Upcoming business events secured for the Western Cape could generate more than R1 billion for the local economy.
The Cape Town and Western Cape Convention Bureau, under the Western Cape’s tourism, trade and investment promotion agency, Wesgro, announced that it secured 30 new bids for the province in the last financial year (April 2023 to March 2024).
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These bids total an estimated economic impact of R1.029 billion, a first in the history of Wesgro’s Convention Bureau.
‘This is fantastic news for the province and more so for the many jobs across hospitality, food and beverage services and tourism sector that the thousands of delegates attending these conferences and meetings will support,’ says Mireille Wenger, the Western Cape minister of finance and economic opportunities.
These bids will fill the province’s event pipeline until 2029. They include the World Congress of Public Health, hosted by the World Federation of Public Health Associations in September 2026, and the International Botanical Congress in July 2029.
During the Western Cape’s off-peak tourism periods, it is anticipated that each of these conferences will attract approximately 4 000 delegates.
In addition, the province will also host the World Congress of Family Doctors 2027 and the World Congress of Neurology, which is expected to attract 3 500 delegates in 2027, as per a statement.
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‘What makes the Western Cape stand out is its commitment to creating an environment conducive to international events,’ says Wrenelle Stander, Wesgro CEO.
‘The region boasts top-notch venues like the Century City Conference Centre and the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), which recently underwent an expansion to become one of Africa’s premier conference venues.’
‘Between 2013 and 2022, Cape Town hosted 405 international association meetings. Stellenbosch hosted 84, which attracted more than 225 000 delegates,’ she adds.
‘As part of the Western Cape Government’s economic action plan, we are determined to double the number of tourists to the Western Cape by 2035 but also to encourage visitors to stay longer, spend more and spread economic benefits throughout the province,’ says Wenger.
‘Securing more business events, both large and small, will certainly help to achieve this ambitious target, supporting and enabling the creation of many more jobs in the Western Cape.’
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Picture: Benjamin le Roux / Unsplash