TGCSA launches 2010 accommodation campaign

Comments Thembi Kunene, newly appointed CEO of TGCSA, “The national campaign, 2010 Accommodation Sign-Up, presented in partnership with Match (the only company appointed by FIFA to manage accommodation, ticketing and the IT solution for the 2010 FIFA World Cup) and the Tourism Enterprise Programme (TEP) (a public-private partnership between the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and the Business Trust) kicks off in the Western Cape [this] week and runs for six months.”

More than 25 locations

The project will be implemented in more than 25 locations around the country to provide opportunities for SMME accommodation owners to get information about becoming official Accommodation Providers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The 2010 South African event is the first time in the cup's history that non-hotel accommodation providers (bed and breakfast establishments, for example) can be official accommodation providers for the world football championship.

FIFA is working through its appointed agent, Match, to provide non-hotel accommodation for visitors. Match will contract a minimum of 55 000 rooms in hotels and in non-hotels in the host cities and in accommodation satellite areas. Satellite areas are areas where 200 rooms or more can be secured for visiting fans and where the area is accessible for transport to and from the host cities.

To validate the signing of the Match contract, establishments need to become star-graded with the TGCSA, the official provider of a framework and process for grading across all relevant sectors of the tourism industry in SA. TEP is providing financial assistance in terms of star grading fees to previously ungraded SMMEs. The assistance available pays up to 50% of the fee in years one and two, and up to 25% in the third year. To qualify for assistance, you have to be registered with TEP.

Once the Match contract is signed, establishments have 12 months in which to become star-graded.

Numerous benefits

Mahandra Naidoo, senior operations manager at Match, says numerous ‘very attractive' benefits are to be had. “MATCH will profile all contracted establishments on the FIFA.com website,” he says. “Moreover, we will use contracted accommodation providers all over South Africa… not only in the centres where games are being played.

“In 2006 this website received more than 4 billion page views,” says Naidoo. “The majority of football fans use this website as a starting point for their planned trip to FIFA World Cup events. More and more people all over the world are turning to the Internet to get information, make purchases and plan their travels. The Internet is going to be a major factor for the 2010 event in South Africa.”

Other benefits are:

• SMME accommodation owners will be official accommodation providers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup;
  
• Establishments will be advertised in the 2010 Accommodation Brochure that will be produced for fans who attend the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa;
  
• Accommodation establishments will be able to market themselves locally and internationally as a contracted accommodation provider for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and they will be able to use the phrase ‘A Match-Accredited 2010 Establishment'.

2010 Accommodation Sign-Up representatives are travelling around the country between November 2007 and March 2008 to assist as many establishments as possible to sign-up. New Match contracts should be signed by the end of May 2008.

“2010 Accommodation Sign-up is an excellent example of how business and government have come together to bring the benefits of 2010 to more tourism businesses in more areas of South Africa,” concludes Kunene.

For more information, go to www.tourismgrading.co.za or www.tep.co.za or call +27 (0)11 567 2710 (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday).