1. travel
2. tourist destinations
3. africa

Ch r i s tm a s t i c ke t i n g
scam elevates discussions on industry-wide
fraud protection fund.
Details on page 2.
STA Morningside
consultant, Julian
Nxele (pictured),
experiences Berlin
with Contiki in the
Coach & Escorted
Holidays feature,
from page 11. We check-in at South Africans’
favourite island resorts in the
first Indian Ocean Islands destination report of 2015. From
page 7.
Travel Industry Review
Published by TTG Southern Africa
All-inclusive and domestic
travel expected to keep rising
Late bookings deliver year-end bonus for local retailers
BY LISA WITEPSKI
A FLUSH of late-minute
bookings at the end of last
year has boosted the outlook
for the retail and wholesale
sectors and increased sales
forecasts for the new year.
Demand for packaged holidays and domestic travel is
expected to lead in 2015. “We had a successful season, as we had growth on
the number of people travelling year on year,” remarked
Franz von Weilligh, General
Manager of Flight Specials,
“but the big surprise was the
tremendous domestic holiday
sales, especially last minute
bookings. Last minute bookings were also seen for Mauritius and the Far East”.
“December 2014 was an
extremely successful season
for us, with packages – to
India and Mauritius especially – proving popular,” said
Dinesh Naidoo, Serendipity Worldwide Group Operations Director. “In fact,
although we usually have
stock left over, we sold out
completely.”
Mr. Naidoo said there had
been a number of last-minute
bookings but another noteworthy trend was demand for
cruises. The peak season’s
success was marred only by
the fact that, for travellers
with itineraries departing
from Durban, f light availability continued to be a challenge: “We just do not have
enough connectivity,” Mr.
Naidoo commented. This
also impacts total trip costs,
with fare prices higher than,
for example, flights and itineraries departing out of Johannesburg.
Vanya Lessing, Sure Travel Chief Executive Officer,
also noted that the company
had received a significant
number of queries for the
Western Cape. Internationally, destinations leading leisure bookings included Mauritius, Europe and Thailand.
However, with statistics for
the 2014/15 peak holiday period still incomplete, she said
it was difficult to compare
final tallies with other years. Ms. Lessing observed a
number of challenges, including availability and pricing of air fares, as a result of
airline Point of Sale strategies. She had also noticed
several trends, among them
demand for five-star hotels,
shorter stays and, like Mr.
Von Weilligh, last-minute
bookings.
Most of Sure Travel’s busi-
A group of Contiki’s top
supporting agents jetted
off to Europe to experience the Contiki #NOREGRETS life in Berlin,
Prague and Vienna. Pictured outside the Hofburg
Palace at the statue of
Maria Theresa in the Ringstrasse, Vienna (back, l
to r) Christine Rakgokong,
Flight Centre Chilli Lane;
Julian Nxele, STA Morningside; Caren Bradley,
Thompsons Head Office,
Johannesburg - Leisure; Rene Roux, Student Flights Stellenbosch and Annerie Joubert,
Harvey World Somerset West with (front) Lauren Blaine, One Stop Touring Shop and
Claire Basley, Flight Centre Fourways. Contiki is launching tours in three new countries,
as well as adding to its range of festival-focused tours this year. See page 13.
ness originates from repeat
and referral business, Ms.
Lessing explained. “We have
lost business to the Internet.
However, we saw a big increase in our website clicks
... for the period August to
October 2014, due to digital
marketing.” December proved a fruitful month for Beachcomber
Tours. “It was a huge month
continued on page 4
Managing Director for Trafalgar South Africa, Theresa Szejwallo and global Chief Executive Officer, Gavin Tollman,
hosted the company’s top supporters and sellers in the Western Cape to an Insider Experience lunch at the Cape Grace
Hotel last month. A rand price guarantee has been applied for Trafalgar’s 2015 programme to shield the market from
further weakening of the exchange rate. Trafalgar’s only inbound tour to South Africa, a Family Experience itinerary,
has been shelved for 2015, following South Africa’s change
in immigration regulations, including the requirement for
unabridged birth certificates in addition to passports.
Pushed back until June 1 of this year, Mr. Tollman said
the change was a “definitive factor… We advocate for
hassle-free travel, so ease of access would be a key criteria”. Trafalgar parent company, Cullinan Holdings, has
lobbied extensively against Home Affairs’ new regime on
behalf of its interests worldwide. Latest figures show Cullinan’s business to South Africa out of China has declined
by 90 percent, according to Mr. Tollman. India is down 70
percent. “We do not attribute that exclusively to the biometric visas… It is a combination of visas and the worldwide
misunderstanding of Ebola. Those markets have just been
crushed…” – See page 11 for more.
Oil falls but no
relief in air fares
BY RICHARD HOLMES
WHILE the oil price has fallen by more than half over the
past few months and seems
set for a sustained period of
low cost, it is unlikely local travellers will be seeing
any reduction in air fares. A
weak rand, fuel hedging and
low fares, which have not
been keeping up with cost increases, has airlines warning
that ticket prices will not fall
for some time yet.
“You have to completely
disconnect this from the idea
that when the petrol price
drops it costs less to fill up
your car,” said Chris Zweigenthal, Chief Executive of
the Airlines Association of
Southern Africa. Unlike petrol, the price of
jet fuel is unregulated, and
“many of the airlines will
have done some hedging and
forward sales purchasing, so
they may not have immediately derived benefit from the
drop in crude oil price,” he
added.
Hedging allows airlines
to forecast their costs and
fares with some measure of
predictability and stability,
but when the oil price falls
unexpectedly for a sustained
period, as it has done recently, many airlines find themselves out of pocket, said
aviation analyst and Managing Director of consultancy
Plane Talking, Linden Birns.
“Of course everything is negotiable and the airlines can
renegotiate with the fuel suppliers to unwind hedges, but
they will no doubt have to
pay some compensation for
this.”
Comair says it has hedged
one-third of its current fuel
continued on page 5
News Digest
Christmas ticketing scam elevates discussions around industry-wide fraud protection fund
BY SARAH CORNWELL
RETAIL heads are prioritising discussions on individual and industry-wide fraud
prevention and protection
measures that would safeguard customers as well as
the reputation of the travel
agency business in the wake
of a recent scam allegedly
involving a Polokwane-based
independent travel consultant, Kim Robbertse.
Ms. Robbertse is accused
of defrauding money from
expats in London and others
in South Africa in an e-ticket
scam, which came to light
over the December holidays. The victims are reported to have pre-paid directly
into Ms. Robbertse’s bank
account for significantly discounted flights to South Africa but were left stranded
and out of pocket after discovering the tickets they had
been issued were invalid. T he r e a r e c on f l ic t i ng
reports as to whether for-
mal charges have been laid
against Ms. Robbertse, either
locally or abroad.
It appears that British Airways had, by this time, revoked access to its inventory
following an investigation by
its corporate security department. Spokesperson Stephen
Forbes added that the airline
had also been in contact with
the travel agency that was issuing the tickets. He clarified: “Fares are
set by our revenue management department in London
based on commercial considerations. It is not possible for
anyone outside of the commercial team to inf luence
their decision.” Durban-based Serendipity
Worldwide Group revealed
that, although it had ticketed
for Ms. Robbertse in the past,
none of the fraudulent tickets
had been issued by the company.
Group Operations Director, Dinesh Naidoo, said:
“We had suspended her im-
mediately after first hearing
of the situation, nor were we
the only ones she was working through.”
Mr. Naidoo said he had
been advised against discussing the specifics of the
request has been put to the
Association of Southern African Travel Agents, of which
Serendipity is a member, Mr.
Naidoo explained.
ASATA Chief Executive
Officer, Otto de Vries, said
Dinesh Naidoo
matter and felt the focus for
the retail sector should be
on safeguarding itself and its
customers in future.
He has suggested a workshop involving retailers and
ITC groups, where prevention measures and systems
could be discussed. That
the topic remained high on
the association’s agenda.
“This discussion has actually
already started and there are
a number of things that we
will be looking to share in
the next few months that will
speak to ASATA’s strategy
of strengthening the industry
and consumer confidence,”
he commented.
ASATA immediately issued a statement as allegations against Ms. Robbertse first broke and asserted
that all independent travel
consultants were obliged to
register with the association
and do not automatically
qualify for ASATA membership, regardless of whether
the host ITC company or
ticketing agent is accredited.
It has also, in the past,
committed to exploring new
default insurance options,
which would safeguard customers in the event of nondelivery of services. The development is part of a broader
plan to grow confidence in
ASATA’s brand, both in the
trade and among consumers. A topic hotly debated at
last year’s annual member
conference, ASATA said
then it was preparing to present several potential insurance products, which would
be rolled out to members if
approved.
Mr. De Vries said ASATA
was still in discussions with
a local insurance provider to
develop and roll out products
“that could include protection against travel agency
failure”. Whether larger retail consortia would find value in
any such product has still to
be determined. For Mr. Naidoo, it is a viable step: “If it
is there, I would be the first
one to sign. It would help in
so many different ways.” But the need to uphold the
retail sector’s public image
remains twofold, Mr. Naidoo agreed. “Do you know
how undervalued the South
African BSP is? Fraud could
knock this industry back in a
matter of weeks,” he asserted. At the end of the day, you
need to have a product that
everyone can rely on, otherwise, we [as an industry] are
going to be regulated. Retail
companies need to ask what
would be better for them.”
SA operators to France back global awareness drive
BY SARAH CORNWELL
PARIS tourism stakeholders
are looking to work with tour
operators in South Africa on
a new campaign to reassure
visitors of their safety. The
initiative has been developed
in the wake of last month’s
ter rorist attacks in Paris,
which left 17 people dead.
Hélène Bezuidenhoudt,
Manager of the France Tourism Promotion Agency in
southern Africa said, while
there had been no known
cancellations, discussions to
safeguard forward bookings
were being initiated.
Police and military have
been deployed across the
city, conducting additional
searches and inspections at
tourist sites and public transport centres, including railway stations and airports.
2
TIR Southern Africa
These new security controls have been imposed with
little or no disruption to tourists or tourism services, Ms.
Bezuidenhoudt maintained. T hompsons Holid ays
spokesperson, John Ridler,
believes the rapid response
would have improved public
perception.
