July - TIR

Asia and the Indian
Ocean islands are tops
for weddings and honeymoons. From page 12. Capitalise on VFR
business to grow
Australia and New
Zealand on page 10.
TravCorp MD, Thersea Szejwallo,
takes us behind the scenes as
she marks 25 years with the
company. See page 11. Travel Industry Review
Published by TTG Southern Africa
Travelport campaign challenges
new direct distribution strategy
BY SARAH CORNWELL
COINCIDENTALLY, but with
perfect timing following the
controversial announcement
of Lufthansa’s new distribution strategy, Travelport last
month launched its global,
multi-media campaign to and
in support of travel agents.
The campaign highlights
the value of the travel agent
using practical examples of
customer benefits and the
search functionality, which
gives agents a competitive
advantage over direct channels.
The campaign, which had
been in the planning stages
for two months, is scheduled
to run for an extended period as the battle for agents’
hearts and minds continues
and is expected to be followed by similar initiatives
from the other GDSs.
Retailers have responded angrily to the Lufthansa
move, intended to slash GDS
costs, and have claimed that,
when airlines and other suppliers also strive to bring
personalisation to services
through the development and
sale of new ancillary product, they and their customers
are penalised when access to
inventory is limited to direct
booking channels.
Ancillary sales have become a profit-boosting mechanism for airlines, which
generated around US$49billion last year, according
to the latest IdeaWorks/CarTrawler Worldwide Estimate
of Ancillary Revenue.
That earnings potential,
together with the move to
cut GDS costs, has significantly shaped distribution
strategy. Those issues have
been the driving force behind
the Lufthansa Group’s new
merchandising strategy and
booking process. T he Ger ma n compa ny
d rew f ire f rom the t rade
and GDSs last month over
its plans for its planned €16
booking Distribution Cost
Charge for all GDS bookings, due to become effective
September 1. The levy is being applied to all Lufthansa,
SWISS, Austrian and Brussels Airlines reservations.
Other airlines have explored similar changes and
charges in the past in a bid to
cut distribution costs but Lufthansa will be the first legacy
carrier to impose a global
GDS book ing su rcharge,
other than an attempt by
Northwest Airlines in 2004
and another from American
Airlines in 2010/11, both of
continued on page 2
Pictured at the Elephant Hills resort and sanctuary in Southern Thailand (from left):
Giles Clinton, Checkout Tours; TIR’s Sarah Whiteside; Kathy Ridler, Bobcat Travel; Jacqui Carr, The Holiday Factory; Julia Schoen, Elephant Hills; Ronel Coston, Travel Vision;
Karen Camm, Holiday Tours; Shona Pittaway, Perfect Destinations and TAT South
Africa representative, Hermina Sennelo. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is working
to attract more niche business. See page 8 for details.
Single brand strategy set to grow
kulula holidays’ trade support
BY SARAH CORNWELL
COM A I R is to g row it s
p a ck a ge d h ol id ay b u siness and boost retail support through the merger of
Retailers praise intro of
low-cost route expansion
Pentravel has opened its second next-generation Sunshine Store, located in Pretoria East. Pictured (l to r):
Sean Hough, Pentravel Chief Executive Officer, with
Anrieth Symon, Zurich Insurance, the opening event’s
headline sponsor and Butch Williams, Pentravel. The
new store concept will support continued growth across
the company’s high-street outlets. Pentravel sales have
grown 734 percent over five years. More on page 9.
DOM EST IC t r avel f rom
Cape Town and Johannesburg to Durban and East
London will be cheaper from
October, with FlySafair set to
launch new low-cost services
on all four routes from October 25.
Bookings are to open July
22, with the Johannesburg –
East London route scheduled
to operate twice weekly on
weekdays, with one return
flight on Saturdays and Sundays. Johannesburg – Dur-
ban will start with four return flights daily.
There will be one daily
return service between Cape
Town and East London with
two return f lights between
Cape Tow n and D u rban,
except for weekends and
Wednesdays when one return
service will operate.
Fares start at R399 oneway, except for the longer
Cape Town – Durban route,
which is from R499 one-way.
continued on page 9
its Holiday Tours and kulula
holidays brands.
The new, single brand will
operate under the kulula holidays banner from July 8. The
Holiday Tours brand will be
discontinued. The consolidation strategy will merge the
two company’s assets, inventory, and resources, including staff.
Travel agents will be directed to a “new and improved” holid ays.k ulula.
com website following the
changeover and will be able
to access the site’s dedicated
trade portal with their prescribed Holiday Tours log-in
details. The kulula holidays B2B
booking engine will show
live availability, with functionality for instant booking confirmations, quoting
and online payment. Packages will all be commission-
able and existing supplier
and agency contracts with
Holiday Tours will not be
affected by the transition,
explained Brian Kitchin, Comair’s Executive Manager of
Sales. Comair acquired a controlling stake in the Holiday
Tours business in April 2011
and bought all remaining
shares before the end of that
year.
Mr. Kitchin said the longterm plan had always been
to leverage the parent company’s buying power and the
strength of its kulula brand:
“The decision to merge the
Holiday Tours brand into the
kulula holidays brand was
one that not only made business sense, but it was also a
customer-centric decision,”
he said. “Travel agents will
benefit from kulula’s strongcontinued on page 2
News Digest
... campaign challenges new strategy
continued from page 1
which were withdrawn following overwhelming trade
opposition, unless a last-minute compromise is brokered.
Jens Bischof, a member
of the Lufthansa Board and
Chief Commercial Officer
of Deutsche Lufthansa AG,
com mented: “Until now,
the percentage of revenue
generated from the sale of
flight tickets by our airlines
has continuously decreased.
While other service and system partners in the value
chain are recording increasing margins and returns, our
airline’s earnings have been
comprom ised over t i me,
even though they are the actual providers of flight services. We want to counteract
this trend by refocusing our
commercial strategy.”
The group also claimed its
strategy would enable a more
personalised experience for
customers. It is also rolling
out new flexible fare options,
based on the principle that
passengers pay only for the
services they want.
T he g roup mai nt ai ned
travel agents could avoid the
new fee by booking through
the LHGroup-agent.com portal and said it was developing
“new booking channels to
form a direct link with sales
partners”, based on IATA’s
New Distribution Capability
data standard.
Both Lufthansa and
SWISS will participate in
two NDC trials before the
end of this year. While IATA
has so far only revealed
the tests will focus on “the
dynamic bundling of products”, retailers say the Lufthansa Group’s new charges
will limit transparency and
choice, in direct opposition
to the airline’s objectives and
the objectives of any new distribution model.
Retailers also claim that
a secondary booking process is impractical and inefficient and have threatened
to off-sell the airlines. Wally
Gaynor, Club Travel Managing Director, described the
move as “arrogant, impractical” and a threat to relations.
“Even if I sig n a pre fer red par tnership agreement, it is ultimately the consultants’ choice. If I say push
a particular product and they
don’t like the supplier, they
won’t sell it. “It is quite interesting that
there are those European
airlines that cry about the
growth of [support for] the
new kids on the block, Qatar, Turkish, Ethiopian… but
they fail to see why it is happening… there is a definite
shift away from… carriers
that are arrogant, anti-agent
and where their business
practices, particularly in relation to ADMs, which border on theft,” he charged.
“Our revenue stream relies
on airline commission, overrides and segment income.
Each month we successfully
run promotions to stimulate
demand across our strong
agent network. Quite simply,
any airline’s decision to levy
charges for facilitating bookings will negatively effect
our ability to promote that
particular airline’s inventory,” agreed Rian Bornman,
FlightSite Managing Director. Jonathan Gerber, Travel
Assignment Group Director,
suggested the airlines first
address fares that are “well
below cost”.
“What they need to understand is that the GDS provides us as agents – and them
– with a one stop shop from
which to sell their inventory.
Have you seen the price of
some of the LH flights out of
the SA market?… When will
they learn that we (agents)
are not the enemy here - ridiculous air fares are!”
“In South Africa, unlike
Europe and the US, the majority of airline bookings still
come from traditional and
online agents… It is unrealistic to expect a complete stopsell because agents sell what
is best for their customer but,
nine times out of 10, agents
Most Read
1
have a choice. They must
start exercising that choice,”
Mr. Gaynor added.
Although the Lufthansa
G roup remai ned f i r m i n
its decision, Allan Lunz,
BidTravel Managi ng Director, said he believed the
threat of off-selling would be
enough to eventually derail
the airline’s plans. “I do think
they will stop and come to
their senses,” he said. “There
will be an outburst in Europe
if they want to charge a passenger 20 percent of the fare
because [the domestic ticket]
is booked through the GDS.
“This is no different to
what A mer ica n A i rli nes
did… but 70 percent of Luft ha nsa’s busi ness comes
via the GDS. They would
be quite silly to force this
change.
“At the end of the day, airlines need to realise that we
[SA agents] are 75 percent
of their business. All airlines want to cut distribution
costs… but will just have to
negotiate a little harder with
the GDSs.”
stories from the past month...
D-Day for unabridged
birth certificate requirement.
enews updates
ASATA nails Home Afboosts compe4 FlySafair
over ‘unintended
tition with new domestic
2 fairs
consequences’.
routes.
over new
3 backlash
booking process.
Lufthansa faces agent
heightened at
OR Tambo after stowa5 Security
way incident.
... brand strategy set to grow
kulula holidays’ trade support
continued from page 1
er buying power, resulting in
more competitive pricing for
their clients.
“The amalgamated brand
also boasts an increase in
destination offerings, including a wider range of international products, as well as
access to the largest selection
of real-time domestic and regional packages. “All Holiday Tours inventory will be rolled over into
the new site and we will build
on that. There may be some
new destinations – and we
won’t necessarily be flying
there – but we can negotiate deals and negotiate [pricing] on the back of huge vol-
umes.”
