FIFA World Cup in South Africa - First Major Sporting Event - Case Study Example

FIFA World Cup in South Africa - First Major Sporting Event Executive summary Hosting the 2010, FIFA World Cup was not South Africa’s first major sporting event. The privilege of hosting such a mega event impacted the country and the continent in various ways. The success of such an event, involves fulfilling all the stipulated standards such as improved infrastructure to cater for communication, transport and security. Consequently, the country will benefit through improved welfare and employment both for the business people and individuals; and influx of foreign tourists and international investors. Economically, the South Africa’s growth in GDP would result from the increased welfare and spending from the corporate and individual businesses. Generally, the accruing benefits through international goodwill will elevate the country’s heritage, thus advertising the African continent to the world at large. However, the benefits of hosting such an event meant that financially, the country would be negatively affected. Infrastructural costs would be the highest consumers of funds, while the prices and rates in major towns would affect the local consumers. Another negative impact was on the environment, due to the large number of fans that had congregated on the country, there was increased traffic resulting in greenhouse gas emissions. There was also increased air and noise pollution, increased use of energy, raw material and water. Prior to the event, several preparations had to be done. This involved stadiums rebuilding, upgrading the country’s means of transport and developing appropriate information and communication technologies. Safety and security, social legacy projects, health and justice systems were put in place. Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Impacts of hosting 2010 FIFA World Cup Positive impacts According to Oxford business group (2008), it was not the first time for South Africa to host a mega event. It had successfully hosted several sports events that attracted both regional and international attention before. It was unique for South Africa to have an opportunity to host another mega event (the FIFA World Cup) in 2010. According to Bruyn (2009), South Africans longed for the year 2010. The country had to consider the attention and interest of both domestic and international guests. The mega event posed certain standards which the country had to accomplish earlier before the commencement of the competition. Inc Icon Group International (2008) revealed that the previous host and other predecessors came up with specific standards to be met. Among the major requirements, was that the country had to put up adequate infrastructure and prepare to provide adequate security. The 2010 FIFA World Cup had both long-term and short-term impacts on South Africa as a country. This affected the country both positively and negatively. The event was a honor to South Africa and African continent at large (Koonyaditse 2010). The benefits of hosting mega events especially those of world class include; improvement of infrastructure base. Leeman (2010) asserts that to host mega events successfully require appropriate infrastructure. Infrastructure constructed for world cup competitions resulted in prospects of fast growth. Over a period of four years South African government invested huge amount of money in infrastructure in preparation for the World Cup. Infrastructural expansion covered the transport sector; security apparatus; the stadiums and broadcast as well as telecommunications. Construction of infrastructure was a long term investment and involved long-term planning. According to Boermeester (n. d.), the country’s infrastructure was the best. The country also benefited through improved welfare and employment. Various jobs opportunities were created during the world cup preparations and when the event was ongoing. Several people got an employment opportunity either casually or full time. The opportunities were majorly in the roads and transport sector, construction and hospitality industry as well as in the security sector. Several people were employed in the hospitality industry in order to meet the high demand of services from the soccer fans that congregated in the country for the tournament and several guests who had visited the country during that period. During these period several businesses, especially those in the hospitality sector like the restaurants, hotels, informal traders and shopping malls experienced unusual business. Huge profits were generated during the event. However, it is believed that the benefits to be generated by the country’s businesses in the future will be even greater. Through the successes of the event, most people who attended the world cup event will come back even with their friends. Hence, the huge amount of money invested on the hospitality industry and construction is not lost. Thirdly, there was also increment of both foreign tourists and local business prospects. Among the long term impact was Multiplier effect on the number of international tourists which Cape Town will be getting in the future. Even though the actual numbers and bookings in Cape Town of world cup visitors did not match with the expectations, the mega event assisted the country in a great way to attract a large number of tourists to the city in the years to come. According to the surveys conducted in the tourism sector about the event, visitors were kept back by the prices and even crime in the country. Unlike any other peak season in South Africa, the 2010 world cup became a profuse winter season. If the 0.5 percent of those who were present during the world cup season returned to the country in the future, the arrivals could triple from the annual 1.8 million tourists who visit South Africa annually. Even though the turn up was lower than expected, 90 percent of the tourist agencies said that the country will receive more visitors in future due to the positive perception created by the world cup. In hosting the event, the country did not only concentrate on short term benefits, it also focused on how to maximize the long term benefits. In addition, the aim to transform the world’s opinion about the country was in place. The major aim was to convert South Africa’s soccer fans to Cape Town fans. By successfully holding the mega event of world cup in Cape Town during the winter season, the target of the country is to boost tourism by the year 2020. With eight new hotels being put in place within a period of two years, the capacity of Cape Town almost doubled. The mega event during winter season helped to unlock the city’s economic growth. Apart from economic legacy, other benefits included expansion of the delivery capacity while portraying the country’s ability to host mega events. According to Bohlmann (2006), the mega project had both indirect and direct influence on the country. Estimation of direct effects can be done by using government total capital expenditure. Benefits can be estimated using other non-government investments and interventions like the proceeds from ticket sales and advertising services of similar