The BRICS Business Council (BBC) celebrated its 10th anniversary at the Melrose Arch gallery last night (Sunday, August 20), with the BBC Chairperson, Busi Mabuza, noting that the next decade required a more pragmatic and honest approach to collaboration to ensure economic empowerment for all member states of the BRICS formation.
South African Tourism hosted the event to underscore the importance of tourism to economic growth for all BRICS partners. Acting CEO of South African Tourism, Nomasonto Ndlovu, said: “As a South African, I am proud to join you in celebrating with the BRICS Business Council as you celebrate a decade of collaboration, growth, and shared aspirations. I thank you for your continued commitment to ensuring regular dialogue between the business communities and various governments.”
She added: “I can guarantee you that from a tourism perspective, this is important and contributes to addressing some of the hurdles we face as we strive to increase the number of tourists and business events delegates that come to South Africa.”
Ndlovu highlighted the power of tourism in strengthening bilateral relations, noting: “We can all agree that tourism serves as a bridge connecting cultures, and opening avenues of dialogue that transcend language barriers and political boundaries. It is also a great contributor to economic growth. Tourism is a force that unites people in their quest for discovery, adventure, and shared experiences.”
BRICS Summit
With the 15th BRICS Summit officially kicking off at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg tomorrow (Tuesday, August 22), Ndlovu reiterated: “We must recognise the pivotal role that tourism plays in this. Tourism is a powerful thread that weaves together cultures and transforms nations into interconnected destinations that inspire and captivate travellers. Our collective endeavours can propel tourism into a sphere of tremendous influence, highlighting its capacity to promote cross-cultural dialogue and enhance our ties.”
Delivering his speech to the nation last night, ahead of the Summit, President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted that the members of BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – made up a quarter of the global economy, account for a fifth of global trade and are home to more than 40% of the world’s population.
“BRICS as a formation plays an important role in the world due to its economic power, market potential, political influence and development co-operation. Yet the value of BRICS extends beyond its sheer size.
“BRICS countries can collectively shape global dynamics and, acting together, have the potential to drive significant changes in the world economy and international relations.”
Ramaphosa, who has acknowledged the tourism sector’s vital contribution to the economy, pointed out that South Africa’s tourism industry was recovering well from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and would be boosted by the hosting of the BRICS Summit.
“More than four million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, almost twice as many arrivals as in the same period last year,” he said.
