Cape Town counts down to 2010 FIFA World Cup

With one year to go, Cape Town Tourism is gearing up for the surge of tourism anticipated in celebration of the 2010 FIFA World Cup with a year-long string of celebrations and social media events.

Cape Town Tourism has unveiled their new Cape Town 2010 mini-site www.capetown.travel/2010; a portal for 2010 specific information on accommodation, transport, tours, eating out, and much more.

“Our aim was to create a virtual place where citizens and fans can congregate, share their love of soccer, learn about each other, and celebrate Cape Town as one of the most remarkable places on earth,” said Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariette du Toit-Helmbold.

Just this week, Cape Town Tourism took to the streets of the city to celebrate the one-year countdown to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Guests, staff, a few invited Capetonians, and media gathered on a specially soccer-theme branded City Sightseeing Bus for a trip around the city to Table Mountain, where soccer star Sergio dos Santos and rising star, Sexdouba Soumah, of the Ajax Cape Town Youth Academy, kicked a symbolic football at the sound of the noon day gun.

Capetonians gathered in the streets and at the Lower Cable Way Station at Table Mountain to cheer on the bus and be part of the fun. The Cape Town Tourism team handed out vuvuzelas, T-shirts, whistles, and other Cape Town memorabilia to the crowds.

Cape Town band CODA, played their new song, “Blow Your Vuvuzela,” directly after the kick-off.

After the ceremonial kick-off, du Toit-Helmbold addressed the audience, explaining Cape Town Tourism’s plans to excite Capetonians with their year long Live It, Love It, Louder! campaign.

“We can have all the infrastructure in place and ready, but if we don’t have the warmth and excitement of the people, we are not reaching our true potential as a host city.”

Cape Town Tourism promised to get the people of Cape Town excited with competitions, bright billboards, fun activations, and events in the lead up to the Final Draw in December and the games in 2010.

For more information, visit www.capetown.travel follow at www.twitter.com/CapeTownTourism.