Sport-tourism industry expo as World Cup ends

Fifteen thousand visitors are expected to attend the five-day exhibition and conference programme as the sport-tourism industry congregates in Johannesburg before the final match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Key buyers will include the sport-tour operators responsible for bringing an anticipated 250 000 sport tourists and considerable investment to South Africa for the FIFA World Cup.

A catalytic role

"With the increasing profitability of mega sporting events, the exponential growth of participation vacations and the continued sportification of society, sport tourism is set to play a catalytic role in sparking global tourism recovery with many experts predicting that the next 10 years will be 'the decade of sport tourism'," said Sion Rapson of World Legacy, which is also organising World Football House where WSDE will take place.

A hive of activity during the World Cup, World Football House at the Sandton Convention Centre will also host 32 national country pavilions, TV studios, public viewing areas and a number of associated lifestyle events including the World Fashion Month VIP lounge, the Nelson Mandela "Legacy" Gala Dinner, Africa Fashion Week, Africa Fashion Awards and World Travel Awards.

Set to grow exponentially

"While some traditional tourism trends are in decline, World Sport Destination Expo comes at a time when sport tourism continues to flourish and is set to grow exponentially in the next decade, contributing an astonishing 14 percent of overall travel and tourism receipts in the year ahead," added Rapson.

Included in the WSDE programme is the inaugural International Sport Tourism Conference (to be held on 5 July), a conference that will feature a line-up of leading experts and decision makers in sporting events and sport tourism.

The conference is in association with Sport Business and is fully endorsed by the leading authorities in sport and travel. WSDE will present a first opportunity for the key figures of the sport-tourism industry to come together to source new contacts and markets, gain top-level insights, showcase their brand capabilities on a world stage and, most importantly, to conduct lucrative future business deals for 2011 and beyond.

Strictly by VIP invitation

World Sport Destination Expo attendance is strictly by VIP invitation and only qualified industry buyers, sporting bodies and leading suppliers will be permitted to attend the business to business days on 5 to 7 July, 2010. Invitation on 8 to 9 July, 2010, will be extended to the wider sport tourism industry and pre-selected AB consumers.

In another unprecedented move, WSDE has direct engagement with approximately 10 500 international media through its partnership with the International Sport Press Association (AIPS) and other key media partners.