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The FIFA World Cup tour will play a great role in promoting Tanzania and its tourist attractions internationally, a senior sports official has said.

The Director of Sports in the Ministry of Information, Culture and Sports, Leonard Thadeo, said in an interview yesterday the tour of the authentic World Cup Trophy provides Tanzania with a good opportunity to promote itself internationally.

?Apart from promoting our tourist attractions, the tour will also motivate our young soccer players to improve their skills and strive to qualify for the prestigious FIFA World Cup finals,? Thadeo said.

The Trophy’s visit, which is sponsored by Coca-Cola Company, is the second in the country after the previous one in 2006.

Thadeo said Tanzania’s history of being a peaceful country, coupled with its hospitality, contributed to its being chosen as one of the two African nations that hosted the trophy for the first time in 2006.

?Tanzanians have always received guests in the most positive manner, a culture that is heightened by the foundations of peace, solidarity and harmony that the people of Tanzania have shared for many years,? he said.

?This has motivated and convinced people visiting Tanzania to come back, as well as want to live and work here.?

Thadeo said Tanzania stands to gain a lot from the forthcoming tour.

?Normally, during such high-profile visits, international media organisations keep a close watch on the countries which host the Trophy. This time the media attention will promote Tanzania at the international level,? he said.

?The FIFA World Cup Trophy will also promote our new Olympic standard National Stadium. In what is called sports tourism, foreign soccer teams will realise the potential to come to Tanzania and set-up training camps here and, in the process, visit our tourist attractions and other important sites.

?Such visits will greatly benefit Tanzanians as foreign teams will be a new source of income to Tanzanians who engage in the hospitality industry as well as the service and merchandise industries. International recording artists will also come to Tanzania and stage music concerts at the ultra-modern National Stadium.?

On the 2010 World Cup to be held in Africa for the first time, Thadeo said it provides the continent’s soccer talents the opportunity to showcase their skills and earn contracts abroad.

?New talents will be discovered and will be given the chance to work as professional soccer players, either in Africa or outside the continent,? Thadeo said.

He agreed with views of some stakeholders that the country could quality for the FIFA World Cup finals within the next ten years.

?According to FIFA world rankings, Tanzania has risen 79 positions within the last five years -- from being number 172 to number 93 -- which is something even more professional teams have not been able to achieve. This shows that within the next ten years we will rise above the ranks and be able to qualify for the World Cup finals,? he said.

Thadeo thanked the government for supporting sports development in the country by paying the costs of all foreign coaches assigned to the national athletics, soccer, boxing and judo teams.

?The government has also created a conducive environment for firms and individuals wishing to invest in sports to do so peacefully and without difficulties,? he said.

The new announcement is just in time for travelers seeking alternative airlines to the FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg, with V Australia flights beginning in March 2010.

Operating a brand new fleet of Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, V Australia offers three classes of service, including International Business, International Premium Economy and International Economy.

Flights from Johannesburg to Melbourne are scheduled for take off March 13, 2010 and will operate twice a week, with connections to other Australian cities including Sydney and Brisbane.

V Australia also announced plans to offer “super specials” to Australia shortly, increasing competition for flights between South Africa and Australia.

Visit www.vaustralia.com.au.

Johannesburg or the City of Gold, as the city is known in South Africa, is the business hub of South Africa, contributing a substantial part of the country's GDP approximately 12%. The City is home to two of the country's most popular football teams and historical arch-rivals, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. Johannesburg is also known as the economic engine of Southern Africa and the trendsetter of South Africa. It is a melting pot laced with all the flavours of African cultures and beyond

Despite the hustle and bustle of the big city, Jo'burg is unexpectedly green and orientated towards outdoor living. It has a wealth of trees creating an 'urban forest', and many of the trees are located in the 2328 parks.

Cultural wealth is also in abundance, with a host of interesting museums including the Apartheid Museum, Constitution Hill and the living memory of the South Western Townships, which include the world acclaimed Soweto. The Mai Mai Market is the oldest market in Johannesburg and is a great place to discover traditional remedies. But more than that, Johannesburg has become a truly African city, melding disparate people from across the continent with the descendents of the original Tswana and Ndebele inhabitants and the European, Indian and Chinese settlers. {#}

Today descendents of immigrants from around the world call themselves Joburgers and they are added to daily by a continual stream of migrants, keen to have some of the city's shine rub off on them.

History

The Tswana name for Johannesburg is eGoli, a place of gold. The San and Stone Age people were the first inhabitants of the area. The face of the area changed when an Australian gold prospector generated interest in the mineral wealth beneath the surface. Johannesburg became a city in 1886, during the beginning of the Witwatersrand Gold Rush.

The city also became a political hotspot during the apartheid years. Soweto was an important instrument in the liberation of South Africa. In 1955, many anti-apartheid movements met in Kliptown, Soweto to sign the Freedom Charter. The Charter enshrined the belief in equality for all. It also became the working document for the current Constitution of South Africa.

Football

A heartland of South African football, Johannesburg is the backbone of the professional game. The majority of professional clubs come from the city and its surrounds. The professional football outfits from the city are: Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Jomo Cosmos, BidVest Wits and one of the oldest clubs in the country, Moroka Swallows.

