Tourism, including business related visits, is one of the biggest sources of income in Cape Town but the current flat economy means the sector needs a regular boost.
Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU) has made plans for major organisations from around the world to have their executive meetings in the Mother City.
Routes Unlimited chief Calvyn Gilfellan said: “The industry must realise that we cannot employ the same old marketing and development approaches of two decades ago and I hope they (the latest moves) will yield superior results.
“The global tourism industry has become a highly competitive, cut-throat, consumer-led one.”
Innovative marketing techniques, product innovation, customer services excellence and flexibility were needed to allow tourism to thrive in the world today, Gilfellan said.
This has led to the idea of hosting meetings and expos in the city so as to not only boost the numbers heading to the city, but also boost the city’s image as an ideal destination for business and pleasure.
Peter Bacon, board chairman of Routes Unlimited, said: “The time has now come for us to act decisively to ensure that we do not lose out on the opportunity created by the 2010 World Cup.”
It was time to start maximising the returns on investments and capitalise on the global awareness that had been created for Cape Town, he said.
This has resulted in the firm organising many different meetings and expos’ such as the Shell International Corporate Incentive and the International Conference on Computers and Industrial Engineering, to be held next year.
These two events alone are estimated to generate R18 million for the city. - Weekend Argus