Limpopo Business 2019-20 edition

FOCUS
Business tourism on a
growth trajectory
Limpopo’s venues range from game lodges to conference centres.
Limpopo is undoubtedly on a growth trajectory
in respect of business tourism.
Evidence of this trend comes in the form
of the International Fellowship Evangelical
Students (IFES) World Assembly which was held in
July 2019 in Bela Bela at ATKV Klein Kariba.
The conference attracted an estimated 1 200
delegates from some 160 countries, who spent
about two weeks in the region. The idea to bring the
conference to Limpopo was born out of engagements
by Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA) at Meetings Africa
2018, confirming the importance of this marketing
platform. The agency will also host International
Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration
(IASIA) at ATKV Klein Kariba from 19-25 July 2020.
Limpopo offers unique conference, meetings,
incentives and other venues with relevant resources
and superb settings. In recent years, the meetings
and incentive industry within Limpopo has grown
significantly. Limpopo’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives,
Conferences, Exhibitions) products are conveniently
situated within one-and-a-half to three-hour’s drive
from Johannesburg. Access to most of the venues is
made easy, as the province is served by three airports
with direct flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Limpopo offers a wealth of conferencing and
exhibition facilities, including custom-built centres
designed to the highest international specifications,
facilities at hotels, educational institutions and
theatres. Conference venues in the province range
from country lodges to large conference and
exhibition centres in the cities. While in Limpopo on
a business mission, conference goers will be spoilt
for choice with a plethora of offerings from wildlife
to adventure activities.
Three South African cities are currently excelling in
the business tourism sector, namely, Johannesburg,
Durban and Cape Town. Limpopo does not have the
same sort of large infrastructure that these centres
can call on such as convention centres, but the LTA is
now focussing on creating awareness about what the
province has to offer in the business tourism space.
While Limpopo is still striving towards its goals
in taking full advantage of the opportunities in
tourism, the MICE sector undoubtedly presents an
opening for the province as a destination to focus
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