Reporting no known cancellations, he commented:
“The prompt and decisive
action of the French police
and army in dealing with the
terrorists is a reassurance for
travellers. “The travelling public has
become immune to the many
terrorist threats around the
world but will favour travelling to countries where the
authorities are on high alert
and have a reputation for
dealing with incident decisively,” he said. “Despite the
•
February 2015
loss of life, I believe this is a
case of France: 1, Terrorists:
0.” “Unless additional incidents force us to relook our
strategy, we will continue to
advertise and sell holidays
how resilient African travellers are… I have no doubt
that this particular incident in
Paris will not have a lasting
impact…”
French Consulates have
also sped up visa application
“The travelling public has become immune to the
many terrorist threats around the world but will favour travelling to countries where the authorities are
on high alert and have a reputation for dealing with
incident decisively. Despite the loss of life, I believe
this is a case of France: 1, Terrorists: 0.” – John Ridler,
Thompsons Holidays
to France as normal,” added
Holiday Tours Product Manager, Megan D’Arcy. She said
this was true “not only for
France, but to any country
that may be the target of further terrorist attacks”.
Ms. D’Arcy pointed out:
“Over the years we have seen
processing times.
Effective last month, visa
applicants holding a South
African passport who apply
with all required documentation will have their shortstay Schengen visas delivered within two business
days from the time the ap-
plication is lodged at Capago
offices in Cape Town and
Johannesburg. For Durban,
the 48-hour process does not
allow for the return transfer
of passports between Durban
and Johannesburg. “We are currently still sitting in the consumer festive
season hangover and the European booking season has
not yet started… We have not
yet started advertising the
upcoming season, not due to
the attacks, but because we
are focusing on areas that
have traditionally shown a
return on investment in January/February,” Ms. D’Arcy
explained. “Paris, along with the rest
of France, remains an integral part of Holiday Tours’
European programme and,
although we have not yet spoken [with ATOUT France]
regarding any co-operation,
we would definitely be interested in becoming involved...
T he indust r y as a whole
would benefit from increased
awareness and positive reinforcement of any destination, especially one such as
France, which offers such a
wide variety of experiences,”
she said. France remains the most
visited country in the world
with the 2014 MasterCard
Globa l D e s t i n at ion Cities Index showing almost
15.6-million foreigners visited Paris in 2014.
South African operators
are also due to participate in
the annual Rendez-vous en
France international inbound
tourism fair, which returns to
Paris this year, from March
31 – April 1 at the Paris Porte
de Versailles.
News Digest
Thailand targeting US$41-billion in tourism receipts this year
BY SARAH CORNWELL
THE TOURISM Authority of
Thailand has raised international
tourist arrival targets for 2015 and
has forecast it will attract 28-million international visitors, generating 1.35-trillion Baht, around
US$41-billion, this year.
The department said that a
strong recovery in visitor arrivals from China, India and the
ASEAN countries had spurred
the 11.76 percent increase in total
visitor arrivals recorded in December 2014.
Statistics released last month
show the increase in foreign arrivals began in October, with another upturn in November and
December. TAT Governor, Thawatchai
Arunyik, remarked: “It was a
very challenging year indeed,
but we are glad to report that it
brought out the best in us. Thailand ended the year 2014 with
total arrivals of 24.7-million, the
last quarter upturn is a clear indication that the tourism situation is
improving.”
Political protests, which ran
into the early part of 2014, also
stunted growth from the South
African market in 2014, with an
overall decline of three percent
on 2013’s figures. South Africa
sends around 70,000 visitors to
Thailand each year, according to
the tourism agency’s local office.
However, a new global ‘Disc ove r T h a i n e s s’ c a m p a ig n ,
launched in South Africa in January, is planned to raise awareness
and boost traffic to secondary destinations by highlighting unique aspects of 12 “hidden gem” provinces
known for unique culture, history,
culture and lifestyle.
South African operators are planning new package combinations,
motivated by the withdrawal of Thai
Airways’ direct route from the beginning of this year. More new festivals have also been
added to Thailand’s annual events
calendar, including the Thailand
Music Festival in October and a
Thailand Happiness Carnival, which
takes place in December.
TAT’s South African representatives have said they plan to work
with local tour operators to capitalise on new tourism promotion
initiatives. A product workshop is
planned for South Africa in May.
Thailand held a procession last month
for tourists to share
in ‘Thainess’ and to
promote provinces
known for unique
culture, history, culture and lifestyle,
and to present the
country’s best floral
displays.
WTM Africa chases
increased business
for exhibitors in 2015
REGISTRATION for the 2015
World Travel Market Africa at
the Cape Town Inter national
Convention Centre from April
15 – 17 opened late last month,
with organisers aiming to better
last year’s visitor numbers and
the direct business generated for
exhibitors. Officials estimate the value of
business contracted at last year’s
first WTM Africa to be in the
region of US$314-million, with
more than 4,000 visitors and exhibitors attending the then twoday event. The show returns this year
with an expanded three-day format, following the response from
exhibitors and buyers and interest
in Africa as a destination. It is
open to all regional and international travel professionals.
The event is part of Africa
Travel Week, which comprises
three shows: International Luxury Travel Market Africa; Incentives, Business Travel and Meetings Africa and WTM Africa.
ILTM Africa and IBTM Africa,
which are geared towards prescheduled appointments between
buyers and suppliers, will run
concurrently, from April 13 – 15. A survey conducted after last
year’s event showed 89 percent
of senior international buyers
were likely to attend in 2015.
Exhibitors are also being guaranteed business meetings “with
only the most relevant buyers”
through WTM’s Hosted Buyer
Programme. Registration can be completed
online at wtmafrica.com.
TIR Southern Africa
•
February 2015
3
News Digest
All-inclusive and domestic travel on the rise
continued from page 1
for travel to Mauritius,” said
Managing Director Ter r y
Munro, who noted that although the company had seen
a decrease in the number of
travellers compared to the
previous year, the company
achieved its largest revenue
for one month ever in December. “The bookings were
a bit later than last year, but it
is difficult to have a holiday
elsewhere with such great
value for money and so close
to South Africa. With all
the fully-inclusive offers, it
means that clients can budget
accurately for their holiday.”
Sean Hough, Chief Executive Officer at Pentravel,
echoed opinions about the
attractiveness of Mauritius
as a holiday destination. Although the company usually
sells packages in advance
– with some holidaymakers booking their December vacations as early as the
preceding January, making
December a quiet month –
Mr. Hough said that Mauritius sales for December 2014
were “the best ever in the
history of the company”. Although South Africans
are drawn to the island for
its value for money and quality accommodation, they are
also looking further afield for
new experiences such as skiing. Mr. Hough said this was
another trend, with demand
for Club Med’s ski packages registering triple-digit
growth. The popularity of such
packages may be attributed
to the fact that they are allinclusive, said Mr. Hough.
“Skiing may not be a cheap
holiday, but it is value for
money, especially if you
travel to France…”
Pentravel noted a decrease
in demand for guided holidays. Although this drop
reached 10
percent,
“We have lost business to the Internet; however, we saw a big increase in
our website clicks to an agency for the
period August to October 2014, due to
digital marketing.”
– Vanya Lessing, Sure Travel CEO
Mr. Hough said the figures
had not been disappointing.
In fact, since the exchange
rate has put Europe out of
reach for many South Africans, he had anticipated a
bigger decrease. Mr. Hough agreed that
many South Africans would
be looking for domestic allinclusive packages this year
due to the weakness of the
rand exchange rate.
“Generally speaking, 2014
was a good year for holiday
and package sales, and we
expect to see the same trend
this year. Leisure markets
are strong and people are
travelling. You would be surprised how many bookings,
even topping R100,000, we
receive every day. It is going
to be a great year for leisure
travel,” he said.
ASATA Diners Club Awards
heads to Montecasino
MEMBERS of the Association of Southern African
Travel Agents will head to
Montecasino in Johannesburg on February 28 for the
annual ASATA Diners Club
Awards. Finalists were due
to be announced at the end of
January.
Awa rd s categor ies i nclude: Corporate Consultant in a Travel Agency; Leisure Consultant in a Travel
Agency; Independent Travel
Consultant; Key Accounts
Executive in a Travel Agency; Wholesale Sales Representative FITs and Groups
and Wholesale Consultant
FITs and Groups.
Two special awards will
be presented recognising
‘Exceptional Commitment in
the Southern African Travel
Industry’ and ‘Tomorrow’s
Leader’. “There has been a significant increase in participation
this year, and most regions
are represented,” revealed
ASATA Programme Manager, Jacqui McKnight.
“We believe that participation from all geographical
areas promotes further inclusion and increases awareness... it allows our members
an opportunity to be recognised for their professionalism.”
Briefly.
Industry colleagues pay tribute to Brian MacMahon S
ilversea Cruises has added shore excursions
and complimentary Wi-Fi packages on all
Mediterranean cruises.
THE travel fraternity has
fondly remembered Brian
MacMahon, one of the industry’s engaging characters,
who died in Cape Town in
January after a long illness.
He was 68.
He worked on a number of
projects during his decades-
long career, including Budget
Holidays and Beachcomber
Resorts in South Africa. He
also held senior management
positions at a number of Indian Ocean island hotels and,
later, opened his own tour
operator, Passport to Pleasure. Brian was also Creative
Incentives’ “Cape Town man
for many years”, said Managing Director, Geoff Saner. “I knew Brian for almost
20 years and we worked together on many innovative,
creative projects that were
going to make us fabulously
SA Airlink • Economy Class
Embraer ERJ • CPT – WDH
Flight Check
wealthy,” Mr. Saner recalled.
“Some of them worked, and
some didn’t and we ended
up not making anything at
all! From marketing projects
where we met at Paton Tupper ad agency in the early-90’s, through his time with
his own Passport To Pleasure
and it’s demise through the
shennanigans of an international hotel group, to signing
an agreement with Comair
for Creative Incentives to exclusively offer the first cutprice airfares to Mauritius,
to resurrecting the hotel on
P
assengers travelling with Etihad to the US
are now able to pass through all required
security checks, including US customs, immigration and security while in Abu Dhabi. The
preclearance process also allows for baggage
to be checked through to an onward destination in the US.
Comores (Brian wrote a book
about the background as he
knew it, to the politics of the
island and the attempted coup
by Colonel Mike Hoare and
his mercenaries), to renovating a hotel in the southwest
of Mauritius, to introducing
our gift cards into the prisons of the Western Cape and
much inbetween. Brian was
‘our man in Cape Town’ for
many years, and retired early
continued on page 5
Most Read
THIS red-eye flight to Windhoek is popular with tourists and business travellers, the
06h45 departure ensuring an early arrival into Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport, a 30-minute drive from the city. Despite a delay in boarding due to
the non-arrival of checked-in passengers, the flight departed on-time, with plenty
of spare seats on the comfortable Embraer jet. Leather seats and good legroom
make this one of the more comfortable aircraft on regional routes. Soft drinks and
a cold snack breakfast were served, sufficient for the short hop. Arrival was on-time
and it took mere minutes to clear the Ebola-screening and passport formalities.
It will be interesting to watch what happens to fares on this route when Flyafrica
launches direct flights between the two cities in March 2015.
