A Dutch fan blows his vuvuzela. Photo by Roy Barford

Ghana and Australia fans. Photo by Travis Robertson

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is often quoted as saying “Ubuntu is very difficult to render into a Western language … It is to say, ‘My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in what is yours.’” Many South Africans will know precisely what he means, but now, with the advent of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, the whole world has the opportunity to find out.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup™ was destined to be a tournament unlike any other; taking place on African soil for the first time, it was bound to be a joyous celebration of colour, noise and cultural diversity. South Africa is home to 49-million people, has 11 official languages, but all of those united in one voice to support our soccer team Bafana Bafana and our country. 

South Africans were always going to be excellent hosts; it is in our nature. Our mothers taught us to present our home and manners at their very best for visitors, to take out our best crockery, put some fresh flowers on the table and prepare our signature meal, whether that is bobotie, maize and meat, a Cape Malay curry or leg of lamb with roast potatoes. And if one or two extra guests showed up, there would always be a place at the table for them too. 

It is the extent to which the country has united behind the World Cup as hosts that has been a wonderful surprise to all of us. The South African flag has been taking pride of place on car windows, roofs, mirrors, t-shirts, jewellery, private homes and businesses for weeks leading up to the tournament. From the moment that Siphiwe Tshabalala scored the first goal of the World Cup it was as if patriotism erupted in South Africa. 

Cape Town in particular has been lauded for rolling out the rainbow carpet to our visitors, showcasing our beautiful natural environment, culture and heritage, offering fine food and wine. The FIFA Fan Fest™ in Cape Town is currently the third most visited Fan Fest, following shortly after Germany and Johannesburg. Our Fan Walk saw a record number of 72 910 people take this route to get to and from the stadium on June 24, 2010. Fan Jols were often operating at full capacity as well. 

This sense of excitement, ownership and pride is exactly what Cape Town Tourism wanted to achieve with our citizen activation campaign, Live it, Love it, LOUDER! We would like to believe that we have played our part over the past year in igniting this excitement with the blare of vuvuzelas, sounds of CODA’s Blow your vuvuzela and several magical moments like Diski dancing on the city streets. If you are proudly wearing your Cape Town t-shirt right now or extending your warmest, most colourful welcome to our visitors we would like to thank you for adding to what will be an unforgettable experience for many visitors. The Mother City has already cast her spell on our guests and we are confident that we shall see many of them returning to our shores. 

We couldn’t possibly speak of proud and colourful displays of patriotism without paying homage to our soccer fans, who have astounded all of us with their spirit. From the moment the French marched into the stadium clad in red, white and blue, with Uruguay sporting sky blue wigs, followed by a British onslaught during a match against Algeria and virtually every pub in Cape Town drunk dry, to the steady stream of extremely orange people that took to our city streets on the June 24 – “die Kaap was weer Hollands” – it has been an amazing, goosebump-inducing spectacle. 

Vasco Da Gama FC has planned a colourful Portuguese parade for the clash against Spain this evening at Cape Town Stadium. In the words of parade organiser and the club’s chairman, Mario Das Neves, “We are really looking forward to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ clash against Spain and can’t wait to get ready for the match. We are passionate fans and are proud to travel to the city with so many South African Portuguese football lovers. It will be two great sides playing at an amazing stadium. May the best team win … We believe Portugal 2, Spain 1!”

The Flying Dutchman at Cape Point. Photo: Ingrid Sinclair

On Tuesday, June 8, Cape Point Partnership – consisting of Thebe Tourism Group, Tolcon Group and South African National Parks (SANParks) – unveiled a new and improved Flying Dutchman funicular at Cape Point. Named after the legendary ghost ship that is said to haunt our shores, this incarnation of that ill-fated 17th-century vessel has none of the bad luck but all of the adventurous spirit of its namesake.

The funicular, which was upgraded with a new body, a new computer system, new batteries and a state-of-the-art solar-powered system at a cost of R6-million, now boasts bigger windows, new seats and safer brakes. It still transports visitors from the car park up a steep slope to just below the lighthouse. It is more environmentally friendly and much quieter.

