TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY

INSI

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SOUTHERN AFRICA’S TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLYMay 6 2015 I No. 2348

Page 11

FEATUREAUSTRALIAFlying down under –

the best optionsPage 4

NEWSNEW CPT HOTEL

Tsogo Sun announces 500-room hotel

Page 2

NEWSSAA VOYAGER

JourneyBlitz Awards launched

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TNW Thirsty’s set Cape Town abuzz on April 23. Joining in the good times are (from left) Angie Martin (Pentravel), Chad Le Helloco (Pentravel), Natalie Farnell (Wilderness Safaris), Theresa Szejwallo (The Travel Corporation), Sean Hough (Pentravel) and Tracy Murray-Smith (Tsogo Sun). Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

Cape Town was thirsty!

Agents’ pay – feast or famine?Dorine reinstein

TRAVEL agents are the lowest paid sales people in South Africa, according

to a recent salary index, compiled by CareerJunction. And while some industry leaders believe that low pay leads to low retention of valuable people, others say that effective retail agents’ earnings are unlimited.

The index, which shows the average salaries in 2015 for over 100 jobs in 10 sectors across South Africa, shows travel agents earn salaries ranging from R9 700 to R13 587 for ‘skilled’ employees and from R14 091 to R16 250 for ‘senior’ employees.

“By and large, the travel industry is a very poorly paid industry,” says Rachael Penaluna, business manager for Sure Maritime Travel in Port Elizabeth. “Considering how much hard work and responsibility is involved in being a consultant or agency boss, it really is not worth the salary we get paid.” She says the problem is that the industry is not regulated either internally or externally. “There is no way to have a scale of remuneration, no control. Agency bosses can pay what they think is right in their own context,” she says, adding

that under the current climate, travel consultants won’t stay in the industry for more than 20 years any more.

Also younger consultants tend to get despondent once they realise they can’t afford to travel, says Rachael. “Young consultants enter the industry and think “It’s okay, we will get industry rates, so we can afford to travel”. Rubbish! Very few suppliers and airlines give good rates. Consultants end up despondent because they are earning a pittance and don’t travel.”

Jean Rymer, senior specialist travel recruiter at PCS-SA, says, currently, young leisure consultants earn between R6 000 and R8 000 per month, with the potential to make commission, although the targets are usually quite high. Corporate travel agents earn slightly more.

According to Jean, recruits usually have a fairly good idea of the salary they can expect. But after a couple of years, salary frustrations tend to rear their head. “Travel consultants then start to realise that it is a high-pressure environment with quick turnaround times. They tend to get tired of the combination of little pay and high pressure,” she says, adding that another frustration is the fact that there is only so

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Nepal a no-go for nowDorine reinstein

TOUR operators have advised travellers to postpone travel plans to Nepal, after the country was hit by an earthquake last week, which killed upwards of 5 000 people and left thousands of tourists stranded. Also the FCO has advised against all but essential travel to the country.

Gap Adventures, a tour operator offering expeditions to Everest, told TNW it had

cancelled all trips to Nepal until May 10. At that time, the operator said it would reassess the situation and decide whether or not it would resume trips.

&Beyond has also cancelled its upcoming trip to Nepal. Suhail Gupta, md of &Beyond South Asia, told TNW the operator had a group of 12 people who were supposed to travel to the country next week. “We have advised them to cancel their time in Nepal and travel to the destination

later in the fall.”Suhail says he recommends

travellers to postpone any travel from now until October or November. After that, he says, it should be safe to travel once again to Nepal, especially if travellers are planning to visit Chitawan National Park and Annapurna Circuit, as these two areas have escaped any major damage. “Nepal will need all the support after this terrible tragedy and one way to

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2 n Wednesday May 6 2015 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

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.

TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY

Published by Travel & Trade Publishing (Pty) Ltd Printed by Juka Printing (Pty) Ltd

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EDITORIAL Group Editor: Natasha Schmidt natashas@nowmedia.co.za Contributors: Debbie Badham Tessa Reed Hilka Birns Max Marx Dorine Reinstein Caro Malherbe Darise Foster Photographer: Shannon Van Zyl Production Editor: Ann Braun

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NEWS

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Nepal a no-go for now

support and assist will be to continue planning your visit.”

Although most tour operators will offer travellers the option to change their date of travel or receive a refund, travel insurance companies will not cover cancellations in a case like this. Simmy Micheli, manager sales and marketing for Travel Insurance Consultants, says TIC will only cover cancellation costs if the flight to get to the destination has been cancelled by the airline and the traveller has incurred costs as a result.

Simmy says cancellation cover covers six perils – a sudden illness or death; theft of travel documents; cancellation of your tickets by

the airline; retrenchment; loss at your home of R100 000 or more; or a traumatic event before departure. “Therefore, not wanting to travel due to the earthquake would not be covered.”

She says TIC will help travellers who are currently in Nepal with full medical cover as well as medical repatriation costs after hospitalisation. “If the passenger is killed, the accidental death benefit is a lump sum compensation that would be payable to the family. Further costs for return of mortal remains would be included. Luggage losses or damage would also be covered.”

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has

advised against all but essential travel to Nepal while the international rescue teams are flying into Kathmandu.

“If you are in a safe place, you should stay where you are until it is safe to leave,” the FCO said. “You should follow any advice provided by the local authorities. If you can leave Nepal safely then we advise that you should do so.”

