19 November 2009

WeÃ¢â¬â¢re lacking World Cup nation knowledge

England football fans heading to the World Cup next summer face a swift geography lesson.

For a study by Thomas Cook found that nearly two thirds (63%) of people surveyed don’t know the distance between two major venues - Cape Town and Johannesburg.

And 12% think the distance is no more than 250 miles when it is actually around 870 miles - nearly the same distance between London and Rome.

There’s even a knowledge gap about the tournament itself with nearly a quarter (23%) of respondents thinking that just 32 matches will be played when there will be 64 in total.

The findings coincide with the qualification play-offs this week and ahead of the draw that takes place in South Africa on December 4 that will determine which teams England will play in the group stages.

Nearly all (98%) know that the currency of the World Cup host country is the Rand. But the survey highlights that more than one third (35%) think the Rand is worth more than it actually is against the pound.

More than a half of respondents (56%) are not aware that the general exchange rate is around 10 Rand to the Pound.

More than half (56%) think a beer costs between £1.51 and £3, when it actually costs from as little as £1.

Thomas Cook commissioned the research to find out how much people know about South Africa in terms of general geography and daily living costs.

Thomas Cook UK and Ireland CEO Ian Derbyshire said: "Our research highlights that if you are planning a trip to South Africa, then it’s essential to familiarise yourself about costs of daily items to help with planning your spending money.

"General facts about the country are also important, for instance although there’s a two hour time difference between the UK and South Africa at the moment, next summer, this will drop to a one hour difference. Our research discovered that only a quarter of respondents are aware of this."

by Phil Davies