'Sports serve SA well'

Johannesburg - South Africa's strategy to expand into sports tourism has served the country well in the recession.

That's according Michael Tatalias, CEO of the South African Tourism Services Association, who spoke to Chris Gibbons on Fin24's AM Stock Take.

"In a down economy, a sport tourist is more resilient than a leisure tourist," said Tatalias.

Tatalias said that South Africa's strategy in the past was to attract foreign tourists looking to escape the northern hemisphere winter to Cape Town.

These leisure tourists are typically a family unit of four travelling on one income; numbers tend to drop drastically during economic downturns.

Sports tourists are typically older couples or groups of younger men and tend to be less responsive to a decrease in disposable income.

"We have been fortunate to have some really big events come through this year which have helped to keep us afloat and provide some padding," he said.

Tatalias said that South Africa should use 2010 as an opportunity to bid for more sports events such as the Olympics and the Rugby World Cup.

"In the recession there is a lot less marketing from competitor destinations like Australia," he said. "After 2010 we will have to work harder at creating new events, but we do have the advantage of having been in the world's mind for a significant amount of time."

- Fin24.com