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80_Seating
75_Attitude
90_On-time performance
60_Food
90_Aircraft
80_Onboard announcements
70_Service
85_Check-in
TIR Southern Africa
•
February 2015
Overall rating:
79/100
stories from the past month...
1
2
3
4
5
Flight Centre appoints new
Managing Director.
SAA completes long-haul
network review. Trafalgar guarantees rand
prices for 2015.
Thailand targeting US$41billion in tourism this year.
enews updates
tir.co.za/enews
FLIGHT CENTRE APPOINTS NEW MD
FLIGHT Centre Retail General Manager,
Andrew Stark, has been named Managing Director of Flight Centre South Africa
and taken over the overall running of the
business with immediate effect. Mr. Stark
succeeds Janine Salame as MD, a position
she held for the past six years. Ms. Salame
is credited with having doubled the group’s
turnover and tripled its profits during her
tenure. Marieke Tucker will take over as new
Retail Leader.
SA operators to France to join
global awareness drive.
Subscribe to receive TIR 360° e-news: dominic@tir.co.za
News Digest
Oil falls but no relief in air fares
continued from page 1
requirements at above the
cur rent oil price. To f urther aggravate the situation,
while the cost per barrel of
oil keeps falling, so does the
rand exchange rate. “The rand price of jet fuel
remains volatile and has not
seen as significant an improvement as the oil price
alone would suggest. Despite
the fall in the oil price, the
current rand price of jet fuel
at R7.50 [per litre] does not
provide scope for any significant reduction in fares,”
said head of Comair Limited,
Erik Venter. “Airlines have
been unable to pass on all of
the fuel price escalation since
2011, so the current reduction
in the rand price of jet fuel is
just assisting South African
airlines to make up some lost
ground.”
Fares fair with surcharges?
THE fuel surcharge has long been a bone of contention
for the travel trade, with many agents seeing it as an
easy way for airlines to increase fares without paying
increased commission to agents. Is that really the case?
Is it fair? We asked a few major players in the industry
for their opinion...
“I don’t think airlines are looking at their fare structures
based on what commission they are going to pay to
the agents; it is not a huge cost. Agents are now more
geared towards service fees and value-added services.”
Chris Zweigenthal, Chief Executive, Airlines
Association of Southern Africa
“Agent commissions are based on a specific amount
of commission for a specific amount of business. If
the fuel surcharge was hypothetically included into the
fare, the commission percentages would be reduced to
compensate for this.”
Erik Venter, Chief Executive Officer, Comair Limited
“For years now the fuel surcharges have been the
mechanism for airlines to increase fares, and to be fair
to the airlines it is a lot easier technically to increase the
fuel surcharge than the base fare, as each fare has to
filed with the GDS systems and in a volatile environment that is a nightmare. As annoying as it is for clients
and for agents it is the bottom line that counts: ‘What
am I going to pay in total?’ – the various components
that make up that amount is not that relevant.”
Wally Gaynor, Managing Director, Club Travel
Fuel accounts for roughly
30 percent of an airline’s operating costs, much of which
is paid in foreign currency.
So, aside from a weaker rand
eating into any potential benefit from a lower oil price,
airlines are also faced with
higher bills when paying for
maintenance, distribution
and other costs in foreign
currencies.
“There has not been a drop
in air fares, especially not
for depar ture from South
African destinations… the
rand has devalued against
the dollar around twenty-five
to thirty percent during the
past 12 months, equalling out
the difference,” noted Franz
von Wielligh, General Manager of Flight Specials. “I do
however think air fares will
not rise dramatically as long
as the oil prices are at this
level.”
“The cost of running an
airline has gone up because
of the deterioration of the exchange rate. There are maintenance costs, distribution
charges and other costs…
and they are all in hard currencies,” added Mr. Zweigenthal. “The airlines are
going to take a conservative
approach on this and just because fuel has dropped to
US$50 they are not going to
drop the fares proportionately right away.”
It is competition, not currency that will see airfares
falling, said Wally Gaynor,
Managing Director of Club
Travel: “I doubt that fares
with fall in our market as
fares are in rands, which have
fallen dramatically and the
majority of airlines’ costs are
in hard currencies… I don’t
see any major fare reduction
unless it is driven by competition and excess seats in the
market.”
... tribute to Brian MacMahon
continued from page 4
last year due to his increasing ill health. I am sure that
losing his dear wife Heather
the year before didn’t help his
general condition either.
“Brian was a natural raconteur and always superbly
eloquent in his presentations
and around the off ice, as
you would expect of an exGM of hotels when he was
younger... I enjoyed his thoroughness in every client call
report, his attention to detail,
his almost-pedantic follow-
ups, as well as the detailed,
numerous excel spreadsheets
that would accompany each
project.
“He was a dreamer – who
of us aren’t in the world of
incentives – and whether he
sold gift cards, online merchandise systems, or travel incentives for us, it was
always with a smile on his
face, a song in his heart and a
merriment of word.”
Brian is survived by his
two sons, Sean and Rob MacMahon. Reader's letter
Confusion mounts over implementation
of Home Affairs’ new requirements
WITH permanent foreign residents travelling to and from South Africa being warned they should
be prepared to produce their original resident authorisation documents, in addition to passports and IDs, when
re-entering South Africa (TIR December 2014), Jo Meintjes
of Jo Meintjes Travel, began the process to reapply for her
original permanent residence certificate and wrote to share
her experience…
“Your article in the December issue shocked me, not because of a ‘blow to the finances for the travel industry’, but
because I, as a tour operator, do not have my original permanent residence certificate. I have lived in South Africa
as a British Citizen for 43 years. I have always gone to the
Department of Home Affairs each time my UK passport
was renewed and the same number was stamped therein
with no request to produce my certificate.
“Some friends have said they were sent a certificate
some 30 years after living here! So, I immediately took
action by contacting VFS Global who are the appointed
agents for the DHA. See www.vfsglobal.com, do not waste
time visiting Home Affairs. Fortunately VFS have offices in
major cities but no phone number is provided.
“The only phone number to help you nationwide is 012
425 3000. You need a reasonably up to date computer
to apply online otherwise you will get to the appointment
page (if you are lucky) and your computer won’t allow you
any further. Another tip when you choose your password,
do not choose the question mark as the extra character
along with numbers and letters. That set back my application for a while. The earliest appointment I got was for the
end of March in Johannesburg at their Rivonia office and
that was made in early December.
“Once you have your appointment, only then do you
pay your fee and you pay online with the reference number they give you. A whole list of documents you must
provide is then sent to you and originals and copies which
must be certified as genuine must be produced for your
appointment. Arrive at least 15 minutes early. These documents of course include all your previous passports since
you arrived in SA as well as I.D. book/s, so you cannot
make any travel plans until after this interview. You may
be refused re-entry into SA despite travelling with your
current I.D. From now on you will need to travel with your
original permanent residence certificate. Having the stamp
in your passport is now not sufficient.
“I hope this helps anyone else who lives here on a foreign passport.”
– Jo Meintjes
COMMENT
Creative solutions needed to offset negatives
THE world does not become
a safer place. Conflict in the
Middle East and Africa, the
growing terrorist threat in
Europe, the US, East and
West Africa is in the news
every day.
Recent images and stories
and saturation news coverage
of attacks in France, Belgium
and genocidal massacres in
Nigeria are at the forefront
of ever y traveller’s mind
planning to visit those areas.
By the time this column appears, it would be no surprise
if there had not been more
bloody outrages.
Increased security measures have become a priority, not only for governments
but also for transportation
www.tir.co.za
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Tel: 021 789 0053
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That is particularly true
in the South African market
where, as the travel trade is
well aware, they have combated that through point of
sale manipulation.
Unfortunately, the only
thing which reduces prices or
at least keeps them within acceptable bounds is competition and supply and demand.
We can clearly see that in
other areas of our cost of living where a lack of competition and dominance by major
conglomerates or monopolies
does nothing less than victimise consumers.
Travel is actually one of
the few fields where that is
not the case, other than with
many fares on intra-African
routes. With all of these considerations in play, it is not
shaping up to be an easy year
but, barring a major crisis
and by adapting to some inevitable changes, which we
are already seeing, in traveller preferences, it will be
manageable.
Suppliers are only too well
aware of the pressures on the
market and, in order to protect their position in the long
term, those with the foresight
and ability to do so are already taking pre-emptive
steps to attract new business
and maintain their current
customers by providing creative and attractive incentives
and, most ideally committing
to rand-guaranteed prices.
THIS month we ask Joanne Adolphe, Thompsons Holidays Chief Executive Officer,
for her take on what sold and what did not over the December/January peak holiday
season and which products are set to sell well in 2015…
Mauritius, Thailand and Turkey were a few
What overall increase do you foresee in
of the destinations on buyers’ watch lists
packaged holiday prices this year?
during 2014. Which destinations sold well
“At this stage limited increase on land packtowards the end of last year, and which
aging are expected, dependent on the desdid not?
tination and the exchange rate. We have
“Mauritius and Thailand lived up to our ex- noticed that low season at certain destinapectations. Indian Ocean island holidays, tions has reduced pricing to attract travelespecially family-friendly destinations, also lers, with some offering additional free night
performed well. South Africa was another bonuses. This will appeal to those who are
top seller, as it offers a wide range of holi- not bound by school holidays. Air fares are
days to a broad market. It appeals to those likely to go up but the industry is of course
who are last-minute decision makers when hoping to see a decrease in the cost of taxes
long-haul flights and visas at short notice via a reduced fuel levy.”
are no longer obtainable.
South Africa also appeals to
Are discount hotel booking
families on self-drive holiwebsites having much imdays, for both long and short
pact on demand for packstays. The Garden Route,
aged itineraries to destinaEastern Cape and bush extions South Africans might
periences were top sellers.
have travelled to before or
The riots in Istanbul natuare more familiar with, or
rally put a bit of a damper
on largely VFR routes?
on demand for Turkey but
“The Internet will always
this was taken up by an inbe around and we believe
crease in sales to Croatia
that packaged holidays are
and Greece.”
more complex than one night stays and, therefore,
What other segments of
the majority of travellers will
Joanne Adolphe
the market are performing
urn to a travel agent, who
well?
they can rely on for knowl“There was an increased demand for Eu- edge, security and after sales assistance.
rope and America, despite the volatile ex- All Thompsons Holidays advertisements
change rate. In the US the focus was on include a message to call at your nearest
family holidays, which include Disney and ASATA travel agent. This helps to educate
cruising. Cruising in general also performed the consumer to look at financially stable
well – especially in the Mediterranean.”
companies that are ASATA-accredited, to
ensure peace of mind. Thompsons also
What has helped stimulate demand?
maintains a 24/7 emergency help line.”
