South African Tourism Highlights MICE Prospects at Bengaluru’s 2024 Corporate Think Tank Event.
Reaffirming its dedication to the Indian business and MICE travel sectors, South African Tourism advanced its 5-city Corporate MICE Think Tank Series on 7th March 2024, with its third Corporate Think Tank in the series at ITC Gardenia in Bengaluru.
“The increasing interest from Corporate India in organizing global meetings, major conventions, and significant exhibitions in South Africa is notably positive. Observing a rising trend of corporate houses opting for South Africa as the prime location for their business requirements is indeed heartening,” saidNeliswa Nkani, Hub Head – Middle East, India and South-East Asia, South African Tourism.
Corporate MICE Think Tanks explore tourism in South Africa
Entering its third year, the Corporate MICE series has effectively established itself as a key platform for fostering business connections and exploring corporate event possibilities in South Africa.
Initiatives such as the Corporate Think Tank sessions are essential for immediate brand recall and to capitalize on the momentum in Corporate MICE tourism. These activities are a core part of the South African Tourism Board’s comprehensive strategy, ensuring direct engagement with essential corporate travel decision-makers to cater to their distinct needs.
Led by Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head – Middle East, India and South-East Asia, South African Tourism, the Corporate Think Tanks are created to be interactive, encouraging participation and discussion among attendees.
The discussions span various topics, including South Africa’s capacity to accommodate corporate travellers and its unique benefits for incentive travel. India stands out as a key player in South Africa’s inbound incentive travel sector, experiencing notable expansion following previous events. The Corporate Think Tank sessions play an essential role in enabling South African Tourism to precisely understand and fulfil the corporate travel requirements of Indian firms. Through these sessions, there’s an opportunity for direct engagement with business executives, thereby strengthening existing relationships.
With its advantageous exchange rates compared to the USD and GBP, South Africa emerges as an accessible and budget-friendly destination, appealing to international travellers.
The tourism board has noted an increasing interest among Indian businesses in choosing South Africa for their incentive travel needs, reflecting a heightened focus on such initiatives within the corporate sector.
Organized by OptiMICE Events Pvt Ltd, these Corporate MICE Think Tank sessions are designed to engage and promote an open exchange of ideas between participants and South African Tourism.
As outbound tourism from India flourishes, particularly in the growing MICE travel sector, these sessions become increasingly significant.
Neliswa Nkani, said, “India has been a long-standing ally to South Africa, and it is heartening to witness the friendship materialising in an economically beneficial partnership for both the nations. The country has been fast climbing up the ladder of outbound tourism and emerged among the leading contributors to the travel and tourism sector from Asia. On the back of strengthening demand, we hope to continue building on the MICE travel momentum from India in 2024.”
The 2024 Corporate Think Tank in Bengaluru offered a prime opportunity for South African tourism officials to directly connect with top Corporate MICE buyers from the Bengaluru area.
South Africa as a premier MICE destination
In her keynote address, Neliswa Nkani underscored the vast potential of South Africa as a premier MICE destination. This gathering enabled substantive dialogue between South African tourism representatives and corporate purchasers on critical subjects including visa procedures, flight expenses, and the diverse range of MICE venues available in South Africa, such as hotels and convention centres. These discussions were instrumental in deepening mutual understanding and fostering avenues for future business partnerships.
Famed for its diverse landscapes, exciting adventures, and abundant wildlife, South Africa offers a plethora of experiences to incentive trip participants, ranging from surfing and safaris to road trips and breathtaking natural beauty, all achievable within a week. Recognizing the significance of quick visa issuance, South African Tourism ensures the expedited processing of corporate visa applications. The country has a commendable track record in meeting the MICE travel needs of leading Indian corporations.
Led by Kamal Gill, Managing Director of OptiMICE Events Pvt Ltd, the discussion broadened to encompass forthcoming strategies for employee engagement, the appeal of South Africa for MICE groups, the support provided by the tourism board, and prospective activities for MICE groups in the future.
India persists as a crucial market for South African Tourism, positioned among the top three markets for growth. Serving as India’s commercial nucleus, Mumbai significantly contributes to the tourism board’s targets for MICE arrivals from the nation.
Last year, South Africa saw 79,774 visitors from India, a 43% rise from the previous year. Out of these, 46% travelled for business, with 21% attending meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), highlighting its potential.
To maintain this upward trend, South African Tourism is actively working to improve accessibility and facilitate discussions regarding direct flight connections, aiming to stimulate tourism and commercial interactions between the two countries.
About South African Tourism:
South African Tourism is the tourism marketing arm of the South African government. Simply put, their job is to promote the country domestically and internationally, whether for leisure, business, or events tourism. As a government body, they are committed to meaningfully contributing to the South African government’s objectives of inclusive economic growth, sustainable job creation, and redistribution and transformation of the industry.
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