Seminar offers practical perspectives

A one-day seminar to be held at the Sandton Convention Centre on Wednesday, 11 June 2008 will feature well-known business experts with practical perspectives on the current challenges facing the South African tourism industry.

Arranged by Essential Travel Info, the company that operates travel publishers AA Travel Guides, the seminar will coincide with Markex 2008, a leading marketing, promotions and special events exhibition.

The seminar - entitled ‘South Africa – bright future or lights out?’ - will address the issues of crime, the economic slow-down, political uncertainty and the power crisis.

Vanessa Sand, Managing Director of Essential Travel Info says the best way to deal with bad news and uncertainty is to get more information. “That is why we invite the industry to listen to the experts, to listen to those ‘in the know’ who can see past the bad news that sells newspapers and tell us what is really going on so that we can adopt the best strategy to plan for the future.”

Speakers at the seminar will include Clem Sunter, Chairman of the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund and well-known author, on scenarios for South Africa in the 2010’s, Prof Steven Friedman, research associate at the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa), on post 2009 politics in South Africa and Chris Maroleng, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, on the likely scenarios in Zimbabwe.

Prof Raymond Parsons, overall business convenor at the National Economic Development & Labour Council (NEDLAC) will address the power crisis and how it will affect the economy and tourism, Johan Burger, senior researcher in the Crime and Justice Programme will shed light on the crime problem and how it is being addressed, and Nedbank economist Dr Nicky Weimar will outline the prospects for the tourism industry based on the current economic situation and the main tourism source markets.

Gillian Saunders, Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Grant Thornton Strategic Solutions will give an informed perspective tourism beyond 2010.

“The seminar will address the burning issues which most of us are thinking of or worrying about,” says Sand, “and members of the tourism and hospitality industries will find it most useful.”

For more information or to book, visit www.aatravel.co.za or contact Meg Turner on tel 011 713 2000 or meg@aatravel.co.za.

(Ends)

Released by: Martin van Niekerk, Junxion Communications
Tel 012 804 8812
On behalf of: Vanessa Sand, Essential Travel Info
Tel 011 713 2000
Date: 3 June 2008