September 28, 2005
By Anish Abraham
TOURISM in Soweto could be the way forward for the Johannesburg Tourism Company (JTC), as it tackles its new mandate to promote the city as both a business and leisure tourism hotspot.
And it is planning a database of tourism service providers in Soweto.
"Our original mandate was to expand the business tourism sector by increasing the number of organised events taking place in Joburg," says Jaco Engelbrecht, the business manager of the JTC.
The council has since extended this to include promoting Johannesburg as a leisure tourism destination and promoting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism industry, especially in areas like Soweto and Alexandra.
The City is determined to support small and medium tourism enterprises, especially in Soweto
(Photo: Solly van Staden, City of Johannesburg)
Eddy Khosa, the JTC chief executive, relishes the prospect of taking on a new market segment.
"This is an exciting opportunity for both the people of Johannesburg and its visitors," he says.
According to Khosa, the company will disseminate tourist information through all relevant channels, so visitors do not have to spend their time trying to find such information.
Small and medium enterprises stand to gain from the company's new mandate, since most of them operate in the leisure tourism industry.
"When it comes to SME development, we can now display their brochures at our stands. We previously only focussed on business, but we can now carry their brochures with pride," Khosa says.
For their part, SMEs are now able to approach the JTC to see how their products and services can be promoted.
To deal with its expanded mandate, the JTC is hiring a marketing manager to deal with leisure-related marketing and promotion.
Khosa is satisfied with the work done by the company since its inception in September 2003. "It has done very well and we are making great strides in the tourism industry."
He is also optimistic about the future, saying the main challenge the company faces is changing the public's perception of safety and security in the city.
"But we are working closely with the City to deal with the issue," he concludes.
Enjoy another day in Joburg
"Joburg is not traditionally linked to leisure tourism, but rather to business tourism, mainly due to its excellent conferencing facilities and infrastructure," Engelbrecht says.
With the campaign title "Enjoy another day in Joburg", the company is promoting the city by handing out information brochures or setting up stands at conferences and arranging pre- and post-conference tours for delegates.
Engelbrecht says the aim of the programme is to get business tourists to extend the length of their stays in the city. At present, the business tourist spends an average of three days or less here.
Apart from local conferences, the JTC also makes information brochures available at the many international exhibitions it attends in an effort to increase the city's profile among foreigners.
Soweto
A focal point of the new mandate is Soweto. The JTC aims to compile a comprehensive database of all tourism service providers in the township, which often proves a hit with visitors.
This is in addition to the Soweto Tourism Information Centre that will be based at the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Kliptown.
"With the establishment of the Soweto Tourism Information Centre and of the database, we are seeing the fine-tuning of a tourism development programme incorporating business and marketing strategies, with the aim of growing tourism and generating sustainable jobs in the industry in Soweto," Engelbrecht explains.
Seven honours students at the University of Johannesburg are doing the research for the database as part of their tourism studies.
Initially it will contain information on tour operators and tour guides. Later this will be expanded to include restaurants, shebeens and bed and breakfast establishments.
"We want people to spend more time and money in Soweto, not just go there on bus tours for a short time," Engelbrecht adds.
The new mandate will affect the company's operations significantly, and Engelbrecht is confident it will have a new strategy by the end of the year.
Sidewell Mnisi, the students' team leader, says, "Our aim is to help create an incisive understanding of Soweto as it is one of the primary tourism destinations in Gauteng.
"We also hope that the tourism industry as a whole will benefit from the insight we will be providing of what tourism service providers need."
Business tourism
Pearl Mohapi, an executive in the Johannesburg Convention Bureau, says the company helps event organisers to secure conferences by assisting them with their bid books and other documents.
The bureau is a division of the JTC, set up to market the city's convention centres and support services to foreign professional event organisers.
It also secures assistance for larger events through the mayor's office. This includes bringing on board, when necessary, the Johannesburg Roads Agency, metro police and emergency management services to ensure that big events run smoothly.
There are growth opportunities, given that Africa only attracts 6 percent of the global business tourism market. In addition, a World Travel and Tourism Council report forecasts a 7,1 percent growth for South Africa's travel and tourism industry this year.
The JTC regularly attends international conference industry meetings to promote Johannesburg as a destination for long-haul business tourism events.
Engelbrecht says South Africa should capitalise on the competitive advantages it has at the moment, as countries like India, Australia and China are making huge strides in attracting international events.
"South Africa has huge benefits [to holding such events here], especially cost-competitiveness and being the gateway to sub-Saharan Africa."
Another factor in the country's favour is the looming 2010 Soccer World Cup.
"When you get to host major events like 2010, people show more interest in choosing the same venues and we need to capitalise on the period leading up to the cup and after it."
The tourism company is doing exactly that - Convention Bureau members are hard at work trying to secure major events for the city, stretching into 2014.
Major conferences secured by the company include the World Petroleum Congress which about 4 000 delegates are attending at present; the General Assembly for Disabled People in November 2006, expected to draw 3 000 delegates; and the International Congress of Pediatricians in 2010, also expected to have 4 000 delegates.
"Those are only where the JTC is involved. There are many more that are driven solely by the private sector," Mohapi concludes.
For more information, contact the Johannesburg Tourism Company on 011 214 0700.
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