Tag Archives: public viewing

So what impact did the World Cup really make on Cape Town and the Cape?

Cape Town Routes Unlimited has released statistics, comparing the tourism performance between June 2009 and 2010.  In general it would appear that tourism facilities fared better in June this year compared to last June, due to the World Cup, which kicked off on 11 June.

 The following statistics were provided in the Cape Town Routes Unlimited “World Cup Impact” report:

1.  The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway received 63861 visitors in June, an increase of 69 %

2.   Boulders Beach in Simonstown had just less than 20 000 visitors from 1-20 June this year, compared to 21 314 for the whole of June 2009

3.   Kirstenbosch received 7 % more visitors in June, at 25 469, compared to last year

4.   The V&A Waterfront received 1,6 million visitors in June, up 7 % compared to last year.

5.   Robben Island doubled its visitor numbers between June this year and last year.

6.   International arrivals at Cape Town International airport increased by 18 % in June relative to a year ago, (and by 24 % for the period 11 June – 16 July, according to Cape Town Tourism’s World Cup Impact report, released yesterday).

7.   Domestic arrivals at Cape Town International airport increased by 10 %, at 261260 in June 

8.   The Cape Town “Lodging Statistics Summary” (where did they get that name from?) seems very wrong, from own experience and discussions with other industry colleagues, given the exceptionally poor May 2010 accommodation bookings.  We publish the information with a warning (the Cape Town Routes Unlimited report does not identify the source of its statistics):

             Occupancy:                 2010                                              2009

             April                             59%                                                 62%

             May                              55%                                                 46%

             June                              68%                                                 41%

9.  The FIFA Fan Fest at the Grand Parade had its best day on 11 June, the Opening Match between Bafana Bafana and Mexico, with 41000 visitors, and had to be closed at that number due to overcrowding. The second busiest day was the Bafana Bafana match against France on 16 June, with 39000 visitors.  The quietest day was 21 June, with just less than 8000 soccer fans.

10.   In June the busiest Fan Walk day was when Holland played Cameroon, with an estimated 72000 walkers between the City centre and the Cape Town Stadium.  The Portugal/Korea DPR match attracted only 25 000 – 30 000 walkers, a day with heavy rain.

11.   Public Viewing set up in provincial towns was highest on 11 June in all such towns, and highest overall in Worcester (8000), followed by George (more than 7000).  Attendance dropped strongly on other days, and night matches were not well supported where public transport had not been organised.

12.   The V&A Waterfront Gateway (one assumes the one at the Clocktower) attracted 23911 visitors in June, up by 8 %, but the value of bookings increased by 55%.   Only 94 bookings were made last month, a disappointing number, given the traffic in the V&A Waterfront in this period.

13.   The Cape Town Tourism International airport office served 6841 visitors, the City branch 1206, the Table Mountain Cableway branch 849, and Kirstenbosch 803 visitors.  No comparable 2009 figures are provided, which is a surprise and disappointment.  (Cape Town Tourism’s World Cup Impact report states that 71 % more international visitors and 15 % more domestic tourists visited a Cape Town Tourism branch during the World Cup period – even though I have never seen information about the origin of the tourist asked) 

14.   Franschhoek claims to have received more than 4000 visitors (no 2009 comparative figures) in its Information office in June, which did not translate into much business as far as accommodation and restaurant bookings are concerned.  Paarl claims to have served 1 961 visitors (no 2009 comparative figures), and Knysna Tourism received 1433 visitors, double the number of last June.   Ceres received 1173 visitors, treble the 2009 figure, but this may have been due to the heavy snowfalls last month.

It is a pity that 2009 figures are not available across the board for the statistics provided, and that the 11 days of the World Cup are not reflected either, as Cape Town and the towns close to it were fuller in July, given the round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final matches played in Cape Town in this period.  Yet it is commendable that statistics were made available at all, no matter how questionable some of them appear to be!

Cape Town Tourism’s World Cup Impact report, presented to the media yesterday, claims that 200000 of the 350000 international visitors that came to South Africa for the World Cup came to Cape Town (even though its earlier pre-World Cup surveys showed that the majority of such soccer fans planned to visit Cape Town!).   One wonders how this estimate was made.  Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariette du Toit-Helmbold said that the World Cup was never about the short term, but about long-term benefits for Cape Town, turning soccer fans into fans of Cape Town.  City of Cape Town Mayco Member of Economic Development and Tourism Felicity Purchase noted that events hosted in winter months are needed to counter the seasonality of Cape Town’s tourism industry.   The 750 journalists that were shown around Cape Town loved the city, describing it as “photogenic”, and falling in love with it.   The Report also addresses accommodation occupancy during the World Cup, but its “research” was so poorly conducted that their misleading results will not be reported here (read our criticism of their intital results, mid-way through the World Cup).

What all the reports lose sight off is the extremely poor May that the tourism and hospitality industry experienced, a vacuum having been created due to the World Cup, which wiped out any gains made between 11 June – 11 July!

