World Cup Fans Start Planning for South Africa Travel in 2010
Monday, September 21st, 2009
Travel agents around the world are noticing a steady increase in demand for trips to South Africa for the summer of 2010 after the English football team qualified for the World Cup. According to BreakingTravelNews.com, over 100,000 fans of English football are expected to travel to South Africa to watch the championship games, and tour operators are working towards putting together both affordable and deluxe travel packages to accommodate for the trend. Only four travel agencies in the United Kingdom have been licensed to sell packages for the South Africa World Cup. These include Thomas Cook, Keith Prowse, BAC Sport and Thomson Sport. Still, hundreds of websites and independent travel agents have been trying to pitch tickets and packages to English travelers in hopes of making a quick sale. Travel organization Abta issued a warning shortly after the announcement of England making it to the World Cup, encouraging travelers to pay attention to where they purchase their tickets and make sure that the company selling the tickets and packages is authorized by FIFA.
Demand for tickets and flights is expected to increase over the next few months, and may even lead to a shortage of hotel rooms by Spring 2010. Ticket prices for the World Cup games are increasing on a daily basis, and guaranteed tickets to the final on July 11 have reached a price of over $4,500, as of September 11, 2009.
England supporters who are planning a trip to the World Cup in South Africa are also being warned to make sure they learn about the area they will be staying in, and be aware of the dangers of crime throughout the region. The South Africa Tourism Board provides a wealth of resources and information about cities and neighborhoods throughout the country, and also offers some travel tips for foreign visitors.
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