“Value-driven bundled offers which offer a saving to the traveller have continued to What do you do in difficult times to
attract the consumer. The most popular maintain demand?
value offers have been in resort savings. “We look at creating and stimulating the
These include room upgrades, family offers demand for travel by value-added packagand experiential components. All-inclusive ing, coupled with reassessing trends and
packages were popular as they offer much popular destinations. This is the time to
better value, especially for families to help become innovative and ensure that your
them budget for the entire cost of their packages match the financial appetite of the
holiday.”
consumer.”
GOOD
follow us on twitter
THE
twitter.com/TIR_SA
While outbound tourism continues to face
the challenges of increased bureaucracy,
security and a weak rand, inbound seems
to have bounced back. China remains
weak but Brazil is recovering and all signs
are US and European business is booming.
6
ket.
To counteract any negative sentiment towards international travel, there has
been a common expectation
amongst the public that air
fares would reduce due to the
collapse in the price of oil.
That, however, is highly unlikely. Mitigating against that
is the downward spiral in the
rand exchange rate, the fact
that most airlines will have
hedged their fuel contracts at
a much higher rate and they
will be seeking to make up
ground lost through other
cost increases, outstripping
their ability to raise fares to
levels providing acceptable
returns for the past couple of
years.
Industry View
PUBLISHER
John Wardall
Andrew Watson
Tel: 021 447 1724
Mob: 071 677 3858
andrew@tir.co.za
companies, hotels and other
companies catering to the
public. It comes at huge cost
and could well spread to
even department stores and
restaurants, as it did during
the IRA campaign in Britain
when patrons were scanned
a nd t hey a nd t hei r bags
searched before entering.
There is also a rising level
of hassle for travellers as immigration rules and processes become more burdensome
and the cost of visas continues to climb.
All of this is a disincentive
to travel although, perhaps
surprisingly, there appears
to be little evidence so far of
any reduction in the desire to
travel overseas in this mar-
TIR Southern Africa
•
February 2015
THE
CONGRATULATIONS to our latest Spotted winner,
Fay Davis, from Keystone Travel, the lucky winner
of a stylish American Tourister San Francisco 66cm
Spinner suitcase, valued at R1,199! Fay was spotted
reading TIR in Kruger National Park in the company
of elephant.
Explore new horizons with American Tourister. With
American Tourister, travellers can enjoy stylish, highquality luggage without dipping into their spending
money. With its own distinctive design and a young,
casual look, the American Tourister San Francisco
is ideal for both corporate and leisure travellers.
The range is available in black, blue and red. Ultra
practical features include a large U-shaped front
pocket, translucent piping corner protection, a comfortable integrated top handle,
a stitched bumper for base protection
and lockable zippers on the main
compartment and front pocket.
Suitcases are also fitted with large
inner mesh zipper pockets and
two webbing packing straps with
a buckle closure. The American
Tourister San Francisco is available
from top luggage outlets.
For stockists, call 031 266 0620.
BAD
There is a disappointment in store for travellers planning flights out of South Africa
this year. Many had been anticipating a
reduction in fares as a result of the collapse in the oil price. It is a false hope. The
excuses are already flying.
THE
UGLY
There has been no further clarification on
how the retail industry can take concerted
and effective action to combat the competitive threat from overseas interests
poaching South African business due to
the airlines’ PoS policies. Action is needed.
Indian Ocean Islands
MICE business lifts Air Mauritius
AIR Mauritius expected a strong
finish to the 2014 sales season,
reporting passenger growth and
revenue increases of 29 and 38
percent respect ively agai nst
2013’s figures by the end of October.
For mer Regional Manager,
Southern Africa and Latin America, Carla da Silva, counted a major uptick in MICE business last
year and the delivery of new aircraft in 2017 among other positive
developments.
Addressing trade partners at
the airline’s annual Night of the
Stars awards evening late last
year, Ms. Da Silva credited local
intermediaries for their “innovative approach” in a year that, for
the aviation sector, was marred
by the weak rand/Euro rate of exchange, a slump in demand from
European source markets, rising
costs, intense competition and the
Ebola outbreak.
Several awards categories were
presented on the night, with The
Holiday Factory named overall Top
Committed Seats Performer 2014
and Top Committed Seats Performer for December 2014. Beachcomber Tours was named Top Groups
Performer and Best Marketing Performer. Flight Centre was Beyond
Mauritius Top Performer with One
Stop Travel & Tours Top Performer: Durban Region.
Ter r y Mu n ro, Beachcomber
Managing Director, was presented
with the CEO Award for the third
consecutive year.
Air Mauritius’ Top Achievers, in
order, were: Beachcomber Tours;
The Holiday Factory; World Leisure Holidays; Flight Centre; Club
Med; Cullinan Outbound Tourism;
BidTravel; Club Travel; Tourvest
and, tied for tenth position, XL
Travel and the Sure Group.
Ms. Da Silva joined Virgin Atlantic as Country Manager for the
airline’s local operation last month.
Pictured (l to r): Michaelle Flanagan, Flight Centre Business Travel;
Michielle Benedetti, Flight Centre Eastgate and Daena Taylor, Pentravel Centurion, getting a taste of island life during a stay at Beachcomber’s Le Mauricia resort. The operator has developed numerous
sales resources for the trade in recent months, including a new online
booking portal and a programme of ‘Plus Factor’ combinable specials.
Agent Feedback
How to save your
customers 20
percent on their
Mauritius break…
“Beachcomber Tours has
an early bird offer, where if
you book and pay at least
30 days prior to departure,
you get between 25 and 30
percent off your land arrangements. It is also always
a good idea to travel outside of peak seasons (school
holidays) and to book in advance. It is not always wise
to wait for last minute specials.”
– Linda Koekemoer, Exotic
Vacations
“Book self-catering options
when travelling with large
families, as most of our units
are three bedrooms and exceptionally well priced when
booked for five or six people. When staying at a hotel,
definitely take the all-inclusive option, even if you don’t
consume alcohol, as with
the fluctuating rate of exchange, at least you are not
in for a surprise when you
arrive to pay your extras bill.
Also, travel in low season,
May – September.”
– Nadine Morley, Beachtag
TIR Southern Africa
•
February 2015
7
Indian Ocean Islands
Indian Ocean island destination specialists share a glimpse of what
awaits customers on their tropical getaway in the Seychelles. Their
top sellers include…
Pictured at the Constance Lemuria Luxury Hotel during
an educational in partnership with Air Seychelles (l to r):
Sue Howells, African Synergy, representing Constance
Hotels in South Africa; Cian De La Pierre, Exotic Vacations; Daele Gien, Thompsons Holidays; Irene Boyle,
Private Ocean Islands; Beverley Main, Holiday Factory;
Mark Chiat, Travel with Mark; Lizanne Botes, Air Seychelles and (front) Cherise van der Vyver, Island Luxury.
THE Holiday Factory packages Constance Ephelia Resort
on Mahé “for a great resort experience, Coral Strand for a
stunning location offering great value and Desroches Island
Resort for a private island experience, with flights on Air
Seychelles to Desroches from Mahé,” said Senior Manager
– Contracting, Marketing & Operations, Flora Fubbs. “Coral
Strand’s location on Beau Vallon also gives you easy access to a selection of clubs, pubs and restaurants along the
beachfront, which makes it a popular B&B option,” added
Margaret Park, Product Manager at The Holiday Factory.
The four-star Paradise Sun, five-star Constance Ephelia
Resort and Beachcomber’s five-star Sainte Anne Resort &
Spa make Exotic Vacations’ list of top selling Seychelles resort, according to consultant, Linda Koekemoer. “Seychelles
offers true unspoilt and untouched beauty, and is very
popular for the South African market,” she added.
Transfer from Mahé to Praslin are included in the packaged price, while the Constance Ephelia Resort on Seychelles’ main island, Mahé, is recommended for its location
on two of the most beautiful beaches on Mahé, she said.
At a glance
Five restaurants and “one of the best spa’s in the Indian
Ocean” and activities ranging from watersports and a dive
centre to ziplining are also available.
Beachcomber’s Sainte Anne Resort & Spa is a short,
10-minute boat ride from Mahé (transfers are included in
packaged prices) “and gives you a real private island experience”, added Beachtag consultant, Nadine Morley.
It is also one of very few hotels in the Seychelles that
offers all-inclusive packages, a major selling point to highlight to customers, said Ms. Morley. “Many rooms also have
private pools and the island offers a number of stunning
beaches depending on the season,” she added.
Sainte Anne has three or four restaurants open at any
one time with an all-inclusive option sparing customers any
additional expense, commented Beachcomber’s National
continued on page 10
Sell These
The Holiday Factory has a ‘pay six, stay seven’ booking
promotion for the Coral Strand, including flights, transfers and airport taxes on a B&B basis, from R14,950
pps. Valid until March 23.
Constance Ephelia has 30 percent savings on a minimum four-nights’ accommodation, valid until April 18.
All villa bookings will be upgraded from a B&B basis
to half-board, valid for travel until December 26. One
child under 12 years sharing a junior or senior suite stays
free and honeymoon discounts of up to 60 percent for
the bride (junior or senior suite) are valid for travel until
July 31 and from August 24 – December 26.
Constance Ephelia Resort
The Holiday Factory has seven nights’ accommodation
at Constance Ephelia (includes 30 percent discount on
rates) on a half-board basis from R27,290 pps. Valid
until March 23.
Beachcomber has 50 percent early bird discounts
for its Sainte Anne Resort & Spa. Valid for travel until
March 23 and again from April 16 – May 31. Rates from
R26,990 pps for five nights in a Garden Villa; R30,160
for a Tropical Villa or R33,760 pps for a Pool Villa;
including flights, transfers and breakfast and dinner.
Upgrade to the all-inclusive package from R820 per
adult per night.
Sainte Anne Resort & Spa
8
TIR Southern Africa
•
February 2015
Thompsons has seven nights at the four-star Paradise
Sun on Praslin with flights, transfers between Mahé
and Praslin and breakfast and dinner from R21,352 pps
ex-JNB; R22,012 ex-CPT and R22,210 ex-DUR. Book
and pay by February 16. Valid April 13 – May 31.
TIR Southern Africa
•
February 2015
9
Indian Ocean Islands
Direct air links boost traffic to Zanzibar
BY SARAH WHITESIDE
MORE South Africans are
travelling to Zanzibar than
ever before, with operators
a nd t he isla nd’s tou r ism
stakeholders convinced new
air links and favourable pricing will boost demand further in 2015. Zanzibar’s ambition to become an alternative economic zone in the East African
region is also gaining momentum with the expansion
of the island’s Abeid Amani
Karume International Airport. The development includes a new terminal building, the lengthening of the
runway and a new taxiway.
