The MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) sector showed to be very helpful in luring leisure tourists to the Republic of South Africa. According to a Datavision study, that covers the period January to March 2007, almost 70 % of the delegates who have visited a meeting in Cape Town will come back again in the next five years. The executive of the official tourism destination marketing organization for Cape Town and the Western Cape – Cape Town Routes Unlimited – Calvyn Gilfellan sees this as excellent news. Prior studies expected only some 35% of delegates to turn into leisure tourists visiting the destination in future. The “luring power” will be even stronger during the 2010 FIFA World Cup that is taking place in the country. Numerous international associations and corporations want to exploit this event. Cape Town and the Western Cape themselves host at least 11 conferences and conventions in 2010. These events should be visited by approximately 19 300 business tourists.
There can be no doubt that the Republic of South Africa is a popular tourism destination. It is also popular with business tourists. Approximately 6-7% of all foreign tourist arrivals to the country in 2007 were business tourists. According to the study delegates were satisfied with Cape Town as a congress city and as a holiday destination. Cape Town boasts with the state-of-the-art International Convention Centre (CTICC). Many delegates were impressed by the facility. Cape Town also offers a unique combination of meeting facilities, hotel accommodation, luxury restaurants, rich cultural diversity and wonderful natural beauties as well as wide range of leisure time activities. Most of the surveyed delegates also considered Cape Town as a safe destination. Experts from the Cape Town’s MICE sector continue in they work and they promote the destination world wide to bring even more visitors in here.
