(Michelle Constant,
CEO of BASA)
BASA CEO appointed to SA Tourism Board and wins prestigious
award.
Business and Arts South Africa CEO, Michelle Constant, has
been elected to the Board of South African Tourism (SAT) and was recently named
a regional winner in CEO Magazines Most Influential Women in Business and
Government annual awards.
“The recognition by CEO Magazine and being asked to be on
the SAT Board is truly an endorsement of the good work that my colleagues at
Business and Arts South Africa are doing as a whole, and of their incredible
support - and I am thrilled with both honours,” stated Constant.
Constant was named the regional winner (South Africa and
SADC South) of the Arts and Culture category at the CEO Awards event held at
the Vodacom Dome in Midrand in July. Aimed at honouring Africa’s Most
Influential Women in Business and Government and Titans Building Nations, she
will now represent the region at an upcoming, continent-wide awards event,
joining winners from Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, Ghana, Zambia and
Namibia.
The CEO Magazine accolade comes a few months after Constant
was officially named to the SAT Board.
“We are very pleased to welcome Michelle to the SA Tourism
Board,” said chairperson, Vincent Zwelibanzi Mntambo. “She will make a great
contribution to the effort to market South Africa as a destination as she
deeply understands the contribution that arts can make to tourism and vice
versa. Her knowledge, networks and passion for the arts, tourism and
destination South Africa will help us to take on the challenges ahead with
greater confidence.”
Kwanele Gumbi, Chairperson of BASA said: “Michelle brings
the detail and depth of the arts sector for the improvement of the South
African Tourism brand. Her energetic and creative approach will help drive
focus to the value of the arts and culture tourism.”
Constant said her appointment meant she will be able to lobby
and advocate for cultural and artistic tourism to be placed prominently in
South Africa’s tourism marketing mix: “I am excited to be able to engage in an
ongoing conversation about the role that arts and culture tourism can play in
drawing both internal and international visitors to different parts of this
beautiful country,” commented Constant.
“You only need look at global benchmarks like the Venice Art
Biennale and the upcoming Edinburgh International Festival to understand the
powerful attraction of the arts to a broad cross-section of visitors. The
National Arts Festival has also just proved locally that it is capable of
growth, with total number of tickets issued increasing by nearly 7 percent,
even in a tough economic climate and at a time when the arts are facing
increasingly difficult challenges.
“Alongside being in a strong position to place the arts as
an essential part of our tourism mix, I am honoured to have joined such an
esteemed board. I am sure that I can learn a great deal from my fellow board
members in a way that can only benefit that business and arts nexus that BASA
is focused on,” Constant concluded.
For more information visit www.basa.co.za
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