By Tabelo Timse

Nelson Mandela Bay hotels and other accommodation establishments have come together to fast-track the registration of businesses to ensure they meet the demand to accommodate teams, sponsors and officials coming to the city for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

The stakeholders are encouraging accommodation businesses to sign up with Match, the official body assigned by Fifa to manage its accommodation, ticketing and hospitality packages.

This comes after the city‘s accommodation establishments were criticised for trying to cash in on the 2010 World Cup for short-term benefit and so run the risk of the metro losing out on hosting thousands of fans.

Travel and logistics expert Jaime Byrom said last year that Port Elizabeth, a host city, had not even achieved Grade 3 rating. This meant that international tour operators would not consider using it as a centre for fans.

Nor would it be possible for the metro to be accommodated in terms of arranging fleets of buses and providing charter flights.

Byrom said the independent establishments were trying to make money quickly instead of taking a longer-term view of promoting the city.

However, tourism stakeholders such as the Port Elizabeth Metro Bed and Breakfast Association, South African Tourism Services Association, Port Elizabeth Hoteliers Forum and organised business such as Percci and the Business Woman‘s Association are working together to encourage accommodation facilities to sign up with Match.

They say the main aim of the initiative is to ensure the city is ready to welcome the world as the 2010 World Cup is the biggest marketing opportunity coming to South Africa so far.

“As the chamber of commerce, we aim to attract investment to our metro and support the growth of tourism,” said Percci chief executive Odwa Mtati.

“Accommodation establishments play a critical role in building and living the brand of Nelson Mandela Bay – never more so than during the 2010 World Cup. The benefits of a successful World Cup will be felt long after the few weeks that the event is held, because we will have the opportunity to position the Bay on the world stage and market our destination to a global audience.”

Carleen Arends of the municipality said: “Nelson Mandela Bay is also aiming at achieving Matchville status, which will ensure that the city benefits economically from having World Cup visitors staying for a guaranteed minimum of five days in our city.

“Matchville is a modular concept that has been designed to support the tour operator programme specifically around the group matches.”

Source: The Herald