Cape Town climbs global rankings as top destination

CAPE Town and the Western Cape have solidified their status as Africa's premier destination for international association meetings, as revealed by the recently released International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) GlobeWatch 2024 Business Analytics Report.

- ZAMANDOSI CELE

The city has surged to an impressive 35th position globally, a leap of 15 places from the previous ranking.

The report highlighted that Cape Town hosted 58 international association meetings in 2024, a notable increase from 42 in 2023, and places the city among the top 10 worldwide for average attendance per event, with an average of 717 delegates per meeting.

Stellenbosch, a key player within the Western Cape, has also demonstrated ongoing success in the rankings, hosting seven meetings last year.

Over the past decade, it has become a welcome fixture in the international conference landscape, having successfully hosted 100 meetings from 2013 to 2024.

Smaller towns like George, Grabouw, Knysna, and Paarl are beginning to carve out their niches as attractive venues for international events, further spreading the benefits of business tourism across the province.