TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY

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SOUTHERN AFRICA’S TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLYNovember 1 2017 I No. 2469

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DOMESTIC TOURISMStakeholders are cautiously upbeat

FEATUREREPORTXL TRAVEL TRAVOLUTION

TNW reports from the conference

NEWSPERFECT DESTINATIONS

Operator adds Mauritius to portfolio

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PCI DSS compliance: Trade chases its tail as clock ticksTessa Reed

TRAVEL agents have until March 2018 to comply with PCI DSS

requirements or potentially lose their Iata licence. Yet it appears that the requirements for payments by credit card for air tickets could be in contravention of PCI DSS.

The requirement for a manual CCCF form, or charge form, for transactions where the credit card is not present is the snag. However, when TNW approached associations and institutions to establish where the requirement comes from, we were pushed from pillar to post.

Agents explained to TNW that if they did not retain a hard copy CCCF form with a

card imprint and cardholder details, should the client dispute the transaction, the funds are reversed.

“We suspect that the requirements for CCCF would place the PCI DSS requirements for BSP ZA under threat,” says Otto de Vries, Asata ceo. “We are currently investigating to better understand the situation in order to determine the way forward.”

Md of Sure Viva Travels, David Pegg, explains that when a client disputes a ticket purchase where the card was not present, the bank reverses the charge to the airline. If the agent is unable to produce a CCCF with a card imprint and signature, the airline issues an ADM to the agent to the value of the transaction.

Sharon Stander, md of Go 2 Bangy Travel, says an automated CCCF, without the card imprint, would be more POPI and PCI DSS compliant because it does not show the client’s full credit card details. She says this electronic version is a better alternative to the current manual version required.

The use of a GDS-issued electronic version of the charge form that does not require an imprint of the credit card has been approved in a number of jurisdictions, says Janaurieu D’Sa, area manager, Southern Africa at Iata, although he adds that the client’s signature is still required. He points out that South Africa still requires

BA to introduce double-daily A380 JNB flightsCandiCe May

BRITISH Airways is increasing capacity on the Johannesburg route this month. The airline will add 680 seats a week by upping its current 10-times-a-week A380 service to a double-daily, replacing the four weekly B747 flights.

With the exception of Los

Angeles, Johannesburg will be the only BA route with a twice-daily A380 service.

The airline’s decision to increase capacity on the JNB route is likely a result of an upsurge in inbound rather than outbound demand, points out Andrew Stark, md of Flight Centre Travel Group Middle East, Africa.

Mary Shilleto, ceo of Thompsons Travel, has noticed a dramatic increase in inbound leisure travel on the LHR-JNB route due to the weak rand. In contrast, Andrew says numbers on the outbound leg, JNB-LHR, are currently very flat despite its being an ever-popular route in terms

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2 n Wednesday November 1 2017 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

NEWS

Rubes® By Leigh Rubin

Phone: (011) 327-4062 Fax: (011) 327-4094 E-mail: tnw@nowmedia.co.za Web: www.nowmedia.co.za Address: Now Media Centre, 32 Fricker Road, Illovo Boulevard, Illovo, Johannesburg. PO Box 55251, Northlands, 2116, South Africa.

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Another operator enters Mauritius market

PERFECT Destinations started offering Mauritius as part of its

portfolio of destinations at the beginning of October.

“There was a marked increase in requests from agents to Perfect Destinations to start selling Mauritius, and we reacted to the demand,” says director Zephnie Viljoen.

Mauritius is a relatively overtraded destination in the South African tour operator market, but according to md, Shona Pittaway,

Perfect Destinations has carved a niche through its personalised service to travel agents and the tour operator’s availability to travel agents. “We build one-on-one relationships with travel agents and encourage direct and dedicated relationships between travel agents and our consultants.”

Shona says Perfect Destinations also sets itself apart by evaluating each client’s needs and matching a hotel accordingly. “We will never push one

hotel on to a client out of convenience, but will instead use our expertise to match the perfect hotel to that specific client. We have a few extremely well-skilled Mauritius specialists on our team, with one of our team members even having been to Mauritius over 42 times. With the rest of the team, we have also done extensive site training.”

Perfect Destinations will also start offering Mauritius educationals for agents in the near future.

Meet the new SAA boardCandiCe May

SOUTH African Airways has appointed six new board members. Minister of Finance, Malusi Gigaba, announced the new board as well as the full slate of non-executive board members, which have been approved by Cabinet, on October 19.

Johannes Bhekumuzi (JB) Magwaza has been appointed chairperson. He is the founder and executive chairperson

of Nkunzi Investment Holidays and has also held directorships in a number of national and international companies. Nolitha Fakude is the new deputy chairperson. She is the non-executive director of Anglo American.

The other new board members are Geoff Rothschild, businessman and former chair of the JSE; Ahmed Bassa, aviation expert working as a director at Aerodromes and Contrails;

Tinyiko Mhlari, accountant and director at PSTM Consulting; and Martin Kingston, businessman and ceo of NM Rothschild & Sons.

The board members who have been retained are businesswoman, Swazi Tshabalala; lawyer, Peter Tshisevhe; human resources strategist, Thandeka Mgoduso; SAA director, Peter Maluleka; and accountant and transport and logistics expert, Akhter Moosa.

PCI DSS compliance

the physical charge form, which requires the imprint and cardholder signature.

“The need for a ‘card imprint’/copy of the CCCF is a Pasa (Payments Association of South Africa) requirement,” says Janaurieu. “Iata has been engaging with

Pasa on the change of legislation to accommodate the electronic format through the BSP, however this has currently been declined due to the type of transaction, which does not include a cardholder’s authentication. The CCCF in this case becomes proof of cardholder’s presence or

card authentication.”However, Pasa ceo, Walter

Volker, says any card imprint requirements are in contravention of PCI DSS and that Pasa does not have such requirements.

At the time of publication, banks had either declined to comment, or not responded to TNW’s questions.

From page 1

BA double-daily A380 JNB flights

of commercial value and reach. Mary says the reason may be that obtaining a UK visa is expensive and can be challenging in terms of meeting requirements.

Riaan Duplessis,

consultant of Thompsons Travel, suggests that BA may be replacing B747 services with the A380 simply because it is more financially viable. “While the B747-8 and the A380 have almost the same fuel

efficiency, the operating costs of the A380 are much less,” he explains.

When approached for comment, BA was unable to confirm the reason for increasing capacity on the JNB route.

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NEWS

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MSC Musica will set sail in South African waters in November next year,

heralding a new era for MSC Cruises in South Africa. Musica will replace the Sinfonia.

