About three million spectators will flock to South Africa for the 2010 Soccer World Cup should the country win the right to host the event when Fifa votes on Saturday.
According to a study by the organisers of the bid, fans could spend more than R12-billion during the two months of the tournament.
Winning the bid and running a successful tournament would also ensure a massive shot in the arm for the economy, making South Africa a prime tourist and investor destination, says the report. It is projected that staging the World Cup could boost the economy to the tune of R30-billionn.
The 1998 event, held in France, generated R1.5-billion from 2,5 million tickets sold for 64 matches, an average ticket price of R600. The ticket pricing for the 2002 event in Japan and South Korea started at $60 for first round matches increasing to $750 for the final match.
The South African bid committee expects 2.78 million tickets will be sold, raising R2,3-billion. Although it has not been confirmed, the report suggests the average ticket price in 2010 would be R826.
The organisers have finalised agreements with major hotel groups should the bid succeed. But the influx of tourists over the two months of the tournament, possibly June and July, would see the country handling more tourists in that period than it usually manages in a year.
Stats SA says the number of foreign travellers to South Africa last year was 641 108, and in the year before, there were 657 734 visitors. Most tourists came from Africa while overseas travellers made up less than 200 000 of visitors in each of the past two years.
Tourism specialists Grant Thornton Kessel Feinstein estimates domestic tourists will spend R77-million, African visitors R893-million and overseas spectators R3.6-billion during the trip. The 32 soccer nations are also expected to open their wallets, should the World Cup come to the country, because, the report says, on average each international team is expected to arrive in the host country at least two weeks before the event.
Applying SA Tourism average expenditure statistics for overseas and African tourists, the report estimates that approximately R127-million will be spent.
Further boosts to the economy would come from 14 700 VIP guests and an estimated 10 500 journalists. The bid committee also expects the event to generate R600-million in sponsorships and raise another R150-million through broadcasting rights and other marketing income.
The report says money would have to be raised for additional accommodation and transport facilities, and improvements to the local telecommunications infrastructure may have to be undertaken.
An estimated R1,34-billionn would be needed to upgrade the existing stadiums and R334-million would be needed to upgrade the roads, electricity, water, media facilities and other infrastructure in the cities where matches would be played.
In total, the report says, additional capital expenditure of R1,67-billion would be needed to host the event.
However, the report says the economy will benefit from at least R30-billion in total, should the South African bid succeed. More than 120 000 jobs would be created and the country would benefit from international exposure as a tourist and investment destination.
"The staging of the Soccer World Cup in South Africa in 2010 will create significant direct and indirect economic benefits for the country's economy," says the report.
Before leaving for Malaysia on Thursday to woo the Asian bloc of voting nations, bid leader Danny Jordaan said he was confident South Africa had prepared to the best of its ability for the bid.