The Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) successfully hosted tourism role players at the 11th International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations from 14 – 15 April 2015. Responsible Tourism (RT) is an approach to the management of tourism, aimed at maximising economic, social and environmental benefits and minimising costs to destinations.
South Africa was the first country to adopt a national standard in RT. The City of Cape Town has supported the principles of RT since the Cape Town Declaration in 2002. The conference reviewed the evolution of Cape Town, the Western Cape and global tourism industry since the implementation of RT guidelines.
“We are indeed excited to have been part of a process that is geared at shining the spotlight on the importance of responsible tourism. There are many unique selling points to hosting an event at the CTICC, not least of which is the destination appeal of Cape Town. Collaborating with industry stakeholders allows the centre to gain the lion’s share of events hosted in Cape Town and in doing so induce tourism”, said Julie-May Ellingson, CTICC Chief Executive Officer.
In 2009 the City adopted the Responsible Tourism Policy and Action Plan. This plan will ensure that Cape Town is well on its way to being a truly responsible destination. The City exercises its mandate for local tourism through its sector leadership, facilitating and coordinating role players, and the creation of supportive policies.
Furthermore, the CTICC has upheld the City’s mandate to uplift communities – bolstering the economy and spearheading initiatives that are socially and environmentally conscious. Since the CTICC’s inception, 83 000 jobs have been created and sustained. In the 2013/2014 financial year, the CTICC contributed R 3.1 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and R 2.8 billion to the Gross Geographic Product (GGP). The CTICC has made notable improvements to reduce its impact on the environment – electricity consumption per delegate was reduced by 17.3% since 2012, while the water consumption per delegate was reduced by 43% since 2011.