Angelo Capurro, MSC Cruises executive director of Emerging Markets, told TNW that Musica would be the first of MSC Cruises’ new-

generation ships to sail in South African waters. He adds that MSC Cruises is unique because the operator designs its own ships.

MSC Cruises md South Africa, Ross Volk, says Musica will offer 300 extra cabins, more swimming pools, dining and entertainment options including a sushi restaurant and one of the largest theatres in its fleet.

The group launched seven ships this year, says Angelo, all of which can accommodate more then 5 000 passengers.

Angelo says the group is hoping to grow from 1,9m passengers per annum to five million.

He says cruising has proved to be a popular holiday for passengers, with an impressive 98% satisfaction rate.

New era for MSC Cruises SA

MSC Cruises unveiled its new ship, Musica, to agents in October. Pictured, from left: Darren Wessels and Angelique Cronje from Cruiseabout Hyde Park; MSC Cruises head of Sales and Marketing, Evi Zacharis and md SA, Ross Volk. Photo: Natasha Schmidt

Nikita Tavlet selects the top specials from Travelinfo

Emirates Holidays. Istanbul and Dubai offer from R14 654pps. Rate includes flights ex-Johannesburg or Cape Town, approximate taxes, return transfers, six nights’ accommodation in Istanbul, three nights in Dubai, breakfast daily and UAE visa. Valid for departures on December 28 and 29. United Europe. Rail and Stay package from R6 640pp sharing. Offer includes three nights

in Rome, two nights in Florence and two nights in Venice, breakfast daily and a second-class rail ticket. Offer excludes flights. Set travel dates, November 19-26. Whitestar Cruise & Travel. Rates from £1 619pps (R28 640). Offer includes 17 nights

in an inside cabin, all meals, selected drinks and entertainment on board. Book by November 30. Depart CPT April 23, arrive in Southampton May 10, 2018. Tintswalo at Waterfall, Johannesburg. Enjoy luxury this festive season from R3 950

per room per night. Offer includes one night’s accommodation with breakfast and dinner. Valid between December 18 and January 31. Kulula holidays. Dublin city stay from R4 799pp sharing. Offer includes four

nights’ accommodation in Dublin, 48-hour hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus ticket and Guinness Storehouse entrance ticket. Valid December 1-20.

AIR Austral acquired a 49% stake in embattled Air Madagascar at the end of October, leaving the Madagascan government with a controlling 51% shareholding.

The Malagasy state will appoint a president of the board of directors and Air Austral will appoint a general director. Air Austral has also committed to invest $40m (R549m) in its new partner and will manage Air Madagascar’s

administration and operations.

The signature of the shareholder closing agreement took place at the end of October.

“This agreement marks a new turning point for both our companies. We are now, more than ever before, determined to join forces in developing and strengthening our positions in the Indian Ocean,” said Marie Joseph Malé, Air Austral ceo.

Air Austral buys 49% stake in Air Madagascar

The South African Police Service has arrested six suspects implicated in airport follow-home crime. SAPS is also investigating the possibility that the arrested suspects may be the same individuals responsible for the robbery of seven foreign visitors at Colette Drive in October.

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Terrific Thailand!

The Tourism Authority of Thailand SA, in collaboration with Destiny magazine, hosted a ladies’ luncheon at Roomfive on October 13, treating agents to cuisine from Thailand. Pictured, from left, are Sandra-Dee Parkin, general administrator of TAT SA; Lesley Simpson, SA representative of TAT; Bronwyn Humphries, marketing co-ordinator of Harvey World Travel; and Monica Horn, product manager of Harvey World Travel. Photo: Candice May

A brief look at this week’s hotel news

New hotel opens in WindhoekTHE 147-room Town Lodge hotel in Windhoek has opened. Bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms with maxi showers and facilities include free and secure basement parking, a pool and wireless Internet. There is a choice of a full English or Continental breakfast, and a sundowner bar service is available. There are three boardrooms – two 12-seater rooms and one six-seater room.

Fresh look for Gaborone resort THE 156-room Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino has reopened after a R103m renovation. The four restaurants use freshly sourced local ingredients, as well as naturally raised poultry and sustainable meat and seafood. Room features and amenities include free WiFi, a dedicated work station with media hub, LCD television with satellite news, sport and movie channels, and a rain shower. The conference centre’s main room can accommodate up to 500 guests, while five private Seminar Rooms are available for smaller gatherings.

Carlson Rezidor to expand in EthiopiaCARLSON Rezidor Hotel Group will open two hotels in Ethiopia by 2020 – a Radisson Blu in Bishoftu and Park Inn by Radisson in Addis Ababa. The 160-room Park Inn by Radisson will debut in 2019, offering a mix of standard rooms and suites, a gym and spa as well as the signature all-day-dining restaurant and lobby bar. The 152-room Radisson Blu will open in 2020 and facilities will include a speciality restaurant, a pool bar, a spa and a gym.

CandiCe May

TRAFALGAR will no longer operate its Cuba 2018 itinerary following careful consideration of the US State Department travel warning, says md, Theresa Szejwallo.

The travel warning explains: “Over the past several months, numerous US Embassy

Havana employees have been targeted in specific attacks. These employees have suffered significant injuries as a consequence of these attacks.” It continues: “Because our personnel’s safety is at risk, and we are unable to identify the source of the attacks, we believe US citizens may also be at risk

and warn them not to travel to Cuba.”

Trafalgar announced in August that it would include a Cuba itinerary in its newly launched 2018 South and Central America programme for the first time. The itinerary was meant to be a nine-day hand-crafted itinerary through the island.

Trafalgar discontinues 2018 Cuba itinerary

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8 n Wednesday November 1 2017 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

REPORT XL TRAVEL TRAVOLUTION

TNW attended the recent XL Travel conference, Travolution, at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Johannesburg. Tessa Reed reports.

Adapt or die!

THE overriding theme at Travolution was that it’s not business as

usual for the travel industry. A host of disrupters, rapidly advancing technology and increasingly knowledgeable customers are putting pressure on travel agents to prove their value or lose their relevance.

XL Travel Group ceo, Marco Ciocchetti, urged members to embrace technology, adding that, if they didn’t, they would not be around much longer.

Customer experience consultant, Lynn Baker, spoke about the changing face of the customer. She said the battle for market share would be won by those who knew their customer

better. She pointed out that while agents used to sit in front of customers and build a relationship, thanks to the Internet, competitors can get hold of them in a moment and give them everything they want.

