Capitalising on sports tourism

At the media briefing yesterday, Tuesday 14 June, minister of sport and recreation Fikile Mbalula, IOC executive member Sam Ramsamy, SASCOC CEO Tubby Reddy and South African Tourism CMO Roshene Singh addressed journalists on the future of sports tourism in South Africa.

With its global reputation as capable mega events hosts firmly established, South Africa will use its hosting of the IOC's Session in Durban to emphasise to the world's sporting leaders its considerable qualities as a potential host of world-class international sporting events.

"We've hosted the world's football fraternity in South Africa and we're delighted to now be playing host to the Olympic movement in our country. As government, we've thrown our support behind the success of the IOC Session. We look forward to constructive engagement with the leaders of world sport, as we look to continue entrenching our country's positive reputation as a major international sports, tourism and events destination and look to bid for and host events across the sporting spectrum in South Africa," said Mbalula.

"This is a historic moment for Durban, South Africa and Africa to host the IOC for the first time on the continent. It provides us with opportunities to showcase our economy, tourism, culture and people," said Ramsamy.

SETE Conference

The two-day SETE conference and exhibition provides the opportunity to formulate a tangible South African sports tourism strategy to maximise the potential of sports and mega events to drive future tourism growth to South Africa.

Leading academics and experts in sports, events and tourism will share their knowledge and expertise with industry leaders at SETE, being held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) and hosted by South African Tourism, Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) and Thebe Exhibitions and Projects Group (TEPG).

"Globally, sports tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry and with South Africa's proven capability of hosting major events, as well as our significant infrastructure footprint, it makes sense that we start pursuing sports tourism as a viable route towards achieving our tourism goals. SETE affords us the opportunity to get together as tourism and sports bodies to collaborate towards maximising the potential of hosting sports and mega events. The FIFA World Cup was a major boost for South Africa's international reputation, but it is important to note that hosting ongoing sustainable events across all sporting codes in South Africa are equally important for us to drive future tourism and economic growth," said Singh.