Concerns that South African businesses have made visiting the destination during the football World Cup too expensive have been “exaggerated”.
Thandiwe January-McLean, South African Tourism’s chief executive, said she believes about 80% of the country’s businesses have maintained prices at a normal level rather than choosing to cash in on the competition.
Although she admitted the tourism body has little control over what businesses charge visitors, she believes the problem has been largely resolved before the tournament starts on June 11.
January-McLean said: “When the debate started a while back about pricing, South African Tourism took it very seriously. The industry would be shooting itself in the foot. Businesses have been very fair given we are a value-for-money destination.
“In most cases the overpricing issue is exaggerated. When it became an issue we engaged it as it was not in our interest to overprice – we want people to come back to Africa.
“We can’t have total control of what they charge but pricing is set at about the right price in 80% of the cases.”