According to Lynn, customers are looking for businesses they can trust, especially in an age where data security has become so critical; businesses that offer value by predicting their needs and catering for them, which can be done leveraging big data; and brands that provide a great experience.

When agents provided real value, travellers were less inclined to question the price, she said.

Group plans new techTo make sure the XL Travel Group is leveraging technology to its fullest potential, the company is rolling out new tools and enhancements to existing tools.

Enhancements are planned for the XLGO app, which was developed in partnership with Travelport, including incorporating passive segments, or

segments not booked on the GDS, so that the entire itinerary can be displayed in the app. The main feature of this app is driving engagement with the customer, a recurring theme raised by many speakers at the conference.

Looking ahead, Marco said the group would shortly launch a corporate and leisure booking tool

for customers as well as agents, while the testing of a mobile app would start in 2018, with launch later in the year.

Despite the rapid advancements in technology, Marco emphasised the need to build relationships, which can only be done by a human. Technology merely facilitated this, he said.

Dudu set back SAA’s recovery by monthsThe exit of former SAA board chairperson, Dudu Myeni, was agreed roughly 14 months ago and her continued presence was one of the factors that had set back SAA’s recovery.

This was one of the comments made by former Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, who was greeted at the conference with a standing ovation. Commenting on the scenario that had Dudu been moved out then, he said: “SAA would be very different today. It would not be under the

financial pressure it is under.”

The former minister, who was frequently referred to as “minister” by the audience said the Treasury used to have good relations with SAA’s debtors and if it had been given the time to put the right executives in place and make sure that there was a more sensible strategy, SAA would already now have the beginnings of a viable business proposition. “We’ve lost about 18 months.”

Ominously, he added

that, with the new board in place, people needed to take a close look at who the people were and what their associations were.

The former minister said the coming ANC Congress mattered for the ANC, South Africa, SA’s standing in Africa and globally. According to him, a new ANC leadership under Cyril Ramaphosa would see corruption cleaned out within three months, the country would have more investment and higher consumer confidence, and more jobs as a result.

1. Md of XL Nexus Travel, Sailesh Parbhu (left), and Asata ceo, Otto de Vries.

2. Cheers! From left: Amy Baxter, Nicola Morgan and Nalika Ramdew from Bundu Bashers Travel.

3. Oriana Neto Caldeira from Flight Centre Centurion was the lucky winner of a Volkswagen Polo, sponsored by Avis. She is pictured here (left) with Sonja Steenkamp, Camille Janse van Rensberg and Nathalie Cloete, all from Avis.

4. Winning! Mary Shilleto (left) and Marco Ciocchetti (right) pictured with the lucky consultants who each walked away with a R5 000 travel voucher. Photos: Tessa Reed

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Tessa Reed and savannah FReemanTle

TRAVEL companies are looking to blockchain as a new solution

to manage bookings and payments.

OTA Webjet is using a pilot version of the Ethereum blockchain to track the inventory of hotel rooms around the world, gather data on consumers and travel trends, and streamline the process of paying the half-dozen or so intermediaries, between a consumer and their hotel, for the roles they play in facilitating a booking.

Lufthansa Group has entered into a content partnership with Winding Tree, a blockchain-based decentralised open-source travel distribution platform, while TUI Group, a multinational travel

and tourism company headquartered in Germany, has reportedly also transferred its entire hotel inventory into a private version of Ethereum.

But members of the local travel industry aren’t sold on the idea. Andrew Stark, md of Flight Centre Travel Group Africa, says blockchain and cryptocurrencies like

Bitcoin are interesting developments, but it remains to be seen whether they are feasible for the travel industry and even legal. “I’ve got a feeling that, with cryptocurrency, governments are going to start clamping down.”

Riaan van Schoor, ceo of

Agentivity, says while the software shows promise, implementation may be more challenging than advocates suggest. Riaan says while there are opportunities to improve settlements and transaction logging in relation to hotel bookings, the project is a considerable one that will have to get co-operation from multiple participants in the process. “I’m not sure that will be so easily achieved.

“There are other more pressing issues to solve in relation to hotel bookings and some of those could easily be achieved with simpler solutions, such as virtual payment cards and mining the data you generate in order to get a handle on what you’ve booked and what actions need to be taken.” He adds that these are processes used at Agentivity.

Travel companies tap into blockchain

A blockchain-based transaction system enables almost instant payments to anywhere in the world, across borders and without the standard costs of forex. In addition, all transactions are visible and traceable to all interested parties, at any moment. The blockchain is essentially a ledger listing all the transactions that have ever taken place on it.

Rather than being stored in a single place, like a bank, copies of it are kept by nodes all over the world. Whenever anyone wants to make a transaction, the request is sent out to all the copies at once and, once each node confirms

the transaction using a mathematical answer and sum system to prove it, the ledger is updated across all copies.

Because the maths is so complicated and the blockchain is so widely distributed, cheating it or falsifying information is so difficult that to perform even one single fraudulent transaction would require the fraudster to own and control more than 50% of all the computers tasked with processing and verifying transactions and even then they would only stand a 25% of success before they’d be caught and ‘corrected’ by the rest of the network.

THREE Tree Hill, in the Drakensberg, KwaZulu Natal, has introduced a family cottage.

The Kiplings Family Cottage accommodates a maximum of two adults and four children (under 12 years) or four adults sharing. The children’s

bedroom has an en-suite, wheelchair-friendly bathroom. In addition, the kitchenette, basin, light switches and door handles are modified to comfortably facilitate wheelchair-bound guests.

There are a variety of books, toys, puzzles,

sandpit, nightlight, dressing gowns, special soaps and shampoos suited for children.

The 20-bed Three Tree Hill is owner-managed and is a Fair Trade-certified lodge, offering locally grown farm-style country food and hospitality.

New family-friendly accommodation in KwaZulu Natal

What is a blockchain transaction?

“The project will have to get co-operation from

multiple participants in the process.”

Nigeria requires biometrics for visasCandiCe may

NIGERIA has rolled out biometric visa requirements and from October 25, South Africans are required to provide their biometrics (fingerprints and facial photograph) as part of their visa application.

Biometric enrolment requires applicants to

visit, in person, the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg.

In mid-October the Consulate suspended issuing visas after running out of visa stickers. The Consulate has since acquired more stickers and was expected to resume issuing visas by Thursday, October 26.

XL Travel’s “Travolution” Conference 2017goes beyond the ordinary…

Supporting preferred suppliers

XL TRAVEL’S recent conference, Travolution, which took place from

October 21-22 at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Johannesburg, was attended by about 600 delegates, including 36 preferred suppliers. Current affairs presenter and investigative journalist Chantal Rutter Dros was the mc for the conference.