Members of the media, tour operators, SANParks representatives and key delegates from Thebe Tourism Group and Tolcon absorbed the views and feasted on a champagne breakfast at Cape Point’s 200-seater Two Oceans Restaurant, while enjoying the sounds of the restaurant’s staff choir. The choir, all of whom wore their Bafana Bafana shirts, had written their own songs for the day and each song dealt with an aspect of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, which kicks off tomorrow.

Speaking at the launch, SANParks Head of Communications Wanda Mkutshulwa praised the work that the Cape Point Partnership has done since 2003. “We appreciate the good work that is done here,” she said. “Most key for us is reputation-building, so thank you very much. We look forward to many more years working together.”

She further encouraged the partnership by pointing out that their ventures – which draw and continue to impress many tourists – are “paying for [South Africa’s] biodiversity”, important work considering SANParks’ large portfolio of 19 parks, not all of which are profitable.

Mkutshulwa also observed that “the new Flying Dutchman is looking much sexier than the old one!”

Head of the Department for Economic Development and Tourism in the Western Cape, Solly Fourie, also spoke about the economic value of corporate partnerships that see “tourism as an [economic] strategy for the province” and emphasised the role that the False Bay coastline has to play in this strategy.

The Two Oceans Restaurant’s newly covered patio with an unbeatable view. Photo courtesy Ingrid Sinclair

After breakfast, the attendees watched as the new Flying Dutchman was wetted with JC Le Roux sparkling wine, and then it was off for a trip to the top. The funicular comfortably carries 30 passengers every three minutes in each direction. At the summit, Cape Town’s Masiphumelele High School choir performed traditional songs and entertained the captivated audience despite chilly conditions.

The new funicular is one of many improvements to this area of the Table Mountain National Park, which include a bigger parking area, an upgrade of the information area, three curio shops, an awning over the restaurant’s patio (making it more comfortable during winter months) and an overall improvement of other facilities.

Pointing out that the legend of the Flying Dutchman had been immortalised in paintings and in Richard Wagner’s opera of the same name, Head of Thebe Tourism Inbound Heather Gutierrez was proud to announce that “the Flying Dutchman flies once more”. Gutierrez also reiterated Cape Point Partnership’s continued support of SANParks’ environmental initiatives and sustainability drives.

Cape Point Partnership Managing Director Judy van Es enthused about the proudly South African Cape Point facilities. “We’re very excited to showcase this natural jewel of South Africa, and this is such an exhilarating time for the country. This does not qualify as work,” she joked. “It is a blessing to be part of a World Heritage Site such as this one.”

“We are providing skills for local people and we are proud to be representing South Africa. This is an environment that has so much to offer, in such a powerful province, it’s pristine – it’s magic.”

The legend
(Information kindly provided by Cape Point Partnership)

The Flying Dutchman is the name of a ghostly galleon that supposedly sailed in Cape waters during the mid-17th century, under the captaincy of Dutchman Hendrik van der Decken. On a fateful trip around Cape Point, the Flying Dutchman encountered very heavy weather; the ship’s sails were soon shredded by the wind, and her decks pounded by enormous Cape rollers.

Legend has it that Van der Decken’s crew begged the captain to turn around and seek shelter from the tempest, but he refused, and, lashing himself to the ship’s wheel, vowed to round Cape Point, even if it took him until Doomsday!

Van der Decken did, indeed, round Cape Point that night, but he and his crew were subsequently doomed to sail these waters forever more.

Over the past three-and-a-half centuries a ghostly sailing ship, that glows red in the night, has been sighted by a number of mariners.

Those who have seen her say she lets down row-boats that approach with ghostly men aboard, desperately seeking a Good Samaritan to take letters from them back home, where they haven’t been for more than three centuries. But those who entertain these approaches are doomed…

Visit www.capepoint.co.za for more on Cape Point. 