The project is expected to
be completed in October this
year. T ho m p s o n s Hol id ay s’
John Ridler said the upgrade
would create a more pleasant passenger experience.
“The possibility of increased
time slots will minimise con-
gestion and create more options to meet the growing
demand,” he said. According to Mango Airlines, South Africa now constitutes around 10 percent
of Zanzibar’s total inbound
tourism market.
The Indian Ocean island
is Mango’s first regional destination, which it services
twice a week. Frequencies
have been raised to four per
week over peak travel periods. Fastjet has also added capacity from Johannesburg
with its flights to Dar es Salaam, timed to connect with
Coastal Aviation’s service to
Zanzibar. Jai Gilbert, Head of Marketing for fastjet in the UK,
said there was growing demand for the island, with
flights operating at full capacity. “Fastjet recognised
strong demand for this route
and... choices were limited
and costly. We want to pro-
vide customers with affordable means of travel – ‘spend
it there, not getting there!’”
he explained.
Mr. Gilbert said sales on
the route had exceeded expectations and that the airline
was exploring options to increase capacity. A relatively new product
for Holiday Tours, Chantelle
Browne believes Zanzibar
will soon catch up with other island hot spots, such as
Mauritius.
Zanzibar is also one of The
Holiday Factory’s key prod-
ucts. “We have seen over 100
percent growth year on year
with all indications that these
sales levels should continue
into 2015.” reported Margaret Park, Senior Product
Manager.
Operators are still mostly making use of the direct
f lights, convenience being
the driving sales force for
this market, but alternative
routes present new combination packaging opportunities
and flexible schedules.
Zanzibar is regarded as
an all-year destination but
Briefly.
H
oliday Tours has a ‘pay six, stay seven’ promotion from R16,900 pps, with accommodation at the four-star Preskil Beach Resort
& Spa over Easter. Includes flights ex-JNB and
breakfast and dinner. Valid for departure on
March 28 only. Deal includes a full-day catamaran cruise, a scuba diving experience and more.
insiders suggest the best time
to travel is during the cooler
and drier months, June to October. Low-season rates usually apply during the rainy
season, between April and
June. Resorts on the north of the
island are particularly popular, as well as those on the
island’s east coast.
All areas are easily accessible from the airport and,
according to Ms. Park, “the
longest airport transfer time
is around one hour.”
Sell These
World Leisure Holidays has all-inclusive four-night packages at the three-star Mapenzi Beach Club with accommodation in a Superior Garden View room and flights ex-JNB on Mango Airlines and transfers from R14,120 per adult sharing.
Seven nights from R18,470.
World Leisure Holidays also has all-inclusive packages for four and seven-night stays at the five-star La Gemma
dell’Est, from R16,765 and R23,100 respectively. One bedroom villas at the five-star Deluxe Star of the East from
R28,960 four four nights or R44,450 for seven.
The Holiday Factory has seven nights at the Ngalawa Beach Village on a full board plus package from R11,890 pp. including one US$200 in-house credit per room for use against spa, bar, excursion and
boutique purchases. Valid May 3 – June 12. Holidays Tours is promoting an early bird special for Zanzibar. From R15,400 pp valid
for travel between April 11 and July 24, the deal includes flights, taxes, transfers, six
nights’ accommodation at the five-star Gold Zanzibar Beach House and Spa in a Deluxe Garden room, breakfast, lunch and dinner daily plus select drinks.
Thompsons Holidays has seven nights at the Uroa Beach Resort from R15,207 pp, including flights ex-JNB, taxes, transfers and breakfast daily. Valid until March 24.
Mapenzi Beach Club
At a glance
Sales & Marketing Manager, Joanne Visagie. “Currently there is only one all-inclusive package available in Seychelles, to our
knowledge, which compares to what South
African’s know all-inclusive to be from Mauritius,” she said.
For those checking in at Sainte Anne, “a
helipad makes helicopter flips with the most
amazing views possible”, recommended
Ms. Keokemoer.
Day trips from and on Mahé itself also
add to the appeal of these nearby island
resorts. “Many travellers staying on Mahé
would more than likely do a day trip to Praslin. There are many flights a day or alternative you can go transfer via fast ferry Cat
Cocos which takes about 60 to 90 minutes,
weather dependent,” said Ms. Morley. “I
would not suggest the boat transfers when
there is bad weather. If staying on Praslin,
we would suggest Ephelia’s sister hotel, Lemuria,” she added.
10
TIR Southern Africa
•
February 2015
continued from page 8
Thompsons Holidays also ranks Paradise
Sun on Praslin among its best sellers.
“The relaxed atmosphere at Paradise
Sun and the charming rooms set in a large
tropical garden appeal to those who want
a real island break. The island is compact
and it is easy to get around on rented bikes
or buggies… many make return visits,” said
spokesperson John Ridler.
Popular add-ons and excursions to recommend to short and long-stay visitors to
Praslin include a visit to the Vallée de Mai to
view the famous coco de mer palms and the
endemic black parrot. The island of la Digue,
just a short ferry ride away, is home to the
Anse Source d’Argent beach – said to be the
most beautiful in the world.
“Paradise Sun also offers diving and
the nearby islet of St. Pierre, which can be
reached by motor boat, sought after by
divers and snorkelers for its rich marine life,”
Mr. Ridler suggested.
Coach companies expand product lines in 2015
BY RICHARD HOLMES
THERE is good news for
travellers looking for valuefor-money, hassle-free trips
abroad: coach tour operators
are featuring plenty of new
destinations and revamped
itineraries this year. Youth t ravel specialist
Contiki is launching tours
in three new countries, as
well as adding to its range of
festival-focused tours. New
itineraries take in Portugal,
Morocco and Japan, with
new packages to King’s Day
in Amsterdam, and the Sziget
Festival Tour taking in four
countries.
“We launch destinations
based on customer feedback
and demand. Our ‘Japan Unrivalled’ trip has been ex-
tremely well received... ,”
commented Kelly Jackson,
General Manager for Contiki
South Africa.
For t ravellers headi ng
Stateside, Grand America
a nd Tr e k A me r ic a h ave
eight new itineraries, covering family destinations in
the Northeast, Yellowstone
National Park in winter and
a musical tour through the
southern US.
Grand America is ideal
for friends and solo travellers
looking to join a group tour,
as “there is the option of single room accommodation”,
said Annemarie Lexow from
local representative Travel
Vision. “Trek America will
appeal to fun-seeking 18- to
38-year-olds.”
After acquiring Brendan
Vacations and Ashford Castle, Trafalgar will offer seven
new Irish itineraries in 2015.
There are now nine Ireland
options, with a further six including Britain and Ireland.
Trafalgar is also launching a new style of itinerary
this year. Titled ‘Hidden
Journeys’, the tours are “designed to take smaller groups
deeper into the destinations
the company already serves”,
explained Theresa Szejwallo,
Managing Director for Trafalgar. “The new trip style
has been specially crafted after feedback received during
our study on trends and feedback from our past guests. We would expect that in
addition to being appealing
to our past guests, that they
would appeal to today’s well-
travelled and affluent market
seeking similar authentic experiences.”
The 11 ‘Hidden Journeys’
itineraries will accommodate
just 26 travellers per departure, with destinations including Italy, France, Ireland,
Switzerland, Greece, Turkey,
Newfoundland, Panama, Japan and China. Wendy Wu Tou rs also
has two new itineraries to
Asia, with the 12-day fullyinclusive ‘Essential Japan’
tour taking in Tokyo, Kyoto,
Hiroshima and more. The 17day ‘Laos & Cambodia Unveiled’ is a journey through
two of Asia’s least-visited
countries.
Locally, Springbok Atlas
has announced a new ‘Botswana Highlights’ package.
Wendy Wu Tours’ new 12-day Essential Japan fully-inclusive tour is set to operate March 30, September 14 and again
from October 12. Tour visits Tokyo, Fuji Five Lakes, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima and Himeji.
Wendy Wu’s new Laos & Cambodia Unveiled 17-day fully-inclusive tour departs Johannesburg on March 20 and again
November 13. Highlights include Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor, as well as a visit to Phnom Penh.
Cruise the Adriatic with Insight Vacations’ The Dalmatian Elegance aboard a modern mega-yacht, visiting Trogir, Split,
Makarska, Kuna, Trstenik, Dubrovnik and the islands. Includes eight nights’ accommodation in central hotels and onboard ship, breakfast daily, selected lunches and dinners, luxury coach touring and priority admission at major sights.
Nine days from R27,950 pps. Early Payment Discount up to 7.5 percent for bookings paid in full by March 26.
continued on page 13
Natasha Hazell, Pentravel Hillcrest...
... recently experienced “bucket list” destinations, Ecuador
and the Galapagos on a guided tour with Trafalgar and said
the animal and marine life on the Galapagos Islands was
“like nothing you have ever seen before” and Ecuador was
rich in culture and the people “warm and welcoming”.
Did the trip change your views about escorted tours at all? “This is the second Trafalgar that I have done, my first one
was to the US and still ranks as a favourite.”
What sales tips do you have for other agents?
“With an up and down exchange rate, I explain to clients
that they will save by prepaying for as much as possible in
rands before they travel. Guided holiday itineraries are also
cleverly organised and have more inclusions. You will not
ever run out of time and miss out on something that you
wanted to see.”
Vienna. Contiki’s ‘backstage passes’ for a concert the group
attended also deserved special mention, he said. Europe
and South America are STA’s top-selling escourted tour
destinations.
Did you find it easier to sell guided tours when you returned home? What tips can you give agents to sell more
of these products to their clients?
“Understanding the day to day logistics... assisted me in
being able to explain what to expect on a guided tour to
my clients. It also helped to know about all the value added
extras included.” How can operators help agents to sell more of these trips?
“It is important to truly push their USPs (Unique Selling
Points) and to have a strong presence on social media,
documenting real opinions from real travellers who have
been on their tours.”
Julian Nxele, STA Morningside...
Kim Kral, FlightSite...
... recently travelled on a Contiki guided Christmas Market
tour, visiting Berlin, Prague and Vienna. Highlights included
a Berlin Walking Tour, river cruise, a visit to the nuclear
bunker in Prague and the Fischer Schnapps Experience in
... spent two weeks in Austria, Poland, Prague, Hungary
and Slovakia with escorted specialists, Intrepid, last year. Highlights included a two-night stay in the medieval city of
Chesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, a visit to Auschwitz
Briefly.
I
ntrepid Bundu is
promoting 10 percent savings on Rio
Carnaval trips booked
in conjunction with
any overland itinerary departing before
or after the event.
Six-day Rio Carnaval
packages start from
R17,470 pp. Booking
reference: 11160.