experiences of the past events. Direct effects are just a small portion of the event’s overall effect on the country’s economy. General equilibrium effects also exist. Investment in various infrastructures like stadia construction and renovation increases demand for building materials. Employment opportunities will also be increased in the construction and transport sector. People would have more money to spend and more goods and services would be consumed. Consequently, business would thrive and more wealth would be generated for business shareholders. The tournament added a great percentage to the country’s real gross domestic product (GDP). It was estimated to be 0.4 percent increase translating to about R38-billlion addition to south Africa GDP. The long term benefits cannot be measured easily, in hosting the event the country incurred fiscal cost. However, increase in the amount spent by foreign visitors during the mega event enabled the country to offset the costs. Apart from financial benefits, the country also enjoyed the tremendous benefits in terms of international goodwill. The world cup event presented the country as being modernized, peaceful, and safe and with great potential for foreign direct investment. According to Alegi (2010), South Africa government remained committed as they focus greatly on philosophy influence of African Renaissance. This was the belief that combination of African cultural heritage with both modernization and globalization can be exploited to boost the African continent economically and politically. In addition, through the mega event, the country realized both social and economic benefits. The event was of great help to the country, it brought to an end the Afro-pessimism that had always prevailed in the foreign media for a long period. Through the high level of trust and confidence the country gained, visitors and foreign investors have been attracted to the country .Through the FIFA World Cup event focus was placed on South Africa as being a country that falls between the first and third worlds. The country is trying to come up with a better identity two decades later after Apartheid was brought to an end. According to Higham and Hinch, (2009), the country’s main aim in hosting the tournament was to strengthen its own image and be able to come up with new partnerships during the memorable event. Cayreyre et al (2009) claimed that the mega event was an opportunity to advertise South Africa as a country since many people were watching the world cup 2010.The great event did not only benefit South Africa, it was an opportunity for all Africans around the world. To South Africa, it was a unique opportunity to unite with other African countries. According to Badejo, (2008) The African Union perceived the event as a way of improving health, poverty reduction, jobs creation, focusing on the youth and bringing together everyone in the society. Negative impacts Potential negative impacts the country faced by hosting the tournament included; extremely high costs incurred in construction and infrastructure. According to OECD Economic Surveys (2010), the country initially had been faced by a shallow downturn. Therefore, it had to come up with quality and adequate infrastructure. It cost the country billions of rands to construct stadiums of high standards, improve the transport sector. It also had to incur expenditures in upgrading the country’s ICT and ensuring there was reliable power supply. The second negative impact was Increment in various costs for example rental. Most locals had to pay higher costs than the usual because of large number of people who visited the country for the tournament. Thirdly, the traditional tourists faced temporary displacement and discomfort. The special treatment and services they were enjoying before the mega event was tampered with. This resulted from divided attention as the country worked hard to ensure all the visitors who attended the event were accommodated. Fourthly, there was the impact of the mega event on the environment. Environmental impacts were both short term and long term. This occurred because of the large number of people congregating within a short time and in a crowded space. In addition, there were increases in noise, air pollution, increased use of energy, excavations, increased use of raw materials, and water. There were also greenhouse gas emissions from increased traffic. Another effect to the environment resulted from construction and waste management. Waste and litter were visible in many areas. This caused a lot of discomfort on the spectators when the event was ongoing. Fifth, there was increased in prostitution as several commercial sex workers had turned up to the country’s cities. This tampered with the country’s effort to fight wide spread HIV and AIDS in the country. Specific issues during the total event management process According to Damster et al (2006), organizing an event is a process. The whole process requires to be incorporated and normally it is quite complex. Tonge clarified that when organizing for an event it is important to carefully identify and examine several factors that will determine the events design and production. The major inspiration during the preparations was to leave legacy about the African continent (Robinson et al 2010).Several specific issues were considered in the preparation of FIFA world cup in South Africa. According to Smit (2007), an improved infrastructural system is critical to hosting a successful world cup event. Infrastructure is a wide general term which covers several fields. For South Africa to host the mega event, they had to construct several stadiums. The construction had to be timely to pave way for inspection which was to be done a year before the FIFA World Cup event. Secondly, under infrastructure is the transport sector. The department of transport ensured proper completion of the initial national transport operational plan. In addition, all the host cities involved were given adequate funds to assist them in developing their various roads. All the plans on national and city transport plans were handed over to the FIFA early enough for scrutiny. Thirdly, information and communication technologies were also developed. Telkom had a great responsibility of upgrading its core fibre optic network. The department of communications assisted in speeding up the development of the country’s ICT infrastructure to make it strong, reliable and affordable. Fourth, the country ensured that there was sufficient electricity to ensure that the tournaments did not face power disruptions. The country also acquired several generators as a substitute just in case of any electrical failure occurrence. The second issue to be considered was safety and security. The country had to be keen on matters concerning safety and security. All mega events face different security threats. The country was placed in another level of threat category. Hence, there was need for enhancing security during and after the world cup. This was to ensure that potential terrorists and other enemies did not access the stadiums and other important places. While handling security concerns, it is important to consider that the target