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PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD |
After taking care of 323 000 guests at the 2006 World Cup, FIFA and its partner MATCH Hospitality AG, have set their sights of South Africa. Jaime Byrom, Executive Chairman of MATCH Hospitality AG, is determined to ensure that the 2010 hospitality programme will leave a lasting legacy in South Africa. Project 2010 asked him…  Hospitality Packages for the 2010 FIFA World Cup will go on sale in South Africa in June, for an average price of $1450. Is this a fair figure for the local supporter? The overall average price per person/per match for Hospitality Packages is $1450. The tentative prices announced by MATCH Hospitality compare well with Hospitality Packages provided for previous FIFA World Cups or other world-class sports events. The prices charged in the domestic market will be the same globally. The advantage South African residents will have is that they will not incur the travel and accommodation costs that non-South African residents will incur. The Final Round Series will cost $3500 (R27 497) to $6000 (R47 139) for watching the FIFA World Cup Final, Semi-finals and the Quarter-finals. How does this compare with previous FIFA World Cup tournaments? The tentative prices disclosed by MATCH represent approximately 61% of the prices charged for comparable Hospitality Packages for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Benchmarked to this and other relevant international sporting events, these prices can be considered as reasonable but also clearly reflect the very special nature of the FIFA World Cup as the leading sports event in the world. MATCH has to date contracted 22 000 Hotel Rooms for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Are you satisfied with the response so far? MATCH has a target of 55 000 contracted rooms. Approximately 32 000 rooms, including hotel and non-hotel rooms are currently contracted. The response from hotel and non-hotel establishments has therefore been very positive. MATCH's contracting activities, in partnership with the Departments of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Tourism Enterprise Programme and the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa, are underway and continue to increase the number of MATCH contracted rooms. Botswana and Swaziland have also provided a small allocation of rooms - 157 and 329 respectively. What about the other Southern African Development Community states - where do they stand in terms of 2010 allocations? MATCH has been engaging with neighbouring countries on the contracting of accommodation. The intention is to increase the number of contracted rooms in these neighbouring countries. Giving their proximity to South Africa, logistical challenges are reduced. It is unlikely that MATCH will contract accommodation in SADC countries that do not neighbour South Africa, particularly given the transport logistics that would be required to make full use of this accommodation. How do the numbers of rooms that are currently contracted compare to these contracted in respect of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany? South Africa is a medium - long haul destination and Germany is landlocked in Central Europe so that the accommodation demands of the two tournaments are different. We have targeted 55 000 rooms as meeting the requirement for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and we are confident that this will be reached. What do you see as the biggest obstacles facing your organisation with regards to 2010? The successful implementation of MATCH's accommodation strategy, which entails the use of accommodation in host cities and satellite accommodation areas requires a supportive road and air transport service. MATCH has been working closely with South Africa's Department of Transport towards addressing its needs in this regard. The Department has been extremely helpful and is currently in the process of providing MATCH with the required air and ground transport services. more interviews...
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