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Furnishings & DecorDr Bill Gallagher, someone who has been in the hospitality industry for 45 years and involved in an advisory capacity in hospitality preparations for the Football World Cup, gives us his take on the hospitality sectors’ state of preparedness for this great event.
Q At this moment, what is your outlook on the overall South African hospitality offering in readiness for the world cup – is it positive, negative or both?
A My response is that it is positive, negative and potentially traumatic.
First of all, I would like to begin by saying that we, as a country, need to do this event well. We cannot shirk what I consider a responsibility to do so since there is no second chance. This is an holistic event involving everything the visitor experiences from the moment he arrives to the moment he leaves: Flights, customs, transport, hotel check-in, tour operators, ticketing and food. Its legacy is what we are really going to get out of it - it needs to be worth it - but its benefits may take a few years to truly present themselves.
It is not that South Africans are incompetent, but more a case of us venturing into the unknown. In the hospitality sector, the hotel and individually owned (or chain) restaurant industry should be alright, but it is the logistics and delivery of volume catering, on the night and every night, that I am less confident about. The consistent pressure that these people will be subjected too could create problems in delivery in the long run.
Something to be aware of is what I call the ‘displacement factor’, where the needs of local businesses will be put on hold, which will dilute the overall profitability of the event.
Q What do you think the legacy of the World Cup could be for the hospitality sector? In other words, what positive actions that we are putting in place now that as a result of the World Cup, will stay with us and benefit the industry in the long term?
A Tourism is the lifeblood of South Africa. It makes jobs quickly, if done right and equitably. The message of the World Cup is the opportunity to do it well and South Africans, not just a few multi-nationals, need to be the real beneficiaries.
The legacy for this country will be:
Our pride
The game of football will be elevated to a whole new level
Regarding the hospitality industry, the preparedness created for this even should make any big event coming after it easy. In this sector, I expect pockets of excellence and pockets of pressure. It will be an African World Cup, not a European or American World Cup. Our particular advantage is that we sell warmth. There will be gliches, but on the other hand we have our warmth and friendliness to smooth things over.
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