The Flying Dutchman departs from the top station. Photo courtesy Cape Point Partnership

The view from the top. Photo Ingrid Sinclair

Cape Grace hotel with Table Mountain as a backdrop. Photo courtesy Cape Grace hotel

The Cape Grace hotel and Vergelegen Wines won top honours in the 2009/10 Welcome Awards ceremony at INDABA (an annual tourism marketing event) in Durban last night, May 9.

The Cape Grace a five-star hotel in the V&A Waterfront won the best hotel and the best overall accommodation establishment award. Vergelegen Wines in Somerset West won the award for the best tourist attraction in South Africa.

The annual Welcome Awards seek to recognise tourism businesses across South Africa that successfully identify, meet and exceed visitor expectations, add value to their visitors’ experiences and make them feel special and welcome. Entrants are evaluated on specific criteria for each category as well as on overall items such as price, living up to advertising claims and satisfying visitor expectations created by references. The assessments also place emphasis on the attitudes and behaviour of employees.

In addition to the overall category winners, there were various sub-category awards. The Backpack won the sub-category for best backpackers and hostelling/caravan and camping sites. Toni Shina and Lee Harris, joint owners of the Backpack, bounded onto stage with huge smiles to accept the award. The duo started the business nearly 20 years ago and continues to actively run the Fair Trade in Tourism-accredited business in the centre of Cape Town.

The best tour operator sub-category, for businesses operating for fewer than five years (but more than two years), was won by Edge of Africa. This small, dedicated “voluntourism” operator is based in Knysna, but is a member of Cape Town Tourism. Edge of Africa also won the best overall tour operator award.

Other winners were:

• Restaurants: School of Tourism and Hospitality (Gauteng)
• Travel agencies: Flight Centre Gateway (KwaZulu-Natal)
• Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE): South African Reserve Bank Conference Centre (Gauteng)
• Tourist guides: Collen Sibuyi (Mpumalanga)
• Online (best website): City Lodge hotels

Hanneli Slabber, South African Tourism’s global manager: product, congratulated the winners for “embracing quality service delivery especially ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™”.

The V&A Waterfront, photo courtesy slack12

South Africa has been listed as one of “The 31 Places to Go in 2010” by the New York Times for the second consecutive year.

The list – which features other global hotspots such as Istanbul, Copenhagen and Sri Lanka – provides compelling reasons for visiting the country. 

The article focuses on Cape Town – the picturesque cosmopolitan metropolis at the tip of Africa.

Highlighted are the city’s unparalleled natural beauty, hotel development and, of course, the fact that the city will play host to a number of 2010 FIFA World Cup™ fixtures.

Taking place later this year, the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ will act as a major draw card for international tourists. Thousands of soccer fans are expected to descend upon the city, which will host eight matches during the World Cup.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and a recommendation from the New York Times are bound to ensure that Cape Town will be a popular tourist destination this year. 

The stage at the CTICC where the Final Draw will take place

As the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Final Draw approaches, the world turns its attention to the Mother City. Cape Town Tourism has been following the preparations closely. The following articles have been published on our 2010 blog, our media mini-site and our industry mini-site:

Final Draw celebrities in Cape Town

Friday December 4, 2009 is the date for the Final Draw, which is a major part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

The event will bring a star-studded list of international celebrities to the stage in Cape Town.

Read more…

Inside the CTICC for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Final Draw

Recently I attended the media briefing for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Final Draw, which is happening this Friday, December 4, 2009, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

It never crossed my mind that any part of the World Cup would not be world class, but being in the room where the Final Draw will take place gave me goose bumps and a proud feeling for being part of such a major event for Cape Town and the world.

Read more…

Cape Town gears up for FIFA Final Draw

The countdown to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ will soon hit the six-month mark and soccer fans all over the world are eagerly awaiting the kickoff on June 11. On December 4, the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Final Draw will take place in the Mother City where, as the FIFA website suggests, “the fates of the world’s top 32 teams will be sketched out”.

An estimated 8 000 people are expected to gather at the Cape Town International Convention Centre to witness the draw, which will reveal the match order for the anticipated sporting event.

