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Durban prepares showcase for COP17 climate conference
More than 10,000 rooms blocked as city prepares to showcase its sustainable tourism credibility
More than 10,000 rooms for visitors have been blocked in Durban for the United Nations’ Climate Change COP17 conference, to be held in the city at the end of this year.
Briefing Parliament’s environmental affairs portfolio committee, environmental affairs deputy director-general Joanne Yawitch told MPs that the coastal city was ideally suited to cater for the large numbers of foreign dignitaries the international event would attract.
"Durban was identified as the host city largely because it has the biggest [convention] facility in the country… enabling us to hold the conference in one place.
“The city has, through its convention bureau, blocked over 10,000 rooms, and the tenders have gone out… in order to appoint someone to manage the accommodation," she said.
The first meeting of a logistics committee would be held early next month, as well as meetings in Durban to discuss "issues related to finance".
A UN delegation was set to visit South Africa in mid-February to discuss "issues related to the logistics" of managing the event.
The legacy of last year’s Soccer World Cup "puts us at quite an advantage", Yawitch said.
A lot of work had been done already around setting up broadband infrastructure and facilities for the media.
"This will make the job of the people organising the conference quite a lot easier."
Last year’s climate conference, COP16 in Cancun, Mexico, had been used by the Mexicans as an opportunity to "showcase" their country.
It was important South African did the same, she said. A series of stakeholder meeting would be held in this regard.
COP17 will take place in Durban’s International Convention Centre from November 28 to December 9.
Valere Tjolle
Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite 2011 latest special offer at: www.travelmole.com/stories/1146228.php
Valere
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