Tourist arrivals in South Africa is projected to soar by 3 Million from the current level as the country is going to organize FIFA World Cup in 2010.
According to the Deputy Finance Minister of South Africa, the South African tourism industry is set to attract over three million more tourists to take the total count to 10 Million by 2010, as reported by allAfrica.
Presently, the South African tourism industry attracts seven million tourists annually, and it is expected that this figure will rise to 10 Million by 2010. Moreover, the industry currently makes up for 8% of the country’s GDP, and is anticipated to grow to 12% by 2010 when the country will host the FIFA World Cup.
The World Cup will draw a large number of soccer fans in the country from all over the world. Besides, FIFA and local authorities have signed agreements of cooperation with Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to offer better accommodation, camping facilities, safety and security, and border control to tourists. In view of expected rise in the tourist arrivals, the South African government has sanctioned R33 Billion for infrastructure development and around R13 Billion for improving the transportation system to provide the best of the services to tourists.
Moreover, the government is planning to introduce UNIVISA system that will enable visitors to travel across the region on a single visa and will also help in raising the number of tourists. Also, the country is known for its famous tourism attractions, including historical sites, scenic cultural and heritage sites, and local wineries that will boost the tourist inflow in the country.
The robust growth in the South African tourism industry will support the country’s economy in several ways, such as creating more job opportunities. Tourism will also create favorable business environment for related industries like wine industry, one of the key industries in South Africa, to draw profit from high tourist inflow.
A Research Analyst at RNCOS said, “The tourist inflow in South Africa is expected to increase to 10 Million annually by 2010 in the backdrop of hosting of 2010 FIFA World Cup and several government initiatives. This high growth in tourist arrivals reflects strong economic growth and increased foreign exchange for the country.”
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