Read more…

Cape Town ready to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Final Draw

Cape Town will host eight World Cup matches in 2010, but the city’s soccer fans need not wait till then to enjoy some FIFA action. Capetonians will be lucky enough to feel the World Cup fever on December 4.

The Final Draw, to be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on December 4, will see FIFA executives, celebrities, members of the international media and representatives of each of the 32 qualifying teams in attendance.

Read more…

City road closures for spectacular 2010 Final Draw

The first official event to launch South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ takes place in Cape Town on December 4 and the City of Cape Town is pulling out all the stops to demonstrate its readiness to welcome thousands of soccer fans and dignitaries.

The FIFA Final Draw, which will determine the match schedule for the 32 participating teams in next year’s soccer tournament, will be held at 19h00 on Friday, December 4 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

Read more…

The World Travel Market, the world’s biggest travel trade show, turned 30 this year. Basically, the market is about countries (and sometimes really big cities, like New York), selling themselves and their tourism experiences to travel companies and the media (particularly on the first day of the four-day fair) from around the world.

The World Travel Market is held in a massive exhibition centre called ExCeL, near Canary Wharf in London, and thousands upon thousands of people attend it.

Countries go to great trouble to market their wares – massive screens showcasing azure beaches, palaces and cathedrals (depending on the country) are the order of the day. These are sometimes supplemented with people dressed in traditional costume, local fauna and sometimes even food and wine.

South Africa Tourism, occupying the prime position in the Africa section, did South Africa especially proud this year. A large welcome desk was backed by a screen showcasing our wonders, from wildlife to the Blyde River Canyon, and 2010 mascot Zakumi did the rounds, kissing and hugging people.

Football was a special theme in the South Africa section this year, with the 2010 FIFA World Cup coming up in South Africa next year. For example, staff at Cape Town Tourism gave away T-shirts, memory sticks with trade information about Cape Town on them, whistles, soccer badges and pens. (The Cape Town stall was particularly popular, by the way, with interested people coming up to the desk to make meeting times and get information all day long.)

At the entrance to the World Travel Market, there was a team of people teaching the diski dance. I tried my hand (legs) at it and walked away with a vuvuzela and 2010 soccer ball – both of which I dished out to delighted English friends last night.

Despite all the glitz and excitement, it was also quite a sobering experience. Yes, 2010 will be a massive event and will pull South Africa arguably more media coverage than any other event in our history, but at the same time, the world moves on, and 2010 is not as important in many other people’s eyes as it might seem in ours. London’s 2012 Olympics is around the corner, there are Commonwealth Games coming up later in 2010…

It was also sobering to see how much money other countries spend on their international marketing. Greece and Portugal’s stands alone were about the size of the African section. Egypt has put a lot of money into its destination marketing, with beautiful advertisements all over London’s Underground and large banners and billboards throughout World Travel Market.

The international tourism market is an incredibly competitive one, and we can’t be complacent about our beautiful country and what we offer tourists for a single minute.

Photo courtesy Tara Turkington

Cape Town Tourism is showing the world what we’re made of at this year’s World Travel Market (WTM) in London until November 12, 2009.

The World Travel Market is a business-to-business event where international travel industry members can meet, communicate and do business.

Cape Town Tourism’s attendance at this year’s market is an opportunity to reinforce the message that Cape Town is ready to welcome the world for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Travel operators and media will hear that there is enough accommodation and that the hospitality industry has not out-priced itself.

Cape Town Tourism is working with Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU) to ensure that Cape Town and its surrounding regions are fully represented to the trade. Cape Town Tourism is focusing on marketing Cape Town as a host city, whilst CTRU will be driving home its “Beyond 90 Minutes” campaign, which promotes an extended stay in the Western Cape after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Photo courtesy Tara Turkington

Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariëtte du-Toit Helmbold comments: “This is an important event and especially this year as the trade is interested in how we are going to deal with the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We know we are ready and we need to inspire the international market with the same confidence.”