An expanded sales force
will mean more support for
agents but Mr. Kitchin explained: “… The same recognised faces that have always called on them will now
represent kulula holidays,
providing extra support and
extra efficiency. “Comair has been operating in this market for 75
years. It is a bit of a challenger brand; a brand that
is trusted… We want to add
some of the kulula energy
and spirit to the business and
expect the market, consumer
and trade and particularly
suppliers, to jump onboard
and enjoy this ride with us.”
Briefly.
S
abre has appointed Richard Addey, its Country Director in South Africa. Sabre’s Vice
President Middle East and Africa, Dean Bibb,
said this would “help strengthen and solidify
our growing presence, and accelerate technology delivery to this market, which is hungry for
the latest innovations”.
MSC changes local line-up
MSC Cruises has replaced
calls to For t Dauphin in
Madagascar on the upcoming
2015/16 South African season’s seven-night itineraries,
with stops in Ilha de Mozambique/Nampula. The change
is a result of the MSC Sinfonia being unable to berth
alongside at Port d’Ehoala
Madagascar.
Four- and five-night itineraries have been adapted with
a two-day call at Portuguese
Island, with an optional boat
transfer to Inhaca island.
MSC is also promoting
new add-on beverage and
hotel and transfer packages,
which may be pre-purchased.
TIR Southern Africa
•
July 2015
3
News Digest
Tourism stakeholders red flag
latest overseas arrival numbers
BY SARAH CORNWELL
LEADERS of the South African travel and tourism industry have intensified pressure for a review of Home
Affairs’ new immigration
regulations, which they say is
having “disastrous impacts”
on inbound tourism. Tourism
businesses are being asked
to share proprietary business
data to assist the campaign
for change or outright cancellation of the new measures.
T he gover n ment la st
month committed to an inter-ministerial task team to
look into the implementation
of the regulations, headed
by Home Affai rs Mi n ister Malusi Gigaba, but has
drawn fire from the private
sector, which wants a total
overhaul of the new system. Lobbying had also intensified ahead of the June 1 implementation date of Home
Affairs’ new u nabr idged
birth certificate requirement
for families travelling with
children. Home Affairs said there
was still room for discussion
around the implementation of
the new regulations,“but not
to change them”. “You have
had a whole year to [consult]
and lear n and understand
what the new requirement
is about… This [regulation]
went through parliament and
has been released publicly,”
maintained DHA spokesperson, Mayihlome Tshwete.
“We are not saying we are
not concerned about tourism but do you really think
safety is not also a tourist
4
TIR Southern Africa
attraction? Some of the biggest destinations in the world
– France, Germany, Spain,
Italy, the US – they all ask for
the same documentation and
that has not impacted their
tourism industry. Why must
South Africa be different?
All we are asking for is that
there is consent for children
to travel. The argument is to
let tourism thrive… I want
to meet those parents who
say, ‘it is okay for my kids to
travel without consent’. We
are probably inconveniencing you a little more but it is
for the safety of the child,” he
said.
But Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde, said
“these visa regulations are
destroying oppor tunities;
they are killing hope” while
government’s new plan to
assess the situation was “fatally f lawed” as the review
process “amounts to the Minister [Malusi Gigaba] investigating himself”. “Instead, he should simply look at the numbers and
listen to the industry,” Mr.
Winde charged. The DA-led
Western Cape is the only provincial government to take
issue with the new regulations. “We have tried to work
within gover nment str uctures and protocols for over
a year to get an audience to
simply put our case on visa
regulations on the table – to
no effect,” said David Frost,
Southern African Tourism
Services Association Chief
Executive Officer, in a per-
•
July 2015
sonal address shared with the
association’s members last
month. “Promises about task
teams and reviews are nothing but untruths,” he said.
Like SATSA, the Association of Southern African
Travel Agents maintains the
DH A’s assessment of the
“unintended consequences”
has been a “misnomer”, adamant the new inter-ministerial task team should be looking to change or cancel the
rules and that the impact on
forward bookings and longterm threat to inbound and
outbound business had been
overlooked.
International Air Transport Association statistics
show that the number of airline tickets sold to South Africa were currently down 32
percent. South African Airways had previously said that
demand for forward bookings from this month was expected to remain flat.
By the end of June, Mr.
Winde said there was even
more evidence “demonstrating the disastrous impact of
South Africa’s visa regulations on our tourism sector”
and provided “clear evidence
we are closing the doors to
tourists”.
Mr. Winde was referring
to the United Nations World
Tourism Organisation’s latest Tourism Highlights: 2015
Edition and Statistics South
Africa’s Tourism Migration
report for February 2015. The
UNWTO report highlighted,
where international tourist
arrivals to Africa increased
by two percent and by three
percent to sub-Saharan Africa, arrivals to South Africa
were flat. Wit h C h i n a c u r r e nt ly
ranked the world’s top spender in international tourism,
Mr. Winde said South Africa
had “deliberately excluded
ourselves from this massive
opportunity”.
And while Australia has
just announced a 10-year
multiple entry visa for Chinese visitors, China Southern
Airlines is set to launch direct flights to Kenya in August. In South Africa, Air
China postponed the launch
of direct flights, a move the
airline attributed in part to
recent xenophobic violence
in South Africa but that Mr.
Winde believed could also
be attributed to the “onerous
visa regulations”.
A r r ival nu mbers f rom
China and other developing
source markets have fallen
steadily since last year, with
Statistics SA’s report showing, in February 2015, around
7,748 Chinese visited South
Africa, compared to 11,457
in February last year, Mr.
Winde said. At its recent AGM, the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa in the Cape pledged support for
a new anti-racism initiative by the City of Cape Town’s
Mayor, Patricia de Lille, opposing xenophobic violence.
Pictured above, the new FEDHASA Cape board.
Between February 2014
and February 2015, arrivals
from India fell from 6,707
to 4,989. Over the same period, arrivals from Argentina decreased from 1,698 to
422. The figures show 3,245
Brazilian tourists arrived in
South Africa in Febr uar y
2014, compared with 2,260
in February 2015. Although Home Affairs
has hinted at a systems upgrade at ports of entry to
allow for the collection of
biometrics on arrival, which
would hopefully reverse the
downward trend in arrivals
from those overseas markets, Mr. Winde said. The
new regulations could cost
the economy R10-billion and
more than 21,000 jobs.
“You do not deserve to
have the businesses that you
have built up over many years
crushed by heavy-handed bureaucratic bullshit,” Mr. Frost
told SATSA members.
SATSA is calling for “hard
data, not just anecdotes” in
the form of year-on-year percentages that will show the
variance in passengers/bookings as well as turnover for
April, May, June, July and
August onwards.
“We can still get this information through and maybe
once we demonstrate evidence of decline, government
will listen,” said Mr. Frost.
New Child VISA list simplifies birth certificate requirements
LOCA L t r avel compa ny
Drive South Africa has simplified Home Affairs’ new
unabridged birth certificate
requirements with its Child
VISA Checklist.
The web tool simplifies
the process of determining
which documents are needed,
by asking users two or three
simple, multiple-choice questions and tourism businesses
are being invited to share and
upload the free resource.
Home Affairs said last
month it was working through
the backlog of unabridged
birth certificate applications
and will accommodate those
parents who are due to travel
but still have not received
the required documentation
eight weeks or more after the
date of application.
Andre Van Kets, co-creator of the Child VISA Checklist, said Home Affairs’ “impractical implementation”
and the complexity of the
new rules was creating uncertainty for families.
Accord i ng to M r. Va n
Kets, co-founder of Drive
South Africa, there are 15
different documents and 37
unique scenarios for children travelling in and out of
South Africa. In less than a
month, he said the checklist
had been viewed more than
8,000 times.
“We have received thankyou emails from travel agencies around the world... It has
become quite apparent that
the government is not going
to be rolling back the regulations any time soon, so it is
vital that the trade informs
and empowers all travellers…”.
Visit: www.drivesouthafrica.co.za/child-visa-checklist
The Association of Southern African Travel Agents
has also made Home Affairs’
summary document of the
new requirements available
for download via its website.
News Digest
Qatar expands current South Africa schedule
Town.
The new schedule will
mean 10 percent more capacity to and from South Africa. Marwan Koleilat, Chief
Operating Officer, said the
change was in response to
demand and focused specifically on the strength of Qatar’s inbound services. Load
factors, he said, were currently in the high 70s.
Network expansion plans
for 2015 include a new daily
Qatar is upgrading its South African routes with new Dreamliner services to and from
Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg before the end of the year. Pictured (above, l to
r): Jared Lee, Qatar Airways Vice President – Africa, joined Chief Commercial Officer,
Marwan Koleilat; Ravi Goonetilleke, Manager Eastern & Southern Africa and Country
Manager for South Africa, Jonathan Minnett, at a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the
airline’s new office in Cape Town last month.
service to Amsterdam, introduced last month, and a
five-times weekly service to
Zanzibar, due to begin July 1.
Three new destinations in
Pakistan will be added before
the end of August.
The AVIAREPS Airline Mini Fair will be held in Cape
Town, at the Southern Sun Cape Sun, July 15. There
will be two sessions, starting at 09h00 and 13h00.
The Sports & Events Tourism Exchange takes place at
the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice!, Menlyn, October 27–29.
For more information: www.sportsandevents.co.za
the
QATAR Airways is to introduce daily frequencies to
Cape Town from October 1
and double-daily f lights to
Johannesburg from December 17. Four weekly f lights
to Durban via Johannesburg
will also be added. The expanded schedule
coincides with the airline’s
10th anniversary of service
to South Africa.
The airline will position
one of its new Boeing 787
Dreamliner aircraft on the
Doha – Johannesburg – Durban route, featuring lie-flat
beds in business class and
f ree Wi-Fi for economyclass. Dreamliner services
will also be added to Cape
Diary
Sales Resource
The latest product sales, marketing and training resources for travel professionals.
