A South Africa Lesson For Brazil In 2014?

There’s a degree of nervousness in Brazil as it prepares to host the 2014 World Cup. Not sporting nervousness – that’s normal, even though everyone knows the country has a magnificent football record. The question is whether all the investment in new stadiums and transport infrastructure and publicity is going to pay off.  It was also asked about the 2012 London Olympics. They left Britain with a strong feel-good effect, but did they ‘pay for themselves’ in pounds and pence?

It may be impossible to give a precise answer. Some attempts have been made, but it depends on what you include or exclude in the calculations, and over what time scale is used. There are also different definitions of “success’. But one thing worried Brazilians can certainly do right now is look at South Africa’s experience hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup. That happened over three years ago. There was a lot of nervousness at the time over whether it would all work.

Taking just one industry – tourism – it seems that it really did work. Tourist arrivals increased peaked in 2010, but then resumed an upwards trend.  Last year 9.188mn tourists visited South Africa, up 10.2% on 2011. James Rosen, a UK citizen who set up a South Africa based travel agency, recently said “I have no doubt this is due to the increase in exposure and tourism since the World Cup”.  Tourism minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk says that inward tourism has grown consistently faster than the world average.  It now represents 2.9% of the country’s economic activity, and close to 10%, if indirect effects are taken into account. Van Schalkwyk and other officials say that the World Cup, by putting their country at the centre of the world’s attention, gave them a great marketing opportunity. The question was: how were they going to use it?

They sought to build and diversify on the initial surge of visitors.  So they are no longer marketing South African as a purely ‘safari destination’. Big game certainly remains a big attraction.  Thiani Nzima, the head of South Africa Tourism says ‘after the 2010 World Cup we did not rest on our laurels. We launched a campaign, 20 experiences in 10 days, and we identified the need to show we are more than a safari destination.” So the 2014 campaign, known as ‘The Pilgrimage’ is being built around Nelson Mandela (it is the 50th anniversary of his imprisonment and the 20th of his presidency). They are also targeting different markets. They have a special campaign to promote internal youth tourism. There is also focused marketing on tourists from neighbouring African countries, who see South Africa as primarily a shopping destination.

Brazil, like South Africa, will have a wonderful opportunity to promote itself. Embratur, the Brazilian tourism agency, thinks tourists will spend up to US$25bn in the country in World Cup year. But the key will probably be what Brazil does after the World Cup. We know it as a country of football, beaches and samba: it will need to promote itself as all of that – and a lot more.  

Six hundred GB Pounds buys you the following amount of Brazilian Real:

  •  Travel Money
  • 3.4767

  • R$ 2,086.02

  • FREE

 

Established in 2008, Travelfx are solely an internet business providing an alternative to a Bureau de Change with some of the best exchange rates online. The company has been ranked 34th in the 2012 Sunday Times Fast track 100.


  •  Travel Money
  • 3.4658

  • R$ 2,079.48

  • FREE

 

Established in 1979. Moneycorp also have retail bureaux de change at Gatwick, Stansted, Southend and Southampton airports, and across Central London. They provide next day delivery and can deliver on Saturdays for an additional fee


  • 3.4425

  • R$ 2,065.50

  • FREE

 

Established in 2008 with one mission, to bring the retail foreign exchange business online identifying an opportunity to redefine how people purchase travel money. The team of three partners has over 30 years experience in the retail foreign exchange market.


  •  Travel Money
  • 3.4611

  • R$ 2,059.33

  • £5
    (Under £1000)

 

Established in 1981, Covent Garden FX is a family-owned and operated Bureau De Change located in the heart of Central London, providing some of the best exchange rates online for branch collection or home delivery.


  •  Travel Money
  • 3.4590

  • R$ 2,058.11

  • £5
    (Under £1000)

 

Established in 2007 with three bureau de change branches in London as well as running a postal delivery service in the UK with a focus on reputation, trust, reliability and quality of service.


  •  Travel Money
  • 3.4288

  • R$ 2,057.28

  • FREE

 

Established in 1973 ICE Plc is one of the largest and most respected retail foreign exchange operators in the world with a combined annual group turnover in excess of US.8 billion and with over 300 branches in addition to providing an online service.


  •  Travel Money
  • 3.3960

  • R$ 2,037.60

  • FREE

 

Established in 1976 the business has grown to become one of the most recognised travel money brands in the UK with over 1,100 branches worldwide. They also provide wholesale services to many banks and supermarkets.


  •  Travel Money
  • 3.3890

  • R$ 2,033.40

  • FREE

 

As a well known British high street retailer, M&S stock one of the widest ranges of currency on the high street (up to 42 currencies) available online, by phone or in store operating as one of the most competitive providers for those needing to purchase last minute from one of their 120 stores nationwide.


  •  Travel Money
  • 3.2980

  • R$ 1,978.80

  • FREE

 

The post office is one of the most recognised brands for holiday money in the UK. They allow you to order your travel money online and collect it from any Post office branch or have it delivered to your address for free.


  •  Travel Money
  • 3.2692

  • R$ 1,961.52

  • FREE

 

Established in 1968 and acquired by RBS in 2000, foreign exchange forms part of the general financial services offered by the bank. You can purchase notes or travellers cheques for collection from your local branch or home delivery.



Written by Andrew Thompson
Travel writer - Currency Today