SOUTH Africa's successful hosting of the World Cup has catapulted it on to the global stage.


South Africa's global image, says World Travel Market Chairman Fiona Jeffery, was"significantly enhanced".


"The country's dual mission was to host a successful event, but also put SA on to the map. It proved it could host global events and may even pitch for the 2020 Olympics," adds Caroline Bremner, Euromonitor Global Travel and Tourism Research Manager, who presented the findings of the WTM Global Trends Report in London.

South Africa has emerged as the strongest destination for
tourism to Africa after its successful hosting of the World Cup, with arrivals three times larger than any other African country.


But it is in space and astrology tourism that the country is set to make its mark, claims the report.

A number of hotel and other accommodation providers are already capitalising on the opportunity astronomy presents with telescopes in bedrooms and night safaris and tours on offer.

"On a more sophisticated level, South Africa is gearing up to play a major role in space exploration with the National Space Agency Act entering law last year. The destination is already home to the Southern African Large Telescope while the MeerKAT telescope facility is under construction, paving the way for further space exploration and tourism," says the report.

According to Euromonitor's research, a slowdown is expected in 2011 globally, curbed by advanced economies' austerity measures and weakness in the Eurozone.

A threat of double dip recession looms over the USA and the UK. The travel sector has however "turned a corner with improving demand leading to greater pricing power", states the report.

See Tourism Update Online tomorrow for further reporting from World Travel Market 2010.