Archive for the 'Africa' Category

In just one year, on June 11, 2010, the ball will drop on the 19th World Cup of Soccer. Thirty days and sixty four matches later a new World Champion will be crowned and it is every soccer fan’s dream to experience their team achieving this ultimate goal. More than half a million fans from around the world are expected to embark on a pilgrimage to South Africa to be a part of the festivities with wise travelers already snapping up premium positions and making plans to be a part of this first African World Cup.

Well known sports travel specialists, Roadtrips, has a variety of travel packages available for the World Cup including packages based out of Johannesburg, Cape Town, packages to Round Robin matches, Follow Your Team experiences and packages that feature the key Semi-Final and Final matches of the tournament.

“Roadtrips has been preparing for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa for three years; working with local destination management suppliers and acquiring premium accommodations at the best hotels and safari lodges in the country,” says Dave Guenther, Roadtrips President. “From our experience, South Africa is a wonderful place. It’s going to look amazing on television but that won’t remotely compare to how great it will be to be there.”

Roadtrips’ packages for World Cup 2010 feature tickets to your choice of match(es) and premium accommodations at some of South Africa’s top rated hotels including the award winning Grace in Rosebank, The Saxon in Sandton, Johannesburg and, The Cape Grace in Cape Town. Exclusive access to deluxe safari lodges, excursions to top sites like Victoria Falls and a variety of day tours and private guide services are also part of the Roadtrips World Cup program with each traveler having the option of customizing their African experience for their perfect balance between soccer, safaris and other sightseeing.

Packages start from $2,625 USD p.p. based on double occupancy. For more information on Roadtrips’ World Cup package options visit www.roadtrips.com.

A recognized leader in the sports travel industry, Roadtrips has been creating memorable experiences to exciting sporting events and games for over 17 years. Roadtrips offers a wide variety of sports travel packages to the biggest events in sports, including trips to the Super Bowl, World Series, Winter Games and 2010 World Cup of Soccer in South Africa.

Source: Roadtrips

The prospect of playing host in 2010 to the most-watched sports event on earth – the FIFA World Cup™ – is giving South African pride and confidence a solid boost according to the latest market research conducted on FIFA’s behalf. These findings are from the second instalment of a six-wave public opinion survey and show a pronounced upward trend in South Africans’ anticipation of the event as well as a deeper understanding of the benefits it can bring to the host nation.

The results of the survey, which was carried out by international research agency SPORT+MARKT, come just one month before South Africa prepares to host the FIFA Confederations Cup. Given that this tournament is regarded by many as the “championship of champions” and is a major international sporting event, the survey suggests that South Africa is more than ready to embrace world-class football and recognise the legacy such tournaments can leave behind.

The following are key extracts from the findings (percentage point change from the first-wave scores in January 2009 in brackets):

• Big leap in confidence – 83 per cent feel their country will be ready to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup (+10)
• An overwhelming 94 per cent (+6) are proud that South Africa is hosting the competition, with 89 per cent (+8) saying the event will bring long-term benefits to the country
• 92 per cent (+5) believe that hosting the competition will lead to an upgrade in infrastructure, notably public transport, roads and telecommunications
• 90 per cent (+7) believe the FIFA World Cup will improve South Africa’s image abroad
• 96 per cent (+5) expect the competition to be a fillip for the country’s tourism industry
• South Africans are determined to enjoy the FIFA World Cup irrespective of Bafana Bafana’s performance. 86 per cent say their interest is unaffected by the performance of the national team (no comparison as this question was not asked in the first wave).

Lingering doubts do remain, however: 58 per cent of respondents believe that crime will be a concern for visitors to the FIFA World Cup, with the same amount anticipating increased congestion problems in South African cities. Furthermore, 59 per cent have concerns about the possibility of inflated prices in South Africa as a result of the tournament.

NB: This urban representative survey was conducted amongst 1,000 South African respondents in all major cities and 2010 FIFA World Cup Host Cities, with quotas for ethnic origin, age and gender. Interviewing was conducted face-to-face in calendar weeks 13-15.

Mauritius has teamed up with the 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM to join Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and hosts South Africa in a top line-up of accommodation providers. The initiative, which was announced on the occasion of the 2009 Tourism INDABA in Durban by Honourable Xavier Luc Duval, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Leisure and External Communications, Dr. Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee and Jaime Byrom, CEO of MATCH (FIFA’s servicing partner for accommodation), forms part of FIFA’s and the Organising Committee’s objective to host an African World Cup and make sure that the entire Southern African region benefits from the global football showpiece.

“We always said it is Africa’s World Cup. To be part of the 2010 accommodation programme is a great marketing opportunity for the tourism industry in the entire Southern African region to directly benefit from the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Mauritius and the other Southern African countries in the accommodation team have the unique chance to showcase fans from all over the world during the four weeks between 11 June and 11 July 2010 the splendid and diverse landscapes and the incredible hospitality the region has to offer,” explained FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke.

The incorporation of the Southern African countries include the Official Tour Operator Programme as well as the Hospitality Programme managed exclusively through MATCH aiming to ensure that the visitors will be in for a real African treat, enjoying the numerous beautiful attractions the continent and Southern African countries have to offer while experiencing the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“One of the principal objectives of our overall strategy has been to use the 2010 FIFA World Cup as a launching pad to brand and develop the entire region as a preferred tourism and investment destination. Mauritius signing up to the squad further underlines the strong commitment by the entire Southern African region for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The geographic proximity and quality of its hotels is ideal to develop packages to allow fans to fully explore the unique diversity of the Southern African region,” said Danny Jordaan.

