NEWS RELEASE                                                                                                  2 March 2001

CAPE ECONOMY SET TO TAKE OFF WITH CONSTRUCTION OF NEW INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

Visitors to Cape Town's International Convention Centre on the foreshore are expected to spend millions of rands in the first year, giving a massive boost to economic development, job creation and tourism.

Councillor Kent Morkel, the City of Cape Town's Executive Committee member responsible for Economic and Social Development, said the joint initiative between the Western Cape Government and local government would be the catalyst for further major investments in Cape Town.

"We must mobilize all our resources to ensure that we capitalize fully on the huge international convention business," he said. "We are already ranked in one of the 50 worlds-class convention chosen destinations, I believe that with the new convention centre we will climb up the ladder substantially."

Construction of the multimillion rand International Convention Centre is scheduled to start in April this year. The facility - funded by both the public and private sectors - will house two auditoria for 1 500 and 600 people and exhibition space of 12 000 square metres.

Councillor Morkel said the future economic development of the Cape would depend largely on tourism. "The International Convention Centre will build the image of the city in the international arena and many of the people who come here will return again later with others who are visiting for the first time," he said.

He said job creation and economic and social development were high priorities for the City of Cape Town Council.

"All our citizens stand to gain from the convention centre. Thousands of jobs will be created in the construction, hotel and hospitality industries and in tourism," he said. "I believe this is the kick-start that our local economy has been waiting for."

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