Senior managers attended a special programme, featuring former Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, while staff took part in fun, educational and interactive supplier workshops.

The entire delegation came together in the evening for a cocktail party, where preferred suppliers were

recognised at an awards ceremony and, later, a gala dinner. Another awards ceremony was held at the dinner, with XL Travel and each supplier recognising top achievers for their consistent dedication on the XL Training Academy platform. The grand prize, sponsored by Avis, was a brand-new Volkswagen Polo.

The second day saw the delegation attending a motivational session, which included international speaker, Brian Parsley.

Instead of printing out lengthy programmes for the delegates, XL Travel developed a mobi site, giving delegates access to the programme and speaker biographies at the tips of their fingers.

XL Travel recognised 36 preferred suppliers attending XL Travolution with awards and thanked them for their support.

During a panel discussion, Peter Hanson, manager of XL Astra Travel Bloemfontein, highlighted the importance of using preferred suppliers, even when they were more expensive than some of their competitors. He said preferreds were used

for the support and service they offered. Likewise, Sailesh Parbhu, md of XL Nexus Travel, urged members to support preferred suppliers and give them time when they called at offices. Aadil Esack, product and marketing manager of XL Travel Head Office, explained the supplier selection process and why using preferred suppliers was critical from a commercial point of view.

Technology was the single biggest force shaping business, said XL Travel Group ceo, Marco Ciocchetti.

Staying ahead of new technology and trends has helped drive the success of the XL Travel Group. Marco said it was critical to embrace change, or businesses wouldn’t survive. As a case in point, Marco pointed to the recent demise of Stuttafords.

He said the much-talked-about disrupters that had entered the industry, Uber and Airbnb, were able to disrupt the industry because they replaced old business models with something new. “Airbnb and Uber recognised travellers’ challenges and solved these with technology.”

Technology provided the tools to help agents gain a competitive

advantage, retain existing clients and also acquire new and profitable business, he said.

For this reason, the group had prioritised the investment in new technology to service the needs of members and customers.

The XLGO app, developed with Travelport, is one of the products developed through this model. Marco said XL Travel was the only group in South Africa with this app and that it had started to gain traction among

members and was working well for those using it.

The app shows travellers’ information, including the routing of their flights, booking reference, seat numbers, frequent flyer number, car pick up, hotel location and contact details (allowing travellers to contact the hotel or their XL Travel member with one tap).

A revolutionary corporate and leisure booking tool will also be launched shortly.

Well done! Oriana Neto, XL Flight Specials Centurion, one of the top performers in training across the XL Travel Group, won a Volkswagen Polo. She is pictured here with Aadil Esack of XL Travel Head Office (left) and Sonja Steenkamp, Camille Janse van Rensberg and Nathalie Cloete, all from Avis (right).

New technology

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12 n Wednesday November 1 2017 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

Despite a downturn in local travel, stakeholders remain upbeat, if cautiously so, writes Michelle Colman.

SA Tourism confident of upturn

THE recent news that South Africa’s domestic tourism numbers declined

once again in 2016 over 2015 has not discouraged South African Tourism’s ceo, Sisa Ntshona.

He prefers instead to focus on 2017’s performance, and the impact SAT’s current Five-in-Five strategy may have on turning the domestic situation around. In fact, he says, he cannot wait until the 2017 figures are released. He says just nine months into the five-year plan, domestic holidays are already 30% ahead of projections.

The Domestic Tourism Survey 2016, released by Stats South Africa, revealed that the number of day trips last year decreased from 44,3m in 2015 to 39,4m, with a decrease in expenditure of R25bn to R23bn. Overnight trips declined from 45,4m to 43m, but expenditure was up from R62bn to R63bn, said to be driven by higher spending in the LSM 8-10 groups. This, believes Sisa, is a reflection of

the widening gap between the country’s haves and have-nots.

The survey attributed the decline to the country’s economic stagnation and re-prioritisation of consumer spending over the last two years.

The goal of Five-in-Five is to expand tourism by five million tourists in five years from the plan’s inception this past January, of which one million will comprise domestic travellers. Within the country’s overall domestic pool, SAT has its sights firmly set on the 10% portion that comprises true holiday travel, rather than the 70% VFR segment or the 20% business tourism share.

To this end and in time for the festive season, SAT will shortly roll out ‘refurbished’ packaging from its anchor delivery point, Sho’t Left, with products at different price levels to feed a wide set of budgets. Although the success of the campaign is not easy to judge in the absence of statistics, Sisa says Sho’t Left is understood by South

Africans to offer something for everyone.

Sho’t Left stakeholders do express satisfaction with the campaign. John Ridler, PR and media manager for Thompsons Holidays, says it has been an excellent tool in highlighting and stimulating domestic travel. City Lodge Hotel Group (CLHG) ceo, Clifford Ross, agrees that it is a great tool to drive domestic travel, but until the economy comes right and consumer confidence returns, the take-up will remain low.

“Corruption, state capture and all the other negative factors witnessed daily in South Africa will keep consumer confidence at historic lows until something gets done to change the public perception and sustain a more optimistic attitude. There is definitely a lot of potential in Sho’t Left,” he remarks.

Recently SAT undertook a roadshow to evaluate countrywide capacity to facilitate the possibility of

increased tourist numbers, finding it to be at various levels of readiness. The Western Cape, says Sisa, was well prepared, but smaller locations were still “closed on Sundays”.

Sisa believes SAT’s ‘We do tourism’ campaign will also have a positive effect. Determined to make the case for tourism far and wide, SAT

has reached out to seemingly unrelated sectors – banks, parastatals, government itself – in its attempts to create a fertile environment for tourism. With the country’s mining and manufacturing industries under pressure, a perfect storm has been created for tourism to step into the breach, he says.

He also takes encouragement from the fact that the country is out of recession, spurred by a 33% improvement in agriculture. Increasing numbers of tourists (international figures are performing well) consuming more product, he believes, have contributed in turn to

agriculture’s fortunes.Thompsons concurs that

there has been a “small decrease in demand for domestic travel” and attributes this to the lure of competing overseas destinations. Thailand, Bali and Zanzibar are coming in with packages of under R10 000 a week, including flights and taxes. “In this instance, we assume that the traditional travel market is not flagging, but has simply changed its focus because of price,” says John.

But a change is in the air. “With talk of the end of the recession we are looking forward to an increase in demand for domestic travel,” he says.