CemAir signs content agreement with Amadeus.
CemAir’s inventory is now available on Amadeus. The airline flies from Johannesburg to Bloemfontien, Sishen, Margate and Plettenberg Bay as well as from Cape
Town to Plettenberg Bay. BSP commission is 2.5 percent. Mozambique resort group appoints new sales leader for South Africa.
The Minor Hotel Group has appointed Gavin Louw Director of Sales for its Mozambique portfolio, which includes the Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort & Spa, Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort & Spa and the AVANI Pemba Beach Hotel & Spa. He
will be based in Johannesburg.
Dusit Thani Maldives adds all-inclusive land
packages.
The Dusit Thani Maldives resort (guest room
pictured right) is promoting a new Dusit
Island Getaway all-inclusive meal and accommodation plan from US$499 pppn.
Bonus add-ons include a guided house reef
snorkelling excursion, late check-out (until
15h00), 20 percent savings on spa treatments and a special rate of US$200 pp for
sea plane transfers (one way).
Nambia Tourism adds new downloadable sales guides.
The Namibia Tourism Directory 2015 is now available to tour operators and travel
agents in A5 printed format or online at www.booknamibia.com.
Travel Vision, with Tour Greece, Cruises International, Emirates and the Sani Resort, a
family-owned eco reserve on the western peninsula of Halkidiki, recently participated
in a workshop in Cape Town. “Greece has become very popular as a destination this
year,” commented Cheryl Smith, Travel Vision Sales Executive. Ms. Smith recommended customers take a seven-day tour around Crete “which offers opportunities to
explore remote mountains, villages, caves and gorges”. Pictured (above, l to r): Philip
Radopolous from Tour Greece; Cheryl Smith and Annemarie Lexow, both Travel Vision
and Maria Fakka, Sani Resorts.
Insight Vacations last-minute savings for US & Canada for European winter.
Insight Vacations has savings on various US and Canada tours departing July
through September, including a seven-day Enchanting Canyonlands option from
R24,840 pps and a nine-day Best of California tour from R32,310 pps. An Early
Payment Discount of 7.5 percent on select 2015/16 Winter Europe tours is valid for
bookings paid in full before August 31.
Comment
Other airlines sit back and watch LH strategy
www.tir.co.za
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
John Wardall
MANAGING EDITOR
Sarah Cornwell
Tel: 021 789 0053
Mob: 072 772 2189
[email protected]
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Dominic Wardall
CONTRIBUTORS
Richard Holmes
Sarah Whiteside
IF you were to pick a list of
the world’s best managed
airlines, Lufthansa would
be right up there. So what
persuaded the airline to decide to isolate itself and be
the guinea pig with its recent distribution initiative,
which was bound to alienate
its biggest source of revenue
generators?
It cannot have been unaware of the reaction, which
was to follow.
The new booking strategy kicks in on September
1, when reservations made
via the GDSs will attract a
Distribution Cost Charge of
€16. The intention is to drive
bookings through the carrier’s own portals.
With 70 percent of the air-
PUBLISHER
John Wardall
ADVERTISING
Dominic Wardall
Tel: 021 789 0053
Mob: 082 620 6425
[email protected]
Andrew Watson
Tel: 021 447 1724
Mob: 071 677 3858
[email protected]
CIRCULATION
[email protected]
ACCOUNTS
Beverley Gough
Brenda Smith
ADMINISTRATION
Nerina Nicholson
HEAD OFFICE
9 Ruby Terrace
Noordhoek
Cape Town
PO Box 745
Noordhoek, 7979
Tel: 021 789 0053
REPRESENTATION
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MW Media
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PRINTING
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©TTG Southern Africa
2015
Published by:
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tions. Then Lufthansa’s latest product developments
will ultimately be accessible through the IATA NDC
when that is implemented. It
is currently undergoing pilot
trials with some member airlines, including Lufthansa.
Looking purely at the travel agency aspect, surely it
would have made more sense
to incentivise agents to use
Luf thansa’s own chan nel
with less than what the airline pays the GDSs and then
the battle would only be with
the GDSs instead of also with
agents and their customers?
The future of the new strategy will depend on whether
or not most other carriers
follow suit. They will all be
watching, leaving Lufthansa
to take the heat on its own,
to see if the carrier pulls it
off without too much loss of
business.
A similar plan was floated by Northwest Airlines in
2004 but collapsed under a
barrage of negative response
from the trade.
Travel agents in South Africa and overseas have made
it clear that their Lufthansa
business will be affected, so
it becomes a consideration
of the savings on GDS costs
versus a loss of trade business and for how long that is
likely to last.
Expect growing opposit ion f rom t he GDSs a nd
agency community as the
implementation date draws
closer.
Study advocates less reliance on supplier incentives
THE Association of Southern African Travel Agents has released the first findings of its latest
study into demands facing 21st century travel agents and the evolution of the TMC and retail
agency business. Both were topics at the association’s annual member conference, held in Durban in May. Here, we highlight key recommendations being made to members, aimed at building
stronger corporate consultancies.
Travel Management Companies in South
Africa must ensure their remuneration
model focuses on charging customers for
the value they add to travel bookings and
rely less on supplier payments.
The assertion is one of the primary findings and recommendations highlighted by
ASATA’s new thought leadership paper on
the 21st Century Travel Agent.
Researchers looked at more than 150
resources to identify global trends in leisure
and corporate travel which are becoming
increasingly relevant in the South African
market. The study considered how effectively Travel Management Companies were
able to access deals and establish stronger
personal relationships with suppliers; their
ability to provide specialist first-hand destination and product knowledge and the
impact of travel technology on the booking
and management process.
Jason Krause, Founding Principal at
Quadrant Five, the
research firm behind the study,
said there was
proof of “significant and
rapid changes” in the marketplace that
were affecting
and accelerating
changes in buyer
behaviour and
travel patterns. “In
particular, the
traveller
is far
Jason Krause, Founding Principal at
Quadrant Five.
THE
follow us on twitter
more savvy and has heightened service
expectations… is far better informed and
equipped than in the past and therefore far
more demanding of the value required from
travel management companies,” Mr. Krause
explained.
While travel suppliers’ direct distribution
channels are also increasing, the research
found that digitally-enabled self service
tools were also “weakening the attractiveness” of the TMCs’ traditional transactional
value. “…Competitive rivalry between TMCs is
toughening, while at the same time, the
negotiating power of customers and suppliers’ own travel management companies
is on the increase,” Mr. Krause explained.
“In the past, TMCs provided a travel booking and management service to customers
while relying commercially on travel suppliers as their primary source of revenue.
As a result, they have built key elements of
their business models, including customer
service and pricing models, largely around
the expectations and requirements of travel
suppliers.” With supplier revenue diminishing, TMCs
are having to refocus their businesses to
work with and represent both the corporate
and leisure traveller. The study also found
dissatisfaction among customers where
agents were not charging “fair and reasonably priced” rates for services. Where this
mistrust occurred, relationships could be
sometimes weak and subject to tension, the
paper proved. To adapt and strengthen their business,
the study makes seven key recommendations:
1. TMCs need to change their business value
proposition urgently in response to the
changes that have and continue to take
place in the macro-economic and industry
environment to survive financially in the
GOOD
It is always good news when an international airline increases services into the
country and the Gulf carriers are leading
the way. The latest is Qatar Airways. Hopefully they are not banking on a windfall
from the 2022 World Cup!
twitter.com/TIR_SA
TIR Southern Africa
other issues. Agency incentives based on GDS sales
will take a hit and the airline
is to restrict what it makes
available through the GDSs,
including some fares and ancillary charges, to its own
systems. And it will increase
agencies’ workflows and disrupt their management information.
A further blow to travel
agents is that it is also going
to make fare and schedule
comparisons more difficult,
affect competition and increase the workload.
The GDSs are not amused
but, in an added blow, the
airline is planning to increase
development of its lhgroupagent.com website as the key
channel for agency reserva-
Industry View
Reg no:
1995/030913/23
6
line’s sales coming through
the GDSs, this is a risky
move, which has already
been widely criticised globally by the GDSs themselves
and the travel trade, not least
in South Africa.
The raw numbers, without
taking other practical issues
into account, seem to make
sense.
Luf t ha nsa est i mates a
GDS booking costs it an
average of €18 but its own
channels will cost only €2.
With the €16 GDS fee, the
bottom line is that a booking
will then cost it nothing that
is not passed on to the travel
agent and then, inevitably,
the consumer.
For the trade, that is concern enough. But there are
•
July 2015
CONGRATULATIONS to Jolene Campbell, Brand
Manager at Uniworld River Cruises, the winner of a
stylish American Tourister Bon Air 55cm Spinner
suitcase, valued at R1,399. Jolene was spotted with
TIR at Buckingham Palace in London.
Cutting-edge, practical luggage is at hand, thanks
to American Tourister. American Tourister Bon Air, a
zipped polyprop collection, prevents brittle breakage.
This ultra-tough material is injection moulded to produce a modern, contemporary look with contrasting
horizontal lines on a combination of matt and shiny
surfaces. For the explorer with an eye for detail and
a liking for a well-organised suitcase, the American
Tourister Bon Air has a colour matching interior with
cross ribbons and an apron zipped pocket in the
bottom and a divider pad with a mesh pocket and
cross ribbons up top. It also features soft-touch carry
handles and TSA locks. Available in Pacific blue, lime
green, orange, pink, red, navy, black and white, the
American Tourister Bon Air Spinner
55cm is available from
luggage outlets.
Call for stockists:
031 266 0620
continued on page 8
THE
BAD
The staggeringly awful rand exchange rate
is bad enough, due to its potential threat to
outbound business but a visit to the bank
for a few forex notes magnifies the standand-deliver gulf between the financial
institutions’ buy and sell rates.
