Soccer World Cup in South Africa Set to Boost Tourism

The 2010 soccer World Cup should boost tourism in southern Africa, which is currently handicapped by its image as a war zone and the difficulties of travel within the region, an industry leader said last week.

Shepherd Nyaruwata, executive director of the Regional Tourism Organization for Southern Africa, said the troubled Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remained a worry for tourists, but the return to peace in Angola had raised hopes of stability in the region.

"There is a need to spruce up the image of the region," he added. "There are a number of positives, such as the 2010 soccer World Cup, resolution of conflicts and the fact that the region has witnessed a smooth transition of power in countries that have held elections like Malawi, Mozambique and Namibia."

South Africa won the right last May to host the 2010 World Cup, the first to be held on the African continent. World soccer´s ruling body, Fifa, chose South Africa to host the finals ahead of Morocco and Egypt.

Visitors to South Africa accounted for more than 50 percent (6.5 million) of SADC´s tourists in 2003. Despite economic and political upheaval in the recent past, Zimbabwe was in second place with 1.5 million, although that was sharply lower than the 1.86 million visitors in 2000.