It comes as tour operator, Intrepid Travel, also cancelled all trips to Nepal up to and including May 11 and is offering refunds or the opportunity to postpone travel. “We will be continuing to monitor the situation and will review our subsequent trips as appropriate,” the operator said.

From page 1

A vision of Egypt

Travel Vision is offering special packages to Egypt for a limited period. The seven-night ‘Cairo and Nile Cruise’ starts from R16 999pps and includes return airfare from Johannesburg (including taxes); airport transfers; two nights in Cairo at the Mercure Le Sphinx Hotel with breakfast; a half-day ‘Pyramids & Sphinx’ tour; two nights on the sleeper train (Cairo-Aswan-Luxor-Cairo) on a half-board basis; and three nights on a Nile cruise on a full-board basis. The offer is valid until September 30. For more Egypt specials, see Travelinfo. Penny Mason (Travel Vision supervisor for the UK, Europe and the Middle East) get up close and personal with the Sphinx. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl.

SAA Voyager launches first redemption seat sale

SAA Voyager has announced the first redemption

seat sale – SAA Voyager JourneyBlitz Awards – since the announcement of its extensive programme changes which, for the most part, came into effect on February 1.

SAA released an “unprecedented” number of seats, exclusive to SAA-operated flights for the next 365 days, as part of

the redemption seat sale. Travel is valid until April 23, 2016 but bookings (book, redeem and ticket) for the sale will close on April 30 this year.

The JourneyBlitz Awards mileage thresholds require, on average, 70% to 85% fewer Miles than the Dynamic Awards. The seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis and all levies, taxes and/or surcharges will be for the

member’s own account. “We reassured our

members during the transition period of our programme changes that once our first JourneyBlitz Awards are published, we will have a different conversation. These Awards are indeed in most instances, lower than our previous MileageKeeper Awards,” says Suretha Cruse, SAA executive customer loyalty.

Air Botswana drops direct Cape routeAIR Botswana no longer operates direct flights between Maun and Cape Town, effective May 4. The service will be routed through Gaborone.

Consequently, from

May 4, flight frequency between Gaborone and Cape Town will increase from twice a week to four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

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4 n Wednesday May 6 2015 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

NEWS

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Crystal adds to shore-side excursions CRYSTAL Cruises has added ‘You Care, We Care’ shore excursions to its offering. Crystal Adventures ashore – complimentary for guests – allows participants to engage in the humanitarian and conservational activities of organisations throughout the world. Destinations include New Victoria, Santa Barbara, Dubrovnik, Barcelona, St. Peter Port and Puerto Limon. The ‘You Care, We Care’ Crystal Adventures will be offered on more than two dozen of Crystal’s 2015 worldwide sailings. Complete excursion and sailing details can be found on Crystal’s Shore Excursion Finder tool.

MSC Cruises increases capacity in eastern MedMSC Cruises is deploying extra capacity in the eastern Mediterranean this year due to demand. The 2 550-passenger MSC Poesia and the 2 518-passenger MSC Magnifica will homeport in Venice between May and November, calling at Bari or Brindisi, Katakolon, Izmir, Istanbul and Dubrovnik. They will replace MSC Preziosa (3 502 passengers), which currently sails these routes alone, but will switch to a western Mediterranean itinerary from Genoa.

Round the world cruises from CrystalCRYSTAL Cruises’ Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity will each embark on world cruises in 2018, offering travellers four separate global itineraries. The concurrent world cruise routes for 2018 begin in January, with both ships arriving in Sydney on February 17, allowing guests the opportunity to combine the itineraries of the two ships by switching vessels for a new journey. 2018 World Cruise itineraries include Cape Town to Miami – January 7 to April 30; Los Angeles to Rome – January 23 to May 16; Cape Town to Rome – January 7 to May 16; and Los Angeles to Miami – January 23 to April 30.

DreamBoatsSend your cruising news to debbieb@nowmedia.co.za

R680m hotel to open in Cape Town

TSOGO Sun will construct a new R680m 500-bedroom hotel

complex in the Cape Town city centre after reaching an agreement with the owners of the site of the recently demolished Tulip hotel. It will be located on the corner of Buitengracht and Strand streets.

Construction is expected to begin this month with completion by September 2017.

The hotel will consist of two products in one complex – a 200-bedroom latest-design SunSquare hotel and a 300-bedroom new-generation StayEasy hotel. Also in the complex will be banqueting and conference facilities, Tsogo Sun’s casual dining offering, Vigour & Verve, retail space and approximately 300 underground parking bays. The hotel site currently includes a heritage façade,

which will be retained.The investment brings the

total number of Tsogo Sun rooms in the Cape Town city centre to over 2 000.

Wesgro ceo, Tim Harris, said: “Because the two hotels are targeting the two- to three-star ‘value tourism’ market they will help to meet some of the excess demand for rooms in this price range and broaden the hotel product offering in the city.”

Fastjet updates JNB scheduleFASTJET has updated the schedule on its Johannesburg-Dar es Salaam route, consistent with quarterly seasonal changes. The new schedule is effective for bookings between June 1 and July 26.

Flights from OR Tambo

International Airport will depart for Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport at 23h20 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; arriving at 03h45 the following day. The return flight departs Dar es Salaam at 19h45 on the

same days, arriving in Johannesburg at 22h30. Dar es Salaam is one hour ahead of Johannesburg.

