The inaugural
“The Business of Wine and Food Tourism” Conference will be held in the heart of
the Cape winelands, South Africa, in November of this year. The conference will
be opened by Minister Derek Hanekom, and features a list of international and
local experts who will share their knowledge on various aspects of regional
food and wine travel. Minister Hanekom will also be presenting the first-ever
national wine tourism strategy, as developed from the South African Wine
Industry strategic exercise (WISE).
The conference
marks the first time that industry players and government from national and
provincial level will come together to discuss the promotion of South Africa as
an international wine and food tourism destination.
“South Africa can become a key player in the food and wine tourism
arena. Our wineries can already compete with the best in the world, and it is
time that these gems are discovered by national and international visitors.
We’re very excited by this venture”, said
Siobhan Thompson, CEO of Wines of
South Africa.
“SA’s current wine tourism economic contribution of ±R6 billion with
a target of R15 billion by 2025 can be a large contributor to job creation in
the tourism industry – already 289,000 jobs have been added in the wine value
chain to date and the new strategy will pave the way for significant growth in
the wine tourism sector over the next 10 years”,
added Rico Basson, CEO of VinPro.
Internationally,
authentic local food and wine tourism experiences are attracting attention and
drawing experience-hungry travellers. South Africa has a rich variety of
regional food and wine offerings that could be of huge interest to this growing
market. International speakers will be sharing their knowledge and expertise
with all delegates, enabling them to better market and position themselves in
the international market. Speakers include Clay Gregory, the President and CEO
of ‘Visit Napa Valley’, Peter McAtamney, founding Principal of Wine Business
Solutions, Felicity Carter, editor-in-chief of Meininger’s Wine Business
International, and Dr. Robin Back of the University of Central Florida.
Locally, experts such as JP Rossouw of the Platter Wine Guide and Mariette du
Toit-Helmbold of Destinate will be joining the discussion, and there will be a
number of workshops where delegates can gain practical knowledge.
The conference
aims to promote co-operation between the private and public sectors in the area
of food and wine tourism, to educate business and entrepreneurs on
opportunities in the sector and to pave the way for a new national wine tourism
strategy and marketing agenda that will see South Africa take its rightful
place as a top wine and food tourism destination.
“I am very proud of the fact that the ministry of tourism can take
an active part in establishing this conference, bringing together the local
public and private sector and launching an exciting new era for the marketing
of South Africa. I do believe that we
can make South Africa a preferred destination in food and wine tourism, and in
so doing, create employment opportunities and stimulate our local tourism
economy”, said Minister Derek Hanekom, Minister
of Tourism.
“Tourism is an indispensable part of our local economy. This
conference will enable us to grow our local and international markets, whilst
equipping even the smallest producers and businesses to reach a global
audience”, added Minister Alan Winde,
Provincial Minister of Economic Opportunities.
The conference
will take place over two days at Spier Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa,
on 1 and 2 November 2016 and is open to local and international delegates. For
more information, or to register, visit www.wineandfood.co.za
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