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Transport 'key to 2010 success'
04/12/2007 21:02 - (SA)
Durban - KwaZulu-Natal tourism bosses on Tuesday warned that the success of the 2010 Fifa World Cup would hinge on public transport as well as on safety and security issues.
Speaking at the 2007 KwaZulu-Natal provincial tourism conference in Durban, the KwaZulu-Natal arts, culture and tourism MEC Weziwe Thusi said that the success of the tournament would have a long lasting impact on the country's tourism industry.
"A football game lasts only 90 minutes. The rest of the time they (foreign football fans) will be wondering around our land.
"We want them to enjoy their experience so they return again and again."
She warned that the 2010 Fifa World Cup should not be viewed as "an opportunity to make a fast buck" and that South Africa should be wary of developing a reputation of "unscrupulously ripping off tourists".
"The last thing we want to see is thousands of disgruntled football fans," she said.
The two-day conference will focus on public transport.
Durban's Deputy Mayor Logie Naidoo told delegates South Africa needed to "jack up its public transport".
University of Pretoria's Professor Ernie Heath said that South African tourism operators would have to start selling "experiences" and not "destinations".
He added that crisis management and contingency planning needed to be a key element of South Africa's tourism planning.
He said that while tour operators would focus on tourists' well-being during 2010, the well-being of South Africans should not be ignored.
"It must be a win-win situation," he said.
- SAPA
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