Flights up to and including May 31 will continue to operate on the current flight schedule on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

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6 n Wednesday May 6 2015 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

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THIRSTY’S returned to the Mother City in April for another evening of fun and networking. The newly revamped SunSquare Cape Town was the perfect meeting spot on a

warm and breezy autumn day and the who’s who of travel made the most of a fantastic evening. Next month’s Thirsty’s will be held at Faircity Quatermain Hotel in Sandton. To find out more about this event, email Kate Nathan at katen@nowmedia.co.za

Tsogo Sun’s Honest Ngubethole enjoys the last of the sunset with Atlantis Corporate Travel’s Thandiwe Maseko (left) and Travel Counsellors’ Nomataru Mbira (right).

Taking the opportunity to network are Harold Cox from Kenilworth Travel and Lorette Garnett from Singapore Airlines.

‘What's the joke?’ ask Nothando Khuzwayo (BCD Travel)and Marco Holloway (Student Flights).

Enjoying a drink together are (from left) Shelley Daniels (Beachcomber Tours), Jayne Morkel (Achievement Awards Group) and Natasha Schmidt (TNW). Photos: Shannon Van Zyl

Sharing a joke or two are Liesl Venter (Now Media), Morné Schuin (Lee Botti) and Shirley Arrow (Now Media).

Beachcomber’s Ettienne Walters caught on both sides of the camera.

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8 n Wednesday May 6 2015 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

NEWS

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Etihad deploys new aircraft to Washington ETIHAD Airways has deployed a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its daily Washington, D.C. service. The aircraft is configured with eight first suites, 28 business studios and 199 economy smart seats. James Hogan, president and ceo of Etihad, says: “We have customised the aircraft with the world’s most innovative and sophisticated first-, business- and economy-class cabins, providing our guests with superior levels of comfort and attention to detail not previously enjoyed by the modern air traveller.”

US Airways and American to operate as oneAMERICAN Airlines and US Airways will both operate under ‘American’, after the Federal Aviation Administration awarded the airlines a single operating certificate, a major milestone since they announced their intention to merge 18 months ago. Effective immediately, most flight operations, maintenance and dispatch procedures will be identical for all flights. Customers will continue to check in for their flights on aa.com, usairways.com, or at American or US Airways ticket counters until later this year when American moves to a single reservations system.

Emirates ups capacity to Gatwick EMIRATES has launched a second daily A380 service to London Gatwick, effective immediately. It replaces the B777 that previously operated flights EK15/16. The A380 will add a total of 318 seats per day.

Delta expands South American network DELTA will launch services from Atlanta to Medellin and Cartagena in Colombia on December 19, subject to government approval. The airline already offers services from Atlanta and New York to the Colombian capital, Bogota. Meanwhile, in its bid to further increase its Latin American network, Delta and fellow SkyTeam member, Grupo Aeromexico, have filed an application with the US Department of Transportation seeking antitrust immunity for a new US$1,5bn (R18bn) joint venture on flights between the US and Mexico.

New terminal coming to Frankfurt A NEW Terminal 3 will be constructed at Frankfurt Airport this year. Construction of the terminal is scheduled to take place over a period of seven years with it expected to become operational in 2022.

Singapore to upgrade airport facilities CHANGI Airport in Singapore will revamp its Terminal 1 check-in hall, baggage-handling system and arrival immigration hall. Renovations began last month and are expected to be completed by 2019. The check-in counters in the departure hall will see two new check-in rows installed to increase passenger handling capacity. The baggage-handling system will be upgraded from a semi-automated to fully automated system, as in the other terminals, to better support the implementation of self-check-in and self-bag-drop functions at T1 and early check-in facilities.

AirHeadsA snapshot of the week's airline news

Radisson Red enters SA

CARLSON Rezidor will bring its Radisson Red brand to Cape Town late next

year. It will mark the first Radisson

Red property in Africa, Europe and the Middle East and will be operated by the Rezidor Hotel Group.

The Radisson Red V&A Waterfront will feature 235

guest rooms, a 24/7 deli and bar, five meeting event studios, a fitness studio, rooftop swimming pool, a rooftop garden terrace and bar. It will be within walking distance of the Cape Town Convention Centre and 20km from Cape Town International Airport.

“Following the recent Carlson Rezidor signing of

the Radisson Red Shenyang Hunan in China, we are now delighted to announce the first Radisson Red in EMEA in a location as prominent as the V&A Waterfront – giving our new brand both local and global visibility in a world-class destination,” said Wolfgang Neumann, president and ceo of Rezidor.

Travelport adds 70 000 hotels to systemTRAVELPORT and HRS, a global hotel solutions provider, have entered into a multi-year global distribution agreement that will see 70 000 hotels from HRS’s properties – the majority of which are independent hotels – added

to Travelport’s commerce platform.

The HRS inventory will be fully integrated later in the year. “It gives travel agencies and companies access to new hotel properties and enables them to find the right content, all within an

efficient booking process,” said HRS ceo, Tobias Ragge.

The agreement also gives Travelport-connected agents access to the HRS Business Tariff programme, which provides special corporate rates for more than 35 000 hotels globally.

UK implements ‘health surcharge’ for travellersTRAVELLERS staying in the UK for longer than six months are required to pay a ‘health surcharge’ when they make their visa application. The surcharge must be paid online before attending the Visa Application Centre.

