iStopOver: World Cup 2010 update

I have just returned from a 10-day trip to South Africa on behalf of iStopOver for World Cup 2010.

It was extremely exciting to see all the preparation underway for the World Cup in June/July. We were in Johannesburg and Cape Town and it seems that all everyone can speak about is the World Cup. The airports look amazing, the stadiums are incredible and you can see the excitement everywhere. All indications are that it is going to be an amazing event.

We met with many of our partners, established new partnerships and were busy with the media the rest of the time. (Well, we did sneak a visit or two to the beach, but who can blame us coming from Toronto to the best weather in the world). Media coverage included Summit TV, e.tv, WOZA, KAYA FM, 567 Cape Talk, Africa Awakes, Business Day, SAFM, Sunday World, Die Burger, Cape Argus, TimesLive and Chai FM.

Most importantly, we met with iStopOver hosts and potential hosts – it was very exciting meeting with people who will be hosting guests in their homes on iStopOver. Some of our Hosts are renting out their entire home during the World Cup, and many are renting out individual rooms in their homes. The over-riding message we received from hosts is that they are ready to receive overseas visitors in their homes. They want to ensure that visitors have a great visit and experience the beauty and uniqueness of South Africa – so much so that many hosts are offering amenities such as airport pickup and drop off as well as meals.

We did find one disturbing trend when we spoke to South Africans regarding World Cup accommodations and that is the many rumours regarding accommodations during the World Cup. One of the rumours relates to what visitors are willing to pay for accommodations. There is a commonly told story about someone who rented out their home for one million rand for the month. Another set of rumours swirl about how many people will be attending the World Cup and related events.

REALITY CHECK: Our website tells us that there are MANY visitors from all over the world who are going to be visiting South Africa for the World Cup. These are soccer fans. They are going to the World Cup in South Africa to see the soccer and to experience an incredible event. They are not big spenders, they are not looking for a luxurious holiday, and they are not arriving with pockets full of cash. Guests are arriving looking for a comfortable, safe location that is “close to the action”, affordable and fun.

The good news is that iStopOver is attracting many homeowners in South Africa looking to host our Guests who get this! They are not pricing their homes at rates that ordinary people cannot afford – and they know (as we do) that the properties that are being rented are priced reasonably. We kept repeating the “affordability” phrase in our SA visit and were thrilled by the positive response of realistic homeowners!

One word to our Guests from all over the world: World Cup 2010 is going to be amazing! People all over South Africa are waiting to host you and it is going to be incredible. We now have thousands of listings and the best locations are filling up quickly. Don’t wait if you are looking for well priced, great locations. Start the process by viewing the many listings we have on the site. We are confident you will find one to fit your needs. If you need any help finding or booking a location, please contact us at info@istopover.com

See you in June in South Africa!!

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