Some Price Issues Facing Tourists in South Africa

This video from CNN features an interview with Thandiew January-McLean, who is the CEO of South African Tourism. She discusses how her agency is dealing with concerns over local businesses overcharging customers. She claims there is only a minority of hotel owners who have raised their prices exorbitantly.

She also discusses how the country hopes to use the World Cup as leverage to continue to lure tourists after the World Cup is over.


Will South Africa really benefit from World Cup?
CNN
April 14, 2010

Price Gouging Widespread in Durban

Officials in Durban have surveyed local hotel accommodations and found that more than half are planning to boost their prices by 50% or more.

This is the second highest in the country after Gauteng with 65 percent, the survey commissioned by South African Tourism has revealed.

"This is not too good," Gerhard Patzer, the chairman of the region's Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa), said last night.

However, Patzer believes that many of the hotels, guest houses and B&Bs charging more than 50 percent of their highest rack rate (the price, inclusive of VAT, charged to the public before any discount) would not get their price.

2010 price gouging in Durban
Daily News
March 31, 2010