Miss World 2008 Welcomed in Joburg

 

  

The City of Joburg today welcomed the first group of contestants of the Miss World 2008 Festival at the Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg.

The Miss World 2008 Festival hosted by the Johannesburg Tourism Company (JTC ), is a month-long affair comprising of several pageants within a pageant culminating in the Finals scheduled for 13 December at the Sandton Convention Centre.

In a press conference attended by among other dignitaries the Mayor of Joburg, Amos Masondo, CEO of the JTC, Lindiwe Mahlangu, reiterated the positive spin-offs an event of this magnitude will have on the socio-economic landscape of the country.

"One of the reasons we were so excited when the appointment to host the event came, is the massive marketing opportunities and global exposure of the beauty, variety and cultural diversity of our country.

"We have a detailed activity schedule for the ladies which includes, amongst others, visitation of various provinces, a tour of Johannesburg, a Charity Ball, a photoshoot at the iconic Mandela Bridge, tree planting in Soweto, a hospice visit on World Aids Day (1 December) and many others.

"Remember that beauty pageants have gone beyond their classic definition and have become much more involved in many other worthy causes, hence the phrase 'beauty with a purpose'", Miss World 2008 will have a direct impact on a number of Joburg NGO's ranging from those focused on the empowerment of disabled people to those whose mission is to better the lives of troubled youth, says Mahlangu.

According to Julia Morley, CEO and Chairperson of the Miss World Organisation (MWO), MWO looks forward to working with the city of Joburg to promote their world class facilities.

"Our goal is to bring more visitors to your vibrant city so that they too can enjoy the sights and sounds of Joburg and its hospitality," says Morley.