THE
UGLY
The “tax” box seems to be becoming a
bigger and bigger concern for passengers
due to its dizzyingly large portion of the
total fare. And yet it is still unacceptably
opaque, with probably one percent of customers understanding what it comprises.
News Digest
Thailand sets new strategy
to grow its niche markets BY SARAH WHITESIDE
THE Tourism Authority of
Thailand has identified five
niche markets to grow overseas arrivals this year and
will work with wholesalers
to develop new packages to
encourage repeat business in
the South African market. The five-tiered strategy
will include honeymoons
and weddings, green tourism, golf tourism and spa and
wellness programmes. Regional tourism is the fifth
pillar.
The tourism authority revealed its plan for the coming
year at last month’s annual
Thai Travel Mart trade show
in Bangkok. TAT said it expects growth
in overseas business of two
percent this year.
The upturn in foreign arrivals began in the last quarter of 2014, after an extended
period of political unrest.
Despite the loss of South
Africa’s only direct f light
when Thai Airways withdrew in Januar y, demand
here is also on the rise, com-
mented Tanes Petsuwan,
TAT Executive Director of
Europe, Africa and Middle
East Region, speaking at
TTM.
South Africa accounts for
70,000 visitors to Thailand
each year and TAT is targeting growth of between three
and five percent.
Tour operators are being
encouraged to leverage the
new niche campaign, as well
as TAT’s two other campaigns, Experience Thainess,
focusing on the destination’s
events, and the Twelve Hid-
SA tour operators at the
Cha Da Hotel in Krabi during the 2015 TTM+ familiarisation. Pictured right
(back, l to r): Giles Clinton,
Checkout Tours; Tamlynn
Lindeque, Checkout Travel;
Henda Heyneke, Heyneke
Tours and Hermina Sennelo, TAT South Africa, with
(middle) Shona Pittaway,
Perfect Destinations; Jacqui Carr, Holiday Factory;
Kerry Woodgate, Checkout
Tours and Karen Camm,
Holiday Tours and (front)
Panja Sriprapa, Tour East;
Ronel Coston, Travel Vision and Kathy Ridler,
Bobcat Travel.
den Gems of Thailand programme, promoting secondary tourist destinations, as
well as cultural and natural
attractions.
Mr. Petsuwan also emphasises that TAT’s global
marketing activities are being backed up by new infrastructure projects, including
the expansion of Phuket and
Chiang Mai airports and new
high-speed rail links.
* See next month’s Year-End
Breaks feature for more Thailand recommendations.
Operators and suppliers viewed product highlights and
new combinations with local travel agents at the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s recent Discover Thainess
Roadshow. Pictured in Cape Town (l to r): Centara Hotels and Resorts, Janine Pienaar and Melanie Floor, with
Pentravel consultants.
Industry View
continued from page 6
future;
2. TMCs should become far more customercentric and focus on providing services that
are relevant to meeting their customers’ key
priority needs at a price point that is appropriate;
3. TMCs should build strong, intimate relationships with their customers who need
to trust that their best interests are being
taken into account by TMCs and that TMCs
are able to deliver the purported value to
their customers;
4. They must fully utilise their knowledge
and expertise to become specialist advisors
and consultants in order to provide “tangible value”;
5. Invest in educating and motivating employees, as “they are critical to TMCs actually becoming true travel consultants to
their customers”;
6. TMCs should manage their supplier relationships very carefully in order to balance
their value to customers with the value that
they receive from and the value that they
offer to suppliers, in order to avoid any actual or perceived conflict of interest between
themselves and their customer and
7. TMCs should consider changing their remuneration model to focus on and charge
8
TIR Southern Africa • July 2015
for the value that they add to their customers and rely less on supplier payments for
their profitability.
“The paper proposes that placing the
customer at the heart of their business and
truly understanding their customers’ context, circumstances and particular needs is
the path upon which the 21st century travel
management company should embark,”
explained Mr. Krause. “This will require
TMCs to have a different type and at times
possibly a different level of conversation
with their customers than they are currently having today; a conversation that
will allow travel management companies
to demonstrate an ability to apply their
travel knowledge, experience, expertise and
relationships to create true value for their
customers and to regain their customers’
trust.
“... TMCs will need to take very visible
action to reorient their businesses around
meeting their customers’ travel needs in not
only an effective but, just as importantly,
an efficient manner, because the research
indicates that customers are willing to pay
a fair and reasonable price for professional
services that they perceive to be valuable
but do expect TMCs to organise and manage their businesses efficiently,” he said.
News Digest
Pentravel strengthens high street
The agency model has evolved maintains CEO Sean Hough
BY SARAH CORNWELL
PENTRAVEL is investing
more into its new next generation customer experience
Sunshine Store concept with
a second pilot store opening
in the Woodlands Mall in
Pretoria last month. The investment is a major
show of confidence in the
future growth of its bricks
and mortar business and the
value of face-to-face consulting.
a new colour palette, rotating booking screens, an iPad
browsing station, dynamic
external video walls and fun
touches that speak to Pentravel’s fun brand, such as Astroturf-covered walls and an
oversized map of the world.
Pretoria’s Woodlands joins
Durban’s Watercrest store
as the first flagships of Pentravel’s new national retail
strategy.
T he 28 ot he r ex ist i ng
stores are due to be refitted
dustry challenges and tough
trading conditions since the
recession in 2008/09, said
Mr. Hough: “We don’t sell
holidays, we sell happiness.
“We go above and beyond
to create extraordinary customer experiences… proud
of these figures as, besides
dispelling the common myth
that a physical travel expert is
no longer relevant, it is testament to our focus on building
strong, sustainable relationships with our customers that
keeps them coming back,” he
added.
Pentravel ’s Dierdre De
Swardt; Kylie Bergset; Kelly Murgatroyd and Tarren
Webb (l to r), showcase the
Woodland store’s design
concept and consulting
stations.
Pentravel consultants are
positioned as specialists
in beach, cruise, snow and
g uided holidays, making
agent training another major
point of focus.
“We invest in their (consultants’) ongoing education
by sending them to exciting
places… This is wonderful
for their personal adventures,
while our customers enjoy
the depth of experience that
these once-in-a-lifetime trips
afford and is why we retain
our competitive position in
the leisure travel industry,”
he explained.
Briefly.
E
g ypt Air has app o i nte d A s h r af
Hakim Alsayad, Regional General Manager in South Africa.
Retailers praise intro of low-cost route expansion
continued from page 1
Pentravel maps the ‘evolution of the travel agent’
(above).
“A quarter of our sales are
walk-ins, so our new look
shops responded to this aesthetically,” said Chief Executive Officer, Sean Hough. In addition to new “interactive” consulting desks, the
concept stores also feature
in the coming years.
Pent ravel has at t ai ned
growth of 743 percent over
the past five years, up from a
R2.7-million loss in 2014 to a
R20-million profit (PBIT) in
2014. This despite prevailing in-
In a first fare comparison
st udy published by Travelstart last month, the online retailer said passengers
would save up to 39 percent
on some routes, while FlySafair would be “bringing a
refreshing competitive edge
to previously unoperated
routes”. Franz von Wielligh, Flight
Specials General Manager,
said the airline’s expanded
sche du le wa s “ fa nt a st ic
news” and was particularly
happy about the launch of
a new Johannesburg – East
London link: “This one has
been historically neglected
by airlines,” he said. “I really hope [FlySafair] will
also introduce a Cape Town
– Bloemfontein service in
future, as this route carries
some of the most expensive
domestic fares currently.” While he had yet to spot
any significant dip in fares
from other airlines, Mr. Von
Wielligh said there had been
no heavy increases either and
“more competition will actually just keep prices realistic,
according to demand”.
“Competition is healthy
and FlySafair has made the
first cut in terms of its survival in the domestic market,
now looking to expand,” remarked Allan Lunz, BidTravel Managing Director, who
said leisure and corporate
sales for the new carrier had
been good since the airline
made its debut in October
last year. “The consumer
has more choice and the one
thing that works today is
price… [FlySafair] now just
needs to grow from its youth
into a mature airline.” Kirby Gordon, FlySafair
Vice President of Marketing, encouraged passengers
to book the new routes early
to secure the best available
rates. “Obviously now is a
lekker time to be booking as
all that inventory will be released… [but it is] first come,
first served.”
Addit ional new routes
have not been ruled out, according to Mr. Gordon, who
said the airline would first focus on bedding down its new
schedule and on strengthening trade partnerships.
FlySafair had hinted at
plans to expand its network
for some time before last
month’s surprise announcement and recently conducted
a nationwide consumer survey to help develop its new
schedule.
According to Mr. Gordon,
more than half of the 20,000
respondents voted in favour
of a new Cape Town - East
London service. Amongst the
trade, Cape Town - Durban
was the most popular choice.
“We are certainly not taking our foot off the gas in
terms of growth,” he said.
“People are asking for Kruger, Lanseria… It really is a
matter of us taking a look at
demand and where expansion
is most practical.”
TIR Southern Africa
•
July 2015
9
Demand steady for Down Under
Agents can capitalise on VFR opportunity by recommending add-ons and unique activities
BY RICHARD HOLMES
THE rising cost of a Down
Under holiday or family visit
has been accelerated by the
rand exchange rate and rising
air fares.
Arrivals from South Africa and anecdotal evidence
suggest bookings for travel to
Australia and New Zealand
are just managing to hold
steady. “Demand for Australia
and New Zealand has been
static over the past year,”
agreed John Ridler, spokesperson for Thompsons Holidays. “It would appear that a
large percentage of the traffic
is Visiting Friends and Relatives who want a few days off
while visiting family.”
However, some demand
is still there with self-drive
tours, hotel breaks and beach
escapes remaining popular,
said Ronel Coston, Product
Development Manager for
Travel Vision: “There has
been an increase in demand
for both Australia and New
Zealand… we have actually
noticed an increase in tourist
[demand], but VFR travellers
are still prominent, and request add-ons like rail trips,
beach and Great Barrier Reef
packages.”
