The Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) has lauded the upcoming BRICS Summit as a significant opportunity to create jobs and boost tourism revenue for the province.
The BRICS Summit brings together governments and their leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
“There is no doubt that many sectors will be positively impacted from accommodation, transportation, food, security, logistics and hospitality establishments, with the majority of them already fully booked. We are excited by the prospects of our visitors and delegates immersing themselves in our food and culinary experiences,” the GTA said.
According to the GTA, this year’s summit brings together Heads of State and from the BRICS countries, ministers, government officials and support staff, as well as “at least 25 other countries represented by their Presidents and ministers”.
“Recent reports have also indicated that more than 40 countries have expressed their interest in joining BRICS, so we can expect many more representatives from countries in the global South to make their way to Johannesburg. Add to this the various observers, business leaders, analysts and civil organisations and members of the media, both local and international, makes up the impressive numbers.
“All these people will be sleeping in the province, eating at the various venues and establishments, buying local products, interacting with our communities, and immersing themselves in our culture and way of life. These are the direct ripple effects of tourism and a growing visitor economy. It is more than just a conference or meeting room. It is social currency in action,” the GTA said.
The authority highlighted that the business, tourism, trade and investment activities expected to take place over the duration of the summit will bring business to the business tourism orientated wing of the sector.
“The formal sessions of this important gathering are expected to be spread across the major economic and business event nodes of the city region with Sandton City, Gallagher Convention Centre, Birchwood and Montecasino, amongst others, playing host.
“This bodes well for the visitor economy and business events sector in the province, as these types of high-profile events generate the much needed jobs and tourism revenue into the economy,” the GTA said.
The authority emphasised that the summit will bring in much needed impetus to the province’s economic recovery efforts for the present and the future.
“The summit comes at a time when the country has shown an impressive 46.5% rise in foreign tourist arrivals when comparing June 2023 to the same period last year, as reported by Statistics SA. A quick glance at these numbers also shows that business travellers tend to stay longer and spend more, with African travellers leading the pack.
“It is for this reason that the GTA, who is the key driver of tourism business growth initiatives in the province, is pulling out all the stops to ensure that this period showcases the best of Gauteng’s attractions to global and local visitors alike.
“For the GTA and many businesses in the province that rely on tourism activities and increased visitors into the province, the summit is not only about the BRICS delegates who will be here, but also potentially future visits from repeat visitors once they have tasted the unique attractions that Gauteng has to offer,” the authority said. – SAnews.gov.za
