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Mass Diski Dance by Cape Town Youth Marks 100 Days Till Kick Off
Wednesday, 06 Mar, 2010
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SEE VIDEO: www.youtube.com/watch
Arguably the largest formal diski dance gathering yet, the 800 children taking part in Cape Town Tourism’s “100 Days till Kick-off" celebration are from community centers across the city.
Cape Town Tourism organized an 800-strong group of Peninsula youths to perform the diski dance at the Cape Town Stadium last Tuesday, March 2, 2010, when the City marked 100 days until the first official 2010 World Cup whistle is blown.
Joined by Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato, and key tourism industry stakeholders, Cape Town Tourism is set to bring color, music, and the energy of youth into the iconic stadium as an inspiration for all Capetonians to “Live It! Love It! LOUDER!"
Said Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Alderman Dan Plato: “Cape Town is one of the world’s premier tourism destinations, and in preparation for the FIFA 2010 World Cup, we have spent massive amounts of money on making Cape Town an even more accessible and enjoyable destination. These improvements are taking shape as the World Cup approaches, and we look forward to them benefiting residents and visitors for decades to come.”
Lianne Burton, spokesperson for Cape Town Tourism, added: “In just over three months, Cape Town will be on the center stage of the sporting world. Today, we are getting up and dancing to celebrate our beautiful new stadium, the city’s new infrastructure, and, most importantly, the future of Cape Town – our young people, who are leading the way to ‘Live it! Love it! LOUDER!’ as we near the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It’s about ensuring that civic pride among our young people will be part of the World Cup legacy for Cape Town.”
After initial concerns, ticket sales and hotel bookings appear now to be on the rise. Much of the preparation for the World Cup has been completed, and what is left to be done is said to be on track.
Managing international perceptions of a FIFA World Cup in Africa has proven to be the biggest challenge to the event, and the months ahead will be heavily invested in countering negative and skewed perceptions. Said Burton: “Ultimately, this highly-televised event will give us an opportunity to show that Cape Town, already a proven lifestyle and events capital, is capable of hosting a mega-event in an entertaining, safe, efficient, and memorable way. We are ready to welcome the world.”
Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk has a survey into allegations of exorbitant pricing. In a statement, he reiterated that price-hiking could be harmful to the reputation of the SA tourism industry.
“South Africa is a value-for-money destination, and this reputation should be safeguarded. Price-hiking could damage the reputation of our tourism industry. However, at the same time it must be kept in mind that June and July 2010 will be high season in South Africa, and tourists should not expect the normal low-season prices for that time of the year,” Minister van Schalkwyk said.
“However, in recent weeks we have noted allegations that accommodation establishments in the tourism industry are not responsible, and are inflating prices excessively. Until now our impression has been that this is not the case, but we believe it should be investigated and the results of the investigation made public.
“I therefore believe that as a responsible government we should conduct an independent and scientifically sound survey to avoid a case where perceptions are created based on anecdotes.
The Department of Tourism has therefore appointed Grant Thornton to conduct such a survey. We have also requested them to benchmark South African accommodation prices against those of other nations that previously hosted the FIFA World Cup,” Minister van Schalkwyk said.
“Of course there will always be establishments which to take chances during events such as the 2010 World Cup, and we have always discouraged and will continue to discourage this kind of exploitation where it occurs. We believe this survey will assist us in getting to the bottom of the allegations. As soon as the survey is completed, which is expected to be in three weeks’ time, I will discuss the outcomes with the tourism industry,” van Schalkwyk added
"The Department of Tourism believes South Africa has enough accommodation available for all the visitors expected for 2010, and is now primarily focusing on providing a variety of services to these tourists."
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