South Africa’s Tourism minister, Marthinus van Schalkwyk says as government continues to focus on tourism as one of the key job-creating sectors, it will continue to recognise business-events tourism as an area with ‘significant growth potential’.

Speaking at Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) 2013 in Boardwalk Convention Centre, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, and the minister said the decision to invest in business-events tourism was informed by the strategy to diversify offerings and source markets.

“The international leisure market is always volatile in times of global economic uncertainty. That is why we balance our investment in domestic and long-haul tourism; in leisure and business tourism, and a portfolio of both mature and emerging source markets,” he noted.

Marthinus van Schalkwyk revealed that the meetings-and-events industry worldwide mirrors the state of the global economy adding that following the economic downturn, the road to recovery in the business-events market was volatile.

“However, we seem to have turned the corner. According to analysts of the European Incentive and Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (EIBTM), buyers are successfully adapting to the ‘new normal’. Even in world regions characterised by low or no economic growth, we can still look forward to another period of moderate expansion in meetings, events and business travel. That applies equally to volume and spends in 2013.”

“Most indicators point to at least a modest increase in demand and prices in 2013, while in those world regions with fast-expanding economies, such as ours, much greater growth can be expected.”

As Africa is expected to lead growthh frontier, there is no business or sector that can afford to miss out on the African opportunity. Consumer spend in Africa is also expected to sky-rocket from $680 billion in 2008 to $2, 2 trillion by 2030.

“And we want the world to be part of it – to share in, and profit from, our growth. That is why we are inviting the world to bring their events to South Africa – the biggest economy in Africa and a gateway to the continent. We have come a long way,” added van Schalkwyk.

Meanwhile, the success of the South African business-events industry is reflected in the fact that the International Congress and Convention Association has ranked South Africa 37th on its list of the world’s top business-events destinations, and 15th on its list of long-haul destinations, while  it has come out tops as the number-one business tourism destination in Africa.

The 97 international association meetings that South Africa hosted last year amounted to a third of all the meetings hosted on the entire continent. However, the minister pointed that there is still much work to be done. He said although South Africa is undisputed leader in business events on the African continent, they have to work hard to attract and host more regional association conferences.

“Furthermore, Africa as a whole still has a long way to go when it comes to attracting international association meetings. For example, Africa hosted just 2, 7% of the 11 000 international meetings held globally in 2012. It is only through hosting conferences that can rotate on the African continent that we can become more competitive in the ICCA ranking. African association meetings are therefore a big focus of my Department, the broader tourism industry and the NCB this year”.

“We understand that when one part of the continent wins, we all win. Collaboration and competition spur growth, build capacity and boost global competitiveness. For most associations, meeting and conference organisers, Africa for many is not the tried and tested option, yet. To get to that point we have to actively support the industry in taking that step.”

CEO of South African Tourism, Thulani Nzima pointed out that as developed markets become saturated, the world’s attention is clearly shifting to Africa, which is showing obvious signs of an ever growing middle class and ‘therefore ever expanding opportunity for businesses across the tourism value chain’.

African arrivals accounted for 6.6 million of South Africa’s international tourist arrivals in 2012 and of the R76.4 billion that tourism contributed to South Africa’s GDP last year, R47.6 billion was from African markets.

“But this focus on Africa is not new for us. South Africa’s commitment to success across the region and across the continent is established and on the record,” Nzima said.

Nzima said at Meetings Africa this year they gathered with clear intentions clear: Advancing Africa Together, and as ‘we prepare for Meetings Africa 2014 we are driven by this same principle’.

“We are not now focusing on Africa because its “fashionable”, we are focusing on the continent because it’s fundamental to who we are and where we are going.”

The Meetings Africa 2014 will be on 24th – 26th February, Sandton Convention Centre