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CAPE TOWN TOURISM FIGHTS WORLD CUP RIPOFF IMAGE
Wednesday, 21 Feb, 2010
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The city tries to preserve its reputation for responsible tourism in the face of allegations of collusion and profiteering.
In a bid to counter global travel trade comments that South African tourism interests are profiteering from the World Cup with massive price hikes – Cape Town Tourism has formulated a ‘Code for Responsible Pricing”.
Allegations include collusion in a doubling or trebling of internal airline prices, hotel charges and transfers. South Africa’s Competition Commission is now probing the airline charges SEE: www.travelmole.com/stories/1140739.php
The destination’s marketing partnership said last week: “Cape Town’s tourism industry stakeholders are unified in their efforts to combat damaging international perceptions of SA as ‘an expensive destination’, ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.”
To translate commitment into action, Cape Town Tourism says it has now formulated a Code of Responsible Pricing for Cape Town. The Code is endorsed and will be implemented by the City of Cape Town, and many other tourism stakeholders.
The Code has been created around four core principles. ‘Fair Value’, ‘Responsible Tourism’, ‘Sustainable Tourism’ and ‘Consumer Protection’
“The Code is an important charter,” says Cape Town Tourism spokesperson, Lianne Burton, “the industry is eager to ensure that Cape Town’s good reputation is not spoiled by greedy individuals out to capitalize on a few weeks at the expense of a responsible sector that has worked incredibly hard to put destination Cape Town on the top of every travelers wish-list.”
A call to action asking the industry to sign up to and adhere to the Code will be driven through the various participating associations and member organisations in the region.
Cape Town Tourism will promote awareness of the Code of Responsible Pricing for Cape Town through its international PR network. International fans will be advised to look for adherence to the Code as a sign of quality and value.
“This is exactly the perception we have to guard against,” says Burton. “Tourism businesses need to be ready with good-value rates during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but there needs to be offers of even greater value (along with accessibility to information on these great offers) both before and after the event.”
The furore, however, raises a number of significant questions, the most important of which is “Does a major mass-market, short term sporting event sit at all well with South Africa’s perceived commitment to responsible and sustainable tourism and a thoughtful attitude to long term sustainable tourism development?”.
Those that have supported South Africa’s Fair Trade Tourism movement are now raising other subjects including:
- Local traders promised access to the ‘Fan Park’ and ‘Fan Walk’ to spread economic benefits of the football championship
- The dangers of the light border controls insisted on by FIFA and the potential for child and prostitute trafficking
- The suitability of football supporter tourists for a cultural, socially and environmentally-aware destination and the potential of cultural commoditization
- The questionable long term benefits of the World Cup for local SMEs and small entrepreneurs generally
- The true value of South African exposure in the global media
Valere Tjolle
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