“The government and the people of Mauritius are very excited to become an integral part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The excellent quality of our accommodation, our picturesque environment and wonderful beaches, together with the warm and inviting hospitality of the Mauritian people, will give an added experience to the fans,” underlined Honourable Xavier Luc Duval.

With just under 500 days to go until kick-off of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, optimism surrounding South Africa’s role as host of the world’s premier football competition appears to be riding at a high level in the nation. Market research commissioned by FIFA suggests that three out of every four people believe that South Africa will be ready by the time the event starts on 11 June 2010.

According to the first instalment of a six-wave public opinion survey conducted amongst South African citizens by international research company SPORT+MARKT, there is an overwhelming feeling of pride concerning South Africa’s hosting of the tournament; 88 per cent of respondents state they are “proud that South Africa is hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup”. Highlighting the significant social role the event can play in the future of a host nation three-quarters of the sample feel the tournament “will unite the people of South Africa”. What is more, 77 per cent state they are now more confident the tournament will be a success compared to how they felt in 2004, when South Africa was chosen as host for 2010.

The perceived advantages of hosting the tournament are also widely recognised by South Africans. For example, 91 per cent believe the FIFA World Cup will have positive effects on the South African tourism industry, with improvements in the country’s infrastructure such as roads, public transport and telecommunication expected by almost 9 in 10 (87 per cent). The importance of the role of host is also firmly acknowledged with 83 per cent agreeing that “the 2010 FIFA World Cup will improve South Africa’s image abroad”.

At the same time there are several factors that are of concern to South Africans: 58 per cent feel the FIFA World Cup will result in inflated prices for residents; 53 per cent expect increased traffic congestion; and just over half of South Africans (53 per cent) worry about the level of crime during the FIFA World Cup in June and July 2010 (36 per cent disagreed, 11 per cent were unsure).

Despite these concerns, the results of the survey bode well for the FIFA World Cup, with the South African nation appearing to recognise the many advantages of hosting the event. As this survey will be conducted at regular intervals up until the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it will be interesting to track how attitudes develop and fluctuate over this period.

More than 300 African sports journalists will be invited to attend training next year as part of a programme financed by FIFA, world football’s governing body. Training will be provided by the AFP Foundation, an independent, non-profit organisation set up by Agence France-Presse, one of the three global news agencies.

Reporters and photographers from all 53 countries in Africa will gather twice in eight cities, each time for a week-long course. The courses will form part of FIFA’s Win in Africa with Africa project, launched after South Africa was chosen to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

“I firmly believe that the 2010 FIFA World Cup represents a unique opportunity to create positive social change across Africa” said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, who signed an agreement with AFP Foundation Director Robert Holloway on Tuesday.

“Four years ago, when FIFA announced that South Africa would host the 2010 tournament, we set out to ensure that long after the FIFA World Cup™ final in Johannesburg, there would be a legacy left not only for African football, but also for African society in general. We set out to achieve this with the partnership and active participation of the local population, and this programme is an example of such cooperation coming to fruition.”

Speaking on behalf of the AFP Foundation’s President, Pierre Louette, Mr Holloway said: “We are proud that FIFA has asked us to take part in Win in Africa with Africa, a project with a similar philosophy to ours. Their idea is not so much to give aid to Africa as to provide the continent with the tools to progress and develop. We aspire to give journalists skills which they can pass on to their colleagues and to future generations. Our mission is to teach those who may become tomorrow’s teachers.”

The training will be given by AFP football correspondents or photographers, working in four languages: Arabic, English, French and Portuguese. The courses will be scheduled to coincide with the qualifying rounds for the FIFA World Cup™ and the Africa Cup of Nations in the first and second halves of the year. Between these, the AFP Foundation will provide some online instruction via its website.

The EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, has promised financial support for the project, which should give a new impetus to relations between Europe and Africa. The EU recognises the important contribution that football can make to education and peace in Africa and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FIFA to that effect in Berlin on 9 July 2006.

Set up in July 2007, the AFP Foundation has worked with a variety of partners, including the UN Development Programme and the European Reconstruction Agency. Its most recent project was a ground-breaking course on objective reporting in conflict zones, delivered in Beirut last month.

2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw for Asia
Top two from each group go through to fourth round of qualifying, where the 10 teams are drawn into two groups of five. The winners and runners up of each group qualify for World Cup 2010, while the two third placed teams playoff against each other to earn the right to playoff against (and probably beat) a team from Oceania (probably New Zealand) for a World Cup spot.

2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw for CONCACAF
The 12 winners of these ties get drawn into three groups of four. The top two from each group advance to a final six team round robin. From there, the top three teams get World Cup glory, with the fourth place team facing a scary playoff against a South American team.

2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw for Africa
The 12 group winners and eight best runners-up go through to a second group stage, where the 20 teams are placed into five groups of four. The five group winners go to the finals. African teams have to work hard to qualify.

2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw for Europe
All 53 UEFA member associations entered the draw for the FIFA World Cup. There are eight groups of six teams and one of five, with each side playing home and away against the others in the section. The nine group winners will advance to the 2010 finals in South Africa, while the eight best runners-up will contest four play-off matches to determine Europe’s other four finalists.