CLHG’s domestic traffic decreased in 2016, with weekend occupancies in particular taking the brunt. Clifford expects more of the same for the time being. Current market conditions, he says, will drive more discounted package deals and special offers to hit the market. But without a catalyst to stimulate domestic demand (mainly confidence) these will just remain ‘specials’ without a great take-up rate.

“But hopefully things will start to improve at the end of the year and usher in a brighter outlook next year,” he concludes.

Hospitality bookings mirror dropLEADING GDS, Travelport, reports that bookings by South African travel agents at South African hotels reflect the general downturn in the domestic travel sector in 2016.

According to Robyn Christie, country manager, travellers’ needs have changed along with the overall domestic landscape. Thus Travelport, as an

eCommerce platform, has changed the manner in which it distributes content to agencies.

“One way in which we are mitigating the general decline in the hospitality environment, is not only by increasing content, but also focusing on pertinent content,” says Robyn. A key initiative has been the inclusion of the B&B/

guesthouse industry for agents to onward sell in their current workflow.

The initiative is an advantage not only to agencies but to the hospitality establishments too, many of which have limited distribution channels. Travelport offers them increased exposure, a global footprint and increased revenue.

“There is definitely a lot of potential in

Sho’t Left.”Clifford Ross

Domestic Tourism

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Domestic Tourism

SANParks feels the pinchTHE decline in domestic tourism has been felt by SANParks, which has seen its first fall-off in South African visitors in six years.

According to Rey Thakuli, gm Communications, for the 2016/2017 financial year South African residents were down 3,3% from 2015/2016 in all national parks, excluding Table Mountain and the West Coast National Parks, where demographics are currently not measured. It must be borne in mind however, that SANParks’ financial year runs April 1-March 31, and in 2016/7 the Easter weekend, which normally has a significant influence on South African numbers, fell outside this period.

South African residents accounted for 71,3% of the total guest number in the Kruger National Park in 2016/7, and 67,8% of guests in all national parks, once again excluding Table Mountain and the West Coast. Rey says, in view of current difficult economic conditions, only a minor increase in South African residents is expected

by March 31, 2018.Following an 11-month notice

period, SANParks is due to change its commission structure to travel agents for stays from December 1. When first announced last year, the change, basing commission on volume of business as always, but with the addition of an average camp occupancy, stirred some concern in the trade. The purpose of the move is to stimulate business to low occupancy facilities and improve yield on high occupancy ones.

Rey confirms that implementation will indeed take place at the start of December. “Advance bookings for 11 months ahead look optimistic and the results are only measured once business is realised, so we will assess this in due course.” He pointed out that in terms of STO rates, SANParks would continue in its endeavour to optimally yield from its inventory, maintaining the trajectory it started in December 2016 and bringing demand into the mix.

Change focus to suit new market – Grant ThorntonROBUST expansion of the domestic market requires building on traditional products tailored to existing tourists, with new product lines, says Lee-Anne Bac, director: Advisory Services at Grant Thornton.

“Product providers assume their existing products would also be appealing to new entrants to the discretionary spending economy, when, in fact, they have very different needs. These travellers are not defined by racial demographics, but are rather differentiated by their demand for new and different tourism experiences that are not covered by the current product set,” says Lee-Anne.

She points out that emerging local tourists – often high-earning and high-spending – have different concerns that include family size, value for money, food and beverage options, activities that appeal to their interests and accessibility.

Lee-Anne says one of the biggest disruptors for domestic tourism over the past decade has been the growth and improved accessibility of international travel.

“Local tourism operators have to realise that they are competing with international tourism options, to a much greater extent than in the past. Younger tourists are often inclined to travel overseas, as they perceive other emerging markets as offering better value for money and experiences than they can find on home soil. These factors become increasingly important as economic conditions tighten for consumers making decisions about discretionary leisure expenditure.”

VFR travel, she points out, is a potential area to capitalise on. Despite decreasing by 9% from 2015 to 20,5 million trips in 2016, the sector presents opportunity for operators to tap into.

There has been a drop in the number of South Africans visiting the parks.

QUICK READ FOR BUSIEST PEOPLE Wednesday November 1 2017 n 15

Domestic Tourism

Western Cape tops domestic holiday choiceTOURISM boards are to be found in every province and countless cities, towns and regions. Other than offering information, what is their contribution? Many operate limited hours on tight budgets with little travel trade interaction.

Sisa Ntshona of SA Tourism sees a lack of communication between provincial and local tourism bodies, that parallels the dysfunction of provincial and local government. There’s a lack of reporting to each other, he says, which is unfortunate when they do have the potential to drive extra demand.

The Western Cape’s official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency, Wesgro, is one of the more proactive bodies. The Western Cape recorded an excellent performance in

Stats SA’s recent Domestic Tourism survey, notably: Over 1,1 million overnight leisure

trips; 166 000 overnight business trips; 4,1 million paid bed nights; 241 000 tourists who stayed in

hotels; 161 000 who stayed in

guesthouses or guest farms; 157 000 tourists who stayed in

B&Bs; 336 000 tourists who stayed in self-

catering establishments. The Western Cape was also the

only province where the reason most stated for travel on both day and overnight trips was holiday, with VFR taking second place. Further, 99,2% of day travellers and 69,9% of overnight travellers in the Western

Cape originated from the province itself.

“According to data provided for 2016 by South African Tourism, the number of domestic trips taken to the Western Cape increased by nearly 17% from 2015 to 2,14m. This resulted in R2,5bn in direct domestic spend in the province.

In total, the number of bed nights equalled 10,4 million, while the average length of stay was five nights,” says Wesgro’s chief communications officer, Russel Brueton.

Wesgro is projecting a slight increase in domestic travellers for 2017.

Broadly speaking, the purpose of Wesgro’s leisure tourism team is to increase the number of international

and domestic visitors to the five regions of the Western Cape (Cape Karoo, Cape West Coast, Cape Winelands, Cape Overberg and Garden Route and Klein Karoo), and the City of Cape Town, during the traditional low season, which falls between April and September, explains Russel.

The team focuses on creating demand through various innovative marketing campaigns and agreements with the trade to drive conversion.

In addition, it showcases new and exciting experiences each week on its social media platforms; works with local airlines and tour operators to package value-for-money deals for South Africans; and sponsors over 30 regional events across the province for South Africans to enjoy.

The Blue Train, known for luxury travel between Pretoria and Cape Town, travels to Limpopo on selected months of the year, offering guests opportunities for rail safari combination packages in the Greater Kruger National Park. The schedule for next year sees journeys from Pretoria departing on March 16, June 15, July 13, August 10, October 19 and December 14, with return journeys the day after from Hoedspruit. The duration of the rail trip is 19 hours overnight, with departures and arrivals in both direction at 15h00 and 10h00 respectively.

