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ITB Berlin Special Edition
Friday 13 March 2009
www.breakingtravelnews.com
S P E C I A L R E P O R T
Miss World
Casa de Campo
Legend
Jumeirah
Joburg gives beauty a purpose page 4
BTN meets Dr. Claudio Silvestri President & CEO page 5
Legend Golf & Safar Resort - Official Opening page 6
BTN meets Derek Picot, Regional General Manager page 96
Joburg prepares to welcome the world
Berlin GERMANY Coastal and mountain cities have their natural beauty, but it is people, their ideas, their spirit and their dreams that transform a good city into a great city. And Johannesburg is rapidly becoming one of the world’s great cities, for though it may not be by the sea or in the mountains, it is the embodiment of the new South Africa – a city buzzing with heart, soul and the thrill that accompanies the fulfilment of greatness. With FIFA 2010 now just 15 months away, the eyes of the world are honing in on Johannesburg where the opening and closing matches will be played. It is a city oozing with determination to deliver the greatest World Cup of all time. It is also a city that is ready to welcome the world. A gold mining town of tin shanties just 115 years ago, Joburg is now a city bigger than New York and London. It also boasts the biggest stock
exchange in Africa, and is the business capital of South Africa. Yet the city is also focussed on building a legacy that will last long past the World Cup, and will benefit every strata of society, especially the poor. It is busy with a range of developmental projects, from upgrading and rebuilding stadiums and surrounding areas, to expanding and improving transport infrastructure through the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit system and upgrading roads, to greening projects. In just three months, Joburg will host the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, which will prove an excellent dress rehearsal for FIFA 2010. The tournament, held every four years by FIFA, is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships (CAF, CONMEBOL, UEFA, AFC, OFC, CONCACAF) along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host country of the next World Cup. The defending champions are Brazil, who won the last Confederations Cup in 2005. The opening match will be played at the city’s Ellis Park Stadium.
The city proved its ability to organise a worldclass event when last year it hosted Miss World 2008, the world’s greatest and longest running beauty pageant. It was widely heralded as the most successful event in the competition’s 57year history, a fact made even more impressive given that the city stepped in as host at short notice. It was also the first time in which viewers in 180 countries had the opportunity to vote for one of the semi-finalists through the internet. As well as the expectation of world-class events, Joburg has another major tourist draw – it is the gateway to one of the great natural wonders of the world, the Kruger National Park. Just three to four hours by car from the city, and you step into a whole other world. And that combination of nature and culture makes Joburg a truly world-class city. As Jeremy Clarkson, writing in the Sunday Times this month, aptly put it: “The exchange rate’s good, the food is superb, the weather’s lovely and, thanks to some serious economic self-sacrifice, Kruger is still full of animals. The word, then, I’d choose to describe Jo’burg is “tranquil”.’
INSIDE: WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS 2009 SELF NOMINATION OPEN NOW Turn to Page 9