Online internet travel and tourism booking by credit card played an important part in the second edition of the multi-billion dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 championship in Durban, Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Pretoria, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth. In the build up to 2010, all eyes are on South Africa as a travel and tourism destination and trading partner. Internet showcasing of South African accommodation, transport, and tours of the tourist attractions in the cities of the various venues in the country is an incredible opportunity for internet based businesses with the capability to receive credit card payments online.
Popular Bollywood actress and stunning model Shilpa Shetty has a share in defending champions, the Rajasthan Royals, and is passionately behind cricket and her team from Jaipur. The Rajasthan Royals are captained by Australian legend, Shane Warne and include Proteas captain Graeme Smith and pace-man Morne Morkel in the squad.
"The merger between cricket and entertainment is what has appealed to the Indian People. In India, cricket is a religion and so is Bollywood, these two aspects have raised the platform for IPL to bring it's popularity to where it is," said Shetty, who was also the winner of Celebrity Big Brother UK in 2007.
PayGate internet credit card processing gateway has seen a big upsurge in the number and size of credit card transactions processed online by its event, travel and tourism merchants benefiting from the sale of tickets, travel arrangements, tours and accommodation for the event. Some bookings have resulted in record size of credit card transactions, some in the millions of rands and PayProtector, PayGate's fraud and risk screening can play an important part in securing the credit card payments for merchants.
With 56 games played in 34 days, across eight cities, the IPL offers the public non-stop action from the first ball until the final ball on the 24th of May. Rajasthan Royals defended their title in the tournament opener at Sahara Park Newlands Stadium on April 18 against Bangalore Royal Challengers.
Lalit Modi, the entrepreneur who is bringing the world’s richest cricket tournament to South Africa was at Sol Kerzner’s newly opened One & Only hotel. For Hotels and B&B's, PayGate's PayWeb product for receiving payments online is an essential part of being able to compete for international business. Entrepreneur Modi is the brains behind the cricket bonanza featuring Bollywood movie stars, celebrities and beauties pour into South Africa. Among them the big-screen king Shahrukh Khan, who owns one of the teams taking part in the tournament.
Rajasthan Royals, the 1998 champions whose ranks include Shane Warne, Graeme Smith and Morne Morkel, opened against the Bangalore Royal Challengers, who include Kevin Pietersen, Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid and Mark Boucher. Runners-up in 2008 the Chennai Super Kings, who include Muttiah Muralitharan, Matthew Hayden, Andrew Flintoff and MS Dhoni, played the Mumbai Indians, who include Sachin Tendulkar, JP Duminy, Dwayne Bravo and Sanath Jayasuriya.
Tickets for this double-header were sold out within two hours. PayGate has effectively handled high credit card volumes and peaks for a number of events as part of its capability of processing internet credit cards from all over the world for merchants in the African ticket, travel and tourism market. For merchants who have call centres booking tickets PayGate's PayXML product can be used for merchants who have a secure site and want to control the look and feel, and PayPoint gives merchants the opportunity to complete tour arrangements, validate the customer and process the credit card transaction themselves.
Millions will be watching the games on prime time Indian TV. Great exposure for South Africa as a tourist destination to the benefit of African online travel and tourism businesses who are set up to receive internet credit card payments from all over the world. Thousands of attending visitors, from movie stars to sports personalities need to be able to book remotely.
South Africa was chosen for its good weather and fans will be sitting in front of a TV set all day watching cricket and getting an experience of the wonders of South Africa and Africa. “We have 59 games, 300 players from all over the world coming . . The airline industry, hotel industry, the travel industry, the car rental industry, the advertising industry, the restaurant business, the shopping malls. . . tourist attractions, all of that put together, can’t be a bigger bonanza for the country.”
Since joining the BCCI in 2005, Modi has increased its earnings seven-fold. The event is literally worth more than a billion in trade to South African merchants, a high percentage of which will be spent by credit card online. To make it easier for credit card holders to understand the currency and pay, and for merchants to get paid in ZAR as mandated by the reserve bank, PayGate has developed PayFx which does currency conversion on the fly to make foreign trade easier.
The eight competing teams are
Bangalore Royal Challengers (SA Players: Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Roelof van der Merwe and Dillon du Preez)
Chennai Super Kings (SA players: Albie Morkel, Makhaya Ntini)
Delhi Daredevils (SA players: AB de Villiers)
Kings XI Punjab (SA players: None
Kolkata Knight Riders (SA players: None)
Mumbai Indians (SA players: Jean-Paul Duminy, Ryan McLaren)
Deccan Chargers (SA players: Herschelle Gibbs
Rajasthan Royals (SA players: Tyron Henderson, Morné Morkel, Graeme Smith)
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