Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Only 10% of Kruger's World Cup places booked

"Football fans: Culture lovers, not nature lovers. To put it bluntly; they like drinking beers with lotsa friends and go to the stadium to sit in the midst of thousand of people, and make lots of noise. The only animal that interests them is the cow on their hamburger. And perhaps the chick sitting a few seats away. Preferably blonde. With huge milk glands. "

I know this is an old thread, but I felt I had to comment.

I am a football (soccer) fan, a season ticket holder for an English side. I am coming to South Africa for the world cup. I found the above characterisation somewhat insulting even though I know it was exageratted for effect.

I am a professional with post grad qualifications. Among the people I regularly attend football games with are University professors, journalists with major newspapers, a NASA astrophysicist, an award winning screenwriter, headmasters of large schools and numerous other intelligent, responsible people.

I will be in Cape Town in a few weeks , there I will meet up with a few of my football friends - a computer engineer, a member of the British Overseas development department, a computer games designer and Merchant Banker currently resident in the Far East.

There are certainly knuckle dragging morons who watch Soccer, but you will find they are in a minority who get far more attention than warrented because of their violent behaviour.

So why the lack of bookings for the KNP? In my experience it is several factors, but the biggest is cost. I travel to SA every 3 years or so. This time around it is very evident that everybody is trying to squeeze visitors for every cent. Airfares have more than doubled, ticket prices are high. It is estimated that for an England fan to follow the team throughout the tournament would cost in excess of £7000 ($10,000). This is on a farely basic standard.

The other thing is that if you goes to a travel agent in UK and enquires about safaris/game parks almost invariably pointed towards the small, private, expensive resorts. I am shocked that the vacancies in the Kruger are not being widely advertised here (UK) , I think there would certainly be interest if people knew about it.