A key concern and one
reason behind the stagnant
growth has been the lack
of involvement by Tourism
Australia in South Africa.
Although Tourism Australia’s global online training resource, The Aussie Specialist
Program, is available, it is not
backed up with regular road
shows or agent incentives. “We do in-house training
to reservation and sales staff,
which is difficult as we have
no support from a tourism
body for expert input,” explained Ms. Coston.
The Travel Corporation
S a le s Te a m , p r e v io u sly
known as the One Stop Touring Shop, also conducts its
own sales training. While the lack of support
is frustrating, the numbers
explain why South Africa is
low down the list of priorities
for Tourism Australia.
Aust ralia has repor ted
6.9-million visitor arrivals
for the year ending February,
an increase of 7.1 percent.
South African travellers accounted for 54,300, a 0.9 percent drop.
Tourists accounted for the
largest number of arrivals,
followed by VFR. This was
also a sector that showed the
second-strongest growth, at
over eight percent.
While VFR traffic forms a
large part of demand, travellers routinely add on a few
days of independent travel:
an opportunity for agents and
operators. “Our Down Under and
Kiwi cousins have always
catered for South Africa travellers from a VFR perspective. Thus it does to some
extent lend itself as being
a FIT destination, however
we still get enquiries for our
New Zealand and Australian holidays,” said Theresa
Szejwallo, Trafalgar South
Africa’s Managing Director. To g row more leis u re
business, specialists suggest
agents seek out more early
book i ng specials, valueadds, such as Qantas’ free
stopovers, and new combinations, such as Mauritius and
Australia, as well as packaged inclusions. Qantas and Visit Australia
regularly promote ‘insider
secrets’ on free and almostfree activities and entertainment options in major tourist
destinations. The Kiwis’ 100% Pure
New Zealand specialist training programme for travel
agents also promotes new
The new International Convention
Centre project, in Sydney’s Darling Harbour (pictured left), will cost AUS$3.4billion and be Australia’s largest MICE
facility when it opens in 2017.
Royal Caribbean will position Ovation of the Seas in Sydney for the 2016/17 winter. Once completed it will feature
the Ripcord by iFLY skydiving activity, aerial observatory, Bionic Bar and SeaPlex – which is a mega indoor sports and
entertainment complex.
Photo: New Zealand Tourism
New Zealand Tourism recommends agents use the
‘Discover New Zealand’ section on traveltrade.newzealand.com to increase their knowledge of New Zealand’s
regions. It includes key selling points, attractions and
helpful tips. Queenstown (pictured above) has been positioned as an adventure-filled, year-round destination.
product, accommodation options, activities and excursions. The platform has recently been upgraded with a
focus on the closeness, diversity and uniqueness of major
attractions. The tourism board has
also just launched a new
tagline, ‘Every day a different journey’ and a new logo,
which will be used in all
Tourism New Zealand activity, including marketing and
advertising displays and for
newzealand.com.
Sell These
The nine-day At Leisure Discover Australia itinerary
is Trafalgar’s top-selling Australia itinerary, taking in
Sydney, Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. Highlights include sunset and sunrise views
of Uluru, snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef and a
Sydney harbour cruise. The ‘Be My Guest’ Insider Experience on this tour takes guests to three of Sydney’s
top restaurants. From R34,450 pps.
Travel Vision’s Sydney City Break is from R3,895 pps,
valid July 1 – September 30 and December 13 – 28.
Customers paying for three nights at the four-star
Mercure Sydney receive a fourth night free. Airport
transfers are included.
Sydney Airport is undergoing major improvements as part of a 20-month project. The first stage is due to be completed at the end of this year.
SilkAir now flies three times a week between Singapore and Cairns.
Destination New South Wales is promoting campgrounds for winter holidays with an extensive list of sites and facilities online at visitnsw.com but the tourism board recommends Lane Cover National Park for ‘glamping’.
American Airlines and Qantas have expanded their commercial agreement which will see the US carrier fly from
Los Angeles to Sydney for the first time beginning December 17 and enable Qantas’ return to San Francisco.
Adelaide Sightseeing has two new tours of the city and surrounds. Explore Adelaide’s Southern Region includes
trekking down the coastline and visiting the wine region of McLaren Vale. The Adelaide Oval has been added to the
City Highlights tour. Visit www.adelaidesightseeing.com.au
The first phase of Sydney Harbour’s new Barangaroo waterfront area and harbour park is due to open this month.
There are three zones, including a public events and recreation space, where hotel accommodation is being added.
10
TIR Southern Africa
•
July 2015
Photo: Tourism Australia
Thompsons Holidays has three-night packages to discover Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef (pictured
above), including a high-speed catamaran to the reef
for snorkelling and viewing from the underwater observatory. Customers can also experience the Tjapukai
Aboriginal Cultural Park, ride the Skyrail Cableway to
the Barron Gorge National Park and experience the
Kurandu Train. From R9,007 pps.
News Digest
Growth and change mark milestone
AT the helm of The Travel Corporation South Africa, Managing Director, Thersea Szejwallo, marks 25 years with the
company this year. Theresa takes TIR’s Sarah Cornwell on a walk down memory lane, sharing a glimpse of what’s
next for the guided holiday specialist…
The Travel Corporation has been around for more than
40 years and is an established, family-run operation.
How did you come to lead the team in South Africa?
“I was first introduced to the travel industry when I worked
as a consultant. From there I joined The Travel Corporation,
started at the bottom and worked my way up. By getting
to know and understand the business and the industry at
large, I found that opportunities to grow just kept coming
my way and I grew with the company and with the Tollman
family. When I started 25 years ago, we were a team of five
employees. Today we are close to 50 employees and our
business has grown exponentially.”
What has been the personal highlight of your career?
“It has definitely been the opportunity of living the lifestyle
and enjoying my travel experiences for business and for
pleasure. Also, being awarded the prestigious Stanley Tollman global award, which I still dream about winning once
again. I have managed to travel to 68 countries and have a
great love for many of the wonderful places I have visited
and people I have met. If I had to choose just one highlight
destination, I would say Costa Rica. The entire experience
was incredible as I got to travel with my daughters and this
was ‘our’ little adventure together.”
What has been the biggest change in the business?
“When we started, it was just the Trafalgar brand in South
Africa. I lived through the changes in the business when we
purchased Contiki. Several years later it was Insight Vacations. Since then we have continued to acquire many more
international businesses.”
And the change in relationships between operators
and agencies?
“Relationships between operators and agencies are vital as
the nature of the business has transformed into one that
needs more interaction between these two parties. In fact it
has become a three-way relationship between retail agents,
suppliers and the people who travel, as travellers have become far more discerning with much higher expectations
than before. The trade is always at the heart and centre of
our business – the most valuable part of our business.”
How has the South African market developed
over the years?
“The industry went from many smaller players and, as
the first consortium was formed (Sure), it was all go from
there. Now we are at a stage of a few major players, and
several smaller players. There was no such thing as ITCs.
This is an exciting change to our industry. Technology also
plays a major role, everything is now online, people want
their information right now. As travellers demand more
than ever before and with the many choices of product and
companies available to them, the competition has become
a lot fiercer.”
The Travel Corporation did a lot to reposition and reinvent
the coach holiday concept. With all the changes, are you
getting more and younger ‘millennials’ to join your tours?
“Yes, the coach holiday concept is very successful and we
really do cover a large area of the market – from age five
years and up. We continue to reinvent this way of travel
as we have taken the great suggestions and advice from
our guests. We have formed many different styles of
holidays… With regards to the millennials, all the variations
we offer cater more and more for them. Who would have
thought that South African millennials would want more
art, history and culture 20 years ago? Back then, South
African millennials went overseas to work for a year or so
and then backpacked. Now, age doesn’t make that much
of a difference. People want to experience the cultural and
authentic experiences.”
The mind-set of the travel agent has also had to change.
Do consultants today fully grasp the selling points and the
potential for repeat business?
“This is where we come in. We have a very professional
sales team whose main aim is to train the trade on our
product knowledge as well as to inform and assist the consultants with sales. We keep our business simple and easy
to understand and this makes for hassle free sales for the
consultants. We have many unique ways of doing this – a
simple booking engine, online payments and, best of all,
all our prices are sold in the local currency and they are
guaranteed.
Who or what is your biggest competitor right now?
“This year has been interesting. We have seen many destinations open up, from Thailand, even more from Mauritius
and Turkey. We continue to, and always have, specialised
in travel to UK, Europe and the Americas. I guess anyone
selling any type of holiday package could be a competitor
for a passenger who could be travelling with us. In the past
few years, it feels like we have just scratched the surface but
our market continues to grow. What companies are offering
is one thing, what they deliver is sometimes very different
to the expectations of the customer. We have worked hard
on our actual delivery and going by the Feefo ratings – 100
percent reached in May this year – our reputation is preceding us. As demands change, so do we, so our work is never,
ever done…”
What’s next from The Travel Corporation in 2015?
“With technology, the world is our oyster. Already, with
our Follow the Sun office, we are able to offer our services
around the globe, any time of the day or night. This is the
start to making our business borderless and standardised
in every way across all countries. We are preparing for our
2016 travel destinations, which will be launched in October.
As to my plans, I am still evolving in my role and there is
so much more I want to achieve. Selling and customer behaviour is especially interesting to me and becoming more
experienced in this is one of my goals. Technology is opening up new possibilities every day. What you can dream, you
really can achieve.”
IATA stalls on its new baggage size guidelines
PLANS by the International
Air Transport Association
to introduce new carry-on
baggage limits have been
stalled following confusion
and criticism, particularly in
North America.
The new optimum size
for aircraft of 120 seats or
more is: 55 x 35 x 20cm. Bags
meeting the size limit will
eventually carry a ‘cabin OK’
logo. IATA has maintained
the move is not a revenuegenerating scheme for airlines.
