South Africa Almost Ready For World Cup
The British government has recently given a series of tips for England football fans who will be heading towards the World Cup competition in South Africa.
Amongst these are the following: they’re recommending to be aware of wild animals while driving; the winters in South Africa are quiet cold to camp comfortably in some areas; and stopping to help a motorist in trouble may turn out to be a carjacking.
England supporters, a notoriously unreconstructed and faithful bunch, will definitively need more than the odd stray mammal, frosty night in the tent or the rare car scam to keep them at bay.
An exact estimate of the number of tourists expected for the event is at the moment impossible to predict, although consultancy company Grant Thornton has given 480,000 visitors as a rough ball park number with $1.2bn in spending money.
This figure would also include visits from neighboring African nations, a factor more difficult to gauge. Grant Thornton has estimated surrounding country visitors will be at around 150,000, with most of these likely to be ticketless and possibly wanting to watch matches at large fan parks featuring huge outdoor screens in some northern city.
The South African tourism industry is rejoicing at the prospects whatever the outcome will be.
The country’s two major air facilities, the Johannesburg and Cape Town airports, both boast a modern and pristine quality to them, and officials at SA customs are efficient and friendly.
In terms of accommodation, there is a confidence stemming from the 35 new developments which have taken root during the past few years. Authorities feel that the total of hotels, guesthouses, university rooms and a homestay programmes should prove to be sufficient to accommodate all visitors.
The total number of hotel rooms in South Africa has been estimated at between 200,000 and 260,000.
Still, some services need to catch up: train services need to be improved and the major cities have to establish commuter bus routes. Plans surrounding the transportation of football fans around the country remain work in progress.