They will then be able to use the National Health Service (NHS) but will still need to pay for certain types of services, including prescriptions, dental treatment and eye tests. Biometric residence permits

should also be presented when accessing healthcare in the UK.

Travellers on a visitor visa do not have to pay the healthcare surcharge and will instead pay for any healthcare received through the NHS.

Robben Island launches off-peak schedule ROBBEN Island Museum will change the frequency of its daily tours and increase fares as it commences its off-peak tour schedule. The peak season will recommence in September.

From mid-April, tours will drop from the usual four

during peak season to three. They will run at 09h00 and 11h00, with the last ferry leaving the Nelson Mandela Gateway at 13h00.

The 15h00 tour will return in peak season.

From June 1, the museum will increase tariffs from the

current R280 for adults to R300, while children under 18 will pay R160.

The fee for tickets cancelled 14 days prior to a tour remains R50 per ticket, and the Nelson Mandela Gateway will operate from 07h30 to 18h00 as normal.

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10 n Wednesday May 6 2015 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

NEWS

To receive TNW contact Gladys on gladysn@nowmedia.co.za

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AfricaStay is offering special Victoria Falls and Chobe rates, starting from R4 190pps for two-night stays at various properties, including flights, hotel transfers, breakfast and a sunset cruise. Three-night stays are also available. Agents earn 10% commission on accommodation. For more information, see Travelinfo. Cruising down the river are (from left) AfricaStay’s Gail Gilbert (sales and marketing manager) and Carol Mhazo (reservation consultant for Victoria Falls). Photo: Shannon Van Zyl.

Amazing Africa

SAA – bid for business class

SAA has introduced Step-Up, an online bidding system

that gives customers the opportunity to upgrade their seat from economy to business class.

The success of the client’s offer depended on a combination of factors, including the amount offered for the upgrade, the original economy-class fare purchased, the passenger’s SAA Voyager status, and the number of seats available for upgrade, SAA said in a statement.

Customers will receive an email seven days before their scheduled departure, informing them of available seats in business class. The email contains a link to the Step-Up tool, where the customer will be able to place their bid. If the email address in the booking is that of the travel agent, the agent can follow the link and bid on behalf of the customer. Alternatively, the travel agent may pass the email on to their customer to action.

All bids close 72 hours

before departure. Customers can view, modify and cancel their bid before this cut-off. They are then notified 24 hours before departure of the outcome of their bid. Successful customers’ credit cards will be charged with the amount they have bid. Unsuccessful passengers retain their original itinerary and pay nothing.

The programme has been launched on selected routes and will be extended to more routes in the near future.

For the recordIn the Gulf Tourism feature (TNW April 29) we reported that Dubai was expecting two million visitors by 2020. The figure should have been 20 million visitors. TNW apologises for the error.

Helen Johnston selects the top specials from Travelinfo

Bantry Bay Suite Hotel. Winter leisure special: rates are from R622,50pp sharing in a deluxe suite. Kids under12 stay and have breakfast free. Rate includes free breakfast and free parking. Offer valid until July 31. Booking code: PROMO (TI). Luxury suite rates are also available. Air Holidays. Victoria Falls – ‘Bonus package’. Four nights at Elephant Hills from R6 630 plus approximate

taxes of R3 720pp. Package includes return flights ex-JNB, airport transfers, accommodation with breakfast, one dinner, guided tour of the Falls (entry fee paid direct), lunch at Rainforest Café, historical bridge tour, sunset cruise ($10 park fee paid direct), dinner cruise, including three-course meal and open bar. Offer expires June 30. United Airlines. Fares from JNB to the USA via UK/Europe. Fares are from R12 617 to Washington, R12 917

to Orlando, R14 400 to New York, R13 917 to Los Angeles/San Francisco and R14 700 to Chicago. Fares include taxes. Valid for travel until November 30. SA domestic add-on fares available. Origin Tours. Seven-night packages to Madagascar are from R15 809pp

sharing. Offer includes return flights ex-JNB, return airport-hotel transfers, one night’s accommodation sharing in Antananarivo with breakfast, six nights’ accommodation sharing at Nosy Iranja in a bungalow with breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Offer excludes taxes and is available for Saturday departures until June 30. Rove Africa. Seven-night wildebeest migration packages in Tanzania are

from R23 610pp sharing. Rate includes return flights ex-JNB, airport taxes, private 4x4 safari vehicle, accommodation, all meals, full-day or two half-day game drives per day, all park/conservancy fees. Pricing based on four passengers travelling together until August 31.

Specials Spot

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AustraliaA number of airlines have stepped in to fill the gap left when SAA and Qantas axed their codeshare alliance last year. Hilka Birns reports.

Flying down under – what are the best options?

FLYING time and value for money are critical considerations when it

comes to selling flights to Australia.

With the Qantas-SAA codeshare no longer in operation, a number of passengers have been significantly inconvenienced, notably those who previously had enjoyed Qantas’s free stopover in Perth en route to Sydney. Voyager members and Star Alliance Round-the-World ticket holders have also been negatively affected. Since SAA operates only one flight a week to Perth, they now have limited departure options.

The fastest and most direct schedules to Australia from Johannesburg remain Qantas’s daily flights to Sydney and SAA’s once-weekly service to Perth (with onward connections on Virgin Australia).