But critics argued that passengers whose carry-on bags
fell outside of the new recommended standard size would
be inconvenienced and, potentially, end up paying more
in checked-baggage fees. IATA said it planned to
engage further with participants, IATA members and
key stakeholders, reiterating:
“Cabin OK is a guideline for
an optimally-sized bag, not
an industry standard. Cabin
OK does not seek to define
a maximum size for carry-
on bags, which is something
each airline does individually.”
Similar restrictions have
already been applied for
commercial f lights to and
from South African airports.
Current size restrictions for
economy class carry-ons are
36 x 23 x 56cm, limited to
one bag plus either a handbag
or slimline laptop bag.
Airlink launches PRY–CPT flights
SA AIRLINK will increase
connectivity between Cape
Town and Pretoria with the
introduction three f lights
daily to Tshwane City’s Wonderboom Airport, beginning
August 16.
Wonderboom Airport was
recently upgraded and Rodger Foster, Airlink Chief Executive Officer, said: “All
businesses, industries and
communities located in and
around Tshwane will benefit
Airlink introduced new cabin crew uniforms last month.
Pictured above (l to r): Flight attendants Masilo Mofokeng; Melissa Brown and Michelle van Wouw.
from the new services.”
Flights will depart Wonderboom for Cape Town at
06h45, 09h45 and 17h45.
Flights f rom Cape Tow n
to Wonderboom depart at
06h45, 15h00 and 17h30.
Airlink will have an intracontinental-style business
class service.
TIR Southern Africa
•
July 2015
11
Indian Ocean islands tops
for overseas wedding-moons
BY RICHARD HOLMES
WHILE weddings are never
easy on the pocket, the Indian Ocean can be a valuefor-money option.
“Weddi ngs abroad a re
definitely very popular,” said
Odele Durr, World Leisure
Holidays’ wedding specialist.
“Enquiries have more than
tripled from when I started
ar ranging weddings twoand-a-half years ago.”
“The South Af rican
market is booming when it
comes to weddings, mainly
in Mauritius,” said Melanie
Ohis, Groups & Incentives
Manager for LUX* Resorts
& Hotels. “All our resorts are
designed to welcome weddings; it can be a simple couple wedding or a big wedding
of 100 to 200 people.”
Réu n ion a nd t he Seychelles are two niche destinations, although Mauritius
remains the most popular for
South African clients.
“Weddings in Mauritius
are extremely popular and
contribute a big part of business,” remarked Joanne Visagie, Beachcomber Tours National Sales Manager. “Every
year the enquires and bookings for weddings increase:
in 2014 Beachcomber’s Le
Victoria hotel alone hosted
256 weddings, even with the
policy of only one wedding
per day!”
“We find most wedding
par ties are small and the
bridal couple normally cover costs for themselves and
immediate family, and then
invite friends to join them
with the cost of the holiday
attached,” said Flora Fubbs,
Senior Manager – Contracting, Marketing and Operations for The Holiday Factory, who named Heritage
Resor ts, Constance Belle
Mare Plage and Kempinski
as its most popular Mauritius
resorts.
Many resorts offer a simple renewal of vows ceremony for under R2,500, which
will include the ceremony,
dinner for two and special
gifts, with all-inclusive packages and dedicated wedding
specials available.
“Beachcomber offers the
choice between the Classic
Wedding Package and the
Luxury Wedding Package,
which have many of the inclusions pre-paid...” added
Ms. Visagie.
Briefly.
A
frican Synergy has added Vamizi Island
Villas in the Quirimbas Archipelago to its
portfolio. Honeymoon packages include sunset
dhow cruises, massages and candle-lit beach
dinner. Seven nights with transfers to and from
Pemba, all meals, drinks, guided activities and
extras is from US$16,890 pps October 1 – December 15 and from US$18,430 between July 1
and September 30. A
nantara Bazaruto Island Resort & Spa has
50 percent discounts on the bride’s accommodation for bookings of four nights or more,
valid until December 22. Includes a dhow cruise
excursion and Rasul spa treatment for two.
Le Victoria is the operator’s most popular resort for
South African couples, followed by Le Canonnier and
Shandrani. “These packages
are also commissionable to
the agents who aid in selling
the package,” she said. While the brand recognition amongst loyal LUX*
clients has seen Réunion be-
come an increasingly popular
destination, Zanzibar is gaining recognition. The newest
addition to the city’s wedding hotels is the Park Hyatt
Zanzibar. “The gardens surrounding
the hotel are perfect venues
for a wedding ceremony, and
the Grand Salon is a luxuricontinued on page 13
At a glance
Mauritius honeymoon resorts
World Leisure Holidays recommends the three-star
Veranda Pointe aux Biches for its affordable rates,
with the view that more guests might be able to join the
wedding party. The entry-level wedding package is free of
charge and the hotel has a ‘barefoot’ concept to enhance
the beach holiday experience with a more relaxed and
laid-back atmosphere.
World Leisure Holidays recently hosted a Mauritius
educational at some of its top-selling Sun Resorts
properties, as well as the One&Only Le Saint Géran
and Veranda properties. Pictured above at Long Beach
resort (l to r): Sharlene Lifschfitz, Harvey World Travel
Birnam; Sanel Volschenk, eTravel; Farzana Moolla,
Harvey World Travel Klerksdorp; Ashley Hewitt, World
Leisure Holidays Sales Manager: KwaZulu-Natal; Judy
Wattrus, Harvey World Travel Nelspruit; Linda Nel,
Harvey World Travel Tzaneen and Bernadette Munzer,
Harvey World Travel Northcliff. Sunset honeymoon dinner, a là Beachcomber.
Until September 30, Beachcomber is providing five percent discount on accommodation for wedding guests
staying at the resort where the wedding takes place. If the
wedding party consists of 20 or more adult guests, the
bridal couple receive complimentary accommodation
(maximum seven nights at the hotel were the ceremony
takes place). Sugar Beach has one of the largest kids’ clubs on the island, so caters well for wedding
guests with young children. The resort is World Leisure’s top-selling Mauritius property.
Destination stag and hen parties an untapped but lucrative niche
BY SARAH WHITESIDE
WHILE destination bachelor
and bachelorette parties are
an established market overseas, particularly to party
cities like Las Vegas or to
destinations where entertainment and consumables are
considered relatively cheap,
such as Prague and other
Eastern European cities, local operators and retailers
report this market segment
is still undeveloped in South
Africa. “Inter national stag and
hen parties are very popular in the UK and are slowly
catching on in SA,” remarked
John Ridler, spokesperson
for Thompsons Holidays.
“Most of these trips take
place locally but we have
noted an increase in enquiries for parties in Mauritius
and Thailand recently.
“G roups a re generally
small, consisting of six to ten
people, with Phuket being the
most frequently requested
destination due to the vibrant
12
TIR Southern Africa
•
July 2015
nightlife and fun water activities available.” Giles Clinton, Director for
Checkout Tours, agreed that
local trips were most popular
but also listed Mozambique,
Victoria Falls and Mauritius
as popular. “Drinking would
probably play a big part in
any trip,” said Mr. Clinton,
but adventure activities are
also popular.
Kathy Ridler, owner of
Bobcat Travel, named Phuket
as her top stag or hen destination due to its party atmosphere along Bangla Road.
Mr. Ridler suggested day
trips to Phi Phi Island and
jungle safaris could appeal to
these groups and encouraged
travel agents to develop this
potential market. “This market is by its nature a young
one and the possibilities for
future travel are enormous.” Mr. Clinton agreed that
these trips could open up opportunities for future wedding, honeymoons, personal
and business travel but cautioned that it was important
that trips go smoothly for the
repeat business to follow.
For an overseas hen or stag party, the ARIA Resort &
Casino (above) leads TripAdvisor’s list of the 20 Best
Las Vegas Bachelor Party Hotels.
Indian Ocean islands tops for wedding-moons
continued from page 12
ous setting for a glamorous reception,” said Sandra Kneubuhler,
Global Sales Director, Hyatt Sales
Force Africa. “[It] is one of the
few hotels on the island with extensive event facilities, so we do
get a broad range of enquiries.”
However, the legal process of
getting married in Zanzibar is
considerably more complex than
Mauritius, so many clients opt for
a simple renewal of vows here. Value-for-money is a concern
here too: “Zanzibar is very much
on the radar but at present the
rates are not as competitive as
Mauritius,” said John Ridler,
spokesperson for Thompsons
Holidays.
hosting one wedding per day.
Having a plan B is also important,
suggested Ms. Ohis: “Mauritius being a tropical island, we do have
some rainy hours which can spoil
the celebration if there is no backup.”
Costs aside, part of the appeal
of an island wedding is handing
responsibility to a resort wedding
co-ordinator. “We do most of the arrangements
and briefing this side, so that when
clients arrive in Mauritius they meet
up with the hotel’s wedding coordi-
nator to tie up the last smaller details
for the ceremony, making it a lot less
stressful on the couple,” Ms. Durr
explained.
Sales support
To help agents with the planning and
booking process, Thompsons has
established a dedicated team that
handles all wedding-related enquiries ([email protected]).
Beachcomber provides selling
tools on its travel agent portal.
Agents can download electronic fact
sheets and brochures, slide shows
and videos at: www.beachcomberonline.co.za.
World Leisure Holidays is making booking and quoting processes more efficient for agents with
the development of its new B2B
booking portal. So far, only Mauritius product is
bookable but WLH plans to expand
functionality and content to include
other destinations.
Agents can register via a link
on the wlh.co.za landing page and
make reservations for accommodation, f lights, transfers, add meal
Diary
The Seychelles Tourism Board
will host its annual product
roadshow in Johannesburg,
July 21; Durban, July 22 and
Cape Town, July 23. Register:
[email protected]
plans and book excursions. They can
also process quotations or go as far
as paying online and issuing their
own documents.
