Will 2010 be a much needed shot in the arm for South Africa's hotel industry?

Recent analysis by Deloitte, the business advisory firm, has found that revenue per available room (revPAR), a key performance indicator for the hotel industry, jumped 157.5 percent to CAD$202 in Vancouver during the month of February when it hosted the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

The question however is, will the FIFA World Cup 2010 deliver the same boost to South Africa's hotel trade as an event like the Olympics Games did to it's host city? Until we are in a position to retrospectively evaluate, this remains an unrealised potential. What is clear though is that the increased profile is part of the legacy that an event like FIFA 2010 or the Olympic Games leaves on the host country. The exposure that Vancouver received during the Games came at the perfect time after 18 months of revPAR declines due to the economic crises.

The exposure South Africa has and will receive is a brilliant opportunity to show the rest of the world what an incredible destination Africa is. We at African Sun fully intend to deliver on this promise and show the world our 'African Sun way'.