Cape Town to host IALA 2010
2 March 2004
Cape Town has won the bid to host the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation & Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) conference in March 2010.
The six-day conference is expected to attract some 400 delegates from over 40 countries, and will focus on related environmental issues and the preservation of historic lighthouses.
Running parallel to the conference will be a three-day Aids to Navigation Trade Exhibition, showcasing the latest developments in navigation aid technology.
The potential impact of the conference on Cape Town's economy is in the region of R3.4-million, representing approximately 2 400 bed nights in the city.
James Collocott, manager of lighthouse services for the National Ports Authority of SA, says this will be the first time since the IALA was established in 1957 that one of its conferences - which take place every four years - will be held in Africa.
The last IALA conference was held in Sydney, Australia in March 2002, with the next one slated for Shanghai, China in 2006.
"Hosting an IALA conference in South Africa will afford the National Ports Authority and South Africa the opportunity to expose the international navigation community to particular issues and concerns faced by South Africa and countries within Africa that would not be familiar to countries from North America and Europe", Collocott said.
In the past, Collocott said, countries from other regions have tended to dominate the agenda of international maritime organisations. The 2010 conference will change this. "It will place South Africa on the international agenda, ensuring that any recommendations or standards reflect the viewpoint of southern Africa."
South Africa is the only African representative on the IALA Council.
Rick Taylor, CEO of the Cape Town Convention Bureau, said Cape Town was chosen as the location for the 2010 conference because of its tourist attractions - a priority for delegates who wanted to take part in tours before and after the conference.
"With Cape Town increasing in popularity as a conferencing destination, and the opening of the Cape Town International Convention Centre, we are seeing a greater demand by delegates to visit Cape Town and participate in pre- and post- tours.
"For many of these delegates, this is their first time to Cape Town and South Africa", Taylor said. "The conference provides them with the ideal opportunity to explore and tour our country, with many of them returning at a later stage on holiday with family and friends."
Last year, the National Ports Authority successfully hosted the 23rd International Association of Ports and Harbours World Conference in Durban.
South Africa.info reporter
