Accommodation code formulated for the World Cup 2010

Cape Town's tourism industry stakeholders are united in their efforts to combat damaging international perceptions of South Africa as an expensive destination, ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.


In a bid to translate commitment into action, Cape Town Tourism formulated a Code of Responsible Pricing for Cape Town. The Code is endorsed and will be implemented by the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism and all major Tourism, hotels and accommodation related associations in South Africa.


The Code has been created around four core principles. The first and major guiding principle of the Code is that of Fair Value. The tourism sector has pledged to set fair and reasonable rates for the 2010 FIFA World Cup that is linked to current seasonal rates.


The second principle is that of Responsible Tourism. This underlies Cape Town's commitment to be a destination which values and promotes its position on taking care of people, the planet and profit to the greater community.

Thirdly, tourism businesses will be mindful of Sustainable Tourism in the interests of maintaining a legacy for Cape Town beyond the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as a destination that offers good value.


Finally, the Code asks that the tourism sector advocates a strong Consumer Protection ethic, by refraining from adding hidden costs and fees that surprise and annoy consumers when they receive their bill.


The industry is eager to ensure that Cape Town's good reputation is not spoiled by greedy individuals out to capitalize on a few weeks, at the expense of a responsible sector that has worked incredibly hard to put Cape Town on the top of every traveler's destination wish-list.


A call to action, urging the industry to sign up to and adhere to the Code, will be driven by various participating associations and member organisations in the region.


Cape Town will promote awareness of the Code of Responsible Pricing for Cape Town through its international public relations network. International fans will be advised to interpret adherence to the Code as a sign of quality and value. A recent report by German PR Network, Kleber, observed that German travelers were largely considering 2010 a year "not to travel to South Africa, as pricing was likely to be inflated.

This is exactly the perception we have to guard against, said a spokesperson of Cape Town tourism. Tourism businesses need to be ready with good-value rates during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but there must be offers of even greater value (along with accessibility to information on these great offers) both before and after the event.