With vehicle safar is and
mokoro excursions, this fivenight tour shows off northern
Botswana and Chobe National Park. Extensions to Victoria Falls are also available.
Cover ing 44 of the 45
countries in Europe, Insight
Vacations is not adding any
destinations this year. However, there are 14 new itineraries, with eight- to 22-day
continued on page 12
Trafalgar guarantees
rand prices for 2015
TRAFALGAR Tours has introduced a rand price guarantee for its 2015 programme to
shield customers and agents
from any further weakening of the exchange rate and
strengthen its position in the
market. It will be valid for the
remainder of the year.
Trafalgar’s Chief Executive Officer, Gavin Tollman,
said South Africa remained
an “extremely important”
market and that the pricing
policy would spare customers and agents locally the
impact of any further rand
weakness in 2015.
“Over the last three years
we have seen the value of the
rand depreciate by around
37 percent… At times when
travellers face a fluctuation
in currency, packaged travel
becomes far more important. The hotels they have
pre-booked would have gone
up… they are getting greater
value,” he reminded trade
partners.
While Trafalgar’s business in South Africa dipped
slightly overall in 2014, Managing Director South Africa,
Theresa Szejwallo, said the
number of bookings for its
experiential and premium
programmes had grown.
Agent Feedback
TIR’s Sarah Whiteside canvassed local consultants for
the inside track on some of South Africa’s most popular
guided holidays and tips to boost agency sales…
and Birkenau near Krakaw.
Would you travel on a guided tour again and why?
“Absolutely! When planning and holiday time is limited and
you want to see and experience as much as possible, an adventure tour is perfect... While I am not a fan of travelling in
a really big group, Intrepid limit the number people per tour
to less than 20, so I did not ever feel like I was being herded
or following the umbrella.”
How can operators help agents to sell more of these trips?
“I am a big believer in getting consultants to experience the
product first hand, so educationals are always a winner…
Raising awareness is also key. While the SA market is very
familiar with Trafalgar and Insight, people still need to be
made aware of small group adventure holidays.”
continued on page 12
TIR Southern Africa
•
February 2015
11
At a glance
Wendy Wu Tours Alet Steyn, Business Development Manager
Standout feature: All our coach travel is in comfortable, air-conditioned vehicles. Wendy Wu clients benefit from our
seat-and-a-half policy on our coaches, allowing them to watch the incredible scenery in comfort. Toilets onboard: Generally there are no toilets onboard our Wendy Wu coaches. The drivers do make bathroom stops on demand and there are
scheduled stops, usually every hour, on the days when the group is covering longer distances by road. Disabled travellers:
Our operations team usually advise people with disabilities to book one of our private tours which are much more flexible
and can cater for the specific needs of individuals – but we are always happy to talk through the options over the phone.
Trafalgar Tours
Theresa Szejwallo, Managing Director
Contiki
Kelly Jackson, General Manager
Standout feature: We have the finest fleet of fuel-efficient, air-conditioned coaches – all with reclining seats.
Coaches have free Wi-Fi to help guests stay in contact
with loved ones back home. A big focus for 2015 is to have
customer reviews live on our site, and the free Wi-Fi helps
facilitate this. Toilets onboard: Yes. Disabled travellers:
Our coaches are not geared for the disabled but with the
assistance of our drivers and Travel Directors, disabled
guests will be looked after to the best of our ability.
Standout feature: Our coaches are no more than five years
old and have reclining seats, panoramic windows, killer sound
systems, air conditioning and DVD players. They are also
equipped with power points and Wi-Fi. Toilet onboard: Yes.
Disabled travellers: We need to be made aware in advance
so we can ensure we have a coach that caters for the disabled.
Wherever possible we do, however due to high load factors we
may not be able to get a suitable coach. With warning we can
plan and ensure the journey is comfortable for all concerned.
Coach companies expand product lines...
continued from page 11
tours in France, England,
Croatia, Israel, Spain, Morocco, Greece and Turkey.
Kompas also has more in
Europe, with a new coachand-cruise combination exploring southern Croatia and
the Plitvice Lakes. The company also offers flexibility,
with guests benefiting from
a US$70 per night discount
if they join the tour a day late
or depart early. Separate segments of combination tours
can also be booked individually.
While products have been
expanded, there is concern
the weak rand will impact
outbound travel. “With the present economic situation, 2015 will
most probably be a difficult
year,” remarked Inge Dobihal
of Austria Connection, local
representative for Atlas and
Kompas. “But we know that
the South African market is
very resilient. For now the
interest and the booking situation for this year is good.”
“People who can still afford to travel will be looking at destinations or travel
offers which they feel can
add value,” added Alet Steyn,
Business Development Manager for Wendy Wu Tours
in Johannesburg. “Our suc-
cess has been partly due to
the fully inclusive style of
holidays we offer that include
many authentic experiences
as well as major attractions.”
In addition, the weak rand
is another argument for opting for good-value guided
holidays.
“Rand for rand it is impossible to get the same value
travelling independently...
And value must be measured
not only in physical rands
and cents but also the value
of a guest’s time,” said Ms.
Szejwallo.
“Sales for 2015 started off
with a bang through our national launches... Our for-
ward sales are up on 2014 and
we expect to have a reasonably good year.”
Packaged tours are also
a good option for travellers
cautious of a fluctuating rate,
added Mr. Beyers: “Our brochure price is guaranteed as
soon as the deposit is paid;
guests will not receive a nasty surprise due to currency
fluctuations.”
Additionally, the youth
market is particularly resilient to the exchange rate.
Said Ms. Jackson: “They
have saved up to make their
holiday a reality and, regardless of the state of the rand,
they are going to go.”
Sell These
Trek America’s Southern Dixieland 15-day journey through six states in the heart of the southern US explores the origins of country, jazz and rock 'n' roll music. The trip ends
in Miami, allowing add-ons to popular local attractions
including EPCOT Centre, Kennedy Space Center and
Universal Studios. From R22,300 (land only).
Trafalgar’s seven-day Secrets of Italy ‘Hidden Journey’
visits Italy’s Piedmont region (pictured right) and also
explores the scenic Aosta Valley. Departures from April
2015. Priced from R23,900 pps. Any bookings made
and paid for in full before March 26 could qualify for an
early payment discount of up to 7.5 percent.
Contiki’s Spain, Morocco & Portugal 15-day tour starts
and ends in Madrid,
visiting Granada, Fez,
M a r r a ke s h , Ta n g i e r,
Seville and Lisbon. Includes breakfast daily
and seven three-course
dinners plus sightseeing and ‘Me Time’ options to tailor-make
the experience. From
R21,309 pps. Book and
pay by February 26 for
a discount of up to 7.5
percent.
LET US SHARE
THE REAL ASIA
WITH YOU
TIR Southern Africa
•
February 2015
Insight Vacations
Pieter Beyers, General Manager
Standout feature: Our luxur y coaches are all
equipped with air-conditioning, a PA system, reclining seats and ‘business class’ legroom. An Insight
Vacations coach has a maximum of 40 seats in
comparison to 50/55 on other coaches. Wi-Fi access
is complimentary. Toilet onboard: Yes. Disabled
travellers: No specific facilities for disabled guests,
but with the assistance of the Tour Director we can
assist guests.
Agent Feedback
continued from page 11
What are your top selling destinations and why do you
think this travel style is popular in those regions?
“Europe remains popular. I think because escorted tours
offer excellent value for money in light of our dismal exchange rate. Asia is also popular particularly for adventure
tours.”
Lee van Staden, Pentravel Kloof...
... travelled on a Glories of Greece tour with Insight Vacations recently and loves this style of touring. This was her
fifth guided holiday… Would you choose to travel on a guided tour again? “Definitely. It takes the hassle out of doing it all yourself. All
you need to do is show up. It can be stressful driving in a
foreign country, you come back feeling like you need a holiday from the holiday. My Greek tour director was amazing,
he knew so much about the history of the region and really
made the trip enjoyable.
Did you find it easier to sell guided tours when you returned home? “It is definitely easier to sell a holiday once you have experienced it, and guided tours are no exception. With Insight,
the hotels are always very central which makes a huge difference when you may want to do your own thing. A lot of
travellers forget to add in the cost of entrance fees, meals
and even taxis. These savings should be brought to their
attention.” How can operators help agents to sell more of these trips?
“Encourage previous travellers to tell their friends about
their trip. People are so passionate when they talk about
their holidays and a personal referral is always the best.”
Amy Mortlock, STA Travel...
… travelled on G Adventures’ Local Living tour in southern
Tuscany. Amy loves the pace and smaller group size (maximum 16 people) of its tours. Smaller vehicles also allow for
a more intimate experience, she said, allowing travellers on
the tour to get to know each other. An Agriturismo (working
farm) in the country with spectacular views over the valley
and the local town was home for the duration of the tour. It
was a trip for foodies with home-cooked meals prepared by
the group’s host and a cooking lesson some of Amy’s highlights. “I had to adopt the motto “what’s eaten in Tuscany
stays in Tuscany,” she quipped. “G’s Local Living style tours
are designed to offer guests total flexibility.”
Get your 2015 brochure copy now!
Escorted small group journeys, Tailor Made holidays + River cruises
China•Tibet•Vietnam•Cambodia•Laos•Myanmar•India•Sri Lanka•Japan
Tel: 011 394 1660 • Email: info@wendywutours.co.za • www.wendywutours.co.za
12
COACH tours mean spending plenty of time on the
road. TIR’s Richard Holmes asked operators for a
glimpse of what travellers can expect onboard…
Youth market provides growth potential
SPECIALIST brands jockeying for position in the South African market are finding growth
through flexible pricing and expanded programmes, with substantial potential to grow agency
sales. Kelly Jackson, General Manager for Busabout and Contiki Holidays in South Africa tells
how these youth specialists have evolved to cater for 21st century young explorers.
Busabout is the newest of The Travel
Corporation’s brands to be launched in this market but Contiki has seen substantial growth. To what extent was your
business impacted by the rand weakening in 2014?
Although they are seen to target the same audience, the two
brands complement each other. What are some of the primary differences agents should keep in mind for their young
customers?
“We are in a very fortunate position with the youth market.
They are a resilient bunch – not tied down like the rest of
us by bonds, cars, schooling etc. So they save up and head
out to explore the world and moms and dads will always
make a plan to help their kids, so you find they assist them
wherever possible.”
“Contiki is exclusively for the 18 to 35’s, whereas Busabout
is open aged (from 18 years onwards) but in general it does
seem to attract the youth market too. Contiki has famous
itineraries that have had proven success year after year and
Busabout has the freedom and flexibility of the hop-on
and hop-off pass. The brands do complement each other
and that is why they are sisters. Contiki covers Europe, US,
Canada, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia,
whereas Busabout focuses on Europe and the newly introduced Asia.”
