A uniquely African event — that’s what South African Tourism and key stakeholders are hoping the 2010 Fifa World Cup will be for those soccer tourists who make the long-haul journey to support their teams. ”We’re going to treat them like gold,” South African Tourism CEO, Moeketsi Mosola, promised delegates at Indaba, held recently in Durban.
For South Africa, the four-week mega event will mean up to 400 000 tourist arrivals over a period of 33 days and an unprecedented marketing opportunity to showcase South Africa to billions of viewers worldwide.
Showing South Africa’s culture and heritage is a key goal for South African Tourism in the run-up to, during and after the World Cup, says Mosola. ”Where else can you wake up in a national park, attend a soccer match in the afternoon and then go on an evening game drive? These visitors will interact with Africans and enjoy a truly African experience,” he said.
The event, says Tim Modise, Local Organising Committee communications director, will have a ”catalytic” effect on South Africa, impacting on, among other things, the development and upgrading of South Africa’s tourism product. And, for the first time, Fifa has agreed to incorporate non-traditional accommodation in the offering.
”Fifa has taken certain decisions that are without precedent. A very important one was made to get away from confining the event to hotel accommodation. Visitors will now experience B&Bs, guesthouses and lodges in South Africa,” says Jaime Byrom, executive co-chairperson of Match. Byrom told delegates it would be ”outrageous” for visitors not to experience this unique aspect of South Africa.
South African Tourism sees the decision as a way to expose visitors to a day in the life of a South African and allow them to interact with the locals. ”They get a sense of an ordinary day in South Africa by staying in guesthouses and B&Bs.”
What do soccer tourists expect from South Africa?
Little is known about the tourism needs of our prospective soccer tourists. Grant Thornton tourism principal, Gillian Saunders, says it is likely the soccer tourist will be attracted to experiences that provide entertainment. ”If we include culture or wildlife experiences in an entertainment aspect, this may appeal to them,” she says.
The event gives the travel trade an opportunity to build creative tourism experiences that complement a soccer experience, says University of Pretoria tourism management head, Professor Ernie Heath. ”Soccer tourists are going to come to South Africa to follow their team. They’re new tourists so we need to determine what kinds of experience they will find useful.”
South African Tourism is only now doing research into this market’s tourism needs, while several large tour operators claim they have no idea of what to expect.
”We do know that the soccer tourists who come to South Africa will be very different to those who went to Germany,” says Tourvest Inbound Operator (TIO) COO, Martin Wiest.
TIO, he says, cannot plan for this, but a strategy is in place to revolve existing products around the event. ”We’re not putting on any specific product. Instead, we’re being flexible with the current products that we have,” says Wiest.
Thompsons Africa’s MD, Linda Pampallis, believes handling the needs of the soccer tourist is going to be a big challenge. ”Currently, our existing customers are on our minds and holding their allocations over this time. So many of them have invested years on promotion and growth of arrivals, and do not want to be disappointed in 2010,” she says.
South African Tourism acknowledges there will be some degree of displacement of general tourists during the event, but estimates this at between 10% and 15%. ”The way to counter this displacement,” says Mosola, ”is to increase marketing in the time leading up to 2010”.
”I have no doubt that normal tourists will be displaced during this period, but I don’t think they will disappear entirely. Rather, they will probably choose to travel before or after the event,” says Wiest.
As the countdown continues, South African Tourism has launched two portals — one for local and one for international tourists interested in South Africa. The organisation is building a database of tourists, helping to profile them and communicate with them in the period leading up to 2010.
Natalia Thomson is editor and travel division head at Now Media
2010 challenges
Creative packaging of tourism products into experiences,
developing tourism product — culture and entertainment,
assisting with a tourism ambassador programme to ensure visitors are made to feel welcome and safe,
ensuring the soccer tourists’ different needs are catered for, and
developing transport resources to cope with the geographic spread.