After London, Brazil 2014 beckons

Immediately after the London Olympics, the world’s attention will shift to Brazil — the host of the 2014 World Cup. As the country prepares for all the attention, tickets are already selling.

“For the last World Cup, by this time we had spaces, this year no,” said Julie Dabaly-Scott, the managing director of Carlson Wagonlit Travel who have the authority to sell tickets in East Africa. “We are getting enquiries mostly from families and couples.”

Tickets for the football competition, which will be held from June 12 to July 13 went on sale in November 2011.

The local travel agent is an authorised sub-agent and is selling the ticket-inclusive hospitality packages in the region.

In February, Match Hospitality, the worldwide exclusive rights holder of the FIFA Hospitality programme, gave South Africa-based Outsource Africa exclusive rights to sell ticket-inclusive hospitality packages for the World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 in Kenya and Egypt.

The company has partnered with Ms Dabaly- Scott as their local sub-agent.
Ms Dabaly-Scott says Match recommended her agency to Outsource Africa, having worked together for the 2012 World Cup where she also sold the ticket-inclusive hospitality packages.

As of last week, most of the tickets to the private suites, the most expensive hospitality tickets, had been bought out.

Retailing at $1,550,000 (Sh130 million) ticket holders get to enjoy 19 matches – including the opening game, two semi-finals and the finals — in the best suites in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte.

The price excludes the air fare. For this price, ticket holders can expect to sit in comfort with fine dining during the matches.

Ms Scott says some Kenyans have expressed interest in the package; but they are in the minority as most local fans do not want to pay for hospitality, “they only want tickets.”

She says most of the requests she has received from the local market are for the semi-finals and final tickets.

According to the hospitality packages available, the cheapest ticket to watch two semi-finals and a final is $13,800 (Sh1.16 million) while a Business Seat for the same three matches costs $20,900 (Sh1.76 million), with an option of $34,000 (Sh2.86 million), all excluding air fare.

So far the cheapest hospitality ticket is $700 (Sh58,800) for a group match.

However, one is not expected to pay the whole amount at a go. Match has sale regulations that dictate a payment plan including how many instalments, what percentage should be paid with the dates.

Due to the distance and cost Ms Dabaly-Scott says they are concentrating on three of the 12 cities that will host the football fair — Sao Paulo, Rio De Janeiro and Salvador.