GOOGLE SEARCH reveals which tourist sites in South Africa are most popular with international visitors

WITH the Fifa World Cup fast approaching, football fever is taking over. People around the world are using the Internet not only to learn about the tournament, but also to decide on which tourist sites they will be visiting.

It's no secret that the tourism sector will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the tournament - with international visitors to South Africa indulging in the country’s natural beauty and appreciating its historical sites. Last year the South African public voted on the country’s most popular tourist sites for Google's Street View Trikes campaign that ran in conjunction with SA Tourism - as reported on our Africa Blog.

This month's Zeitgeist shows the countries that are demonstrating the most interest in visiting these South African sites, and reveals that three of the top five coincide with those countries buying the most tickets for the World Cup.

These rankings are included in the tables below, which show the country's top tourist sites, source markets and top ticket buying countries:

Most globally popular tourist sites in South Africa in 2010

1. Kruger National Park
2. The Garden Route
3. Wild Coast
4. Robben Island
5. Cape Peninsula
6. Blyde River Canyon
7. Cape Winelands
8. Durban Beachfront
9. Mandela House
10. Apartheid Museum

Top countries searching for ‘South Africa tourism’ in 2010

1. India
2. United Kingdom
3. United States
4. Germany
5. Zimbabwe

Top World Cup ticket buying countries

1. United States
2. United Kingdom
3. Germany
4. Australia
5. Brazil

• Create your own Zeitgeist at Google Insights for Search

Zeitgeist Explained
Google reveals the Internet "Zeitgeist" (German for "the spirit of the times") through an exploration of the billions of search queries they receive each year. They also have several tools that give insight into global, regional, past and present search trends. Google Zeitgeist tools can never be used to identify individual users because they rely on anonymised, aggregated counts of how often certain search queries occur over time. These tools are available year-round for you to play with, explore, and learn from. You can create your own lists and rankings on www.google.com/zeitgeist

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STAND AS ONE: The unofficial Fifa 2010 World Cup song

THIS is the South African 2010 World Cup song everybody is talking about. FIFA and SAFA have not yet backed this track, so it's creators have decided to take the melody to the people. The foot-tapping beat is called "Stand As One" and after I listened to it it gave me tingles down my spine. Any feedback and comments will be passed onto the creators. Otherwise just enjoy it!

Come on Dance! As we blow our Vuvuzela!!

"Stand as one" 2010 Fifa World Cup Song

Title: Stand as One
Artist: Martin PK
Producer: David Campos
PR/Marketing: JP van der Spuy

Related posts:

• Dear World Cup vis­it­ors
• Shine South Africa for 2010
• South Africa rolls out Ubuntu in abundance

Why South Africa is the ideal host for the 2010 World Cup

I’ll be honest – I don’t know a great deal about soccer. I couldn’t name two players in the Bafana Bafana team. I can’t even tell when someone is off-sides during a game. However, what I do know is that South Africa is going to be more than ready to host one of the biggest events in our country’s history – the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Our stadiums are looking good, people are practicing their smiles and our public transport systems are being jacked-up; and despite what some pessimists might say, I firmly believe that all of these will be ready in time.

I also believe that we have some of the most dedicated soccer supporters in the world. I often watch soccer matches with a mate who’s an absolute football fanatic. The excitement is contagious, and in the space of 90 minutes we have made friendly acquaintances with twenty-odd South African strangers in a pub. My verdict of such occasions is that sport is one of the most uniting forces in our country – none more so than soccer.

Today we have more reason than ever to be proudly South African and should be showing it. We have amazing sportsmen and women, unique wildlife, thriving tourist attractions, beautiful landscapes, tantalizing food and drink, films that have topped the box-office charts, art, culture, theatre, music, blissful beaches and South African sunsets – all embedded in a rich and meaningful history.

I’ve produced the following video to illustrate the truth behind these words, with the aim of instilling patriotic sentiments and warm & fuzzy feelings in the hearts and minds of all South Africans near and far. My hope is that this video will give new vigor to what it means to be proudly South African, will make foreigners to our shores in 2010 feel welcome, and will keep all South Africans positive about their country. I present the host country of the 2010 Soccer World Cup:

It’s time to shine South Africa, and shine we will.

Shine South Africa for the 2010 Soccer World Cup!

Related Posts:

• Dear World Cup visitors
• "Stand As One" Soccer World Cup song
• South Africa rolls out Ubuntu in abundance

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