Those who do not already have a
business partner number will have
to complete a new agency application form.
Don’t forget
the paperwork
Couples need to remember that
“over and above the costs of the
actual wedding at the hotel, there
are legalities that must be paid
for in order for the marriage to be
recognized as legal”, reminded
Chantelle Browne, Indian Ocean
Islands Product Manager, Holiday
Tours. “The couple will need to
be in Mauritius for about a week
before the wedding to complete
and sign paperwork and they will
be travelling between the resort
and Port Louis regularly during
that time.”
With paperwork throwing a
spanner in the works “the vast
majority of ‘weddings’ are renewal of vows”, added Ms. Fubbs.
“The couple completes the legal
formalities in SA and has the ceremony on the relevant island.” W h icheve r opt ion cl ie nt s
choose, it is important agents
confirm that a ceremony is possible on their chosen dates, as most
resorts operate a policy of only
Expert feedback
Price is a major determining factor, maintained Rod
Rutter, Chief Operating Officer of XL Travel, who said
honeymoon choices were
influenced by the rand and
that Mauritius and Thailand
were the most popular destinations. More retail agencies are
also making honeymoon
registries available to encourage new business.
Jonathan Gerber, Travel
Assignment Group Managing Director, said its registries were popular: “We advertise on various platforms
for honeymooners. Everyone remembers their honeymoon so, if you can look
after these clients, you have
a good chance of keeping
their family business in future.”
Marco Cristofoli, Harvey
World Travel Managing Director, cautioned that conversion rates are generally
quite low, with most couples shopping around before deciding. “That being
said, when a honeymoon is
booked with us... we generally find that we have a
customer for life.” TIR Southern Africa
•
July 2015
13
Value drives more business East
BY SARAH WHITESIDE
BEACH destinations in the
East are proving as popular
with South African couples
as some of the island getaways in the Indian Ocean,
with local specialists reporting strong demand for highend packages.
Thailand and Bali are top
sellers for weddings, honeymoons and romantic escapes with local specialists
converting mostly four- and
five-star quotes.
Marco Cristofoli, Harvey
World Travel Managing Director, said Mauritius was
the retailer’s top honeymoon
destination, with Thailand a
close second.
John Ridler from Thompsons Holidays suggested
“Thailand and Bali are favourites for weddings and
honeymoons in Asia as both
destinations are affordable
and offer the couple an unusual setting for the wedding
ceremony or honey moon
getaway”. Phuket is Thompsons’ first choice, followed
by Nusa Dua in Bali. A lt hou g h T h a i l a nd i s
ahead, French Polynesia and
Fiji are Bobcat Travel’s top
sellers in Australasia this
year, according to company
owner, Kathy Ridler. Phuket
and Koh Samui are their most
popular for weddings.
Che ckout Tou r s’ most
popular honeymoon destinations are Phuket, Phi Phi and
Krabi in Thailand, according
to company Director, Giles
Clinton.
“We would not recommend getting married in anything less than a four-star
hotel as the property needs
to have experience putting on
weddings for the trip to run
smoothly,” said Shona Pittaway, Managing Director of
Perfect Destinations.
And, Mr. Clinton recommended, while weddings
in Asia are generally more
expensive and may involve
more paperwork than ceremonies in Mauritius, Thailand has better value and
more variety: “We often find
that due to legalities, couples
will opt to officially get married in South Africa, while
car r ying out a ceremony
abroad.” “The hotels that we work
with are experienced in handling weddings and we have
direct contact with the wedding planner who remains in
charge throughout the process.
“In Thailand, hotels can
be very flexible in catering to
the bride’s wishes and, as we
also handle the arrangements
for family and friends, wedding planning is relatively
stress free from beginning to
end,” added Ms. Pittaway.
Drawbacks when assisting clients generally relate
to the usual medical and visa
requirements, although many
specialists brought up the
topic of wedding legalities.
“As wedding ceremonies
abroad are generally not considered legal under South
African law, many couples
make the decision to get
married by an officer of the
courts before they depart for
their trip,” said Ms. Pittaway. A major opportunity for
savings is by combining a
wedding and honeymoon in
one trip. Couples can simply
move to a different resort, island or even country for little
to no extra charge.
There are also a myriad
of creative honeymoon and
wedding options. Checkout
Tours specialises in beach
weddings and honeymoons
but also has jungle and cultural options in Asia. Bobcat Travel features private tours through Vietnam
and Cambodia, with options
to end a honeymoon with a
few days at a Thai beach resort.
Turtle Island in Fiji, the
Visa waiver for South Africa
boosts travel to Indonesia
TOUR operators have welcomed Indonesia’s new visafree status for South African
passport holders visiting for
up to 30 days. Last month the Indonesian
government applied sweeping changes to its visa waiver
programme, abolishing visa
requirements for 30 more
countries.
There are f ive inter national airports through which
citizens of now 45 countries
may enter visa free – Soekarno-Hatta in Jakarta, Ngurah
14
Rai in Bali, Kuala Namu in
Medan, Juanda in Surabaya
and Hang Nadim in Batam.
Operators expect that the
change will boost business
out of South Africa.
“The relaxation of visa requirements and the added
saving is always appealing
to the South African traveller. More importantly, it also
carries a message of welcome
from the host country, which
will positively inf luence
travellers… [and] is a saving of well over R400,” said
TIR Southern Africa
•
July 2015
John Ridler, spokesperson
for Thompsons Holidays. “We are very pleased with
the news,” agreed Jacqui
Carr, Product Manager, The
Holiday Factory.
“T h is also comes at a
great time, as Emirates has
launched services to Bali.
The visa process has been
relatively hassle-free, as it
was granted on arrival… but
this development is a saving
of US$35 per person, which
should certainly encourage
business,” she said.
island where Blue Lagoon
was filmed, is another of Ms.
Ridler’s favourites and is a
highlight recommended for
honeymooners. Perfect Destinations will
arrange a Western or traditional Thai ceremony. “A
Thai wedding will include a
traditional monk’s blessing
during the ceremony which
adds some local f lavour to
the event,” Ms. Pittaway explained.
Thailand is rated one of SA’s top sellers with long-stay
packages and plenty of inclusions.
Sell these
Checkout Tours has three-star Phuket, Phi Phi and Krabi combination packages,
from R11,995 pps. Includes flights, accommodation, transfers, and airport taxes. Valid
for travel until October 31 but block out dates may apply. Its four-star Phuket and Khao
Lak combination packages are from R13,855 pps.
Perfect Destinations has a Phuket and Khao Lak honeymoon special with four
nights’ accommodation from R15,100 pps, including a complimentary half-day tour of
Phuket. Valid for travel until October 31.
Hotel Check
Elephant Hills, Thailand
ELEPHANT sanctuaries like the Elephant Hills camps in South Thailand are drawing
more business from tourists with an interest in experiential travel. Three-day packages at Elephant Hills include an afternoon interacting with the elephants and preparing
and feeding them. This is followed by a guided canoe trip to view wildlife in the area. There are two lodges: the Elephant Camp, with 35 tents, en suite bathrooms, shaded
decks and hammocks and the floating Rain Forest camp (pictured above), situated
at the Khao Sok National Park, involving a boat trip across the 60km Cheow Lan
dam. There are myriad activities to choose from, including kayaking, swimming,
guided jungle and cave treks. This camp is much smaller with 10 floating tents and
10 others in a second camp, currently under construction. Meals are buffet-style
and food was excellent. The Elephant Hills camps are well situated between a twoto three-hour drive from Krabi, Phuket, and Koh Samui, making it an ideal base for
honeymooners wanting to explore more of South Thailand. Package rates include accommodation, all meals, activities and road transfers to and from any of these beach
destinations. Wanderlust and TAT have awarded them the Thailand Green Excellence
Award for Animal Welfare. Service was excellent. Industry rates are available to travel
agents. To enquire: [email protected].
65_Accommodation
95_Location
75_Facilities
90_Service
85_Food
85_Attitude
70_Value x2
Overall rating:
81/100
Personally Speaking
by John Wardall
Open borders must mean Schengen is at risk
T
he f ynbos in Cape Town’s
South Peninsula has come
alive again after the devastating fires which ravaged the area
in early March.
Green shoots are bursting through between the charred remains of proteas and
trees and it has become a real pleasure
again to drive past the Silvermine Nature
Reserve on Ou Kaapse Weg and watch the
new life on the mountain.
When I think of the tedious commute
colleagues and friends have to endure in
London or New York, Toronto, Sydney or
other cities around the world, it makes it a
little easier to bear the many social, political
and economic challenges we face in South
Africa.
I did say easier, not easy!
PS
It came as no surprise when workers briefly
closed the Eiffel Tower in Paris recently to
protest the extent of pickpocketing outside
the city’s landmark attraction. A similar
thing happened at the Louvre in 2012.
Paris is plagued by – I am not allowed to
say it – gypsy gangs of pickpockets, often
aggressive children run by an adult, who
stands at a distance so as not to be implicated if the police intervene.
The last time I was in Paris, I was harassed
by some of these little brats and got very
aggressive myself in return, threatening
to clobber the little monsters before they
finally gave up.
It is a problem all over Europe and Spain
is particularly bad. Friends had a suitcase
stolen at Venice’s railway station a couple
of years ago and others had suitcases stolen
from the storage area at the end of the railway compartment.
The issue is certainly one to warn clients
about. South Africans are usually pretty
careful to avoid becoming victims because
they face the prospect of crime every day at
home. But the defences go down when they
go to Europe where they don’t expect it.
PS
The action plan recommendations for the
Western Cape’s Air Access Strategy is due
to be presented to the Cabinet next month.
It is intended to lead to direct air services
into Cape Town from the US and more African cities.
The US seems to be a bit of a longshot,
particularly for Cape Town, and has a track
record of being unviable, except for Delta’s
Atlanta – Johannesburg service, which has
high load factors and high yields.
