Mixed Cup fortunes for tourism

Johannesburg - Although the World Cup created great anticipation among tourism enterprises, few regions saw their expectations surpassed.

Rural areas like Rustenburg, Polokwane, the Lowveld and Free State, in particular, feel that tourists visited their areas on match days, but based themselves in urban areas.

Cape Town Tourism communications manager Skye Grove reckons reservations were less than expected.

Bookings for accommodation in Cape Town during the tournament averaged 55%, although guest houses and hotels closer to the stadium reflected occupancies of 90% over the last two weeks.

International arrivals at Cape Town Airport were 44% higher than over the same period last year, with domestic arrivals 10% up.

Marilyn Mienie, chairperson of the Rustenburg Accommodation & Tourism Association (Rata), said weekends had been fairly busy while weekdays were quiet, except when matches had been played.

This view was shared by Polokwane and Lowveld businesses.

The Free State had achieved mixed success. A total of 34 030 visitors, many of whom were German and Dutch, had passed through the portals of the Golden Gate Highland National Park.

Bethlehem experienced huge disappointment when a FIFA-accredited travel agency's fraud was uncovered. The losses suffered by Bethlehem lodgings amounted to about R400 000.

Unfortunately for Bloemfontein's guest houses and hotels, most soccer tourists flew in for matches and then immediately out again.

Johannesburg business people were highly impressed by the response. Tourist attractions, in particular, drew great interest.

Nawaal Patel, operations manager of the Apartheid Museum, said the museum had attracted 6 000 visitors a day during the first two weeks of the World Cup, whereas 400 to 500 people usually passed through it in 24 hours.

 - Fin24.com