Cape Town and the Western Cape province of South Africa is buzzing with tourism activity as the country is preparing to host one of the world’s largest sport extravaganzas in 2010: the FIFA World Cup

Stadiums are being built, new hotels are opening, airports and roads upgraded, hosts are being trained and travel packages put together.

Between 400 000 and 500 000 overseas soccer enthusiasts are expected to visit the country between 11 June and 11 July 2010.

But while Cape Town and the Western Cape’s hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs are gradually filling up for the World Cup, the destination’s accommodation sector still has ample room for tourism activities preceding and following the 11 June to 11 July-period.

This applies specifically to the meetings, incentives, conferences and events industry.

“For players in the global MICE industry that want to be part of the 2010 buzz in South Africa, and specifically Cape Town and the Western Cape, we want to say: you’re more than welcome, we’ve got the space. Our destination has 20 000 hotel rooms available at any given time, and stands ready to welcome your conference, meeting, exhibition or incentive group to our beautiful shores,” says Calvyn Gilfellan, Chief Executive of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, the official tourism destination marketing organisation for Cape Town and the Western Cape.

A team from the Cape Town and Western Cape Convention Bureau, a strategic business unit of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, is attending IMEX, the essential worldwide exhibition for meetings and incentive travel, in Frankfurt, Germany, this week.

They are promoting the city and province as a preferred business tourism destination, gathering business leads and assisting the conference organisers, and association and incentive buyers who are strongly considering bringing their business to the destination, with information and advice.

Ten conferences, congresses and conventions have already been secured for 2010, with the Cape Town and Western Cape Convention Bureau currently bidding for more. The 10 secured events will bring a combined total of 16 300 delegates and revenue of some €13.2 million to the destination.

For 2011, three bids have already been secured by the Bureau, expected to draw a total of 4 800 delegates and an economic impact of approximately €4.23 million.

“The considerable infrastructural upgrades currently taking place in Cape Town and the Western Cape in preparation for the FIFA World Cup, will further benefit associations, corporates and incentive houses that are considering bringing their MICE business to our destination. With a revamped international airport, increased top-class hotel accommodation and extended exhibition space at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), we are definitely stepping up our city and province’s appeal and competitive edge as a world-class meetings, conferences and incentives destination,” says Gilfellan.

Boom in new hotel accommodation

There’s a boom in new hotel accommodation across all market sectors. These include a luxury 130-suite and 12-penthouse apartment hotel in Cape Town’s city centre by the New City Group; the 180-room five-star Taj Hotel, also in the city; the Holiday Inn’s Four Express Hotel; as well as the One & Only luxury hotel and the Ambassador Group’s Dock House boutique hotel in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront.

According to the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA) Cape, another hotel planned for the city centre is the 150-room five-star NH Oscar Pearse. It should be opening its doors at the end of 2009. The 96-room Tijger Wijn conference hotel will be opening later this year in Durbanville on the outskirts of Cape Town. It will cater for conferences for up to 200 guests.

Outside of the city centre, there are the new 20-room boutique De Noordhoek Hotel and two new Protea hotels, while Sun International’s 96-room hotel to complement its Golden Valley Casino in Worcester, a town in the Western Cape’s scenic Breede River Valley, opened on 2 April 2008.

In addition plans had been approved to add another 10 000m² to the CTICC, essentially building a second convention centre and a new 350-room hotel adjacent to the existing facility.

Major infrastructural upgrades ahead of 2010

Major improvements are also being made to both road and rail transport infrastructure and investment in public transport, as well as a €103.48 million expansion of the Cape Town International Airport. This includes a €71.64 million terminal with air bridges, parking garages, roads and rail links to the city centre.

The upgrades will cater for an increase in new airlines flying to Cape Town from Europe, Africa, South America and the Middle East, as well as existing carriers increasing their frequencies to the city.

Cape Town is considered the top convention destination in Africa, having boosted its International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) ranking from 63 to 29 in recent years. The city is expected to fare well in the next ICCA rankings, which should be released next month.

Cape Town is also a member of the BestCities Global Convention Bureau Alliance, along with Copenhagen, Dubai, San Juan, Singapore, Melbourne, Edinburgh and Vancouver. The alliance seeks to promote the member cities as representing the highest standards of service and innovation in the global meetings and conventions industry.

The alliance is currently in the process of being certified according to internationally recognised quality management standards. “If successful, and we believe we will be, the Cape Town and Western Cape Convention Bureau, together with our partners, will be the first of only eight certified convention bureaus worldwide,“ says Gilfellan.

“Finally we rely on the unique package Cape Town offers: first-rate infrastructure, five-star accommodation, outstanding scenery, warm hospitality and world-class fun – all-in-one. While conference organisers and travel operators can rest assured that the destination has what it takes to run a hiccup-free event, visitors can undoubtedly look forward to a fantastic stay.