Tourist considerations in hosting a mega sport event: 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa

Abstract

Hosting a mega sport event has the potential to raise the profile of a destination. Being an experience good, the demand increases after the first consumption, if the destination delivers on the desired experience. In preparation for a mega-event it is thus necessary to ascertain the perception of the host country and challenges it needs to overcome from a sport tourist perspective, prior to the event. South Africa (SA) is to host the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) 2010 World Cup, and this study seeks to elicit the perceptions of a similar target market namely spectators to the FIFA Confederations Cup, SA 2009, about SA’s ability to do so, and compares the findings with a variety of related studies. Almost all respondents were of the opinion that SA had the ability, that the matches were well organised, but that the services provided by the private sector was better than those provided by the public sector such as transport. For them it was a very emotional experience in that it generated excitement and a sense of belonging, thus enabled them to celebrate a subculture sport spectators uniquely share. However, SA must get the basics right in terms of world-class facilities and services if it wants to reduce the legacy of Afro-pessimism.

Key words: Mega sport event; FIFA World Cup; Sport event motivation; Sport event attraction; Hyper-experiences; Spectator perceptions.