is not the host country but the event being held. An event that draws great media interest and foreign guest can attract the terrorist even though a country had not been a target before. In preparing for a mega event, a country has to overestimate rather than underestimate the possible threat from crime and terrorism. Although, South Africa had not had a major attack to cause alarm, great security consideration had to be in place. This was because the FIFA World Cup which was being held had representatives worldwide was an international event. In addition, the mega event had valuable media coverage that would bring about recognition or even boost the profile of conflict. Even though security was tight in matches where high value targets were involved especially in larger venues, terrorists may consider taking advantage of the smaller venues. Therefore, it was important to consider safety and security in the whole country. Domestic terror groups who focus mainly on domestic targets should not be overlooked as they might take advantage of the international attention to gain recognition for their various grievances. Therefore, before the mega event a standard checklist concerning safety and security was developed and given to all the host cities in the country. Secondly, proper access to justice had to be made available for all. The country had to properly put in place court facilities, prosecution, adjudication, proper interpretation of court language and ensure proper direction in legislation services. Thirdly, there was need for efficient immigration services. The country’s department of home affairs came up with a visa system which reacted promptly to various needs of events participants. The event specific visas were also developed and this assisted those with tickets to enter into the country without any difficulty. The fourth issue is health. Adequate hospital had to be identified and made accessible to meet the demands of the mega event. Hospitals were classified into various categories which included those for VIPs, those funded for individuals to receive private medical care and those of the whole public, which was the reception centre for mass casualty. Secondly, under health there had to be organized emergency medical services. Plans had to be put in place to advance emergency medical services. To improve on communication centres, most provinces acquired various specialists. Adequate new ambulances were also purchased. The third special issue under health was stadiums and other public viewing areas. The country’s department of health came with the required standards for health and other medical services to be met by those in charge of stadiums, and other designated viewing places. Medical centre specifications, proper drawings and the designs of medical post were made. In addition, there were schedules indicating when various medical personnel were required together with the necessary medical equipment and adequate drugs. Surgical sundries and mass casualty clearing location were identified and prepared for emergencies. Fourthly, under the health issue there had to be a well designed health web- site put in place. This website was prepared on time as it had to go public early enough. This assisted in provision of information concerning health preparations, information on health promotion and travel medicine proposal for health volunteers. The third issue is social legacy projects. It involved arts and culture, several projects and programmes had to be approved by the country’s department of arts and culture. There were organizations of both opening and closing events; the campaign of national symbols to be established; development of publications from the history of various host cities; preparation and conducting of a clean-up campaign in host cities; and preparation of international architectural exhibitions. The opening and closing events had to be attractive to everyone including those who were watching from different countries of the world. Creativity was required to make ceremony colorful through various entertainment including songs. Secondly, under the social legacy projects are sports, community development and legacy. This involved volunteer programme which assisted in recruiting, screening and selecting several volunteers for FIFA world cup. The volunteer team had to be trained and be given adequate resources. This programme had three important pillars to ensure its success which included education, development and event participation. The third issue under social legacy project is environment, tourism and accommodation. The country had to meet the accommodation requirements of FIFA. This was to ensure the country had adequate facilities to accommodate the large number of soccer fans visiting the country. The country had great responsibility of expanding hospitality industry in various cities. Regarding the environment, the country had to plan how to handle waste generated by the masses during the mega event. Through comprehensive planning on how to cope with the challenge, it brought along great benefits and opportunities. Clean cities and stadiums were essential in portraying the country’s image. This will enable visitors to enjoy a clean environment and they will long to come in the future. All these could be achieved through the greening project. According to Laurila, (2007), greening project concentrated on various issues which included conducting campaign to raise awareness on various issues concerning the environment. It also helped to come up with environmental targets on the following areas: stadiums, venues for training, public viewing places, various systems of transport and designated places for accommodation. In conclusion, an event success depends on the effort put in while conducting prior preparations. According to Gido and Clements (2008), if those in charge of various projects completes on time, and events takes place as planned, though the players participating in the world cup gets the glory, the success will be attributed to the project managers. Recommendations Preparation mega events should not be the responsibility of the host country alone. Instead, it should be an international responsibility since most of the mega events are world class. This will ensure all the standards requirements are attained on time. Mega events should be a continent event and not a one country opportunity. This will help in boosting all countries including those still developing. Perception of mega events as being solution to problems being faced by a city or a country should be eliminated. Instead, such events should be taken to unite the whole world. During such events, everyone should focus on improving the environment. This will reduce challenges facing the environment. This includes a climate friendly mobility behavior can be achieved through influential of attitudes. This is done by ensuring that; public passenger transport has adequate volume and is of quality, the vehicles used should produce less emission. Finally, consider developing accommodation near stadiums. This help to prevent movements and travels that cause increases in carbon emissions. 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