Did you know?

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16 n Wednesday November 1 2017 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

For a long time, Istanbul has been the mainstay of the SA travel itinerary to Turkey – but this is starting to change, writes Sue van Winsen.

Beyond Istanbul

WHILE Istanbul has no shortage of incredible tourism attractions

and offers great value for money, South Africans are starting to venture outside the borders of Turkey’s former capital to explore some of the fascinating areas throughout the country.

Elisna Bergset, key accounts sales of Development Promotions, says there are quite a few destinations within Turkey that have gained traction over the last couple of years. “The standout destinations within its borders are Fethiye, Kas and Antalya.”

Coastal history Elisna says one thing these destinations have in common is that they are all coastal towns. “Fethiye is an ancient port city, rich in history. The biggest attraction here is the incredibly well-preserved Lycian rock tombs, including the tomb of Amyntas, who was the king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon in 393 BC and the great grandchild of Alexander I.

“Kas is very popular for snorkelling and excellent wreck diving,” says Elisna. She adds that there are

several Lycian rock tombs in the mountain wall. “These tombs are even illuminated at night. The town is quite modern but it also houses the site of Antiphellos (an ancient port), with still-visible ruins.

“Antalya is one of the hubs of the so-called Turkish Riviera with beautiful beaches and an atmosphere that has amalgamated its modern resorts and ancient ruins.”

Elisna points out that G Adventures has several tours that highlight these destinations. “G Adventures alone offers seven different itineraries for Turkey, with our trip ‘Absolute Turkey’ being our most popular.”

Village visits and moreTheresa Szejwallo, md of Trafalgar, says the village of Demircidere can be found

between Pergamon and Izmir. “It is here that travellers will come face to face with the most liberated women in all of Turkey – and those who choose to travel with Trafalgar will be treated to a wonderful ‘Be My Guest’ lunch with these women.”

Other destinations worth a visit include Canakkale, Troy, Pergamon and Izmir, says Theresa, where nine separate periods of settlement, and a symbolic replica of the Trojan Horse, can be visited.

“In Pergamon, travellers can gain insight into Asclepius, whose staff entwined with snakes has come to represent modern medicine,” she adds.

“Ephesus is where travellers can visit the Virgin Mary’s house, the famous Temple of Artemis and the Great Theatre.”

Book it!

Book it!

Trafalgar’s Highlights of Turkey Country Explorer is priced from R18 000pps and includes breakfast daily, the Be My Guest lunch in Demircidere and six dinners, all on-trip transport, hotel accommodation and airport transfers. LUX* is offering a special ‘Stay Longer’ offer for travel to Bodrum

between May 1 and June 23, 2018. Rates for five nights’ accommodation, breakfast daily, return economy-class flights on Turkish Airlines, including airport taxes, start at R20 400pps, and R23 400 for seven nights. For travel between June 24 and August 31, 2018, rates start from R22 800pps for five nights and R26 590 for seven nights with the same inclusions as above.

G Adventures is offering a 15-day ‘Turkey on a Budget’ package starting at R14 179pp. Prices are subject to date and availability.

Beautiful BodrumBodrum is known for combining history and culture with all the mod cons one would associate with a typical beach getaway. It is known for its large sailing community – with many of its picturesque vistas dotted with sailboats of all descriptions.

Which is why, in May this year, LUX* Resorts and Hotels opened its first Mediterranean property in Bodrum on the north coast of Turkey’s Aegean Riviera.

The new 66-room and 19-residence resort is in a quiet part of Bodrum, 15 minutes from the airport and 2km from Lake Tuzla, which is a meeting point for thousands of migratory birds and the place that flamingos fly over.

The most popular activities in Bodrum are marina tours along the modern harbour, which has space for up to 500 boats. Visitors can stroll along the waterfront, hire a yacht or go on a day

cruise around the Bodrum peninsula.

A visit to the Bodrum Amphitheatre is a must, as it is one of the best-preserved remains of the ancient city of Halicarnassus. It is carved into the hillside above the city and was originally constructed in the fourth century BC during the reign of King Mausolus. The 13 000-seat amphitheatre is one of the oldest in the region and is still used for concerts and theatrical performances. Another popular stopover is the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, a tomb built in 350 BC by the Greek architects Satyros and Pythius of Priene.

The best time to visit Bodrum is from May until October when the temperatures are warm – but during the hottest months of July and August, the city’s population nearly doubles, due to the influx of visitors.

Free Istanbul stopovers with TKTURKISH Airlines has extended its stopover service to include passengers from South Africa who are connecting in Istanbul to a range of selected destinations.

The airline is providing complimentary accommodation to passengers who have more than 20 hours of connection

time in Istanbul. Qualifying passengers will

receive an accommodation voucher from Turkish Airlines’ staff after booking their flights. Economy-class passengers will receive a one-night stay at a four-star hotel and business-class passengers a two-night stay at a five-star hotel in Sultanahmet or

Taksim Square, which are both central and popular neighbourhoods in Istanbul.

The stopover service is offered to passengers travelling from SA to Asia, the Far East and Americas (US, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Venezuela and Cuba), the UK, Ireland, Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Tunisia.

The ancient city of Fethiye is steeped in history.

Bodrum is known for its large sailing community.

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The Mediterranean region has been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons of late – but it’s still popular with South Africans. Sue van Winsen reports.

Resurgence in popularity

INCIDENTS of terror and an influx of refugees have resulted in a significant

amount of negative press for the Mediterranean region, with tourist favourites like Nice in the French Riviera being targeted by extremists. But it seems to have had little impact on South Africans’ perceptions of the region and their willingness to include the Med in their travel plans.

It appears that, for the most part, South Africans are resilient travellers and not so easily dissuaded from visiting countries that have had security incidents. Janine Pienaar, sales and marketing manager of the Globus Family of Brands, says her clients are not any more concerned about safety and security in the traditionally popular Med

destinations. “However, having said that, our Turkey tours with Cosmos were cancelled in the 2017 season.”

Increasing interestRather than a decrease, some operators are in fact reporting growth. Elisna Bergset, key account sales of Development Promotions says: “An overwhelming concern would most definitely have reflected in our sales, but our Mediterranean sales have increased. I think the reason is because South African travellers are resilient and savvy.” She says South Africans tend to understand, perhaps more than most, that it is statistically still a very safe region.

Theresa Szejwallo, md of Trafalgar, agrees and says,

if anything, more South Africans are choosing to book Med travel with established operators as they offer a safe and hassle-free way to travel. “There is no doubt that the benefits of our travel styles have resulted in a resurgence in the popularity of group travel.”