However, travel agents are looking at alternatives with lower prices and offering shorter transit times. These include Qatar Airways via Doha, Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi and Cathay Pacific via

Hong Kong. Although these flights offer lower fares from Johannesburg, travelling time is longer in each case. Then again, some routes offer other benefits: for example, Etihad codeshares with SAA, so Voyager members can earn miles on this route. Emirates is a popular alternative because, in addition to daily flights from Johannesburg, the airline also flies directly from Cape Town and Durban, and offers attractive fares.

Singapore Airlines is another favoured option because it operates daily from Johannesburg and four times a week from Cape Town via Johannesburg. Market development manager, Sally George, says SQ offers more than 110 flights via Singapore to Australia. SQ and SilkAir operate flights to seven Australian destinations including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Darwin and Cairns (starting this month). In addition, SQ offers a stopover package in Singapore that includes accommodation and

sightseeing. This package is easily accessed by South Africans, as no visa is required for visiting Singapore.

Air Mauritius flies from Johannesburg to Perth via Mauritius, offering an overnight stopover package. Again, no visa is required for Mauritius and the stopover package may be extended if desired. The flight is a value-for-money alternative but is about four hours longer, although only seven hours from Mauritius. Air Mauritius also codeshares

with Virgin Australia from Perth, says Air Mauritius regional manager, Carla da Silva.

Getting there SAA flies once a week non-

stop from Johannesburg to Perth with onward connections on Virgin Australia. Flight time to Perth: 9h30m.

Qantas flies daily non-stop from Johannesburg to Sydney. Flight time: 11h50m.

Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways and Cathay Pacific Airways all fly to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane via their home hubs.

Singapore Airlines flies to various destinations in Australia, with a stopover in Singapore. Flight time from Johannesburg including transit at Singapore: Sydney (18h50m), Brisbane (21h40m), Melbourne (19h15m) and Perth (17h).

Qatar Airways flies via Doha to Perth (21h10m) and Melbourne (22h10m).

Air Mauritius flies to Perth

via Mauritius. Flight time: 13h35m.

Getting around Given Australia’s size, flying remains the best option, unless your clients have time to spare. Most passengers make use of add-on fares, e.g. Singapore Airlines offers through fares from South Africa via Singapore in conjunction with Virgin Australia, to more than 30 destinations in Australia. Low-cost airlines like Jet Star and Virgin Australia also offer regular flights, good fares and easy connections between cities.

Petrol is expensive compared with South Africa and people often underestimate the vast distances between cities. However, some travellers enjoy hiring a camper van and purchasing a stay-as-you-go voucher for accommodation (Thompsons Holidays offers this package). Popular self-drive scenic tours include the Great Ocean Road west of Melbourne; and from Brisbane down the Gold Coast.

Carla da Silva

12 n Wednesday May 6 2015 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

TOURISM from South Africa to Western Australia has grown by 10,9% for the year ending September 2014. Although South African travellers totalled only 19 300, they nevertheless spent R418,5m (AUD46m), according to Perth-based Tourism Western Australia spokesperson, Marta Alexander. She says Western Australia received 34,3% of all South African visitors to Australia in the year ending December 2013, most having visited for leisure.

This ties in with Thompsons Holidays reporting growing interest in adventure destinations in Western Australia, and tour operators, travel agents and airlines listing Perth as the top-selling destination from South Africa, followed by Sydney/New South Wales, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Travel Vision, Thompsons Holidays and Trafalgar Tours also feature Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef in their brochures.

However, lack of promotion in South Africa, expensive

airfares, distance of travel and an unfavourable exchange rate mean Australia as a whole remains largely a destination for dwindling numbers of VFRs from South Africa.

Tourism Australia has not been represented locally for years. Sydney-based Tourism Australia spokesman, Leo Seaton, admits that South Africa is not a priority, based on its tourism performance and potential in terms of arrival numbers and spending. “Based on the latest arrivals figures, we received 53 600 South African visitors in the year ending September 2014, a drop of 1,5% on the same period the previous year. To put that into context, the total number of international visitors we received in that same period was 6,6m. I’m afraid South Africa isn’t currently on our list of 17 priority international markets, so we don’t do much in-market. Nor do we have any commercial partnerships with either Qantas or SAA,” he says.

“We battle to get brochures from tour operators,” adds a

Johannesburg-based travel agent who asked not to be named. “There is a lack of promotion and knowledge, with many South Africans assuming that Australia is a lot like South Africa and therefore not an interesting holiday option. It’s an expensive destination

because the airfares aren’t cheap and costs in Australia have gone up.”

The VFR nature of the market makes selling package tours and add-ons a challenge. “We seldom sell package tours to Australia,” the agent says. “Our clients are mainly aged

50-plus, often parents or grandparents of children living in Australia, and want to travel there by the most direct and best value route.

“Accommodation and sightseeing are mostly organised by family members in Australia,” she says.

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AustraliaTourism to Western Australia grows

Perth is the top-selling destination in Western Australia from South Africa.

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Find your adventure...

