Director of proceedings
Honourable Minister of Tourism, Mr Marthinus van Schalkwyk
His Worship the Deputy Mayor of eThekwini, Cllr Logie Naidoo
National Chairperson of Southern African Association for the Conference Industry, Ms
Nina Freysen-Pretorius
SAACI 2010 Conference Chairperson, Mr Ryan Selby
Tourism KZN Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ndabo Khoza
Distinguished guests
Members of the media present
Ladies and gentlemen
The government of KwaZulu-Natal wishes to express its profound gratitude to the South African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) for inviting us to this important session. This is important because it relates to one of the province’s main economic sectors – the tourism business. Tourism is a focal point of our government’s developmental programme of action as we believe it has potential to contribute towards real and sustainable socio-economic transformation in our country – essential in entrenching democratic values in our society.
It’s highly visionary of the SAACI to consciously-integrate its core business focus area which is the promotion of conferencing and events industry, to the broader tourism sector. We are of the firm view that conferencing, in particular, and business tourism in general are critical part of the broeader tourism sector. Any country or region that neglects conferencing or business tourism is not serious about growing its tourism sector and making it globally-competitive.
Ladies and gentlemen, we witnessed, during the global recession, how different sectors influenced each other’s performance. This was a practical demonstration of the complementary and symbiotic linkages that exist within diverse sectors. For example, while the global economic downturn was triggered by dubious lending practices in the United States of America, its effects were not only confined to the financial sector but spread to other economic sectors like manufacturing, tourism and many others. The interconnectedness of the sectors, if managed well, can also have a positive spin-off.
Therefore, if we paid scant attention on positioning our conferencing facilities and capabilities in the world market, this could certainly scupper any prospect of attracting tourists to our province because of these businesses’ synergic relations. This therefore implies that the meaning of the word tourism has become so complex that there is no longer a single definition of what constitutes a tourist. A tourist is no longer a mother who, after working hard for the whole year, buys a package from a travel agent or tour operator at the end of the year so that she can spend a few days away from it all.
It is for this reason that today we talk about sports, health, adventure seeking, cultural, environmental, academic, business and even political tourists. But all these have a common denominator – which is an expectation for being welcomed with friendliness and a sense of caring – some of the key criteria for second to none customer service. In KwaZulu-Natal we have a combination of elements that qualify our province as destination of choice for visitations and other allied commercial activities such conventions and conferencing. However, without ignoring some of these elements we have to lift out and package those with potential to appeal to a substantial number of tourists that could positively influence our strategic economic ambitions premised on the desire to enforce genuine socio-economic equity in the province.
The exquisite topographic features, embellished with a plethora of attractive wildlife, year-round warm beaches and a blend of African, European and Oriental cultures continue to be the hallmark of KwaZulu-Natal’s selling point and thus we are facing no cost of really inventing new tourism frontiers except expanding awareness about the province’s uniqueness.
It is also about broadening the sector’s cake to accommodate more people from the historically disenfranchised communities. In this regard, we have professionallypackaged and relentlessly marketed our integrated market offerings to the global village.
We are already proving that the conventions and conferencing sector is another huge draw-card in the already blossoming tourism business in the province.
Ladies and gentlemen, in an effort to broaden the concept of customer care to infuse it across the province’s citizenry – beyond the façade of business premises, we introduced the concept of Tourism Buddies. This is to urge each member of the society, particularly frontline staff at various entities that interact with the public, to acknowledge the importance of showing a welcoming and helping attitude towards visitors. In this case, there is no single agency or government department that sells our province to both the existing and prospective tourists but all players in the tourism industry are encouraged to, in whatever space they occupy, to become brand ambassadors for the KwaZulu-Natal tourism sector.
This initiative, which received an overwhelming support from social partners in the private sector, especially in the tourism and hospitality industry will continue as part of our marketing endeavours and there could have no opportune time to introduce it than a few weeks prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We are therefore grateful to all those that embraced this noble campaign which we must make sure becomes embedded in our daily interactions with our guests as we want to attract more high profile events and tourists to our shores.
Apart from the general spirit of humanity and the fact that South Africans are abundantly a gregarious people naturally, excellent infrastructure such as modern hotels, conference centres, telecommunication, leisure facilities and transportation are a must. Although we are amongst the most technologically-endowed nations in the developing world, the investment in capital projects as part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup project was a welcome boost to set the tone for prospective growth.