The city centre has been at the core of football development in South Africa. Professional football was formed in the offices of the old Rand Daily Mail newspaper in 1958. In later years, football unity talks took place at the old Rand International Hotel. Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Jomo Cosmos and the now defunct Highlands Park, Rangers and Lusitano have all been championship-winning clubs.

A match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, which is dubbed as the ‘Soweto Derby' in South Africa, is the biggest drawcard in the country. Everytime the two meet, they attract a capacity crowd and their rivarly has been well documented throughout the decades.

Jo'burg is home to some of the country's most prized talent that include, Jomo Sono,Kaizer Motaung, Ace Ntsoelengoe, Doctor Khumalo, Lucas Radebe and many others. Sono played with Pele and Franz Beckenbauer at New York Cosmos.

Ntsoelengoe is revered as one of the greatest football players ever to be produced in South African football. He enjoyed immense success in the NASL.

The Premier League-based Wits University (now called BidVest Wit) are a team based at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Due to their location, the team is affectionately known as the 'Clever Boys' or the ‘Students'..

Johanesburg has hosted major games before including the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, which was won by South Africa beating Tunisia 2-0 at Soccer City. The Ellis Park Stadium, situated in the heart of Johannesburg, hosted the historic 1995 Rugby World Cup where South Africa were crowned as the rugby world champions.

The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Molefi Sefularo will outline the Department of Health's plans for travel tourism for the 2010 FIFA World Cup to the South African Health Tourism Congress 2009 on Wednesday this week.

"There is much scope for collaboration between the medical, tourism, hospital and travel industries. We will also be exploring possible support and collaboration that can be provided by other departments," said the Deputy Minister of Health Dr Molefi Sefularo.

An estimated 300 delegates representing health and medical facilitators, hospitals and healthcare providers, dentists and doctors, government representatives are expected to attend the Congress, to be held at the Sandton Convention Centre.

The Congress' key outcome will be the formation of a Health Tourism Cluster. It seeks to stimulate the inbound health tourism market in South Africa and foster greater sector cooperation and alignment. It also offers an ideal platform to position South Africa, as a destination of choice for medical and cosmetic procedures. The Congress is being held in partnership with the Department of Health.

Reports from South Africa say that despite the global recession, the country still expects between 430,000 and 460,000 international visitors to travel to South Africa for the FIFA World Cup™ next year.

South African Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Marthinus van Schalkwyk said, "It is our view, and also the view of the tour operators we have spoken to, that the economic recession will not have an impact on visitors to the 2010 FIFA World Cup," speaking at a briefing at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa's head office, SAFA House.

He added, "We predict that South Africa will also experience a slowdown but as a country we expect to do better than the global average and outperform our competitors."

Five years ago South Africa predicted that visitors to the country would grow to 10 million by 2010 and despite a change in economic climate the country still expects to reach it next year thanks to a focused international marketing campaign and increased air traffic into the country.

Van Schalkwyk said, "In the last couple of years we have seen a substantial increase in tourist numbers coming to South Africa. A total of 9.5 million tourists visited South Africa last year and there is no question that by next year we will reach the 10 million mark”.

The country is also confident that it has the accommodation facilities for the nearly half a million expected visitors to the country, as well as domestic tourists, during the tournament.
He said, "FIFA requires 55,000 graded rooms a night for the FIFA family during the tournament and South Africa has over 100,000 graded rooms in the country and hundreds of thousands of ungraded rooms."

However, many of these rooms are outside of the nine host cities where the tournament will take place, therefore satellite accommodation areas will be created and fans transported in and out of these areas on match days, with added land and air transport facilities made available.

This is apparently not unusual as many fans at the FIFA World Cup in Germany came in from neighbouring European countries on match days.

Van Schalkwyk said, "As we have always said, this is an African World Cup and accommodation in neighbouring countries, such as Swaziland and Botswana, will also be used.” “We are also putting up luxury tented camps in game reserves around the country".

Sports and Recreation Minister Makhenkesi Stofile, said "South Africa must embrace this wave of positive sentiment and use it to our advantage.” “There were many doubters before the FIFA Confederations Cup but even those who have since admitted they were sceptical have given us very positive feedback.” {#}

Getting a large group to the 2010 Football World Cup Finals in South Africa could not be easier. Global Aviation Holdings (Global), through its wholly-owned subsidiaries World Airways (World) and North American Airlines (North American) can arrange world-wide charter flights for fans, packagers, brokers, or any large group on one of our Boeing 757, Boeing 767ER, DC10-30, and MD-11 aircraft, respectively.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup takes place June 11 through July 11 in nine cities across South Africa including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Bloemfontein, Rustenburg and Pretoria. The World Cup is watched by football fans world-wide, and seeing it live is an experience like no other.

Global is a world wide leader when it comes to chartering flights for sporting events, college and professional sports teams, U.S. government agencies and VIPs. We are confident we can offer your large group of football.

South Africa still expects between 430 000 and 460 000 international visitors to come to the country for the FIFA World Cup™ next year.

