Sunday, January 8, 2012

RWC: Marty, Where's The Money?

What say you, Marty?
More than half of NZ tourism operators say the *yawn* Rugby World Cup didn't provide the promised boost.
A Tourism Industry Association NZ members' survey found 46% felt the tournament period was better/much better than the same period in 2010. But almost 18% saw no change, while around 34% considered the tourny period to be worse/much worse.
TIA policy and research manager Simon Wallace says these results support the word-on-the-street: "They told us that while operators in the main game centres did well, other regions did not reap as many benefits as they may have expected from fans travelling around the country between games. There was also a definite shift when the business end of the tournament moved to the North Island."
And even businesses in Auckland, the focal point for those end games, weren't rolling in the readies, with less than 10% feeling they got any benefit from it at all! So...
Dear RWC CEO Martin Snedden,
Please advise when the projected economic boost from the Cup is due. I assume it's still coming, as it's not here yet.
Perhaps all the accounts aren't in. Perhaps there'll be some late ticket sales as souvenirs. Perhaps a few warehouse clearances of the other souvenir mountains. Maybe a tax on whoever's NOT still flying RWC flags and banners. Or Adidas may give some of its profits from excessively overpriced RWC jerseys. Or a wave of tourists coming to see where their teams were beaten.
Ok, here's the deal: you buy the Cup,
and I'll throw in the kid for free!
Perhaps you'll pawn your CNZM from the New Year's Honours...
Y'see Marty, you promised us a cash tsunami to drown all the doomsayers, you poo-pooed negative economic projections as "incredibly flawed", you (and RWC Minister Muddling McCully) did your jingoistic vuvuzela-blowing loud and long.
But we're still waiting.
Yours expectantly,
The Long-Suffering NZ Public."

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