HICA 2010

DIARISE THIS DATE

The sixth annual Hotel Investment Conference Africa (HICA) will take place from 9 to 11 May 2012, at the Southern Sun, Elangeni Hotel Durban.

HICA 2011 AWARD WINNER - CLIFFORD ROSS

TITLE
Chief Executive Officer

COMPANY
City Lodge Hotels

Clifford Ross has been the Chief Executive Officer of City Lodge Hotels since 2002. He was appointed General Manager of the first City Lodge in Bryanston in 1987 and became the hotel group’s Managing Director in 1994. He has been in the hospitality industry for 32 years. Under his leadership the City Lodge Group has grown to its current 52 hotels and 6,440 rooms, from 35 hotels and 3,791 rooms in 2003. With an average occupancy rate of 79%, the group is the envy of the industry.

WELCOME TO HOTEL INVESTMENT CONFERENCE AFRICA 2012

The sixth annual Hotel Investment Conference Africa - showcasing investment potential in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

The province of KwaZulu-Natal, and specifically the city of Durban, is well-known for hosting Tourism Indaba, Africa’s largest tourism exhibition and trade show. In 2011, the province added another tag to their long list of credentials – that of hosting HICA, Africa’s premier hotel and investment conference.

The main objectives of hosting this event are to:

Profile Africa as a viable investment destination for the hospitality sector

Encourage dialogue between public and private sector role players on technical investment issues with the aim of influencing economic policies which have an impact on the sector;

Build a platform for networking between emerging local, regional and international role players which will allow experienced stakeholders to impart their experience and lessons learnt;

To provide a platform for businesses to source funding and promote new and/or current projects

The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) has once again partnered with KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Authority (TKZN) to host this conference. In hosting the event, there are also various opportunities for investors to explore the province’s investment potential.

TOURISM OPERATORS REMAIN OPTIMISTIC DESPITE CHALLENGING ECONOMIC CLIMATE - TOURISM BUSINESS INDEX

South African Travel and Tourism operators remain somewhat optimistic of an improvement in business performance levels for the next quarter of 2011, in spite of prior performance expectations not having been met. However, 2012 performance is still not expected to reach normal performance levels. This is according to the results of the third quarter edition of the TBCSA FNB Tourism Business Index (“TBI”).

The TBI is an initiative of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), sponsored by First National Bank (FNB) and compiled by Grant Thornton. The index provides a national indication of the current and future performance, across the various businesses operating within the South African travel and tourism sector.

CITY LODGE HOTEL BOSS NAMED TOP TOURISM BUSINESS LEADER

City Lodge Hotels, Chief Executive Officer, Clifford Ross has won the 2011 HICA Tourism Business Leadership Award.

Mmatšatši Marobe, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) congratulated Ross and praised him as a true visionary. “When you consider how the City Lodge brand has grown over the years, it is not hard to see why Clifford Ross emerged as a winner for this year’s leadership award, she said.

Since his appointment as Chief Executive in 2002, the hotel group has grown from 35 hotels with 3,700 rooms in 2003 to its current portfolio of 52 hotels with 6,400 rooms. The group includes brands such as the Road Lodge, Town Lodge, City Lodge and Courtyard.

Showcasing investment potential in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

The province of KwaZulu-Natal, and specifically the city of Durban, is well-known for hosting Tourism Indaba, Africa’s largest tourism exhibition and trade show. This year, the province will be adding another tag to their long list of credentials – that of hosting HICA, Africa’s premier hotel and investment conference.