Contiki’s recent #NOREGRETS marketing campaign has also
been very successful. Has social media helped you to reach a
wider audience?
“Absolutely, social media is our BFF! With everything we do,
we ensure our followers and fans can share it. Our #NOREGRETS hashtag speaks volumes! It is not just a tag line for us
either; it is a way of life.
You have mentioned before that around 95 percent of enquiries come from the trade. Is that still the case and how
successful are online booking channels becoming?
“We are a firm partner of the travel trade and we enjoyed
continued support from there and we will continue to support them in any way we can. Our trade bookings are by far
our biggest booking channel.”
Both Busabout and Contiki have added new product and experiences to the line-up for 2015. Tell us a bit about what you
have planned this year.
“Contiki has added awesome new destinations like
Morocco & Portugal in Europe plus Japan in Asia.
We also changed our brochures to being experience-led as opposed to accommodation-led,
[which] should help agents qualify clients to
ensure they are on the right trip. Busabout has
added an Asian programme covering Burma,
Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos.”
And in terms of pricing and total trip cost?
“Contiki’s pricing is set depending on the trip and the
date you choose, Busabout also offers set departures
with included accommodation but you buy the pass and
can stay
in the Busabout-recommended accommodation or even dial up your
experience and stay in a five-star
hotel if that is what you wish.”
Contiki features Japan for
the first time this year. Save
five percent on any Asia
itinerary booked and paid
for before March 26. Save
7.5 percent on European
tours when paying in full
before February 26.
Busabout has launched a new agent learning challenge, with
its first global educational taking place later this year. Who is
eligible to participate and what awaits the successful sellers?
“This is an agent incentive that will see top booking agents
jetting off to one of Busabout’s destinations and being
spoilt rotten. All they have to do is be one of the top booking agents to crack the invite on this trip – all details will be
revealed in due course.”
What other booking and sales tools have you got ready to
help agents grow their business this year?
“Both brands have agent booking sites that operate 24/7.
We have a sales team calling on agents and training them
on both brands, with brochures and collateral to assist
agents.”
continued from page 11
Kompas has a new coach-and-cruise combination exploring southern Croatia and the
Plitvice Lakes. The 12-day itinerary includes a seven-night cruise onboard the M/S
Princess Aloha or M/S Vita out of Dubrovnik, with four nights hotel accommodation,
several meals and a number of sightseeing tours. From US$3,148 to US$3,293, depending on the date of departure. Single supplements apply. Add port tax of US$95.
Contact Austria Connection.
Insight Vacations reinstated its Egypt programme from last month. 10-day Wonders
of Egypt itineraries feature Signature Experiences including visits to Giza, Karnak and
the Valley of the Kings and four-day cruises from Luxor to Aswan along the Nile.
News Digest
Cape Town International Airport moves 2014 record year
forward with runway realignment
for Cape Town
BY LISA WITEPSKI
CAPE Town International
Air port has moved ahead
with the next phase of its
runway realignment project,
with construction on the R3billion project planned to
commence in mid-2016.
“... T he se cond rou nd
of public hearings is imminent,” General Manager
Deon Cloete explained. The
Department of Environmental Affairs is expected to
grant approval before year-
end. Construction on the site
could then take place in the
middle of next year.
C ap e Tow n r e side nt s’
concer n about increasing
noise levels is an issue and
Mr. Cloete said that ACSA
had been surprised that there
was, initially, ver y lit tle
public reaction. The company therefore embarked
on a media education campaign to ensure that those
affected were fully apprised
of the intended changes to air
routes and the corresponding
change in noise. He insisted
the company was doing all it
could to reduce noise levels.
Mr. Cloete said that the
project had been endorsed by
aviation industry bodies including the Airlines Association of South Africa and the
Board of Airline Representatives of Southern Africa.
AASA Chief Executive,
Chris Zweigenthal, indicated
his approval of the project,
saying that the association
had been involved in discussions on the project and its
According to Cape Town Tourism, more than 4.3-million passengers passed through
Cape Town International Airport in 2014 – a 3.4 percent increase year on year and the
highest number on record.
SA Tourism streamlines
Indaba meetings process
HOSTED and non-hosted
buyer applications for South
African Tourism’s annual
Tourism Indaba have opened,
with more than 400 exhibitors so far signed up to participate in this year’s event.
I N DA BA 2015 ret u r ns
this year as a two-day event,
being held at the Alert Luthuli International Convention
Centre in Durban from May
9 – 11.
“INDABA is the single
biggest platform for African
tourism businesses to come
and meet global buyer delegates,” said SA Tourism
Chief Executive Off icer,
Thulani Nzima. “Every single element of will give exhibitors an unrivalled and effective platform to showcase
their product and services,
and to do business.”
The trade show’s online
diary system has been refreshed to provide optimal
exhibitor and buyer connections with matchmaking tools and search filters
enabling exhibitors to easily
identify their most relevant
buyers.
Mr. Nzima appealed for a
more simplified, pan-African
show in 2015 following last
year’s event. A slide in buyer
numbers at 2014’s show was
attributed to a deliberate and
stringent vetting process.
Med ia nu mbe r s cl i mbed
at least 19 percent. “There
would be no INDABA if it
were not for the exhibitors,
and the larger African and
South African travel and
tourism trade,” he said.
Deon Cloete
financial implications and
had also been called to give
input around technical issues. “This will ensure that
the project not only meets
present needs but is also appropriate for future planning,” he said.
He e cho e d M r. Zweigenthal’s assessment that the
realignment was vital for the
airport’s future sustainability.
The project will increase
the handling capacity of the
airport from 30 aircraft arriving and departing hourly
to 45 aircraft. It will also
create more space between
terminal buildings and the
runway, enabling future ter-
CAPE Town Tourism and the
City of Cape Town expect
visitor arrival numbers for
2014 could exceed 1.5-million. Statistics released by the
Cape Tow n Inter national
Airport in January show a 3.4
percent increase in arrivals in
2014, the highest recorded. Cape Town Tourism Chief
Executive Off icer, Enver
Duminy, said there had also
been growth in arrivals in
October and July, traditionally a quieter period. ACSA’s
figures for those two months
also showed upward growth,
of 7.2 percent and 6.3 percent
respectively. However, a survey conducted by Cape Town Tourism in January showed its
members were still concerned at a drop-off due to
Ebola and South Africa’s
strict new visa regulations.
44 percent of respondents
said turnover for November
and December had dipped
10 percent as a direct result,
although 60 percent felt business in the first quarter of
2015 would be “much better
or better” than it was in the
same period in 2014.
minal building and aircraft
parking expansion.
As the fleet serving Cape
Town International Airport
grows, this means the airport
will be equipped and licensed
to handle larger aircraft such
as the Airbus A380. “The Western Cape is well
known as a seasonal destination where we see increased
visitors to the region over a
certain time of the year only.
The trend has slowly over
time improved. For the destination it is vital that seasonality is limited and that we
become a year round destina-
tion.
“This is something our
tourism partners and city are
continuously working on.
One of the ways in which we
play our role is by making
sure that the airport is able
to facilitate any additional
growth. So a project such as
increasing the capacity of the
runway is crucial to the city
and the region.
“Given our City’s reliance on tourism it is all the
more important that we unlock opportunities for future
growth,” Mr. Cloete concluded.
New Product
The City Lodge Hotel Group
has opened a new 149-room
hotel at the entrance to the
Waterfall City mixed-use
development in Midrand,
the City Lodge Hotel Waterfall City. Work on the
new development cost apCity Lodge Hotel Waterfall City
proximately R130-million.
It is the 16th City Lodge-branded hotel and the group’s first new property to open in
South Africa since 2010.
Regent’s new Seven Seas Explorer will enter service midway through 2016. The new
build’s maiden voyage is a 14-night sailing from Monte Carlo to Venice, departing July
20, 2016. The ship will remain in Europe for its first season, sailing 10 more voyages
across the Mediterranean, calling at Barcelona, Lisbon, Marseille, Venice, Casablanca,
Istanbul, Alexandria and Jerusalem. New onboard features include designer suites
and gourmet dining options.
Airlink will increase capacity between Johannesburg and Pietermaritzburg from February 16, with an extra afternoon flight, Monday to Friday. Flights between Nelspruit
and Johannesburg are being timed to operate early morning and late afternoon.
Lufthansa will operate its new helicopter transfer service from Munich until the end
of April. Timed for ski season, transfers can be chartered to points such as GarmischPartenkirchen, Zillertal, Kitzbühel, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental.
Menzies Aviation will open South Africa’s first open access arrivals lounge at OR
Tambo International Airport in April. The Sesfikile Premium Arrivals Lounge will be
open to walk-in travellers, regardless of airline or travel booking class, as well as those
travelling with any partner airlines. It will be situated adjacent to the SAA arrivals
lounge, with private bathroom and shower facilities, eats, drinks and complimentary
high-speed Wi-Fi. The cost of admission has still to be announced.
14
TIR Southern Africa
•
February 2015
Personally Speaking
by John Wardall
T
ravel issues were not
front of mind l a st
month when the
world’s attention was
focused on the awful events in
Paris.
There were extraordinar y
marches involving millions of people across France, two million in
Paris alone, to remember the victims and to express solidarity in
the fight against terrorism and to
support the principle of freedom
of expression.
World political leaders attended
the Paris march, except the Zoomer was partying in Cape Town and
Barry O’Boomer, in an embarrassment to the US, stayed at home
watching a football game on television.
Former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, referred to a “war on
civilization” – and he may not be
far wrong. It is certainly a war on
free speech. In a time when people everywhere are ready to take
offense at anything, mainstream
media have to stop being intimidated and practicing self-censorship or medieval ideologues will
take over.
We should all be standing with
the people of France and saying
“Je suis Charlie”.
Marchers most appropriately
made their way from the Place
de la Republique to the Place de
la Nation along the Avenue Voltaire. Most appropriate because
Voltaire, the 18th century French
wr iter pro duce d the famous
words: “I do not agree with what
you have to say but I will defend to
the death your right to say it”.
And, in the centre of the Place
de la Republique stands a statue
of Marianne, symbol of the French
Republic. She is surrounded by
statues of Liberty, Equality and
Fraternity.
In the Place de la Nation stands
the sculpture of the Triumph of
the Republic, which commemorates the centenary of the French
Revolution. It was all movingly
symbolic.
I had an eerie sense of deja vu
when watching a minute’s silence
being observed a couple of days
earlier in the square outside Notre
Dame. I had stood in that same
square during a similar minute’s
silence shortly after the attack on
New York’s World Trade Center
Towers on September 11, 2001.