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Tel: (011) 408-8000Fax: (011) 782-7624email: info@travelvision.co.za

FLY-DRIVE: MELBOURNE TO SYDNEY COASTAL DRIVE – 7 x daysVisit Phillip Island to view the “Penguin Parade” of Australia’s famous little penguins. Enjoying a walk through a eucalypt forest and wildflowers at Wilsons Promontory. Drive to the Lakes Entrance by following the Prince Highway via Baimsdale and visit the Gippsland timber village near Snowy River. Continue on Prince Highway to reach the picturesque Gipsy Point where you can join a morning boat trip. Travel further north and visit the Eden Killer Whale Museum. Find you way back on Prince Highway an look out for the turn-off to Huskisson & Jervis Bay, known for the whitest sand beaches in the world and resident a dolphin population. The last stretch of your journey takes you along the Grand Pacific Drive and the highlight is crossing the impressive Sea Cliff Bridge, near Coalcliff and Clifton.

From R10 125 per person sharing Including: 6 nights accommodation only, car hire with unlimited kms, GPS, VRF (Vehicle Registration fee), CRF (Concession Recovery Fee), PLS (Premium Location Surcharge), LDW (Loss Damage Waiver), Super Excess Reduction (NIL Excess), one way fee, admin fees and GST @ 10%.

Validity: 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016

TRAVEL VISION TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY

Australia

Singapore adds Cairns serviceSINGAPORE Airlines has launched a new thrice-weekly service to Cairns, the first flight taking off on May 30.

It also offers a one-night hotel stay-over in Singapore for SGD1pp (R9) in a twin

room in a category A hotel, valid for travel from May 1 until November 30 and for sale until June 19.

The airline has also extended its promotion entitling transit passengers to Changi Dollar

Vouchers worth SGD40 (R360), which can be used to access the Ambassador transit lounge or for purchases at restaurants and duty-free shops. The promotion now runs until March 31, 2016.

Tips of the tradeAGENTS should book clients’ day trips or overnight cruises to the Great Barrier Reef in advance as limited numbers of vessels are allowed at the World Heritage-listed area at any given time, advises Travel Vision sales and marketing manager, Annemarie Lexow.

Options include: Coral Princes Cruises:

Three-, four- and seven-night cruises from Cairns to Pelarus Island and Lizard Island. Sunlover Reef Cruises:

Daily departures from Cairns. Activities include snorkelling, semi-submersible and glass-bottom boat tours, fish feeding, an underwater observatory and a marine life touch tank. Sailaway Reef and

Island Tours: Full-day, afternoon and sunset cruises from Port Douglas to the Low Isles. Swimming with turtles is the tour highlight. Quicksilver Cruises:

Day trips from Cairns and Port Douglas to the Outer Reef and the Low Isles. Highlights include hot air ballooning and helicopter flights.

Singapore Airlines will fly three times a week to Cairns.

The Great Barrier Reef – book your clients’ day trips in advance.

TNW7012SD

14 n Wednesday May 6 2015 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

Take the train!AUSTRALIA boasts some of the most spectacular rail journeys in the world – an attractive holiday option for clients with time to spare.

NSW TrainLink: Operates long-distance passenger rail services and an extensive coach network to more than 366 destinations throughout New South Wales and to interstate destinations including Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne. Its Discovery Pass allows unlimited travel for 14 days or one, three or six months.

Great Southern Rail operates tourist trains such as: The Indian Pacific: One of

the world's longest train journeys, covering 4 352km between Sydney and Perth. The Ghan: Runs between

Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin and back, covering 2 979km

in three days. The Overlander: A

daylight service in both directions between Adelaide and Melbourne, covering 828km. The Southern Spirit:

Runs between Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane, including whistle-stop tours of the Grampians National Park, Albury-Wodonga, the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Hunter Valley, Port Macquarie and Byron Bay.

Transwa operates trains and coaches to more than 275 destinations in the southern half of Western Australia, including the high-speed Prospector train, the new high-speed AvonLink/MerredinLink and the Australind train.

Queensland Rail Travel operates: The Sunlander, which

weaves its way along Queensland’s coastline

between Brisbane and Cairns. The Tilt Train: A

business-class service between Brisbane and Cairns; Brisbane and Rockhampton; and Brisbane and Bundaberg, reaching Hervey Bay for whale watching, the World

Heritage-listed Fraser Island, the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsundays. Other services include

the Spirit of the Outback, The Westlander, The Inlander, The Gulflander, The Savannahlander and The Kuranda Scenic Railway.

Australia

The Ghan runs between Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin. Photo: Great Southern Rail

Did you know?South African corporates connected with mining companies around Perth will be pleased to hear that Air Mauritius offers a R24 000 business-class fare to Perth all year round.

TNW7010SD

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

QUICK READ FOR BUSIEST PEOPLE Wednesday May 6 2015 n 15

Appointments

To advertise on this page email

courtneyc@nowmedia.co.za

Top jobs in Gauteng this week:

TNW7365

Marketing Manager Sandton. Est co seeks strong marketing & mngm skills and the ability to travel. Sal R30 000 neg.

Incentives Consultant Sandton. East & Southern Africa fundi with min 3 yrs exp sought by exciting brand. Sal R25 000 neg.

Snr In-house Cons CBD. Client focused indiv sought. Working knowl of Galileo req to work in a dynamic team environ! Sal R22 000 neg.

Senior Corp Cons Sandton. Well est co req your stable work b/g & Amadeus skills! Sal R22 000 neg.

