Supporters facing damper on their travel plans
Sassenheim, 20 November 2009
A pressing shortage of rental cars during the World Cup 2010 presents a considerable damper on travel plans for the Dutch supporters travelling to South-Africa. “Via our office in South-Africa we have been informed that there will be no rental cars available soon. We highly recommend supporters to start booking now,” said Robbert Jan Meerpoel, director of online car rental broker holidaycars.com. Solutions to cope with this shortage are hampered by the current economic crisis.
Taking the expected extra number of foreign visitors into account, there will be around four hundred thousand people trying to book a rental car during the World Cup period (June 11 to July 11), yet most efforts are in vain. Meerpoel: "The average stay of supporters in the country is between ten to fourteen days. Many would also like to explore the country. But through our South African car rental office, we have learned that a "stop sale" from the car rental companies for this period will soon be announced, as the existing number of available cars will be spoken for in no time.”
Difficult to anticipate
The current economic crisis makes it difficult for car rental companies to anticipate the next peak. Car rental companies have cars, usually six to twelve months maximum in their possession, which are later bought back by dealers or car manufacturers for the second hand market. Now that the stocks in the occasion market remain high, this option is congested. Car rental companies that are urgently filling this financial gap through loans usually have their request denied. The rental car industry now has very limited financial flexibility to purchase new vehicles. Companies that succeed in doing so also note that it’s much harder to get new cars. Car manufacturers have greatly reduced their production. This phenomenon has led to a large deficit of rental cars in countries around the Mediterranean Sea last summer and will probably become more intense in South Africa.
Personal transport presents a major issue
Most requests for rental cars will come from the United States, Britain and Germany. These countries are the top three for number of purchased tickets. The number of Dutch supporters is among ten to fifteen thousand, expected by the KNVB. Meerpoel: "Unlike the previous World Cup in Germany, where many came with their own cars, hiring personal transport in South Africa will be a major issue. Without a car the individual mobility is greatly limited. Distances between the landmarks and stadiums are sometimes quite large. Who books via holidaycars.com are now assured a rental car but soon we cannot guarantee that either."
holidaycars.com major car rental broker in South Africa
Within the travel industry is holidaycars.com widely acknowledged in the South African market, thanks to the local office that has been established there since 2008. As a partner of Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Budget, Alamo and Dollar Rent a Car, holidaycars.com offers a network of more than 17,000 destinations in 125 countries and is thus one of the largest brokers worldwide. All types of cars, even the less commonly used ones, are available. The travel agent can offer a clear comparison chart for online and real time viewing, choosing a rental car based on price, brand and conditions. In addition, the customers are also able to cancel the booking last minute. Alongside the sales office in South Africa, holidaycars.com has offices in the Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Turkey, Scandinavia and China.
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