In Cape Town and the Western Cape it is not only soccer fever that is running high ahead of the year 2010, but also conference fever as the destination’s business tourism calendar for 2010 is filling up rapidly. As South Africa, its people and infrastructure developers are eagerly preparing for the FIFA Soccer World Cup, the world’s biggest sporting and media event, it is becoming abundantly clear that the growing interest in the host destination also has a business tourism side to it. These conferences are expected to bring a combined 16 300 business tourists and an economic impact of approximately R166.3 million to Cape Town and the Western Cape. “The 2010 FIFA World Cup provides the Western Cape, South Africa and the African continent with an unprecedented opportunity to market ourselves not only as a world-class, but also a unique tourism destination,” says Calvyn Gilfellan, Acting Chief Executive of Cape Town Routes Unlimited. “While we have the world’s eyes on us and we are preparing to receive thousands of soccer enthusiasts, we must use this opportunity to position our destination in such a way that those who will be visiting South Africa in 2010, do visit the Western Cape, and that they return soon for more, bringing with them their friends and family. We believe that having conferences and events run parallel to the soccer tournament will help us to achieve this. And should Cape Town’s facilities get filled up, we have five other regions in the Western Cape that stand ready to host delegates,” he says. Cape Town is currently ranked the Number One convention destination in Africa.