Alan Winde, MEC of Economic Opportunities, today (12 April 2015) welcomed the Africa Travel Week delegates to the Western Cape.
Around 5 000 international buyers, media and suppliers in the tourism sector, are in the province this week for Africa Travel Week’s three events, namely: International Luxury Travel Week (ILTM) Africa, World Travel Market (WTM) Africa and the International Business Travel Market (IBTM) Africa.
The events take place between 13 – 17 April at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Tomorrow (13 April 2015), MEC Winde will address 300 delegates of ILTM Africa at the opening event hosted at the V&A Waterfront.
MEC Winde said the luxury travel market was a growth segment for the province.
“Luxury travel is a lucrative niche and our local establishments are well positioned to offer high-end experiences. We’re excited to once again be the host province for ILTM Africa. In 2014, this event generated a R41 million boost for Africa’s luxury travel industry and resulted in over 4 000 business meetings among key players.”
MEC Winde said Project Khulisa had identified the tourism sector as one of the Western Cape’s focus areas for the next five years.
“Tourism is our fastest growing sector and it’s creating jobs the fastest. There are currently 204 000 people employed in formal jobs and the sector is worth R17 billion. Under a high-growth scenario, this sector could add a further 100 000 jobs to our economy. On Tuesday, we will be hosting a design lab, in partnership with the private sector, to identify potential game-changing growth strategies for the tourism sector. Later this year, we will submit a plan to Cabinet with practical projects to reach our jobs and growth targets,” said MEC Winde.
For media queries, kindly contact:
Bronwynne Jooste
Tel: 021 483 3550
Cell: 060 970 4301
Email: bronwynne.jooste@westerncape.gov.za