According to both Theresa and Janine, South Africans tend to favour Greece and its islands, with popular tours including Mykonos, Santorini and Athens. Elisna says the ever-popular destinations remain Spain and France, with Greece, Turkey and Croatia not too far behind.

Elisna adds that the big up-and-coming destination for G Adventures has been Israel’s Mediterranean coast – with an increase in enquiries.

Book it!

Book it!

Costsaver has introduced a new Greece trip for 2018, the Highlights of Greece, with a three-day Aegean Cruise priced from R2 175pppd. It includes four nights in Greece and the three-day cruise, which begins in Mykonos and travels to Santorini, Heraklion (Crete), Patmos and Kusadasi (Turkey). Globus Holidays is offering an ‘Iconic Aegean’ seven-day tour,

including a three-night cruise, priced from R29 196pps. This is a saving of R3 136pps for set departure on April 11, 2018, booked by November 28, 2017. The company is also offering a 10-day ‘Greek Island Hopper’ package from R28 966pps, which is a saving of R3 220pps. Set departure on April 28, 2018, booked by November 28, 2017. Both tours start and end in Athens.

G Adventures is offering several great Mediterranean specials. The eight-day ‘Sailing-Croatia – Split to Dubrovnik’ starts at R17 119pp, while the eight-day ‘Israel and Beyond with National Geographic’ starts from R27 879pp. The seven-day ‘Mediterranean Express’ starts from R15 359pp. All prices are subject to date and availability.

Croatia still on the riseInge Dobihal, md of Austria Connection, says Croatia was relatively unaffected by the refugee influx that has impacted much of the region. “The public seem to be aware of this and Croatia remains highly popular with interest still increasing.” Development Promotions’ Elisna Bergset echoes these sentiments and says in terms of a rise in popularity – Croatia is probably still the stand-out candidate.

Inge says she has seen a particular increase in demand for small ship

cruising. “For 2018, we have the biggest selection of cruise ships in all categories, ranging from traditional wooden motor sailing boats to premium, premium superior, deluxe and deluxe superior ships.” Depending on date and ship category, cruise prices range from €425pp (R6 830) to €2 110pp (R34 00) for the week.

The newest addition is the M/S Maritimo – a deluxe superior ship with 19 cabins over two decks, featuring a 250sqm sun deck and hot tub.

Alitalia to be carved up by biddersAFTER years of financial woes (and several previous bankruptcy procedures), Alitalia filed for bankruptcy in May. This came after staff rejected the airline’s restructuring plan that aimed to keep it in business but would have meant around 1 600 retrenchments and pay cuts for staff.

Since then, the airline has continued operations and the Italian government has extended a further €300m (R4,7bn) in funding.

This was in addition to the €600m (R9,4bn) bridging loan earlier in the year to ensure the continuity of air transport services until the transfer of all business units had been effected.

Since the bid process closed on October 16, a number of European airlines have expressed interest in buying elements of Alitalia’s business.

Lufthansa has said it has prepared an offer to buy the global, European and domestic business of Alitalia. In a statement, Lufthansa said it wanted to establish a “new Alitalia, that could develop long-term economic prospects”.

Alitalia released a statement that it had received seven bids but, aside from Lufthansa, the only other airline that has announced its participation is easyJet, which also made it clear that it was only interested in acquiring

certain parts of the business.

Now that the bids have been submitted, bidders have until the end of April to improve their offers, followed by a period of review that will last between four and six months.

Traveller impactMost SA-based operators contacted by TNW said they didn’t currently use Alitalia, so didn’t expect there to be much impact on SA travellers, whatever the outcome might be. At this stage, Alitalia hasn’t cancelled any flights, and has even added extra flights to some destinations like Maldives, Croatia and India since filing for bankruptcy.

The Med

Dubrovnik, Croatia. Photo: Austria Connection

JOBSCOMMUNITYNEWSBirths, deaths, marriages, promotions – we want to know! Please fax or e-mail TNW’s Tessa Reed, at tessar@nowmedia.co.za or (011) 327 4094.

QUICK READ FOR BUSIEST PEOPLE Wednesday November 1 2017 n 19

Appointments

Obituary

Pick of the week

These adverts were selected from the vacancy section of www.travelinfo.co.za For more details contact jobs@travelinfo.co.za

brought to you by

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Intermediate Leisure Travel Consultant – SandtonProfessional Career ServicesMinimum 3 years’ selling holiday packages. Amadeus. Fares & ticketing. Able to meet sales targets. Global product geographical knowledge. Email: nonocv@pcs-sa.co.za

Travel Consultant – BallitoFlight Centre Travel GroupSell travel experiences – from adventures to Thailand to city breaks in London. Provide outstanding customer service and manage every aspect of the trip. Email: jobs@fctg.co.za

Senior Corporate Consultant – DUR UmhlangaLee Botti & Associates10 years’ experience as a senior doing complex booking for VIP’s. Stable agency, competitive salary and benefits. Email: ericaks@leebotti.co.za

Corporate Consultant – JNB NorthEquity Connections ccDeal with full functions of corporate consulting at senior level. Need sound international destinations knowledge, Galileo and round-the-world fares expertise. Email: equitycon@mweb.co.za

Debtors Administrator – RosebankClub TravelAssist in prompt payments of accounts and maintain a positive cash flow. Junior role requiring accounting knowledge, MS Excel and ability to work under minimum supervision. Email: careers@clubtravel.co.za Call Centre Agent – TygervalleyFlightsiteMinimum 2 years’ leisure consulting experience. Must have strong sales skills and be proficient in Amadeus.Email: careers@clubtravel.co.za Executive Assistant – SandtonWendy’s Travel PersonnelDynamic, switched on executive assistant to assist 3 partners. Must be well spoken and efficient and come from a professional & corporate environment. Email: wtp@icon.co.za

Reservations Manager – JNB NorthProfessional Career ServicesInbound tour operator seeks candidate with minimum 3 years’ reservations management experience and good product knowledge of Southern Africa. Tourplan essential. Email: jeancv@pcs-sa.co.za

Cruise Consultant – JNBFlight Centre Travel GroupCruiseabout is looking for YOU. Plan itineraries, book flights, accommodation, car hire and everything in between.Incentivised targets. Email: jobs@fctg.co.za

FIT Reservationist – DURLee Botti & AssociatesSolid inbound experience, outstanding South African tourism knowledge and a winning personality secures. Salary negotiable. Email: ericaks@leebotti.co.za

