South Africa wins Olympic ‘gold’
Highly lucrative 123rd Congress of the IOC coming to Durban in 2011

8 AUGUST 2008 - South Africa is set to welcome the world’s top sporting federation in 2011 when the International Olympic Committee hosts its 123rd Congress in Durban. This is according to the announcement made at the 120th session of the IOC held in Beijing this week.

“We are delighted and honoured that the IOC has chosen South Africa for its 123rd gathering. The city and the nation look forward to welcoming Olympic Committee delegates in 2011, says Moeketsi Mosola, Chief Executive Officer at South African Tourism.”

Although Durban won the contest ahead of seven other cities, the final vote came down to a choice between Durban and Hong Kong.

“South Africa is now firmly entrenched as a destination with big event capability and infrastructure,” Mosola says. “The IOC’s decision to bring its Congress here is affirmation of our capacity to host the most high-profile and significant of the world’s conferences, meetings and exhibitions. This is a reputation that South Africa has been working hard to build since it successfully hosted the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 and that won it the right to host the FIFA 2010 World Cup.”

He congratulated the parties that had collaborated on presenting Durban’s case to the IOC: Moss Mashishi and his team at the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC); Tourism KwaZulu-Natal and the City of Durban.

South Africa, Mosola says, is bidding for a number of other significant international conferences. These gatherings are typically extremely lucrative for the destination both in terms of foreign direct spend and in terms of word of mouth referrals from delegates and organisers.

The 2011 Climate Change Congress, the 2012 World Conservation Union Conference and the 2015 President’s Golf Tournament are among the significant global events that South Africa is presently bidding to host and to build on the success of hosting the FIFA 2010 World Cup.

ENDS

Issued by FD Beachhead on behalf of South African Tourism

For further information contact:

Monde Mateza at SA Tourism Tel: +27 11 895 3043 monde@southafrica.net www.southafrica.net

Allison MacDonald Tel: +27 11 214 2400 allison.macdonald@fd.com