This despite an economic recession which has seen a decline in tourism numbers of 6 per cent worldwide this year, according to South African Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Marthinus van Schalkwyk.

"It is our view, and also the view of the tour operators we have spoken to, that the economic recession will not have an impact on visitors to the 2010 FIFA World Cup," said Van Schalkwyk at a briefing at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa's head office, SAFA House, earlier today.

"We predict that South Africa will also experience a slowdown but as a country we expect to do better than the global average and outperform our competitors."

Five years ago South Africa predicted that visitors to the country would grow to 10 million by 2010. Despite a change in economic climate since that target was made, the country still expects to reach it next year thanks to a focused international marketing campaign and increased air traffic into the country.

"In the last couple of years we have seen a substantial increase in tourist numbers coming to South Africa. A total of 9.5 million tourists visited South Africa last year and there is no question that by next year we will reach the 10 million mark," said Van Schalkwyk.

The country is also confident that it has the accommodation facilities for the nearly half a million expected visitors to the country, as well as domestic tourists, during the tournament.


In the last couple of years we have seen a substantial increase in tourist numbers coming to South Africa. A total of 9.5 million tourists visited South Africa last year and there is no question that by next year we will reach the 10 million mark
South African Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Marthinus van Schalkwyk


"FIFA requires 55,000 graded rooms a night for the FIFA family during the tournament. South Africa has over 100,000 graded rooms in the country and hundreds of thousands of ungraded rooms," explained Van Schalkwyk.

However, many of these rooms are outside of the nine host cities where the tournament will take place. Therefore satellite accommodation areas will be created and fans transported in and out of these areas on match days, with added land and air transport facilities made available. This is not unusual - many fans at the FIFA World Cup in Germany came in from neighbouring European countries on match days.

"As we have always said, this is an African World Cup and accommodation in neighbouring countries, such as Swaziland and Botswana, will also be used. We are also putting up luxury tented camps in game reserves around the country," said Van Schalkwyk.

Also in attendance at the briefing, Sports and Recreation Minister Makhenkesi Stofile, reflected on a successful FIFA Confederations Cup saying that South Africa should capitalise on the good spirit it had created.

"South Africa must embrace this wave of positive sentiment and use it to our advantage. There were many doubters before the FIFA Confederations Cup but even those who have since admitted they were skeptical have given us very positive feedback," said Stofile. {#}

“Speaking about the forthcoming FIFA World Cup, people tend to believe that our global advocacy is about the World Cup, no! To us, the competition is only just a tool to serve as the hook for drawing tourists into South Africa,” Dhlomo explained to Nigerian trade and media partners at SA Tourism’s annual Africa Trade workshop in Lagos.

According to him, “We are using the competition to say, look; apart from the World Cup, there is a lot you can see in South Africa; a lot in terms of South African wines; its unique and breathtaking sights. We want them to come and stay beyond the competition and still want to call back after then.”

Reviewing SA Tourism’s global marketing drive, Dhlomo said Africa has become the centre piece of its destination marketing efforts owing to the fact that statistics of visitors from Europe indicate that arrivals from the European continent have reached its peak.

“Most European markets have reached their peak and that is why we are focusing more on the continent. We have begun intensive marketing drive in the continent and Nigeria is very critical in these efforts”, Dhlomo told his audience at the trade and corporate break fast, which was the prelude to the three-pronged events that took place that day.

Dhlomo said Nigeria, with 11 per cent of total arrivals from Africa, has become a unique and important market to SA Tourism because of what he termed, “consistent improvement in arrival figures from Nigeria recorded in the last seven years.”

Appreciable improvements

He further disclosed that, “all arrival indicators from Nigeria have shown appreciable improvements in all classes of travelers from Nigeria. Nigerians are the biggest spenders in Africa, apart from Angola. Most visitors from Nigeria are business travelers making Nigeria, a core markets and we intend to make them stay longer than their business trips."

South Africa Airways’ (SAA) Head; North, Central and West Africa, Aaron Munetsi said the airline is scheduled to open a dedicated Premium Passengers’ Lounge in September at Murtala Mohammed International, Lagos as part of its efforts to improve on its ground services to premium class passengers.

Munetsi disclosed that Nigeria is an important country in its global network which has been making profit for the airline since it began flight service to the country from South Africa in 1998, adding that “the country is one of the only two countries where the airline fly the Boeing 747-400 aircraft configured in three cabins of First, Business and Economy. {#}

South Africa Tourism is all set to attract more tourists to the country during FIFA World Cup 2010. South Africa is the host country for a month-long Football extravaganza, scheduled from June 11- July 11, 2010.

According to report in www.engineeringnews.co.za, Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, Tourism Minister, South Africa said that during the FIFA World Cup 2010, South Africa expects three-five million participants, of which one-three million are expected to be tourist participants. About 4, 45, 000 participants are expected to be foreign arrivals. South African Tourism estimates that FIFA World Cup 2010 will generate a tourism revenue of Rand 15 billion for the country.

Schalkwyk said that South Africa’s ability to host world events had been proved through successfully hosting the Indian Premier League, FIFA Confederation Cup and more recently the British Lions Tour.