Durban in Lonely Planet top 10

Durban has been listed as one of the top 10 family beach holiday cities in the world by travel publishing heavyweight Lonely Planet.

The South African east coast city shares the prestigious list with the likes of Kauai in Hawaii, Cottlesloe in Australia, Karon Beach in Thailand, Portugal's Tavira, Mexico's Sayulita and Bali's Sanur in the latest edition of Lonely Planet's "Travel with Children".

The new book, which hit US bookstores last week, is the fifth in the popular series first published in 1985.

"Durban resembles a gigantic resort holiday paradise, raised for the sole purpose of entertaining families," the Lonely Planet publication says of the city in its section on South Africa. "Lined with safe beaches watched over by lifeguards, the Golden Mile is great for swimming, snorkelling and water sports."

SA tourism grows despite global slump

More than 9.5 million foreign tourists spent R74.2 billion in South Africa last year, according to Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk on Thursday.
This was 23.5 percent more than foreign tourists spent the year before, an increase that was "especially encouraging", he said in a statement. Foreign tourists spent R60.1 billion in 2007. A total of 9,591,828 foreigners visited South Africa last year, compared to 9,090,881 in 2007. In a statement ,van Schalkwyk said, "The South African industry continued to perform well in spite of pressures exerted by the global financial crisis that had seen growth in the global industry shrink to 1.3 per cent last year. South Africa had recorded 5.5 per cent arrivals growth over the period."“I am especially encouraged by the fact that foreign direct spend in 2008 had grown by an estimated 23.5 per cent, bringing the total revenue generated by tourism to more than R356 billion since 2003," he added. Regional and short-haul tourists remained the largest and most lucrative market. The most popular provinces visited by foreign tourists last year were Gauteng and the Western Cape, which snared 32.3 percent and 26.9 percent of visitor nights respectively. The third most popular province was KwaZulu-Natal, with 10.7 percent of visitor nights.Looking towards to the future Van Schalkwyk said the hosting of sporting events, such as the Indian Premier League, the ICC Champions Trophy, the British and Irish Lions Tour, the Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, will bode well for the country’s tourism industry. "These events will help the industry weather the global economic storm and it gives us an opportunity to prove our global competitiveness. Our successful hosting of these events will also entrench South Africa both as a capable and a desirable leisure destination," the Minister said.

More than 9.5 million foreign tourists spent R74.2 billion in South Africa last year, according to Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk on Thursday.

This was 23.5 percent more than foreign tourists spent the year before, an increase that was "especially encouraging", he said in a statement. Foreign tourists spent R60.1 billion in 2007.

A total of 9,591,828 foreigners visited South Africa last year, compared to 9,090,881 in 2007. In a statement ,van Schalkwyk said, "The South African industry continued to perform well in spite of pressures exerted by the global financial crisis that had seen growth in the global industry shrink to 1.3 per cent last year. South Africa had recorded 5.5 per cent arrivals growth over the period.

"“I am especially encouraged by the fact that foreign direct spend in 2008 had grown by an estimated 23.5 per cent, bringing the total revenue generated by tourism to more than R356 billion since 2003," he added.

Regional and short-haul tourists remained the largest and most lucrative market. The most popular provinces visited by foreign tourists last year were Gauteng and the Western Cape, which snared 32.3 percent and 26.9 percent of visitor nights respectively. The third most popular province was KwaZulu-Natal, with 10.7 percent of visitor nights.

Looking towards to the future Van Schalkwyk said the hosting of sporting events, such as the Indian Premier League, the ICC Champions Trophy, the British and Irish Lions Tour, the Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, will bode well for the country’s tourism industry.

"These events will help the industry weather the global economic storm and it gives us an opportunity to prove our global competitiveness. Our successful hosting of these events will also entrench South Africa both as a capable and a desirable leisure destination," the Minister said.

Source: http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/tourism/sa_tourism_grows_despite_global_slump.html

SA's World Cup welcome suffers from shortage of hotels

South Africa on Friday promised England fans a warm welcome at the 2010 World Cup but fears persist over a high crime rate, extortionate hotel prices and inadequate public transport. As the scramble for flights, accommodation and match tickets began in earnest, visitors were urged to use official tour operators and beware scams. The local World Cup organising committee insisted that all fans were welcome and space would be found for everyone.

Fifa's accommodation agency is believed to be facing a deficit of 9 000 hotel rooms for the half-million international visitors expected. Thirty-five hotels are being built and space has even been booked in neighbouring countries including Mauritius, which would entail a 17-hour round trip to see one match.

Prices for hotels and guest houses in the smaller host cities have already rocketed by up to five times. Rates vary from R1 000 to R30 000 per night, with luxury suites rising to R49 000, the Star newspaper reported. One beach villa was asking R75 000 a night. A shock could also be in store for impulsive fans who pitch up with a tent and hope for the best.

