MUMBAI: With the soccer World Cup kicking off in South Africa in less than two month‘s time, Fifa partner Emirates is doing a slew of activities around it.
 
"For the 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa, Emirates has tied up with SOTC Sports as the sole tour operator to market the Emirates Fifa 2010 packages in India," says Emirates Airline VP India and Nepal Orhan Abbas.

Emirates is offering (through SOTC Sports) a number of tailor-made travel packages that include flights, accommodation, ground transportation and match tickets. The airline has also unveiled its ‘follow-your-team’ component in the tour package. 
 
"Supporters no longer need to wait until their chosen team qualifies, as this unique package is not only refundable if their country fails to make it but guarantees fans tickets for each of their team’s matches, right up to the final on 11 July," says Abbas.

Emirates will be advertising through mass media such as television and print as well as outdoor and digital online media to promote the event. 
 
"Besides this, Emirates is jointly participating with SOTC Sports in travel trade fairs and exhibitions. Emirates will also be running various contests in tie-up with some FM stations to offer fans a chance to win Emirates Fifa Goodie Bags," says Abbas.

When asked about the kind of business volumes expected from India, Abbas says it is too early to say. "We expect from India a modest increase of 10-12 per cent over the number of packages sold in the previous Fifa World Cup," he adds.