SA leads Africa tourism recovery post pandemic

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Zinhle Nzama, SANCB Acting Chief Convention Bureau Officer

by MTHULISI SIBANDA 
Africa Editor
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – BY hosting Africa’s first International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) Summit, South Africa is taking the lead in the recovery of the continent’s tourism sector.

The South African National Convention Bureau (SANCB) has announced a partnership with the AIPC for the event, to be held at the 2023 edition of Meetings Africa in Johannesburg in February.

Speaking at a press briefing at Incentives, Business Travel and Meetings (IBTM) World in Barcelona, Acting Chief Convention Bureau Officer at the SANCB, Zinhle Nzama, said business events have a big role to play in the overall recovery of the global tourism sector.

“We are excited to host the first AIPC summit on the continent and to be at the forefront of the opening of the Africa chapter of the AIPC,” she said.

“As the SANCB, we are committed to capacitating convention and exhibition centres to ensure that they are able to provide excellent standards to host international conferences,” Nzama said.

AIPC is a global industry association for professional convention and exhibition centre managers, which encourages and recognizes excellence in convention centre management.

Sven Bossu, AIPC Chief Executive Officer, said Africa’s population is growing and its economy booming, therefore business events will become increasingly important to cater for the growing demand.

“People are looking for unique experiences, and our job as convention and exhibition centres is to figure out how we cater for these experiences,” Bossu said.

“What we need to focus on is resources, technology and sustainability to make sure our venues are catering to the unique needs and experiences of delegates,” Bossu said.

– CAJ News

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