Events Tourism

Melanie Veness:  PCB CEO

Having just had two of our major annual events, the Midmar Mile and the Dusi Canoe Marathon, made me think, once again, of the power of events tourism.

The business of tourism is about attracting bed nights and separating people from their hard-earned money. The skill lies in how you utilize what you have. If you are a leisure tourism destination, and have a natural hook, like the sea or the mountains, then this is somewhat easier than it is for places like Pietermaritzburg, that lie perfectly positioned, between them.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when promoting a destination, is not to try and sell what we think people should buy, but to find out what it is that people want to buy, and then to deliver that. This is what so often goes wrong in the tourism transaction – tourism product is developed, but is not supported, because these products are simply not desirable from a leisure perspective. We must remember that it is entirely up to people how they choose to spend their leisure money.

So, how does a place like our capital city attract  large numbers of tourists? The answer, to my mind, is by hosting events. And by this, I don’t mean the dozens of concerts that people keep dreaming up to make themselves money, and that attract a few locals. There is very little economic benefit from these, not to mention their economic viability.  So, when is it wise to support an event? The answer is simple - when the economic benefits that will be generated from the event are significantly greater than the investment.

Pietermaritzburg already has an enviable calendar of annual events, which include the Dusi Canoe Marathon, the Comrades Marathon, the Royal Agricultural Show, the Garden and Leisure Show, Art in the Park, Cars in the Park, The Hilton Arts Festival, to mention the major ones.

We have a great geographical position, excellent weather and a credible reputation as an events city. And we used this very effectively over the recent past to forge a good relationship with the International Cycling Federation, and by bidding for and being awarded several international cycling events.

Why is it so good for the economy to be awarded these types of international sporting events? It’s quite simple - they have a dedicated international following of people who will attend the event (officials, competitors, team managers, team doctors, mechanics and so on), and who will spend a higher amount per capita than a domestic visitor will.  Moreover,  competitors’ families generally accompany them for support, and the very nature of the event ensures a high level of support from local enthusiasts.

There  is also a dedicated international press contingent that follows an event of this stature  – the level of exposure that the city enjoys internationally from hosting these events, is astonishing. In simple terms, we could never afford to buy that level of exposure.

Apart from the obvious economic spin-offs, there are other specific gains. Hosting this level of event raises the profile of Pietermaritzburg and helps shed the “sleepy hollow” image – people who live in Pietermaritzburg are prouder of their city, and people from other parts of South Africa sit up and take notice. Pietermaritzburg becomes the city of choice to host events.

The more credible events that a region hosts, the more attractive it becomes for private sector investment. Essentially, by supporting viable events, government is creating the enabling environment to attract private sector investment.

Finally, while it is important for Pietermaritzburg to look at attracting new and viable events, attention also needs to be given to how we can take our existing events to new heights. There also needs to be equitable exposure generated for Pietermaritzburg and Durban relative to those events that we share – it is often disappointing to see the tourism authorities promoting  Durban as the solo host for these events. Pietermaritzburg has developed a great reputation as an events city – it’s up to us to build on it.

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