The 13th annual Meetings Africa exhibition and trade show will boost intercontinental trade and business travel in Joburg, while promoting local tourist hotspots.
That is the sentiment of the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Economic Development in the City of Joburg, Cllr Leah Knott, who delivered the welcome address at the two-day tourism event at the Sandton Convention Centre.
This exhibition and trade show started on Tuesday, 27 February 2018, and will end on Wednesday, 28 February 2018.
MMC Knott noted that this year’s Meetings Africa exhibition was extremely diverse and fully representative of the continent’s tourism potential.
“There are a lot of countries represented here with great offerings and this is a good opportunity for Joburg to network, particularly within Africa, because ultimately we should be doing trade between each other, especially on the tourism front,” she said.
MMC Knott said Joburg has a plethora of bustling lifestyle, arts and culture, music events, leisure and business destinations, which all contribute to raising the City’s tourism appeal.
The Meetings Africa trade show is a showcase of some of the continent’s tourism services and products, from accommodation providers, destination-marketing companies, and tourism agencies, conference venues to professional conference organisers to business events support services.
Some of the exhibitors at the trade show include Air Botswana, Buffalo City Tourism, Business Events East Africa, Constitution Hill, City of Polokwane, the Cradle of Humankind, Holiday Inn Accra, Kigali Convention Centre, Intercontinental Nairobi, Mice Uganda and Park Hyatt Zanzibar. Their offerings range from traditional garments and apparel to safari lodges, hotels, casinos, wines and African cuisine.
MMC Knott was flanked by the Minister of Sport and Recreation, who was formerly Minister of Tourism, Thokozile Xasa, both of whom undertook a walkabout of the exhibition centre to suss out what was on offer.
“It’s great to see everybody here and the calibre of the offerings. It’s a lovely thing to see and it can only grow from strength to strength,” said MMC Knott.
Gauteng Economic Development MEC Lebogang Maile said events such as Meetings Africa were important in that they attract more visitors to the city who use local services and amenities, all of which create a boon for the economy.
“We are excited to have so many exhibitors from across the African continent. We realise that our destiny as a country is tied to that of the rest of the continent. It is through working together with our fellow African brothers and sisters that we would be able to create jobs and absorb large numbers of people into employment,” said MEC Maile.
Minister Xasa said Meetings Africa was an authentic Pan African platform, which helps South Africa bring the whole world to the continent. “Tourism is among the key growth sectors of the economy, having sustained more than 700 000 jobs in an ailing economy.”
