170 000 tourists from Germany visited the Western Cape. This is out of a total of 245 000 German tourists who visited South Africa during this period.
The statistics go further to point that 77% of all German visitors to the country come for holiday, while about 14% are business travellers. The holiday visitors spend on average about R9 000 during their stay. Overall German tourists contributed about R2, 2 billion to Total Direct Spend to South Africa in 2004.
It therefore makes good business to market ourselves among you, the people who sell Cape Town, the Western Cape and South Africa to the German population. Our tourism vision for the Western Cape is to place the region on the top 10 list of most sought after long-haul destinations in the world by 2010, the year we will be hosting the FIFA Soccer World Cup.
We have identified specific goals and also put in place measures that will assist public and private sector role players in achieving this over-riding vision.
These include:
· optimising tourism volumes and yield.
· establishing a winning destination brand.
· establishing and maintaining a year-round destination.
· improving on the business/leisure ratio.
· ensuring an inclusive, sustainable industry.
Cape Town and surrounds is a world-class player and has succeeded in becoming both a tourism and business location. It is a city that has been discovered, but it is still open to endless exploration and is constantly changing and re-inventing itself.
Located at the tip of Africa on one of the world's main trade routes, with a world -class business and physical infrastructure, the region offers the ideal location for business seeking to serve world markets in a variety of industries - one is spoilt for choice!
I have no doubt that there is good reason for you to explore business and leisure opportunities in the Western Cape. It makes business sense to do so.
On a sad note I wish to express my deep regret AND sympathies to the victims of the robbery in Khayelitsha this past week. If anything the events were again a sad reminder that we do not leave in a perfect world.
But on a positive note our Government is well aware of the challenges that face us and only last week we launched a campaign that ensures that all those who visit the Western Cape during this festive season are protected and if they should be faced with any kind of distress we are there to help.
It is called the Tourism Safety and Security Campaign and ensures that in the event of any misfortune befalling a visitor to our beautiful Province, they would know who to contact for assistance. We have a joint management team that involves the police, emergency services personnel, foreign embassies, to make sure that tourists not only have a safe holiday but a most enjoyable time in Cape Town and the Western Cape.
THANK YOU!!
