Quo Vadis World Summit

AN acute funding crisis threatens the future of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), according to information TNN has received from the Civil Society Secretariat in Johannesburg. The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mohammed Valli Moosa, held an urgent meeting yesterday with Secreteriat staff and members of organised civil society. He will hold a press conference at 12h00 today. TNN will carry the story at 15h00. At tourism Indaba, it emerged that the official Destination Management Company (DMC) Global Confernces, had received more than 21 000 expressions of interest of which 18 000 were captured on its website as confirmed bookings. However, Protea Hotel’s group sales and marketing director, Danny Bryer, said Protea had received no deposits and would withdraw its room allocation if it did not receive prepayments from June 1. SAA recently expressed concern about the lack of communication. (Mark Gray)