The Cape Town based Century City Conference Centre has made history. It is the first in the southern hemisphere and Africa, to receive the globally recognised Green Key certificate in environmental responsibility and sustainable operations within the tourism industry.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth and Tourism – Alderman James Vos was on hand for the official certificate handover ceremony, where he lauded the Century City Conference Centre team for their achievement.
Green Key certification is administered by the Foundation for Environmental Education and is recognised by, among others, the UN Tourism Organisation, UN Environment Programme and UNESCO.
Vos states that this recognition shows that Cape Town venues are setting the green standard for practices, that centre on sustainability. The Century City Conference Centre has long been a champion for eco-friendly operations.
It previously received a 4-Star Green Star from the Green Building Council of South Africa and won the Sustainable Venue of the Year (Africa) Award, during the Global MICE Awards in 2019. In a world and city that continues to grapple with the effects of climate change, it is pivotal that all businesses and industries at large should prioritise sustainability.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Century City Conference Centre and Hotels – Gary Koetser said that for their team, the Green Key certificate together with a 100% audit score is a recognition of consistency and discipline. Being the first Conference Centre in Africa and the Southern Hemisphere to achieve this certificate matters a lot. But what matters more is that it proves Cape Town venues can lead globally and set global benchmarks.
According to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) GlobeWatch 2024 Business Analytics Report, such world-class and future-fit facilities are one of the main reasons why Cape Town is among the top-10 cities at global level. If considered for average attendance per event, with approximately 717 delegates per meeting. The report highlighted that the number of international association meetings hosted in Cape Town has increased from 42 recorded in 2023 to 58 as recorded latently in 2024.
Considering this, Alderman James Vos said that foundation to the destination development strategy is to make Cape Town the go-to city in the world for events and conferences. It is for this very reason that the City funds and works with the Cape Town and Western Cape Convention Bureau, which is administered by Wesgro.
In the 2024-25 financial year, the bureau confirmed 36 new conference bids, with a projected economic impact of R745 million and over 27000 delegates, expected through to 2028. Business tourism remains a key pillar of the economic growth strategy, and they are just getting started.