The tournament will take place during the South African winter when temperatures can plunge well below zero at night.Mkhondo said that more than 6 000 hotels had now been officially graded and would be available to supporters. "We have no worries about accommodation at all," he said, although he did acknowledge that fans may face long commutes. "There will be an aviation lift. If, for example, a game is played in Bloemfontein, there will be planes taking off up to midnight to get fans back. There will be some negotiation with the airlines over prices.

But Heidi Holland, an author and owner of the the Melville House hotel in Johannesburg, said: "Accommodation is going be a problem. The organisers are relying a lot on small operators like me. A lot of people have been contacting me asking to stay a few days but my instinct is to hold off for now. People are a little bit at sea."

Source: Mail & Guardian 11 September 2009

World Cup Prices

IN July we were in Pietermaritzburg visiting our parents and took the opportunity to do some forward planning for next year: a family reunion, when our daughters with their husbands will be joining us to visit and attend a few of the 2010 Soccer World Cup games.

We thought we would try to find a place close by to stay and we were recommended the new Regal Inn Xpress in Scottsville, which is only five minutes from our parents. We visited the inn and asked for prices for next year and were quoted R420 for a double room per night, which we thought very reasonable.

As our plans weren’t completed by then, we waited to make a reservation. I sent an e-mail on August 11 inquiring about the availability of two rooms for nine days in June 2010. Apparently, the Regal Inn Xpress has increased its room rate for the period of the World Cup to R1 200 per night. This is outrageous, especially in a city where there are no games being played. How can this be allowed to happen?

We shall also travel to the Drakensberg, Johannesburg and Kruger National Park. Although bookings have been difficult to secure we have managed it and the rates have been reasonable with only slight increases in airfares from Canada, accommodation and car rental.

This ripping off of the world is not a good advertisement for South African tourism.

JOHN AND ERICA GILBY Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Source: The Witness 10 September 2009

Thumbs up for World Cup: Survey

Tuesday, 08 September 2009

South Africans' confidence about the country's ability to successfully host the 2010 Fifa World Cup is at a record high, a survey released on Tuesday found.

Eighty-seven percent of those polled were convinced the country would be ready to host the competition, research company SPORT+MARKT found. This was the highest level of confidence shown since the first study, conducted in December 2008, when 73 percent of respondents declared their confidence, followed by 83 percent in March.

Ninety-one percent of those questioned said the spectacle would improve public infrastructure, while another 97 percent said it would strengthen the country's tourism industry.

The study indicated that 66 percent believed crime would be an issue for visitors to the tournament, compared to the 58 percent who thought so in March.

The number of interviewees who believed local businesses would inflate prices during the tournament rose from 59 percent in March to 77 percent.

Half the respondents said transport infrastructure was below par, up from 42 percent who thought so in March.The survey was conducted amongst 1004 people in all major cities and World Cup host cities, with quotas for ethnic origin, age and gender.

Interviews were conducted on a face-to-face basis. According to the research the higher scores could be attributed to an increased awareness of the World Cup due to media coverage, and the performance of the national team in the Confederations Cup.

"The scores reflect a higher sensitivity to all aspects of hosting the World Cup and an anxious enthusiasm to put on a good show for the watching world," read the report.

Source: http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/countdown_to_2010/thumbs_up_for_world_cup_survey.html

South Africa - the leading economy in the world?

Since the end of apartheid South Africa has become a world economic powerhouse. But how are the country's businesses placed to deal with the global recession? asks CNBC European Business.Time was, not long ago, when South Africa was a pariah, isolated from the world and cut off from international sport, theatre, music and business. Fifteen years into its new era of democracy, it is back in the fold of the international community. The same is true for the country's role in the wider business world. Multinational investors are back; but more and more, South Africa is becoming a net exporter of its own companies.According to African Business magazine, 15 out of the top 16 companies on the continent are South African, as are 54 out of the top 90. And the companies in the former apartheid state are flexing their muscles and finding new markets in Africa and across the world."South Africa is probably the leading economy in the world," says Dr Martyn Davies, chief executive of Frontier Advisory, a research and strategy company working in frontier and emerging markets and director of the Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University. "No other country of our size and economic ranking has produced as many globally successful Fortune 500 companies as we have. The only comparable country is South Korea. There is a phenomenal ability for South African companies to grow and go global from South Africa. No other comparably sized emerging market has been able to succeed in doing that; not even the Chinese, not even the Indians."
For more on this story, visit the CNBC European Business website.

Source: http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/economy/south_africa_the_leading_economy_in_the_world_.html