Pretoria - Travel packages for the 2010 Soccer World Cup are selling like hot cakes, according to tourism services group Tourvest.
The group responded to an enquiry after Reuters reported that Fifa had already sold hospitality packages worth R1.5bn for the tournament, which is more than those for the corresponding period preceding the 2006 Soccer World Cup in Germany.
Group executive director Khehla Mthembu says Tourvest made an early decision to focus its marketing on Fifa sponsors. These companies each get an allocation of tickets to the tournament, which means that they can book transport, accommodation and other services at any institution.
Match, Fifa's agent for, into alia, accommodation and tournament tickets, has the sole right to sell tickets, and it is not selling tickets to foreigners unless their flights and accommodation in South Africa have been reserved.
This puts Match in a commanding position with regard to providing travel and accommodation packages in South Africa.
By focusing on sponsors that already have tournament tickets, Tourvest sidesteps Match's hold on the market. Mthembu declined to mention figures, but said that Tourvest's packages have so far been well received.
The group has five hotels that it can use, but has also entered into contracts for accommodation at smaller, independent hotels.
He said that not only Match, but other groups wishing to emulate Tourvest, had vied for these hotel rooms. But the group had also reserved accommodation at some of the large hotel groups that had rooms apart from those offered to Match.
Tourvest will handle all its clients' countrywide logistical arrangements, including flights, road transport, food and entertainment.
The group has had to outsource many of these tasks, giving preference to smaller enterprises.
Match recently, in the words of the chairperson of its advisory committee, accused smaller, independent hotel groups of endangering the success of the tournament by not making their rooms available to Match. They were also accused of being obsessed with excessive profit.
SA Tourism chief executive Moeketsi Mosola responded by saying Match was adopting bullying tactics.
- Sake24