SA A used to fly to Miami and later
switched to Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta
with services that originated in Johannesburg. Fares were common-rated with those
out of Johannesburg, a situation which has
never been the case with other flights originating in Cape Town and Durban but picking
up passengers in Johannesburg en route to
international destinations.
Delta also used to operate direct to Cape
Town via Dakar.
But the city has always been a bit of a
problem for the airlines because of the
loads they were able to achieve and yields,
which did not come close to those out of Johannesburg, where the business, NGO and
government numbers are so much greater.
Capetonian tourists, even if they have
truckloads of rands are also a lot more
parsimonious than the much more freespending Joburgers.
There were rumours last month that
American Airlines, which so far doesn’t fly
to Africa or the Middle East at all, might
announce the introduction of services to
South Africa. They will have been watching the performance of Delta but I’m not
sure they currently have the equipment
available at this point and the weak rand
and economic projections for the country
would give any potential investor pause for
thought.
PS
I am afraid the prognosis for SAA is looking decidedly bleak. Survival will be little
short of a miracle unless the government is
prepared to throw billions of rands at it on
a continuing basis. Come to think of it, they
have been doing that already.
The airline is not in any state to be privatised and a takeover is inconceivable with its
debt load and the investment that would be
required to restructure and re-equip, plus
the restrictions on foreign ownership.
The government is hanging in for all the
wrong reasons and a total lack of understanding of how the real world works.
I am instinctively opposed to subsidies
for any business which cannot support itself
on a long-term basis. If there is enough demand and support for a product or service,
it should be able to operate profitably, unless it is mismanaged.
Nature doesn’t like a vacuum, neither
does the airline business. Any shortfalls in
service would soon be filled by another carrier, so inconvenience to the public would
be short-lived.
Inconvenience to politicians is another
story.
I don’t for a minute buy the argument
about wider developmental needs and
seem to recall that was used for SAA’s defunct China operation. That was quickly
going to be replaced by Air China until they
looked at the numbers more closely and the
government shot itself in the foot with its
new visa rules.
The introduction of SAA services between Ghana and the US is further evidence
that the airline has recognised the limitations of its options for non-stop international expansion from South Africa because
we are at the end of the line, with little opportunity for connecting traffic.
The addition of Accra as its second hub
in West Africa provides a much better opportunity also for connections from North
America to the rest of Africa. Whether or
not that solves the bigger problem is another question.
PS
Last month’s court decision dismissing
Comair’s case questioning the R5-billion
bailout of SAA in 2012 left me a bit puzzled.
I spent five years of my airline tenure
defending the position of a state-owned
airline, which was in any case self-sustaining, and was then successful enough to be
privatised.
That was difficult enough. Doing the
same for the relationship between SAA and
the government would tax my admittedly
limited capabilities.
The ruling that a raft of SAA’s financial information should not be made available to
the court as it was supposedly proprietorial
wasn’t even remotely convincing. It leads to
the question: is SAA in even more of a mess
than we suspected?
The public’s right to know continues to
play second fiddle in every peccadillo in
which this government contributes its selfinterest.
PS
Despite previous promises that there would
be no load shedding this winter and Cyril
Ramalamadingdong’s assurances that everything was under control at Eskom, we
have been experiencing black-out creep.
Slowly, slowly the frequency and stages
have been climbing without people noticing. You tend to get used to anything.
As I sit here typing my opus, load shedding has just kicked in and I only checked an
hour ago, when the Eskom website was still
saying no load shedding today!
PS
It is questionable how long the Schengen
Agreement and therefore Schengen visas
can survive, due to the illegal immigrant
crisis in Europe and the inevitable security
issues.
The open border policy has been undermined as French police have refused entry
to hundreds of immigrants attempting to
cross into France from the border town of
Ventimiglia in Italy. Who can blame them?
If Schengen bites the dust, it will mean
individual visas for every country in Europe
for South African passport holders, as if the
hassle and cost of visas isn’t enough of a
disincentive already.
At this point, you have to wonder why
so many people are going to the inconvenience anyway when more than 100,000
people have entered Europe and the UK
from Africa and the Middle East as supposed refugees.
They are arriving by the boatload in
Greece and Italy and then spreading across
Europe with usually apparent impunity.
So, forget the visas, enter Turkey, where
South Africans don’t need visas, buy a used
rubber dinghy or leaky rowboat, paddle
across the short stretch of sea to the Greek
island of Kos and you’re in business.
I’m not sure why the Europeans don’t
have the guts to deal with the influx and insist on accommodating serious future economic and social problems. But that’s the
over-the-top human rights lobby for you.
PS
There were some surprises in the recent
ECA International survey of the world’s
most expensive cities for ex-pats. It also
gives a pretty clear indication of affordability for tourists.
Number one was Juba in South Sudan
and two was Luanda, Angola, although I
don’t think they appeal to too many tourists.
Zurich, Geneva, Bern and Basel were next,
followed by Kinshasa, Shanghai and Beijing.
Tokyo was only 16, Singapore 19 and New
York way down at 29.
I don’t know where they lost London and
Sydney, which I find eye-wateringly expensive.
continued on page 16
TIR Southern Africa
•
July 2015
15
News Digest
BRRRRR!!! Club Travel consultants braved the cold on
a recent educational to the
Italian Alps, hosted in partnership with Turkish Airlines, Club Med, Fez Travel
and Zurich Insurance. The
group stayed at the Club
Med Cervinia Resort with
a stopover in Istanbul. Pictured left (l to r): Tracey
Visscher of FlightSite; JeanPierre Brink, Club Travel ITC; Rochelle Rubino, Checkout Travel; Genine de Witt, Club
Travel ITC; Susan Williams, Susan’s Travel; Jacqueline Coupland, 360 Degrees Travel;
Abdul Karriem Hoosain, Turkish Airlines and (in front) Marisa van der Merwe, Travel
Latitude; Tatum Alexander, Club Travel Marketing Assistant and Lucinda Tyler, Club
Travel Product Manager.
... Schengen is at risk
continued from page 15
Most of us were probably pleasantly surprised at just how well the World Cup went
in 2010 in South Africa and it did a lot to
promote the country as a desirable destination to visit.
So it is disappointing that the bribery
scandal – and make no mistake, the US$10million was a bribe – has tarnished our image. Not that South Africa has been alone in
being tempted by the den of thieves in FIFA.
In fact, the whole sport of football is riddled with greed, corruption and devoid of
ethical behaviour. When the money reaches
such preposterous proportions, it is inevitable.
PS
It’s good to see the travel industry standing
up to the government over the ill-advised
new immigration regulations and basically
telling them they are full of it.
Too bad most businesses in most industries don’t have the backbone to do the
same. If they did, the economy might not be
in such a horrible mess.
Not that Home Affairs is ever going to
admit that the “unintended consequences”
were a result of a bungled process, lack of
consultation with industry experts and an
arrogant stamping of feet, which has already blown hundreds of millions of rands
out of the political exhaust.
PS
The fiasco last month when the government ignored the separation of powers,
which enshrined that concept in Britain and
has since been adopted by every democracy in the world, snubbed not only the International Criminal Court but also our own
High Court and was complicit in allowing
Omar “Basher” al-Bashir to escape justice
was not only ominous but also ironic.
The date was the 800th anniversary of
the signing of the Magna Carta, the document which provided those safeguards for
the people.
800 years later and the ANC still don’t
get it!
In next month’s issue of TIR...
We search for the best powder in the annual Skiing feature,
plan your customers’ Year-End Breaks and visit the Middle East
in our next destination report.
Youth specialist asks agents what
they would book if they had choice
I N an effor t to establish
whether travel agents’ personal taste affects what they
sell, Contiki Holidays asked
travel agents worldwide to
name their favourite of the
brand’s eight new ‘Ways to
Travel’ touring styles.
The operator asked questions such as what sort of
daytime activity travellers
prefer and what the perfect
evening on holiday would
include. 2,700 travel agents participated in the survey, with Contiki’s Discovery Plus touring
style ranked tops. The results
suggested “like consumers,
agents on holiday want to
enjoy comfort while discovering everything their chosen
destination has to offer”. The second most popular touring style was the InDepth Explorer, which Contiki positions as “a chance for
customers to immerse themselves in local culture, architecture and experiences”.
Agent favourite, Discover
Plus, is currently the most
popular touring style customers are choosing, which
Contiki said “begs the question of whether this agent
preference could be having a
subconscious effect on holidays being sold to consumers”.
The results of the quiz
revealed the most popular
travel styles among agents in
South Africa:
– 34 percent like to “explore
new destinations in comfort”
as Discovery Plus travellers;
– 19 percent want to “immerse themselves in a new
place” as In-Depth Explorers;
– 16 percent are late risers,
wanting a “relaxed and carefree holiday” as Easy Pace
travellers; – 11 percent “dream of soaking up the sun on crystal blue
waters” as Sailing & Cruise
travellers;
– Nine percent are “lovers of
fast-paced and spirited trips”,
seeing themselves as High
Energy travellers;
– Campers and Winter & Ski
fanatics each accounted for
seven percent; and
– Fest ival & Shor t St ay
travellers are “underrepresented among South African
agents”, making up just three
percent of test takers.
“At Contiki we understand
that often the reason behind
becoming an agent is a love
of travel, so we wanted to
investigate and celebrate our
agents as travel experts and
advocates,” said Kelly Jackson, General Manager South
Africa.
“It is so interesting to see
that the most popular style
of travel for agents mirrors
the consumer favourite, and
perhaps demonstrates how a
personal connection can help
sell these kinds of trips.”
Agents can take the quiz
online at www.contiki.com/
mytravelstyle.
Briefly.
L
ondon has retained its position as the top international travel destination for the fifth time in seven years, according to the results of the annual MasterCard Global Destinations Cities Index, published last month.