With recent incidents in France,
Canada and Australia, what effect will this have on travel plans?
Probably some negative impact in
the sensitive US market but not
much elsewhere – so far.
But, if terrorist incidents increase any more this year and receive the same kind of dramatic
media coverage, we could well see
a serious decline in travel to and
from some countries.
The shocking events at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and
the Jewish supermarket show the
impossible gulf between Islamic
fundamentalism and Western society.
It is causing a rising tide of opposition to what is billed as the
Islamisation of Europe across the
continent, with widespread protests. This may be just the start.
It isn’t many years ago when
journalists were never intentional
targets in any conflict. Now they
are specifically sought out in order
to gain maximum exposure for
any lunatic cause.
Charlie Hebdo would have been
on the terrorist radar because satire is a peculiarly Western thing.
It is not understood in other societies and I even wonder if most
South Africans appreciate the nuances.
The intrinsic and necessary irreverence seems to get up the
nose of our political luminaries,
who huff and puff about the affront to their imagined dignity
faster than the rush to the parliamentary canteen.
Ironically, Charlie Hebdo is a
left-wing journal, which has been
outspoken against Islamophobia
in France but that didn’t stop the
fanatics. For civilised people, it is
difficult to imagine how a cartoon
can engender such a response.
Disturbingly, I heard a couple of
callers to local talk radio say that
it was a terrible event BUT... There
is no but and no excuse for this
type of barbarism, regardless of
perceived offense.
It is essential that all cultures
understand that freedom of expression and democracy itself demand the right to offend as well as
to be offended.
The bottom line is that the ter-
rorists failed miserably in their aim
to demoralise and cower the people of France and Western society
and sow discord. The opposite has
been the case.
Vive La France!
PS
From the moral high ground, we
sank to the ANC birthday bunfight
at the Cape Town Stadium.
I steered well clear of town during the event but was amused to
note that only the comrades could
justify their indignation with the
city demanding payment in advance because they had failed to
pay more than a million still owed
to the convention centre for the
past three or four years.
The ANC and, in fact, the government has a dreadful track record of avoiding paying its bills and
dragging out those it does pay for
extended periods of time.
I wouldn’t rent them a horse
and buggy and, even then, they
would probably sell the horse to
the knacker’s yard and the buggy
would come back without any
wheels.
The ANC never misses an opportunity to play the race card
and score political points to attract
attention away from its shortcomings.
Gwede Mantashe referred to
the Western Cape as an “Apartheid province” and ludicrously likened the stadium issue as a means
of influx control to discourage attendance.
I guess the tinted windows of
his motorcade from the airport
obscured his view of the millionplus citizens from the ANC stonghold of the Eastern Cape, who
have fled west seeking a better
life.
Tr ue to for m , the Zo om e r
shamelessly told businesses to
make donations to the ANC coffers and they would reap financial
rewards.
He and his supporters seem
to find nothing wrong with such
pronouncements and I just can’t
figure out if they are simply oblivious or don’t care.
It shows what a moral swamp
they have dragged us into.
PS
It was restful not travelling anywhere during the holidays and
having a wonderful time at home
with the family.
A special, balmy evening of carols in the gardens of the Steenberg wine estate, imbibing their
very good cabernet and braaied
steak was a highlight, as was the
outstanding production of War
Horse at Cape Town’s ArtsCape
theatre. I cannot imagine better
experiences anywhere.
Not being one for New Year’s
Eve parties and in line with the
plan for a quiet holiday, I started
looking for a restaurant in Cape
Town for dinner. Prices ranged
from a low of R495 per person to a
high of R1,695, plus drinks and tips.
It was another weary example of
our rip-off society.
I had just had an email from the
Fowler Museum at the University
of California Los Angeles, whose
mailing list I just happen to be
on, advising of their very lavish
New Year dinner, including music,
dancing and champagne at the
Hotel Angelino for $99!
If you put that in the context of
our different economies and societies, you will understand where I
am coming from.
T he n , having watche d the
scenes at the New Year sales in the
US and Britain on CNN and Sky
News, I ventured out to resupply
the wardrobe – and came home
empty handed.
The sales were surely a joke. The
inventory on sale was mostly limited to items which clearly could
not be sold anytime at regular
prices and the real discounts were
minimal.
With the level of mark-ups at
each stage of the production, distribution and sales process, there
is so much opportunity to turn
over stock much faster and in
much greater volumes, benefiting
everyone in the economy but the
attitude keeps getting in the way.
PS
New Year was that time when
we were again subjected to the
annual British honours list. Each
year, what used to be a recognition of serious achievement and
contribution to society becomes
progressively undermined by the
gongs handed out to comedians,
football players, actors and vacuous celebrities.
Bah! I shall turn down my elevation to the peerage when Buck
House informs me of Her Maj’s
intentions next year.
I do enjoy the theatre, nevertheless, and was greatly impressed
by War Horse and the extraordinary horses, which have wowed
the theatre world everywhere, and
were created in Muizenberg.
While nibbling sushi at Willoughby’s at the Waterfront, Mandy Patinkin, who stars in the hugely popular Homeland television
series, sat down at the next table.
I had last seen him performing
the role of Che Guevara in Evita on
Broadway many years ago.
Delusions of being an actor had
been a fantasy when I was a small
boy at prep school. It was shortlived. The only role I ever played
was, I am embarrassed to say, as
a princess in a school production. I
consoled myself with the fact that
males performed female roles in
Shakespeare’s day.
The director was the Australian
geography teacher. In the dress
rehearsal, performed in front of
my fellow pupils, humiliation was
complete.
In the opening scene, I was in
bed, had to throw back the covers,
swing my legs out and sit on the
side of the bed.
Unfortunately, the frilly nightgown wasn’t long enough to cover
my rugby socks and tennis shoes.
Before the first lines escaped my
lips, an Aussie twang bellowed
from the wings: “Wardall, you idiot, princesses don’t play rugby,
don’t wear shoes to bed and don’t
sit with their legs apart.”
Thespian ambitions were
crushed forever.
PS
Carnage on our roads continues
TIR Southern Africa
continued on page 16
•
February 2015
15
News Digest
...fed-up with normality!
continued from page 15
unabated. I was about to turn off the radio
one morning when the host insisted on
playing what can only loosely be described
as music but which he insisted was “brilliant”, when he switched the topic to road
safety.
To my astonishment, he then kept banging on about taxi drivers being the most
skilled drivers on the road. Where do they
find these half-wits?
To cap it all, when he broke off for the
news, the first item was an accident on the
N1 involving five taxis and 10 deaths.
The irony no doubt passed between his
ears without touching sides.
PS
Christmas shopping for the thriving criminal
community continued into the New Year.
Last month, up to 16 thugs descended on
Hotel Check
my local mall, armed with AK-47s, robbed
a jewellery store and looted other shops,
traumatising staff and customers. Police
were tipped-off well in advance but didn’t
turn up until after the fact and security
guards were on video running away as soon
as the culprits appeared.
They even used a parking ticket to exit
the basement garage when they left! Really,
is there any hope of us becoming a normal
society?
As usual, local media under-reported
and played down the incident. I guess there
aren’t enough column inches to report all
criminal activity.
Law and order is in total disarray, like
every other government responsibility, and
the ineffective response means it can only
get worse. Je suis fed-up!
No wonder South Africans are so keen on
overseas holidays; they need at least one
annual break from our abnormal normality.
I must drop into my trusty travel agent
and pick up a few brochures.
Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp
THE newest addition to Wilderness Safaris’ safari camps is a stunner. Rebuilt in August
last year, the camp has relocated to just outside the border of the Skeleton Coast
National Park. Eight tents, including one family tent, feature en-suite bathrooms and
private outdoor lounges. The stylish main lodge offers a small dining room, lounge
and lap-pool with shaded deck area. Daily excursions explore the concession and
search for desert-adapted elephant and lion, while full-day coastal excursions with a
scenic flight over the Skeleton Coast are included in a three-night stay.
90_Accommodation
90_Location
85_Facilities
85_Service
70_Food
90_Attitude
80_Value x2
Overall rating:
84/100
In next month’s issue of TIR...
…we review hot-ticket items in the annual UK, Ireland & Europe report and
breaking developments steering sales growth in the Car Rental feature.
Ten top selling agents joined Jolene Campbell,
Uniworld Brand Manager and Nicola Louw of the
One Stop Touring Shop aboard the SS Antoinette
for a holiday season cruise down the Rhine River.
Pictured in the ship’s foyer: Lucia Theron, Lucia’s
Travels; Nicola Louw; Vaughan Bronner, Cruiseabout Sandton; Rudolph Rabie, NEWS Travel;
Wendy Schulze, Thompsons; Michelle Minnaar,
HWT Plettenberg Bay; Sandra Meyer, Time2Travel, Knysna; Belinda Bronner, Cruisabout
Menlyn; Desire Fourie, Pentravel Brooklyn; Julia
Dikjhuis, MD Travel; Bonita Wright, Pentravel
Pietermaritzburg; Jolene Campbell and Captain
Remco van de Vegte.
FlySafair commits more ‘cheap seats’
BY SARAH CORNWELL
FLYSAFAIR is planning to
grow its market share on domestic routes by passing on
immediate cost savings for
domestic travellers in South
Africa resulting from lower
jet fuel prices.
Launched in South Africa
during October last year,
the airline has made 20,000
more ‘cheap seats’ available
for travel between February
and July. Those lowest-price
fares are available across its
route network.
Response for the business’
first flights have been strong
with load factors averaging
75 percent over the 2014/15
peak holiday season, according to Financial Director, Elmar Conradie.
M r. Con radie said the
decision to make more low
fare tickets available was an
added bonus to passengers,
as some of the reduction in
the fuel price was already
reflecting in the airline’s operating costs.
“We adopt a demand based
pricing model, where fares
increase as demand increases,” he explained. “The additional low fare tickets take
into account the lower fuel
price without compromising
our ability to dynamically alter inventory levels to ensure
our planes travel full.”
Mr. Conradie said there
was no clear indication of
whether the lower oil price
would be sustained. Airlines
are also being forced to spend
more on aircraft maintenance
and lease and ow nership
costs, owing to the signifi-
cant weakening of the rand/
dollar exchange rate, he said.
However, he maintained
FlySafair’s cut-cost business
model augured well for the
carrier’s ability to withstand
operational cost increases.
“We are here to stay… and
must ensure that average revenue on a flight covers average costs, which varies on
every flight.”
According to the Centre
for Aviation, FlySafair currently accounts for around
six percent of total seat capacity on domestic routes. Latest available figures
show South African Airways
is the leading brand, with a
36 percent share of domestic
capacity, followed by kulula
at 22 percent, Mango 20 percent and British Airways 16
percent.