TOWNS along the Garden Route are confident of a Soccer World Cup tourism bonanza when the world’s biggest sporting event starts in June, despite being some distance from match venues in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

Their optimism is anchored in the knowledge that three international teams have secured luxury Garden Route resorts in George and Knysna as their base camps for the World Cup, with the possibility that a fourth might choose Mossel Bay.

Tourism is by far the biggest income earner on the Garden Route, making this an important event for these cities.

Knysna will play host to the French and Danish teams, at Pezula and Simola golf estates, while the Japanese team has booked Fancourt estate in George as its base.

Mossel Bay is also hoping to convince Paraguay, or another team, that the town is the right place from which to launch an assault on the World Cup. Paraguay initially expressed an interest in Mossel Bay, but then backtracked, saying the practice pitch being prepared for them was not up to scratch.

Mossel Bay spokesman Harry Hill says they have not given up hope on Paraguay, and if that doesn’t work out, another team might choose the coastal town. “We are aware that a number of teams have not yet chosen their base camps and have until the end of January to decide. We are going all out to get a team because Mossel Bay has a lot to offer and the town will benefit tremendously. We can promise that the training pitch issue will be sorted out in time.”

Knysna and George have meanwhile started preparing for the influx of foreign visitors expected for the big event, including the football teams and their sizable entourages, the equally large media contingents coming to report on the fortunes of their national sides, and, of course, the fans.

Both towns have set up organising committees and subcommittees consisting of public and private sector leaders to deal with the many aspects of successfully accommodating, feeding, transporting and looking after the foreign visitors, with an emphasis on language and cultural issues.

Knysna mayor Eleanor Bouw Spies says her town’s committee has already held meetings with the French consul and cultural organisation Alliance Française. Both have offered aid in the form of French teachers for small groups of workers in the hospitality and service industries.

“They are also compiling a booklet with basic French terms and English translations to help with communication.”

Local French speakers are also being roped in to give crash courses to restaurant employees and owners. “We are committed to a big effort to making our visitors feel at home.”

Bouw-Spies says the same effort will be made to accommodate the Danes and that meetings with the consul from Denmark are scheduled to seek advice.

“I think Danish will be a bit easier because the language is similar to Afrikaans.”

The mayor says she intends learning some French and Danish herself. “I am starting this week with my lessons.”

Knysna’s preparation of the training pitches for the two international teams are on schedule and facilities such as cloakrooms at Loerie Park, the French team’s training ground, are being upgraded.

The World Cup will coincide with the annual Knysna Oyster Festival – in itself a big tourist draw card.

“We are considering incorporating French and Danish aspects into the Oyster Festival, such as offering traditional cuisine from both countries, and possibly a French jazz band to come over and play with South African jazz artists,” says Bouw Spies.

New venues are being arranged to accommodate the festival because Loerie Park, its traditional venue, will be in use by the French team.

In George, similar extensive preparations are going ahead for the Japanese contingent.

Municipal official and organising committee member Andre Smith is in charge of arrangements to host the Japanese team and run the only official World Cup public viewing area (PVA) in the Southern Cape, at Pacaltsdorp in George.

Steyn says based on projections from previous World Cups, George is hoping to attract between 10000 and 15000 visitors from Japan alone.

He says work is well under way to upgrade both the A and B pitches at Outeniqua Park as a training facility for the Japanese team, and huge efforts will be put into “creating a World Cup vibe” in the town.

As in Knysna, overcoming the language and cultural barriers is being given priority, with lessons to enable service industry workers to at least greet guests in Japanese and observe certain customs considered good manners. Information kiosks will also be put up at a number of sites in George, staffed by people proficient in Japanese, Danish, French and Spanish.

Permission has been granted to televise eight World Cup matches on a giant screen at the PVA, but Steyn says the George committee is negotiating for more, given that the next closest PVA is in Cape Town.

Source: Business Day