MORE than 2000 high school athletes, their coaches and parents have descended on East London for the South African National Schools’ Athletics competition.
They have filled up many hotels and bed and breakfasts for the entire weekend.
Spokesman for the event Brandon du Plessis said there were roughly 1800 athletes from nine provinces, excluding coaches and parents.
The children are competing at the Jan Smuts stadium .
“The stadium is almost full,” Du Plessis said, adding the children arrived in East London on Wednesday night and would leave on Sunday.
The athletics competition started yesterday and ends on Saturday.
Du Plessis said those children who were not supported by their provinces usually came to compete by travelling with their parents.
Bob Norris, chairman for the sports tourism subcommittee in the Border-Kei Chamber of Business, said the event was expected to bring in millions of rands for the city. Norris estimated each person would spend around R300 a day while in East London.
He explained this was a “very conservative” estimate when considering the cost of food, accommodation and fuel in the city. “If a third of those kids came with their parents, at about 500 or 600 people, and each spent R300, it would be well into the millions that this event brings into the city,” Norris said.
Duty manager at the Osner Hotel, Chantel Main, said all Kat Leisure hotels and resorts were fully booked as a result of the competition.
“We have roughly 780 children staying with us, and we provide them with all their meals,” Main said.
“We have special rates for the children, so we don’t charge them too much on food, but it balances out with the accommodation and the number of people staying with us.”
Main said it would be “a good few days” for the hotel group, adding the children had been well-behaved so far. —
SA schools’ champs boost BCM economy
They have filled up many hotels and bed and breakfasts for the entire weekend.
Spokesman for the event Brandon du Plessis said there were roughly 1800 athletes from nine provinces, excluding coaches and parents.
The children are competing at the Jan Smuts stadium .
“The stadium is almost full,” Du Plessis said, adding the children arrived in East London on Wednesday night and would leave on Sunday.
The athletics competition started yesterday and ends on Saturday.
Du Plessis said those children who were not supported by their provinces usually came to compete by travelling with their parents.
Bob Norris, chairman for the sports tourism subcommittee in the Border-Kei Chamber of Business, said the event was expected to bring in millions of rands for the city. Norris estimated each person would spend around R300 a day while in East London.
He explained this was a “very conservative” estimate when considering the cost of food, accommodation and fuel in the city. “If a third of those kids came with their parents, at about 500 or 600 people, and each spent R300, it would be well into the millions that this event brings into the city,” Norris said.
Duty manager at the Osner Hotel, Chantel Main, said all Kat Leisure hotels and resorts were fully booked as a result of the competition.
“We have roughly 780 children staying with us, and we provide them with all their meals,” Main said.
“We have special rates for the children, so we don’t charge them too much on food, but it balances out with the accommodation and the number of people staying with us.”
Main said it would be “a good few days” for the hotel group, adding the children had been well-behaved so far. —
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