Senior Group Reservations/Ticketing Consultant – JNB NorthEquity Connections ccHandle all aspects of reservations for international/domestic travel. Book flights, accommodation and breakaways. In depth fares/fare-build, Amadeus knowledge essential. Email: equitycon@mweb.co.za

Business Development Executive – RosebankClub TravelPassionate about sales and new business? Join the corporate team. Previous corporate business development experience in a corporate TMC essential. Email: careers@clubtravel.co.za

Technical Support – TygervalleyFlightsiteTechno savvy individual. Support online travel queries, website testing, error logging and tracking of online division. Minimum 1 year GDS experience (preferably Amadeus). Geography and product knowledge.Email: careers@clubtravel.co.za

Welcome to aviation! Ethiopian Aviation Academy celebrated the graduation of 262 aviation professionals at a ceremony at the academy’s Commercial and Cabin Crew Training Centre. The graduates included 50 pilots, 66 aviation maintenance technicians, 120 cabin crew and 26 equipment and facility maintenance technicians; 10 majoring in industrial mechanics and 16 in industrial electricity. Pictured (from left): Solomon Debebe, md, Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Tewolde GebreMariam, group ceo of Ethiopian Airlines; and a pilot graduate.

Beachcomber recently manned a stand with Flight Centre Irene at Cornwall Hill College’s carnival. Pictured, from left: Dineo Windley (Flight Centre Irene), Tamsyn Grundlingh (Flight Centre Irene), Vladi Wessels (Beachcomber), Sophy Modiga (Flight Centre Irene).

Steve Fitzgerald, founder of CC Africa/&Beyond and then Angama Mara, has died.

Steve underwent a successful heart transplant on September 24 and was well on his way to a full recovery when he succumbed to unforeseen complications, unrelated to his heart, while still in ICU at Milpark Hospital, in Johannesburg.

Steve spent 35 years building two substantial hospitality businesses. He founded Halcyon Hotels in 1981, a group that

included Cape Town’s Bay Hotel and Blues Restaurant, among others. He then joined &Beyond, then known as CC Africa, and from 1994 served as md/ceo until his departure 15 years later in 2009 after which he went on to build Angama Mara with his wife, Nicky.

In a statement, Angama Mara, said: “As a family we will miss him most terribly. Angama Mara stands as a legacy of his vision to invest in Kenya at a time when few others had the courage to do so.”

Hahn Air’s head of corporate strategy, industry and government affairs, Jörg Troester, has been reappointed a board member of the European Regions Airline Association. With over 20 years of experience in the aviation industry, Jörg is an expert in the field of airline distribution and the author of various White Papers that have influenced industry-relevant legislation.

Nicky and Steve Fitzgerald.

To advertise on this page

email antheah@nowmedia.co.za

For a FREE subscription to TNW contact Gladys on

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20 n Wednesday November 1 2017 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

TNW NEWS

brought to you by eTNW and

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Should travel companies close during the Christmas period?

Business slows down…

Yes No

Happy birthday, Amadeus!

Notorious ITC to face the musicTessa Reed

KIM Robbertse, an ITC who made the headlines in 2015 after allegedly

scamming hundreds of South African travellers, will appear in court on November 23, on charges of fraud running into millions.

Kim appeared in the Bellville Commercial Crime Court on October 20.

Christo Snyman, national director: forensic services of Mazars, says she was released on bail and her trial has been postponed because

she has appointed a new attorney. She will appear in court again on November 23.

TNW confirmed as much with the court. The prosecutor, Advocate Smith, was unreachable.

Kim was first arrested in November 14, 2016. She reportedly cashed in bookings she had not made, leaving holiday-makers stranded. She was released on R10 000 bail.

Kim was a non-Iata travel agent, ticketing through SWG (Serendipity Worldwide Group). However, the

allegedly fraudulent tickets were never issued through Serendipity, as Kim reportedly cashed in the money without making the bookings.

Following Kim’s arrest in 2016, Dinesh Naidoo, group operations director of SWG, told TNW that to protect ITCs and consumers better in the future, each member of SWG would be vetted by Asata. Asked for an update, Dinesh told TNW it was a process that it was going through, by encouraging existing and new members to become members of Asata.

Local LCC unveils credit options FLYSAFAIR has partnered with consumer credit solutions provider, the RCS Group, allowing passengers to book FlySafair tickets on credit.

Customers are allowed up to 55 days of credit interest-free and can choose payment terms over 24 or 36 months.

FlySafair is the first South African travel brand to partner with RCS. “We believe this is a solution

that will enable markets that traditionally have been unable to afford air travel, to begin flying,” says Kirby Gordon, head of sales and distribution at FlySafair. He adds that, although consumers are becoming increasingly aware that by booking flights early they can access the best deals, they don’t necessarily have the cash flow to pay for their ticket in advance.

Uber mulls GDS partnershipCandiCe May

UBER is considering making its scheduled rides bookable on the GDS, says Shavaye Govender, Lead: Partnerships & Uber for Business of Uber

Sub-Saharan Africa.Shavaye says this would

allow travel agents to offer their clients multiple options to get around in cities where safe, reliable and affordable options are not always available, making the entire journey

more seamless.However, Shavaye

emphasises that nothing has been confirmed yet. If Uber is to join the GDS in SA, it will only take place once it has been introduced in First World markets.

Amadeus staff celebrated the company’s 30th birthday at its office in Bryanston on Monday, October 23. Staff were treated to a drum tribe rhythm and rumble, Balkan burgers, ice cream, cake and more cake! Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

CroisiEurope launches African river cruiseCROISIEUROPE will launch its first Africa programme on December 5. The all-inclusive nine-day safari cruise will be on a new ship, the RV African Dream, with a maximum of 32 passengers.

It will include a four-day

cruise on the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers followed by a stay at a luxury lodge and will end with a visit to Victoria Falls.

The new ship will have eight suites, six with French balconies and two with larger terraces. Guests will

also have use of a lounge bar, panoramic restaurant, small pool and a rooftop terrace.

Prices start from £3 900pp (R70 400) and include internal flights and transfers but not international flights.

Artist’s impression of the RV African Dream which will sail on the Chobe and Zambezi rivers.

To the point

TAAG has delayed increasing flights between LAD and CPT to daily from the end of October. The increase in flights will now only be effective from December 1 to January 15. Due to the delay, TAAG has the following options in place for passengers on affected flights: Rebook them on DT at no ADC a day earlier, a day later or any day within seven days of their original dates; Rebook them on any class within the same cabin; Re-route them via JNB on SAA (Bookable on W & L class only); or a full refund.

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