With five years to go before SA hosts the 2010 World Cup, tourism authorities have started to get their houses in order for what will be the biggest sporting event in this country to date.

The tourism sector stands to benefit massively from the tournament. According to the environmental affairs and tourism department, SA plans to attract 10-million soccer tourists in 2010.

Last week Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk led a delegation to Germany to learn how the country's tourism industry is preparing for the World Cup 2006.

The delegation included Sport and Recreation Deputy Minister Gert Oosthuizen, SA Tourism CEO Moeketsi Mosola, government officials and business people in the tourism sector.

The Germans were frank and forthcoming with advice. They told the South Africans about Fifa's tight grip on the rights to the 2010 World Cup.

"Fifa has all the rights. They control ticket sales, ticket availability, media rights, signage and so on," says Jurgen Rollmann, coordinator for the 2006 World Cup.

Rollmann, Germany's interior minister, was speaking at the South African embassy in Berlin. He says Fifa is "uncompromising" on its regulations.

"They have made it clear that this is a Fifa world cup hosted in Germany. It is important to understand that," he says.

Fair enough. But to millions of South Africans, ticket affordability is a material factor. For next year's finals, tickets are selling at between ?35 and ?600. Such prices are impossible for many South Africans.

Tickets at ?35 each was a result of "arm twisting" by the German organisers. "The issue of tickets was very sensitive. We had endless talks about their pricing system," Rollmann says.

The problem does not end there, though. Fifa has stipulated that tickets to next year's world cup are only sold on the internet.

"I am afraid that will be the case next time (in SA). Our tourism industry is not happy with that. This is one of the things that I will suggest that you talk to Fifa about immediately. You should move quickly," Rollmann says.

Unless there is a major improvement in internet accessibility between now and 2010, it is doubtful if most South Africans will be able to purchase their tickets online.

The South Africans are hoping that, because SA is hosting the first world cup in Africa, Fifa will adjust their regulations to ensure that the games have maximum economic impact.

"There will be certain things that we will have to negotiate with Fifa. This will be Fifa's first time for a world cup in Africa and they will learn from the experience too," says SA Tourism' s Mosola.

He says he learnt from the German trip the importance of co-operation between tourism authorities, local organising committees and Fifa.

"I was also impressed by the fact that Germans are ready a year before the start of the event. There is something for us to learn there," the CEO says.

Germany officially opened its ?280m Olympic Stadium in Munich for the 2006 event last week.

"We also learnt about the key role of the hosting cities and what it is to be a good host of the tournament," Mosola says.

South Africans are already asking what opportunities the world cup will deliver.

Pule Molefane, chairman of the Gauteng sports recreation, arts and culture portfolio committee, says: "When we (government) go to the people we must be able to tell them about the exact benefits of the world cup.

"They do not want to be told that Fifa still has to decide on certain issues."

He says his department, although one of the key players in the event, is still "awaiting clarification of its responsibilities".

Molefane says the department's responsibilities are likely to be clarified at an indaba scheduled for later this year. "We need to be proactive," he says. "There are still five years to do so.

Van Schalkwyk says SA will use next year's world cup in Germany as a tourism marketing opportunity for the country.

"We will develop global media campaigns to capture the imagination of travellers to the German world cup, and negotiate with sponsors on joint marketing opportunities," he says.

For SA to deliver a "truly African" world cup, the country will have to improve air links with the rest of Africa, Europe, North America and the east.

The local tourism industry will have to step up its grading "so that by 2010 all sectors of the tourism industry will offer uncompromising quality and value for money", Van Schalkwyk says.

Source: AllAfrica.com