Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: L Brown: Sending-off ceremony for SA team to Chelsea Flower Show
STATEMENT BY LYNNE BROWN, WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM, ON THE SOUTH AFRICAN PARTICIPATION AT THE CHELSEA FLOWER, 19 May 2004
Every year thousands of flower enthusiasts congregate in West London for one of the most prestigious and famous horticulture shows in the world, the Chelsea Flower Show.
In the 28 years that South Africa has taken part in the show our country has won 25 gold and 3 silver-gilt awards. I am sure that the South African team at Chelsea will emulate the Soccer 2010 Bid Committee by making us proud again this year by highlighting the rich floral diversity that abounds in the Western Cape and South Africa as a whole.
Six hundred exhibitors are taking part in this year's show.
Our participation has also served to showcase the beauty of our country to many visitors who frequent the week long Chelsea Flower Show. As a government we view the flower show as an opportunity to transfer the interest foreigners have in our fynbos, to encouraging them to visit our shores.
With this in mind, we are supporting the Western Cape exhibition at the show for the second year running. Our exhibition stand will be managed by the DMO. This exhibition will afford us opportunity to showcase the best our province and South Africa can offer.
We will use the exhibition to entice people to come and view flower shows in South Africa during the spring months. The stand will contain information on horticulturally rich areas such as the West Coast and South Cape. This exercise is guaranteed to expose the hinterland of our province to the benefits of tourism.
Currently about 23% of our foreign visitors to the Western Cape are from United Kingdom (UK). We have chosen to support the DMO exhibition because this percentage can be increased by attracting niche tourists, like those with an affinity for nature.
We will also use the show to promote natural products like aloe vera and rooibos tea.
Lastly we are aware that the South African experience at the Chelsea Flower Show must be seen as an exercise striving for equity and empowerment at every opportunity. The South African-inspired arts, craft and d
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