The Planner Guru Industry News Wrap | 21 March 2022

WATCH: From new hotel signings to an exceptional campaign promoting South Africa as a destination, The Planner Guru’s Industry News Wrap brings you the latest and hottest news highlights from the world of MICE!

Knowland, a provider of data-as-a-service for the MICE and hospitality industries, recently released its insights for meetings and events volumes during the month of February. Its findings indicate that the number of meetings increased by 48.1% for the US market between January and February, and a whopping 340% year-on-year from February 2021. If the trend continues at the current pace, volumes will see the MICE industry on par with 2019 figures. Interestingly, corporate meetings were dominant, accounting for more than 63% of all meetings.

Aleph Hospitality has made an entry into Rwanda with the signing of a contract for the management of a five-star hotel in the nation’s capital, Kigali. The agreement means that Aleph will operate Accor’s luxury MGallery hotel and facilities at the new Century Park Hotel and Residences. A signing ceremony took place on the 3rd of March 2022 between Aleph, Accor, and the developers of the project, Century Park Hotel and Residences. Aleph has an aggressive growth plan for the Middle East and Africa, targeting 50 hotels across the region by 2026.

Finally, the South Africa National Convention Bureau’s Open Doors campaign recently kicked off with a strong message promoting South Africa as a preferred destination for business travel and events. As we work towards the revival and strengthening of the country’s business tourism industry value chain, 3S Media, through Meetings magazine and The Planner Guru, supports this drive that demonstrates South Africa’s prowess as a destination and showcases its GDP-generating sectors.