Parking Income 2010

The 2010 FIFA World cup event in South Africa is now 12 months away. Zambia has not done much to take advantage of the looming masses of visitors that are destined for Southern Africa starting early in the World Cup year.

There are clear signals that many competing countries will want to visit the continent long before the actual event as part of the preparations to acclimatize the players to the African climate. At the same time, many teams will want to keep their strategies a secret only to be unleashed at the actual tournament. To this end, it is expected that many competing countries will look for secluded training camps well out of sight, in neighbouring counties which include Zambia. The opportunity for Zambia to receive this unsolicited tourism business must not be missed.

The country currently finds itself without a local airline that can facilitate a high frequency of travel between Zambia and South Africa, and Zambia and Europe, to mop up some new business in 2010.

However, there will be plenty of opportunity for foreign airlines to camp in Zambia, as the airports in South Africa are likely to get congested with aircraft which will be forced to relocate for parking spaces in neighbouring countries. Zambia can quickly start to negotiate options for foreign airlines to park in Lusaka, Ndola, Mfuwe, and Livingstone in an effort to ease the congestion in South Africa and more importantly, to bring in and take back the much needed tourists that the World Cup will bring to the continent.

Zambia has witnessed the development of many hotels and lodges across the country. Unique experiences are available for any visitor to the country, and the fact that Zambia has always marketed herself as a peaceful country with very friendly people, will go a long way in polarising visitors to South Africa to consider their welfare and safety in Zambia, compared to South Africa and other neighbouring countries. There is a good business case for Zambia to engage with the opportunities that the 2010 World Cup presents to fast track both the development of the tourism industry, and the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment.

There is an old business rule that highlights that; ‘it is more difficult to attract a new customer, than to keep an old customer’. Zambia can definitely make it easier for World Cup visitors to visit the Victoria Falls, the Luangwa Valley, the Kafue National Park, and the Copperbelt, and make that first trip to Zambia. Repeat visits are almost guaranteed, and new tourists generated by the experiences of World Cup visitors to Zambia will increase the sustained flow of tourists to our national parks and resorts.

Back in South Africa, residents and investors in the hospitality industry have already gone into high gear by sourcing for camping equipment and tents in an effort to benefit from visitors that will look for cheap accommodation in people’s back yards and camp sites in 2010. The South African Government has invested in expanding their International Airports, Transport systems, and Stadia, but the private sector has taken the lead in developing more accommodation, services, restaurants, and other facilities that will support the large number of visitors to the country.

South Africa looks to the 2010 World Cup to put itself prominently on the tourism map of the world, and expects the private sector to create wealth and jobs on the foundation of an influx of visitors into the country. It is not too late, a 2010 Team can be put together to coordinate and program the options for linking Zambia to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Published 26th May, 2009