2010 FIFA World Cup™ tour operator programme to be launched at Soccerex
Over 400,000 guests from all over the world are expected to visit the FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa between 11 June and 11 July 2010. In order to provide football fans with a unique and comprehensive African experience, FIFA has decided to allocate match tickets to a dedicated tour operator programme for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, the first such programme to be implemented for a FIFA World Cup since 1998. The project will be officially launched by Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the South African Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, during a workshop with tour operators from South Africa and across the globe at Soccerex 2007 in Johannesburg on 26 November.
Other speakers at the launch will be FIFA Ticketing Sub-Committee chairman and FIFA Honorary Vice-President David Will, Local Organising Committee CEO and FIFA Ticketing Sub-Committee member Danny Jordaan and FIFA Ticketing Sub-Committee member and consultant for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Horst Schmidt.
The programme will incorporate qualified and experienced tour operators, who will provide accommodation, transport and other related travel services in the form of packages of their own creation, sold under their own terms of business together with tickets sold on behalf of FIFA. "This is a landmark project in FIFA World Cup history. Qualified tour operators who are selected by FIFA to participate in the programme will be permitted to sell FIFA World Cup ticket-inclusive travel packages. South Africa is a great country and I am sure this way all football fans will have an unforgettable time at the FIFA World Cup enjoying Africa's colourful culture, passion and love for the game," said FIFA General Secretary Jérôme Valcke.
The tour operator workshop will outline the selection process for entities wishing to apply to sell authorised travel packages for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. Attendance at this workshop is not compulsory for those wishing to apply for selection, nor will the decision to attend have any bearing on whether the attendees or any other entity are ultimately successful in their applications. However, the workshop is designed to provide a valuable introduction to, and explanation of, the role of the tour operators and the criteria for selection.
FIFA, the Local Organising Committee and MATCH, FIFA's service company responsible for delivering the ticketing, accommodation, and IT solutions for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009, will be presenting and explaining the official policy, requirements, and selection criteria that will be implemented for the appointment of tour operators worldwide for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.
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