Star grading targets Mice venues

THE Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) is currently working with representatives of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (Mice) industry in developing customer orientated, practical and relevant star grading criteria for the sector. Comments Dr Salifou Siddo, the executive director of the TGCSA: "The Mice industry is an extremely complex and diverse sector of the tourism industry, incorporating very small venues capable of hosting small meetings to large venues suitable for hosting large conferences, exhibitions and special events. The venues included in this sector host a range of meetings, functions and special events making the development of applicable grading criteria more difficult. This is why we need to work with the industry in developing relevant grading criteria". Grant Thornton Kessel Feinstein were appointed by the TGCSA to assist and guide the sector in the development of these criteria. Two meetings with sector representatives have been held to date in which initial discussions regarding star grading of Mice venues were addressed. Further workshops with these sector representatives are anticipated to develop and finalise the relevant grading criteria for the sector. (Miguel de Sousa)