Tourism has its work cut out ahead of the 2010
09. Jul, 2009
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The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) commends all South Africans for the resounding support they showed towards the FIFA Confederations Cup hosted between 14 and 28 June 2009. South Africans have showed the “doubting Thomas’s” within and outside our country that we are indeed capable to host major events such as the Confederations Cup and that we are well on our way to staging one of the most successful and entertaining FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Commendations needs to also go to all the stakeholders who played a role in staging the event, from the Local Organising Committee, the various Provincial Governments and City Organising structures, FIFA, MATCH and the local spectators – well done!
The tournament was punted as a dress rehearsal for the country ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and in its aftermath, it is now time for the Travel and Tourism industry along with other sectors of society to reflect on lessons learnt in preparation for the ‘ultimate’ soccer showpiece.
“A question frequently posed to us as the TBCSA is, do we have enough rooms to accommodate the expected influx of tourists in 2010?” says Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Mmatšatši Marobe.
Accommodation is one area where more work still needs to be done. MATCH Event Services, FIFA’s ticketing and hospitality partner has made a lot of headway in securing rooms for the tournament. They currently have approximately 37,000 rooms which is a long way from the 55,000 rooms required to enable them to provide for the increased number of international spectators, media contingents and FIFA partners. “We appeal to accommodation owners out there who have not signed with MATCH to reconsider their decision while protecting their own business interests.
The latest report from MATCH indicates that the demand for rooms has surged, especially after the hosting of the Confederations Cup, which is putting added pressure to secure suitable accommodation. Approximately 18,000 rooms still need to be secured, with the greatest need being around major cities such as Johannesburg and the Pretoria area, followed by Cape Town and Durban. Three out of the ten stadia used for the FIFA 2010 World Cup matches, Loftus, Ellis Park and Soccer City are located in the Gauteng province hence the great need for accommodation.
With regards to the involvement of SMMEs, MATCH has worked with the Tourism Enterprise Partnership (TEP) to secure approximately 5,000 rooms across the length and breadth of the country, even finding ways to make use of accommodation that is not based in the main route of the World Cup match venues.
There’s been discussions with MATCH Advisory Board over the proposed use of private homes that are mostly in clusters, which could provide the services required for World Cup visitors. This was brought about when MATCH was approached by organised private home owners with a collection of private homes located in clusters mainly in the Johannesburg area. However if this approach is to be followed, MATCH has a requirement for them to be graded in line with their agreement with SA government. Although not official, the prospect of these homes to be graded is something that will not be supported by Tourism Grading Council of South Africa, Department of Tourism and other industry organisations. The feeling is that if private home owners wish to participate in the World Cup, they should comply with all the laws and regulations that are applicable for accommodation provision in the hospitality sector – they should not be allowed to “enter the industry through the back door” as this goes against supporting existing businesses and of growing the sector.
Transport
We see a lot of work being put into infrastructure development, particularly relating to the major road networks. OR Tambo and other airports in the country are also undergoing reconstruction in some areas. According to news from Department of Transport at national, there are also arrangements for international airlines to arrive in different airports depending on which part of the world the aircraft are flying from, e.g. all eastern airlines such as from Australia, Japan, China and the like will arrive into Durban’s new King Shaka airport.
However, one of the lessons learnt from the Confederations Cup is that there needs to be more planning put into how the Park and Ride system will work next year. Concerns not only related to the logistical arrangements and crowd control at pick up points, but also the availability of vehicles and busses.
Although transport issues remain a concern, there are some positive initiatives in this regard which must be supported. The Department of Transport will be bringing in new buses for the World Cup and there are initiatives to train drivers who will operate these busses next year. These busses will form part of the legacy programme of government as they will later be used for local commuter transportation. On the other hand, various role players in the local coach operating sector have also embarked on initiatives to increase their fleet capacity as part of their long term business growth and also to help during the World Cup and this includes the likes of Springbok Atlas (part of Imperial Holdings), Mega Coach and others. According to SAVRALA (South African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association) the vehicle rental sector is also gearing itself for the World Cup by increasing their fleet capacity, while some of them are working with local wheels operators/tour operators to increase their “people mover” vehicle capacity, i.e. mini busses.
Safety and Security
We are pleased with reports that there was no major security breach during the tournament and commend the police for their visibility and prompt response to security concerns that were raised.
However, attention must be given by all concerned parties other than the police to the following areas – security in tourist facilities such as in hotels, restaurants, bars, at tourist attractions and in transportation used. Police and security agents also need to be knowledgeable – be a source of direction and information and be assertive, if we are to deliver a seamless service during the event.
Areas of Attention on Service Ethics
The Confederations Cup also highlighted the need to pay closer attention to our service ethics:
- The ushers at the various event platforms must be well trained, service oriented and knowledgeable
- We must deal with industrial disputes in time before the World Cup to avoid embarrassing the country
- We must offer value for money products and services during the World Cup and avoid over charging visitors across all sectors of our economy!
Home Affairs
We commend the Home Affairs department on some of the improvements they have made so far in addressing problems that have plagued them for some years. We are pleased to note that during the Confederations Cup, the Department of Home Affairs, piloted the concept of an event visa to be issued specifically to tourists from other African countries that have tickets to attend the various matches during the World Cup.
Tourists from Egypt were the first to pilot this type of visa and based on the success of the pilot, this program will be extended to tourists from other parts of the continent. The TBCSA will continue to engage with the Department on new developments pertaining to this visa and other 2010 initiatives that the Department is driving.
For the FIFA World Cup and beyond, a major concern is around staff efficiency, attitudes of border officers and scheduling of personnel to coincide with arrivals and departure of flights. Speedy processing and delivery of VISAs to tourists and overall service to visitors at points of entry into the country should also be looked into.
Displaced Tourists
As South Africa prepares for the 2010 FIFA World Cup there is the risk of the role players forgetting to cater for tourists who may come into the country for their normal leisure purposes – the displaced tourists. There is also the issue of catering for South African holiday makers who will want to take time away from their homes and enjoy the country’s tourist offerings.
A strong message needs to go out into the public and the travel and tourism sector that local travel will still be possible during the World Cup. The travel and tourism private sector needs to work with Cities and Provincial Tourism agencies to promote travel into areas that will not be affected by the World Cup.
“Tourism products need to come up with attractive packages to lure domestic and international tourists to explore our country during the World Cup. There is no need for South Africans to travel outside their own country during the World Cup since the World Cup is not taking place in every locality and town in South Africa”, says Marobe.
At the end of the tournament, FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, gave South Africa an overall score of 7,5 out of 10 for hosting the Confederations Cup. All stakeholders, particularly in the Tourism sector need to take note of the lessons learnt from the Confederations Cup and amplify their efforts in ensuring that our current shortcomings are rectified. “After all, it takes all of us to deliver a successful 2010 World Cup”, Marobe concluded.
My name is Muzi Mohale a full-time travel blogger, your host at Travelwires.com responsible for all editorial on this blog. I blog about the travel and tourism industry in Africa. Apart from blogging about tourism, I also run 
I would like to be part of the service providers in the Western Cape. Please visit my website http://www.ecdistinctivetours.com. Regards Cyril