South Africa’s 23 IMEX exhibitors showcase country’s business events product with ministerial support

While the South African business events industry, like many countries across the world, was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, the country was keen to showcase, at IMEX Frankfurt, its variety of business events products and services now geared up to host safe events. That message was delivered by 23 South African exhibitors, led by deputy minister of tourism, Fish Mahlalela, at the show, which ran from 31 May–2 June at Messe Frankfurt. “Given the scale and importance of IMEX Frankfurt, it is the ideal platform to provide the most updated information about destination South Africa. We wanted to reassure our partners from across the world that they can come to South Africa and have safe and successful events. South Africa is a vibrant business events destination. On the back of our rich heritage, natural beauty and our vibrant people, we have an opportunity to reclaim our share of big global events and of course, international arrivals,” said Mahlalela who attended the IMEX Frankfurt Policy Forum. “As clearly articulated at the Policy Forum, now more than ever, it is important that events return in physical form as they provide much needed revenue injection and economic boost for the cities and the countries that host these events, Mahlalela added. A key component of South Africa’s business events strategy is to ensure that demand is met by adequate, diverse and unique tourism products and services and, to this end, tour operators, hotels, provincial and city tourism authorities were among the exhibitors at IMEX Frankfurt. Also attending  were small tourism businesses, (SMMEs), whose presence at IMEX Frankfurt was subsidised by the South African government to give them access to the international market. “As a government, we remain committed to providing meaningful support to the operations of the sector that has seen so much loss,” added Mahlalela. “Having been at IMEX for the past few days, the importance of business events globally was once again highlighted with a clear message that if we do not continue with physical meetings then we will not be injecting money into the economies of the various cities and countries. It was so encouraging to hear most of our partners talking positively about South Africa and affirming South Africa’s business events strategy of focusing on key economic sectors,” added Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo, chief convention bureau officer at South African Tourism.