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

Keeping the World Cup ‘gees’* alive

Dr Nikolaus Eberl is a German brand marketing consultant, author of “Brand Ovation: How Germany won the World Cup of Nation Branding”, and guided the “internal branding” for the 2010 World Cup.   He has written an inspiring article, describing how one can get over the World Cup blues, and keep the wonderful memory of the 2010 World Cup alive.  I publish it below as he wrote it:

“Based on my personal experience ever since the 2006 World Cup, here are the top 10 tips on how to beat the 2010 blues:

  1. Make the 2010 anthem Waka Waka your new ringtone – this way, you will feel Ayoba! every time your phone rings
  2. Keep flying the flag, both on the car and in the office – it will brighten your day and make for sweet memories.
  3. Keep wearing the shirt, especially on Football Fridays – and the next time when Bafana enters the pitch is only a few weeks away;
  4. Replay the highlights of 2010 – savour the best moments of the world cup, the opening goal by Tshabalala against Mexico, the wonder kick by Van Bronkhorst against Uruguay and the goal rush by the German machine against Maradonna and Messi;
  5. Keep the habit of “public viewing” – and keep in mind that 2011 is a big sporting year: the Cricket World Cup kicks off on 19 February 2011, the Rugby World Cup will be held in New Zealand 9 September – 23 October, and the FIFA Womens’ World Cup will be held in June/July next year;
  6. Kick the ball – wherever you are, join your local soccer team, be it at the office, the church or even the shebeen, and start playing the beautiful game. There is little more exhilarating than the adrenaline rush when scoring the winning goal!
  7. Blow the vuvuzela and don the makarapa: already the vuvuzela and makarapa have become the most popular gift items for the visiting fans and can be heard and seen all over the world. Keep expressing your love for the game!
  8. Support your local team: now is the time to buy a season ticket for your local team and follow them around the country in the quest for football glory – this way you will revisit all the stadia and enjoy the true fan experience of being in the grandstand rather than sitting home alone;
  9. Get ready for Banyana Banyana: chances are good that the South African women’s team could win this year’s African Women’s Championship to be held in South Africa in October 2010 and thus qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 in Germany. Get behind Mzansi’s best women!
  10. Join the Bafana Bafana Fan Club at www.bafanafanclub.com and save up for Brazil 2014!

And, whatever you do, remember the 2010 slogan “Ke nako!” – now is the time to carry forward the new found spirit of ayobaness and show each other that Madiba was right when he called South Africa “a Nation of Champions”!

Source: www.Bizcommunity.com

The advertising agency Draftfcb is campaigning for a month long extension to the World Cup “gees”, to maintain the national pride that has resulted from the World Cup.  It is requesting brands of South Africa, as well as South Africans, to “Fly the Flag”, and to make the end of the World Cup a new beginning.

*’Gees’ is the Afrikaans word for ‘spirit’ or ‘vibe’.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

FIFA 2010 comes to Cape Town early!

Cape Town is in  a frenzy to beautify itself before the world’s media and the FIFA big brass come to Cape Town for the FIFA Final draw on 4 December, which will be held in the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Roadworks are hastily being completed on Buitengracht Street, near the Convention Centre, to make Cape Town look at its best for the very important event in the FIFA 2010 World Cup programme.

For the first time, the driving and advertising exclusion zone has been announced, simply by an ad in the Cape Argus, outlining the ‘Final Draw Controlled Access and Exclusion Zones’.

The block of streets between Ross Street, 2 streets parallel to Buitengracht Street in Green Point/De Waterkant and Parliament Street, and Buitensingel Street/N1/N2 entrances to Buitengracht Street, now has restrictions placed upon it until 12 December, in terms of the City of Cape Town’s 2010 By-law.   No advertising linked to the World Cup may appear in this zone in the period specified, without formal FIFA permission, and businesses may also not “change their normal business operation without approval from the City of Cape Town”, says the ad!   The ad warns that access into the zone on 4 December may be restricted.

On the day of the Final Draw, a public viewing area will be established at the top of Long Street, and restaurants in the area are stocking up on supplies for thirsty soccer fans, fearing lack of access for deliveries on the big day.   It is expected that 20 000 visitors will attend the Final Draw party in Long Street.   A section of Long Street will be cordoned off on 3 December already, reports the Cape Argus.

The FIFA Final Draw will randomly select which teams play against each other in which locations, influencing where the teams are based during the World Cup period, and is the precursor to accommodation bookings and other arrangements for the big soccer event.

At the Final Draw FIFA President Sepp Blatter is also expected to announce the location of the Fan Fest venues for 2010.

The 32 teams that have qualified for the 2010 World Cup are:   Portugal, France (a controversial match, for which a replay is being demanded by the Irish), Slovenia, Greece, Algeria, Uruguay, Japan, the Netherlands, North Korea, Australia, South Korea, the USA, Brazil, Ghana, England, Paraguay, Spain, Denmark, Ivory Coast, Chile, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Serbia, Argentina, Switzerland, Honduras, Slovakia, Nigeria, Cameroon, New Zealand and South Africa.

The Japanese team is setting up its base camp at Fancourt in George, while the German team is said to be considering Val de Vie, between Paarl and Franschhoek.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

By George, they’ve got it!

George has been selected by the Western Cape government as the town within the Eden district municipality on the Garden Route that will host the 2010 World Cup public viewing, reports The Herald.

The Pacaltsdorp stadium in George won the bid against those in Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Mossel Bay and Plettenberg Bay.    More than 10 000 soccer fans are expected at the stadium each day during the World Cup next year.

George has also complied with Fifa’s requirements for hosting a base camp, at its Outeniqua Park stadium.