US mission seeks to boost business tourism, film and tech
The Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town will conduct a joint trade and investment mission to the United States of America, with a focus on boosting business tourism, film and the ICT sector.
Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, and Patricia De Lille, the Executive Mayor of the City of Cape Town will be accompanied by officials from Wesgro, including CEO Tim Harris, which has coordinated the mission.
The joint programme of Minister Winde and Mayor De Lille includes:
- Engagements with the film industry to promote the Western Cape as a film destination and specifically, to drive more studios to consider the Western Cape as a venue of choice for location-based film and TV series production. Included in the itinerary are engagements Universal Studios and Disney, both of which already have a presence in Cape Town.
Mayor Patricia de Lille said: "We are determined to let the world know that Cape Town is open for business, so that businesses can invest in our City and create jobs for our people. We have so much to offer to even the best and biggest companies in the world, and we want to give them the reassurance that Cape Town is the place for them operate in. We have great financial services, reliable infrastructure and a talented labour pool, ready and waiting to make their ventures a success.
“In this case, we are focusing on the tech and film sectors- both huge growth areas for Cape Town. We have approved over 19000 filming permits and over 30000 film booking since 2014 and we are confident the beneficial exchange rate makes us even more appealing.
“This is part of our investment strategy since 2012 where we promote the City directly. We've done our market research and preparatory work and now we are going to try and get investment by meeting with the industries themselves. This is to try and get foreign capital in the city and create jobs for our residents.”
Minister Winde will also be conducting engagements around increasing business tourism to the Western Cape, including:
- Attendance at IMEX America, in collaboration with the Western Cape Convention Bureau. This show attracts over 3 100 exhibitors, representing 150 countries, and nearly 11 000 visitors. The Western Cape team will be hosting business-to-business meetings with representatives from the travel trade with an express purpose of attracting large-scale conferences to the destination.
“The United States of America is the world’s biggest economy, and an important partner for the Western Cape. We are seeking to strengthen trade and investment links between ourselves and the U.S. in key areas. We will be focusing on business tourism, film and information and communication technologies. Through Project Khulisa, we are seeking to add up to a further 100 000 jobs to the economy. Growing tourism from key source markets, such as the U.S., will be important in reaching this goal,” said Minister Winde.
Minister Winde said North America was a strong and growing source market for tourism to the Western Cape.
“In 2015, arrivals to Cape Town International Airport from North America increased by 16%. The U.S. is our third top market. Last year, over 162 000 U.S. tourists travelled to the province. We'll be seeking to put agreements in place which will allow us to build on this momentum. At IMEX America, we'll present our strong business tourism offering at one of the world's largest trade and buying platforms.”
Enquiries:
Bronwynne Jooste
Spokesperson: Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities
Tel: 021 483 3550
Cell: 060 970 4301
E-mail: bronwynne.jooste@westerncape.gov.za
Twitter: bronwynnejooste
