Cape Town’s tourism industry stakeholders are unified in their efforts to combat damaging international perceptions of South Africa as “an expensive destination,” ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

In a bid to translate commitment into action, Cape Town Tourism formulated a Code of Responsible Pricing for Cape Town. The code is endorsed and will be implemented by the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism, Cape Town Routes Unlimited, FEDHASA (the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa), SATSA (the South African Tourism Services Association), The Portfolio Collection, Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa, Backpackers South Africa, and SAACI (the South African Association for the Conference Industry).

The code has been created around four core principles. The first and major guiding principle of the code is that of “Fair Value.” This means that the tourism sector will create fair and reasonable rates for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ that are linked to current seasonal rates.

The second principle is that of “Responsible Tourism.” This underlies Cape Town’s commitment to be a destination that values and promotes its position with regard to taking care of people, the planet, and profit to the greater community.

Thirdly, tourism businesses will be mindful of “Sustainable Tourism” in the interests of maintaining a legacy for Cape Town beyond the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ as a destination that offers good value.

Finally, the code asks that the tourism sector advocates a strong “Consumer Protection” ethic; refraining from adding hidden costs and fees that surprise and annoy consumers when they receive their bill.

“The code is an important charter,” said Cape Town Tourism spokesperson, Lianne Burton, “The industry is eager to ensure that Cape Town’s good reputation is not spoiled by greedy individuals out to capitalize on a few weeks at the expense of a responsible sector that has worked incredibly hard to put destination Cape Town on the top of every travelers wish-list.”

A call to action asking the industry to sign up to and adhere to the code will be driven through the various participating associations and member organizations in the region.

Cape Town Tourism will promote awareness of the Code of Responsible Pricing for Cape Town through its international PR network. International fans will be advised to look for adherence to the code as a sign of quality and value. A recent report by German PR, Kleber Network, observed that German travelers were largely considering 2010 a year “not to travel to South Africa, as pricing was likely to be inflated.”

“This is exactly the perception we have to guard against,” said Burton. “Tourism businesses need to be ready with good-value rates during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, but there needs to be offers of even greater value (along with accessibility to information on these great offers) both before and after the event.”