Johannesburg - An e-mail from travel agents warning people to stay at home during the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup is causing unnecessary panic, audit tax advisory firm Grant Thornton South Africa, said on Thursday.

"Recent e-mail warnings from travel agents advising South Africans to stay home from June 11 July 11, because of overbooked hotels, unavailable car hire and impossible airports, are overstated," Gillian Saunders, director of strategic solutions said.

"The e-mail communication is causing unnecessary panic. Visitors won't all be in South Africa in the same town all at once and, although there will be certain crunch peak periods, overall it shouldn't impact South Africans' daily schedules too dramatically."

Grant Thornton South Africa monitors on an ongoing basis the various important impacts that world cup will have on South Africa and its economy.

It estimated that 483 000 tourists (151 000 from Africa) are expected to come to South Africa for the World Cup, resulting in foreign spending of R8.5bn.

"It is interesting to note that in our highest tourism month of the year South Africa already hosts almost 870 000 foreign tourists, so there's no doubt our nation and current tourism infrastructure can cope with the influx of additional visitors during the World Cup," Saunders said.

- Sapa