Soccer fans are here, but will they visit post-world cup?

Guest post by Martin Longreen, a fitness buff and writer for the popular self defence website Hertao.

Soccer fans from around the world have arrived in South Africa in droves to witness the world’s greatest sporting event unfold first hand. Tourism has taken a major boost, and the country as a whole has enjoyed sharing its culture with the world. Despite the great attention being paid to this tiny African nation, and the wonderful tourism the tournament has brought to them, it’s important that they focus not only on the present, but also the future.

Roshene Singh, the chief marketing officer of South Africa tourism commented, “There will be new market opportunities after this tournament. With our track record of hosting major events, sports tourism is important to South Africa. We are not relaxing, we are continuing with our campaigns to convert awareness into visitors.” The country has been preparing for this World Cup for years, and they will not let the goodwill they’ve garnered go unused after the tournament ends.

You might even say that tourism in South Africa will be an even bigger draw, and a more feasible one, after the competition ends. While tourists may not go to watch something as big as the World Cup, the price gouging that many soccer fans have suffered may well get them to come when prices are more reasonable. For many fans that bought tickets to matches, they were unable to actually make the trip because the cost of flights and accommodations had skyrocketed during the weeks the tournament was being held.

A lot of this can be blamed on FIFA, as their ticket-plus-accommodation deals tacked on high surcharges forcing others to drive up their prices. Rooms that would normally go for $100 per night were suddenly charging twice that amount. Fans in surrounding countries and fans from faraway destinations simply could not afford such expenses. But this still leaves the opportunity open for these tourists to make the journey at a time when prices aren’t as high.

The World Cup has provided the perfect platform for tourism in South Africa to move forward, but it’s never as straightforward as it seems. Hotels were built in anticipation of a booming tournament and booming economy, both of which have fallen well below expectations. And although the infrastructure of the nation has been massively improved, the country may well be paying for the World Cup for a long time to come.

Guest post by Martin Longreen, a fitness buff and writer for the popular self defence website Hertao. You too can write for us, follow our guidelines to be considered.