Having exposed these logistics to the international community during the world cup, the conventions and conferencing industry would have to prepare itself for a prospective growth triggered by the province’s requisite facilities and highest levels of its hospitality services. The ability to handle direct flights will inject more impetus in our campaign to project the province as a host for world class gatherings. Our determination to throw our name in the hat in bidding for other events is based on the belief that we have most of the essentials to accommodate and cater to the needs of diverse.
However, our declaration of intent could only be heard if all other role players such as the conventions and conferencing industry raise their hands and be counted as reliable partners in the crusade to give the world the experience of the life time. With your experience gained since the establishment of SAACI twenty four years ago, and your recent involvement in the recent World Cup festivities, we have to be bullish about our chances of attracting even bigger international events onto our shores.
Thus, before concluding, ladies and gentlemen, allow me make this announcement which, I believe, attests to our serious intent to be critical players in the conferencing and business tourism strand of the tourism sector not only inside our country but competing with other international regions. As stated above, the conventions and conferencing business couldn’t be expressed in isolation from the tourism business. They are indeed the two sides of the same coin and hence it has become essential that when one develops tourism business strategies, one considers the incorporation of conventions and events as they serve as critical ingredients in the overall tourism effort. KwaZulu-Natal has acknowledged this phenomenon and hence we have become a notable host for high profile national and global conventions and conferences – with eThekwini having taken huge strides in integrating this business in their economic strategy. Our province has capitalized on the world-class logistical facilities like the imposing Inkosi Albert Luthuli Conventional Centre and many more basic amenities to bolster our claim as the country’s leading conventions and events mecca.
I am therefore pleased to announce today the establishment of the Independent Convention Bureau for the Province of KwaZulu-Natal. The bureau is a product of a collaborative effort among various role players in the province’s economy – committed to the provision of globally acceptable customer care services in the conferencing industry.
The organisations with a long standing partnership in setting the tone for exceptional business performance include the Department of Economic Development & Tourism, eThekwini Municipality, Durban Chamber of Commerce & Industry and indeed the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre Complex. It is indeed the first of its kind in the country and we are proud of this pioneering initiative which will be a catalyst in strengthening the world’s confidence in the province’s ability to handle high profile events.
The bureau will contribute towards bringing about uniformity and subscription to superior business values amongst all conventions and conference facilities across the province which is essential in boasting the profile of the province’s tourism sector. This will further ensure that we carve our own niche market in this fast growing convention and conferencing business against some of the already known convention bureau establishments like the Australia’s Business Sydney.
The bureau also featured prominently in the discussions that ensued during the province’s Economic Recovery and Jobs Summit held in August last year, where all role players shared ideas on how to stimulate growth against the backdrop of the global recession that had devoured many businesses and decimated thousands of jobs. Dedicated convention bureaus have proved to be the key determinants of successful tourism destinations since the participants are able to leverage resources, experience and business skills in bidding and hosting credible and lucrative conventions and conferences. Here in KwaZulu-Natal we want to do just that by improving on what we have been doing in the past years during which we have been home to millions of international visitors attending various globallyrated gatherings, especially at Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC which annually generates around R2 billion.
With the World Cup having been an ideal pedestal to showcase ourselves as a serious force to do business with the rest of the world, we are optimistic that the bureau will ensure that we get pole position in terms of being the preferred conventions and tourism destination. I would then like to urge our overseas friends gracing this event to spread this good news amongst their fellow compatriots when returning to their respective countries – and tell everyone that KwaZulu-Natal is the most suitable rendezvous for all forms of functions – the reality that has been illuminated by the establishment of a brand new King Shaka International Airport to complement all other essential travel and events facilities.
Ladies and gentlemen, we believe that our successful hosting of the World Cup is just an appetiser for the good things to come. It is up to all of us to utilise the reputation, exposure and the goodwill that we reaped from the World Cup to put our tourism industry at a level when it can compete favourably with other parts of the world. The critical task facing SAACI and the rest of us, is to utilise our creativity, innovation and drive to ensure that the year 2010 marks a giant leap forward as far as the conferencing and business tourism sectors are concerned. If we are able to do this, then we will be remembered as women and men who had the foresight, vision and acumen to translate their potential into a long-lasting legacy for our country, our region and our continent.
I thank you.
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
