News
2010 more than just a game – Govt
21 August - The 2010 Fifa World Cup to be hosted in South Africa should be used as a vehicle to send new images to the world about the people of South Africa and the African continent alike, media delegates in Beijing have heard.
World Cup to boost SA tourism
21 August - South African tourism and leisure sectors are set to benefit from the country’s hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, Deputy Minister of Finance Jabulani Moleketi said on Thursday.
SA police promise safe World Cup
19 August - South African National Deputy Police Commissioner Andre Pruis says the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup™ and the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ to be held in South Africa will be safe.
Media to scrutinise 2010 preparations
15 August - A contingent of international and local media representatives has been invited to put preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ under the microscope in Beijing, the Department of Sport and Recreation said in a statement on Friday.
2010 lessons from Olympic volunteers
15 August - Potential volunteers for the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup™ and 2010 Fifa World Cup™ to be hosted in South Africa will have to be on top of their game to ensure that crucial areas of operations are well-manned during the events.
SA must unite to make 2010 a success - govt
13 August - With less than 666 days left before the biggest soccer event on the African continent kicks off, government has called on South Africans to come together and share the vision of making it a memorable success.
Fifa: Nothing can go wrong in 2010
12 August - Fifa boss Sepp Blatter has once again reiterated his confidence in South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ saying the event will change the face of the tournament.
Beijing comes alive with Olympic spirit
12 August - Giant outdoor screens brandishing the Olympic circles, sports memorabilia, Chinese flags, strict traffic flow protocol, heavy police presence, branded commodities, scores of tourists, giant official mascots, late night food markets, and game.
LOC gets ball rolling at Host Cities
06 August - The 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa™ Organizing Committee has announced the appointment of eight Organising Committee Venue Managers in a move aimed at dispersing its operations to host city level.
2010 boss for Soccerex
05 August - Soccerex have announced that Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa™ Organizing Committee will be participating at the 2008 Soccerex Conference programme.
Volunteer applications hit 20 000
04 August - More than 20 000 South Africans have applied to volunteer during the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup™ tournament, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Volunteer Programme said on Friday.
2010 security exercises in Bloemfontein
04 August - South African law enforcement agencies will hold joint security exercises in Bloemfontein in preparation for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement on Sunday.
27 May 2007
Local Govt to contribute to 2010 World Cup success
By Themba Gadebe, tel: (012) 314-2267Boksburg - So-called "little things" in the realm of local government, such as friendly traffic officers, efficient waste removal, and effective issuing of vehicle license disks for tour operators, will contribute towards a successful 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Addressing last week's 2010 conference, hosted by the Institute for Local Government Management (ILGM), Chief Executive Officer of SA Tourism, Moeketsi Mosola said while people where excited about big infrastructural progress, basic services and projects should not be ignored.
"We can all contribute meaningfully in the success of the 2010 World Cup by sticking to what we do the best," said Mr Mosola.
"If waste removers do their job we'll have a clean country. Clean cities are an attraction of the visitors. If local government doesn't issue licensing documents for tour operators, it means our tourist won't be able get around," he said.
The CEO explained that local government could also help in effectively ensuring that attractions in their areas, such as restaurants, were clean and provided their services in a healthy environment.
"Municipal health enforcement is important," he emphasised to the delegates.
He also urged for municipal traffic officers to be specially trained to interact with tourists.
"We need police officers who can be tourism friendly. When we are lost we go to authorities not for harassment," he said, admitting to have received letters of complains from tourist about police harassment.
He also singled out road signs as an important function through which municipalities could help tourists find their bearings and identify places of interest.
Signs would also help tourists to avoid running into unscrupulous people.
Mr Mosola said signage was a challenge especially in the townships, for entrepreneurs who may have recently established bed and breakfast accommodation.
"I deal with a lot of people who come and complain that they applied for signage two-years ago and they have not been delivered," he said, going on to urge the local government officials to work with SA Tourism, in marketing their local tourist attractions.
"We have established a web portal and we need municipalities to give us information on their local tourist attractions and places such as Bed and Breakfast and restaurants to enable us to put them to the world."
He indicated the information should be updated and reliable. SA Tourism would make the information even more accessible to international travellers by translating it into Spanish and French, amongst others.
Regarding safety, Mr Mosola said law enforcement was not the only solution to curb crime in the area.
Some municipalities had been successful in preventing crime by identifying the hot spots and reclaiming them, by using the areas for meaningful economic activity by erecting trading stalls there.
Mr Mosola reminded delegates that tourism was a service, saying that if one person is unhappy, ten more people may not come to visit.
"You are only given one shot and you need to get it right," he said.
Source: BuaNews