Cape Town is also a proud nominee for this year’s Virgin Holiday’s Responsible Tourism Awards in the category Responsible Destination. The awards have 13 categories and the City of Cape Town is the only municipality nominated in its category. The award ceremony will be held at WTM on November 11, 2009, which is also Responsible Tourism Day.

Says Du Toit-Helmbold, “Cape Town Tourism, the City of Cape Town and other affiliates have accelerated the adoption and creation of programmes that reduce the tourism industry’s impact on the environment. Key to the success of these campaigns is the coaching that Cape Town Tourism has given its members (and the broader tourism industry) on how to integrate responsible tourism into the day-to-day running of their businesses. For Cape Town to be recognised on this global platform means that we are effecting awareness and change.”

Jean-Paul de la Fuente, director of the Swiss-registered New7Wonders Foundation, photo courtesy Splash PR

Jean-Paul de la Fuente, director of the Swiss-registered New7Wonders Foundation, visited South Africa this past week for a site inspection of Table Mountain and to meet potential sponsors and stakeholders of the Table Mountain election campaign.

Table Mountain is in a race against 27 other famous natural wonders to be named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in July 2011. Cape Town’s iconic mountain was shortlisted after a public vote and now needs global support to receive enough public votes to win a place in the final seven.

According to De la Fuente, Table Mountain needs to win the world’s vote to make the final cut.

“Every single vote is important, but it is not enough to rely only on South Africans to vote Table Mountain to the top. Table Mountain also needs to engage with the globe,” said De la Fuente. “Table Mountain supporters need to realise that its competitors include the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Grand Canyon in the USA, the Amazon in South America and Yushan in Chinese Taipei.

“Everyone loves Table Mountain because it is an environmental beacon, but it was also a symbol of hope for the forced residents of Robben Island during apartheid. That message needs to be communicated to the globe so that they are reminded of the historic significance of Table Mountain when they choose their list of seven sites online.”

The New7Wonders Foundation is expecting more than a billion votes to be cast in what will be the world’s largest democratic election. Cast your vote at www.votefortablemountain.com.

The V&A Waterfront

Africa has bucked global trends by being the only world region to have international tourist arrivals increase by 4% during the first eight months of the year. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s World Tourism Barometer, Africa is the only world region that held its own and recorded growth during the recent economic crisis.

On the local front, Statistics South Africa released encouraging figures for the month of August, reporting that South Africa’s international arrivals were up 6,5% from the same month last year. Contributors to the positive statistics included increases in visitors coming from Italy (up 17,8%) and India (up 14,4%).

“Tourism around the world has taken a big hit because of the recession and, whilst our local industry has not escaped without injury, we have pushed through and numbers are gradually rising,” says Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold, CEO of Cape Town Tourism. “It is important to respond to new markets and trends in these times and apply an innovative approach to marketing with the emphasis on the customer’s unique needs and changing travel patterns.”

During August this year, Statistics South Africa found steady increases in the number of visitors to South Africa from European countries (30 000 from the UK, nearly 15 000 from Germany and 10 000 from France and the Netherlands).

Overall, 27 574 visitors arrived in Cape Town in August. There was a decline in visitors from the US, Canada and Australia, but US media and online interest in Cape Town accounts for ever-increasing shares of international coverage and traffic.

“Curiosity about South Africa, specifically Cape Town, has piqued because we are hosting the FIFA Final Draw on December 4 and, of course, because of the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” says Du Toit-Helmbold.

A spike in interest and 2010 FIFA World Cup bookings is expected after the FIFA Final Draw match fixtures are announced.

The World Travel Market (WTM) – the world’s biggest travel show – opened in London today. Now in its 30th year, the WTM is, according to its website, “a unique opportunity for the whole global travel trade to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business under one roof”.

Alan Winde, minister of finance, economic development and tourism in the Western Cape, visited the Cape Town stand at the WTM.

“It’s great to be at the World Travel Market in London,” he said. “This platform is where we are going to be setting up Cape Town and the Western Cape as the tourism destination for the world in the next 10 years.”