The agenda for the 2007 HICA conference

Source: HICA

Forthcoming Hospitality Investment Conference focuses on Africa. Major hotel operators around the globe are showing increasing interest in South Africa, says Joop Demes, MD of Golding Hotel Investment Consultants (GHIC), a member of the Pam Golding Property group and leading facilitators in the hospitality and leisure industry. Demes will be addressing delegates at Africa's first Hospitality Investment.

Conference for Africa (HICA) which takes place from 30 September to 2 October 2007 at Cape Town's Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel, as an initiative of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) and of which the Pam Golding Property group is a co-host and sponsor.

Says Demes: "With South Africa increasingly in the international spotlight, there is no doubt that the forthcoming 2010 Soccer World Cup has provided a strong incentive for global hotel operators to have a presence in South Africa. In the past eight months and in Cape Town alone, GHIC has facilitated transactions with predominantly international hotel operators for projects in excess of R1.25 billion.

"However, it's extremely positive to see that we are experiencing a significant boom in all major hotel categories across the country. The Deloitte Hotel Benchmark Study reveals that Revpar (revenue per available room) for the seven months for the year to date (January to July 2007) reflects an increase of over 17 percent compared with the same period in 2006 – well ahead of inflation.

"Not only are we seeing increased investment, as the hotel industry is labour intensive we are very much aware how important further such investment is in creating much needed labour opportunities in the country. This forthcoming conference, which we are proud to co-host and facilitate, provides an important networking platform for new and existing investors in the hospitality and tourism industry, profiling Africa as aviable investment destination," he adds.

The conference will be officially opened by the Deputy President of South Africa, Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka. In addition to the Deputy President, other leading local and international speakers include Mmatsatsi Marobe, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, Carlos Romero of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Jean Claude Baumgarten of the World Tourism and Travel Council, David Clifton of Interval International, Richard Stockton from Morgan Stanley, James Wilson CEO of Istithmar Real Estate, and Southern Sun's Deon Viljoen.

Topics of focus include Unique Selling Propositions for Africa, Investment Trends and Vehicles in Africa, Financing, Condominium Hotels, Fractional Ownership & Private Residence Clubs, Aviation Attractiveness, Moving Beyond the Legacy,  Regional Investment Trends and Global Trends.

During the conference the TBCSA will introduce the Tourism Investment Awards which strive to recognise and reward companies and individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to lifting the profile of the tourism industry through promoting growth, investment, innovation and excellence across all tourism sectors.

These awards will be in four categories: Project of Excellence and Innovation, Investment of the Year, Journalist of the Year; and Lifetime Achiever – the latter to be presented by Mrs Pam Golding, chairman of the PGP group at the gala dinner on 1 October.

For further information regarding the Hospitality Investment Conference for Africa contact Jacqueline Obando on 012 6547525 or visit www.hica.co.za. Joop Demes of  GHIC can be reached on 082 833 2231 or email jdemes@goldinghotels.co.za.