South Africa: Can 2010 Tourism Snatch Victory From Jaws of Defeat?

The author of the bestselling book BrandOvation: How Germany won the World Cup of Nation Branding, and the sequel The Hero's Journey: Building a Nation of World Champions, Dr Nikolaus Eberl holds a PhD from the Free University of Berlin and a Postgraduate Diploma from The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. Dr Eberl's research study on Germany's Nation Branding Success Story during the 2006 FIFA World Cup was featured extensively by Carte Blanche (viewers' choice, 1 and 5 July 2007), and he is currently engaged in internal branding for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

As international tour operators report 25-year low bookings of FIFA World Cup travel packages and local organisers fear profiteering could deter more soccer fans than alarmist reporting about violent crime, is there any way that 2010 tourism can be salvaged with just over 100 days to go? In other words, what can be done to reverse the negative effect of word of mouth and convert international audiences from brand pessimists to brand enthusiasts for Destination South Africa?

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