Tel: Cornelia / Kim 011 452 0204 corneliavz@nowjobs.co.za

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

TNW

7366

E-Commerce Specialist - N/Suburbs, CPTQuantex Recruitment GroupTake control of this Destination Management Company’s web presence. Prior tourism industry experience and outstanding Southern Africa destination knowledge essential. Email: lee@quantex.co.za

Sales Executive – DurbanLee Botti & AssociatesInternational leader in travel needs your passion and focus on new corporate business as well as servicing of existing client base. Email: durban@nowjobs.co.za

MICE Manager - JHB NorthProfessional Career ServicesOversee the running meetings, events, conferencing and incentives. Budgets, costings. Min 5 years exp. In similar position in travel industry. Email: jeancv@pcs-sa.co.za

Client Operations Manager – Western CapeEquity Connections ccSuit `business savvy’, highly experienced travel expert. Maintain, grow client portfolio, manage staff, supplier negotiations. Relevant experience essential. Email: equitycon@mweb.co.za

Top Corporate Senior - Johannesburg – SandtonInfusion Consulting5+ years’ senior consulting. Multi sector/RTW bookings. Strong fares & ticketing. Galileo: salary R28K CTC +commission. Email: belinda@infusion.co.za

BSP Refunds Clerk – CPT CBDClub TravelTeam player. Assist with refunds and provide administrative support. Be proficient in at least one GDS. Minimum 1-3 years’ BSP experience. Email: careers@clubtravel.co.za

Girl Friday/PA – FourwaysWendy’s Travel PersonnelExcel essential for varied position handling overflow of admin work and also assisting MD!! *Excel – formulas, spreadsheets *Must enjoy figure work. Email: wtp@icon.co.za

HR Manager - Milnerton, CPTQuantex Recruitment GroupTour Operator seeks the services of a confident & knowledgeable leader. Prior tourism, hospitality or service industry experience required. Email: bridget@quantex.co.za

Home based FIT Consultant – Cape TownLee Botti & AssociatesLuxury brand seeks East Africa fundi to work directly with US clients. Salary R 22 000 + comm! Email: malikam@nowjobs.co.za

Travel Consultant – Lodge Wholesale – SandtonProfessional Career ServicesMin 3 yrs+ consulting experience & work experience in South, Southern and East Africa. Designing of leisure FIT tailor-made itineraries. R12000-R16000. Email: nonocv@pcs-sa.co.za

Senior FIT Consultant – NorthEquity Connections ccPlan, design highly creative itineraries into South/Southern Africa. Handle costings, liaise with direct clients/agents. FIT experience a must. Email: equitycon@mweb.co.za

Training Facilitator - Johannesburg – SandtonInfusion ConsultingExperienced ACCREDITED trainer, responsible for material/programme design, technical, soft skills training, learnerships. Adv. able to train - Amadeus/Galileo. CTC: R25-30KPM neg. Email: belinda@infusion.co.za

Sales Executive – Cape Town, TygervalleyClub TravelDo you possess the drive to analyse the market & offer feedback on market trends? Dynamic sales executive required to join our team. Email: careers@clubtravel.co.za

Gangnam Style for Sure!

Sure Travel consultants from around the country jetted in to Johannesburg on April 18 for the annual Sure Travel Consultants Forum at the Birchwood Hotel, and zoned in on how to give their clients an even more memorable customer experience. Twenty-eight teams of consultants and preferred partners came together to show off their moves as they starred in their very own Happy and Gangnam Style music videos. Errol van der Merwe gave some great tips on improving sales and the ‘customer xperience’ while Gerry and the Dream Team ensured all had a ‘Sure-tastic’ day of teambuilding.

The Dragonfly Africa Group has appointed Clinton Els to the board of directors, in the role of director of incentives and travel. Over the years Clinton has strategically developed and overseen Dragonfly’s existing and new business. Debbie Holmes has been promoted to manager of incentives. She has been almost seven years with the group.

SWISS to the coreSWISS International Air Lines implemented a local SWISS Core Team in South Africa on April 1. Danica Helfrich, the new country manager, will oversee the team of four. She will lead the team, who will focus on functions like marketing, pricing, servicing and customer relations. The SWISS sales team will be led by Lufthansa. “In my new position I’ll be overseeing the overall SWISS South Africa sales and will be responsible for achieving our revenue targets by marketing SWISS in South Africa and filling our daily flights from Johannesburg to Zurich,” said Danica. Pictured here (from left) are: Shirley Wright, Vera Matic, Andrea Carlyle, Danica and Suzelle Bouwer (middle seated).

brought to you by eTNW and TRAVELINFO

eTravel is the ITC market leader in South Africa and assists senior Travel Consultants and Travel business owners to realise their dreams. If you have ever dreamt of owning your own travel business or would like to cut costs by doing away with your IATA license and improve your current business efficiencies then you should call eTravel. We run the back office for over 200 Independent Travel Companies and specialise in making your travel business a success by offering the best commissions, overrides & a comprehensive support structure. If you have a client base, 5 years travel consultant experience or already own your own business but want to make more, then contact us! You’ll be amazed at how easy it is!

Contact Tammy on 0861eTrave1 or info@etravel.co.za

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16 n Wednesday May 6 2015 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

TNW NEWS

Following reports of possible reprisal attacks against South Africans after the recent xenophobic violence, have your clients expressed concerns about travelling into Africa?

We’ll go anyway! Agents’ pay – feast or famine?

far you can climb the ladder in the travel industry.

Nick Paul, social media manager for Travelstart, says agents often have the potential to earn reasonable salaries when taking into account their commission structures. However, Nick also points out that travel agencies tend to work on extremely small margins, which are often less than 10% of the total turnover. “In order for regular travel agents to compete with online travel booking engines, which have very small margins, they have to drop their service fees even further.”

