Can SA fill 2010 beds?

THE results from Deloitte’s HotelBenchmark Survey have shown that over half of Germany’s hoteliers saw no occupancy improvements during the 2006 Soccer World Cup. The survey attributes this to the negative impact the event had on the normal conference business the area attracts. Nils Heckscher, chairman of Fedhasa Cape, does not think South Africa will be subject to the same type of blow to occupancy rates during the 2010 World Cup due to the seasonality of many of South Africa’s tourism hot-spots. “We will host the World Cup in our low summer season or safari season and this will make the displacement of ‘normal’ business a slightly lesser problem,” says Heckscher. The survey also showed that certain German cities, such as Berlin, experienced problems with oversupply, resulting in a decline in occupancy. Concerns have been voiced that South Africa runs the same risk. Heckscher points out, however, that in Germany it was common for fans to visit for just one or two matches, while South Africa's position as a long-haul destination assists it in retaining visitors for longer periods. Sue Lewitton (suel@nowmedia.co.za)