Welcome booklet prepares SA for visitors

TEP's chief executive, Siva Pillay, explains the relevance of such a guide, “We want everyone to be familiar with the proceedings around this spectacular sporting event, but we also want them to know how to engage with people from all the countries visiting our shores. At the very least, we want to be able to greet our World Cup guests in their own language, make them feel welcome and know that we are all excited about having them here in our home.”

“Tourism really is everybody's business. Visitors come here for an experience of the people and the attractions and when their experience is good they become our advocates amongst their friends and family,” adds CEO of South African Tourism, Thandiwe January-McLean. “We already know that for every twelve foreign visitors, one new job is created in this country. This is our opportunity to showcase the best our country has to offer and to be warm and welcoming to all visitors during the world cup and beyond.”

Training adds to booklet

An extension of the booklet is the development of the Welcome 2010 Ambassador Training, a partnership between TEP and ProServ South Africa. It includes specific training on intercultural communication and creating a great experience for visitors through excellent customer service.

This training is intended for frontline staff such as hotels, airports, banks, even police stations. It is geared towards creating true brand advocates for South Africa, as these are the people who will be interacting with visitors face to face throughout the tournament.

The booklets will be available from April 2010 at various outlets, cost dependent on bulk and also company branded.

To order booklets or enquire about the training, go to www.welcome2010.co.za.