However, TMCs say the CareerJunction survey should be taken with a pinch of salt and is not necessarily representative of remuneration in the industry. “In our business, the average salary in our retail stores is R17 000 per month and in corporate R32 000 per month, so we don't classify agents as badly paid,” says Andrew Stark,

md of Flight Centre, adding that the position allows for uncapped earning potential. He agrees that retention of talent remains an issue in the industry. “We recruit 30 and lose 25 per month but that is the hard reality of sales. It’s either for you or it’s not.”

Jonathan Gerber, director at TAG, says all TAG consultants are fairly remunerated, can earn extra commission and do have decent earning potential. “Salaries are not this low and I would not believe the study! Good people will always earn well. Salary depends on experience, billings, customer service, professionalism and what value you can bring to your organisation.”

Sean Hough, ceo of Pentravel, also doesn’t agree with the survey. He says Pentravel’s highest earner recently took home R145 000 over and above her basic salary. “Where else can you earn salaries like that?” he asks, adding that Pentravel people don’t work just for the

money. “We employ people who feel their purpose is to make customers happy and who love travel. But they are richly rewarded for their work.”

For a travel agency to become a lucrative business, it is important that travel agents start moving away from the mindset that they are merely ticket sellers or the intermediaries of suppliers such as airlines. Otto de Vries, ceo of Asata, believes this transformation has proved challenging for an industry that has historically relied on generating its income through the supply chain only.

Says Otto: “Those travel retailers who have truly understood their customers’ needs and who have effectively communicated how they meet these needs, and how much value they thus provide, are benefiting from this and are able to command fees (salaries) that are commensurate with their expertise, knowledge and efforts.”

From page 1

SAA seeks new ceoDorine reinstein

SAA will soon start the process of appointing a new chief executive

to take over the reins of the embattled national airline.

Spokesperson for SAA, Tlali Tlali, told TNW that following the announcement last week that Monwabisi Kalawe had resigned with immediate effect, the position of the chief executive was vacant and would be filled in accordance with SAA’s recruitment and selection policy.

The suspended ceo decided to accept a payout of nearly

R2,7m to resign from his position at the national carrier. Monwabisi, who was appointed in June 2013, was suspended at the end of October 2014 by SAA board chairperson, Dudu Myeni. The exact reasons for the suspension remain unclear, but included allegations of ‘serious misconduct’ relating to non-compliance.

Monwabisi launched an urgent application to the Labour Court at the beginning of April to have his suspension lifted. He later withdrew his application and during the arbitration process, it was decided that

“the employment relationship between Monwabisi and SAA had irretrievably broken down and that he would not seek to continue employment at the national carrier”.

Whether current acting ceo, Nico Bezuidenhout, will apply for the post at the helm of SAA remains unclear. Tlali said: “Once the post has been advertised publicly, it will be open to all interested parties to apply. Bezuidenhout remains the acting SAA ceo until further notice. He will make a personal decision on whether or not to apply for the position.”

New system won’t process passports – DHATHE eChannel system, to be trialled in selected banks from next month, will not process passport applications, Department of Home Affairs spokesperson, Mayihlome Tshwete, told TNW.

Earlier, the South African government news portal reported that applications for smart ID cards and passports would be processed at banks and the South

African Post Office as part of the eChannel system. However, Mayihlome has since clarified that, for now, the pilot would only be for the application of smart ID cards.

Mayihlome was quoted in Traveller24 saying that “while the Department’s new Smart ID card pilot project does not allow for the application process of passports as yet, that is the end goal”.

Ethiopian enters JapanETHIOPIAN Airlines has started new services to Japan, in a codeshare with fellow Star Alliance member, All Nippon Airways. As of April 21, the thrice-weekly flight ET672 departs Addis Ababa at 22h15 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and arrives at Tokyo

Narita International Airport at 19h30 the following day. Return flight ET673 departs Tokyo Narita at 20h45 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to arrive in Addis Ababa at 06h00 the next morning. The flight will be operated with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Vic Falls airport upgrades on trackTHE upgrades at Victoria Falls International Airport are scheduled to be completed by the end of September. The total cost of the project is US$150m (R1,7bn).

“This airport upgrading project is set to provide the perfect backdrop for inbound tourism to the region, as well as become the region’s top meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions centre,” the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe said in a statement.

The new runway will cater for category-E-type aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400,

B777 and A340. The current runway will be extended into a parallel taxiway, and a new international passenger terminal with a handling capacity of 1,5 million passengers per annum will be introduced. The existing terminal building will be converted into a fully fledged domestic terminal. The upgrades also include the construction of a new control tower and fire station.

Facilities include: Check-in counters with

modern technology. Airside shuttle bus service. Ten immigration counters

and three baggage carousels in the International Arrivals Hall.

Increased duty-free and retail space.

First-, business-class and smoking lounges. Landside restaurants and

coffee shops. Banking facilities that

facilitate Visa and MasterCard transactions. Free WiFi. Bureau de change, car hire

and taxis services.The Zimbabwean CAA said

there were future plans to build an airport hotel in the medium term.

50

40

30

20

10

0

44%

34%

22%

Clients are showing concern, but travelling anyway.

Yes. Clients are postponing trips into Africa because of their concerns.

No. Travel into Africa is proceeding as normal.