World cup bookings lower than expected for SA | Florida Statesman

World cup bookings lower than expected for SA

Florida Statesman Saturday 22nd May, 2010

It is just weeks now until the opening game of the FIFA World Cup on June 11th, the stadiums are finished, the infrastructure expansion projects are complete and thousands of South African businesses stand ready to cash-in on the event, but some analysts are predicting a flop.

The local organizing committee in South Africa of the FIFA World Cup have conceded that the number of hotel and flight booking made in advance have been lower than expected, only 100,000 to 200,00 visitors are now expected, down from a high of around 500,000 when South Africa first won the bid to host the prestigious event.

“We will probably see around 300,000 international arrivals for the World Cup - just under or just more than that,” South African tourism minister, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, announced in a World Cup readiness briefing, contradicting lower estimates.

“It may be a little bit less than what we expected...but four years ago nobody expected the global recession,” he added.

Many small businesses now stand to lose out as money spent on expansions and upgrades of bed and breakfasts and restaurants may not be recouped during the month-long tournament, which will see games held in ten different cities.

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