TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY

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SoUTHERN AfRiCA’S TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLYApril 23 2014 I No. 2298

Page 2 Page 8 Page 9

SELL MORE...MAuRiTiuS

FeaturerePOrtB-BBEE CODES

Challenges ahead

NeWSASATA CONfERENCE

Who’s talking about what?

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Thank you to all conference bookersBook your conference with us and we’ll treat you with a breakfast for two on usTerms and conditions apply

T : +27 (0)1 1 282 0000 T : 0861 444 435www.h i sand ton . co . za E : con fe renc ing@hisand ton . co . za

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island vibes

SAA is offering an economy-class promotional fare of R2 960 return (excluding taxes) to Mauritius from Durban, via Johannesburg. The offer is effective for all sales and travel on or before June 26. SAA’s retail channel manager for SA, Denise Kotze, gets ready for the beach. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

SAX drops ‘unsustainable’ routesChana BouCher and dorine reinstein

SA EXPRESS will be discontinuing its Cape Town-Maputo and Cape Town-Windhoek routes as of

May 15.In a statement, the airline said

the changes were “in support of the airline’s strategy of sustainability and improving connectivity”. This follows the regional carrier’s recent application with the Air Services Licensing Council to operate three flights a week between Johannesburg (OR Tambo International) and Maputo.

Stefan Louw of Trigon Travel believes the reason for the flights being pulled is that SAX has not been able to fill its aircraft. He says the Cape Town-Windhoek schedule was limiting as it operated on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which is not ideal for business travellers as it requires two nights’ accommodation. The timing of the return flight on the same day does not afford the traveller enough time at the destination either.

On the Cape Town-Maputo route, Stefan says there is not sufficient business travel demand from the Mother City. He adds that leisure travellers tend to connect onward to the islands and that SAX, to his knowledge, did not have agreements in place with other airlines to make this possible. He says Cape Town travellers are used to travelling via Johannesburg when visiting Mozambique.

Rod Rutter, coo of XL Travel, says the majority of travellers to Maputo are linked to the mining and industrial

sectors, and those companies’ head offices are based in Johannesburg, making the demand stronger.

Rod adds that the Windhoek route would be difficult for SAX to sustain because of strong competition from Air Namibia, which operates a more cost-effective service due to its larger aircraft.

Eric Sakawsky, Flight Centre’s gm of corporate, believes cutting the routes will have an effect on options and price. “We are a little disappointed that SAX has cancelled the flights as we like to offer our clients as many options as possible. Cancelling this route obviously limits these options. Not having the Cape Town-Maputo route will definitely have an impact on our clients and will likely result in increased cost for them travelling to Maputo.”

The leisure sector, however, will not be greatly affected by the withdrawal of the routes. Tarryn Gibson of Wilderness Safaris says that although overall business to Mozambique and Namibia has shown an increase in numbers, only a small percentage of itineraries combine Cape Town and Windhoek or Maputo, with most guests flying via Johannesburg.

Megan d’Arcy, Comair Travel’s product manager, adds that tourism to Mozambique is mainly concentrated in the mid to north coastal and island areas, with Vilanculos, Inhambane and Pemba being the main gateways. “Reduced flights to Maputo will most probably affect the corporate market, however the tourism industry will feel

To page 2

New domestic carrier gets the nodTHE Air Services Licencing Council has granted FlySafair a domestic air service licence for the operation of domestic scheduled flights.

The airline was initially blocked from starting its operations after two competitors brought an urgent application to interdict the new low-cost airline from starting its operations, based on its not meeting the 75% domestic ownership requirements.

“Since then FlySafair has restructured its shareholding, getting

rid of the shareholding that caused the problems and at the same time concluding the largest employee share ownership scheme in the aviation industry, effectively giving its South African employees a 25,14% stake in the company,” said Dave Andrew, ceo of Safair.

“Having now received our new schedule passenger licence, we are currently evaluating our options for the re-launch of FlySafair. Dates for the launch flight and ticket sales will be announced in due course,” he said.

2 n Wednesday April 23 2014 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.

TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY

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

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EDITORIAL Editor: Natasha Tippel natashat@nowmedia.co.za Features Editor: Michelle Colman michellec@nowmedia.co.za Contributors: Mandy Watson Debbie Badham Hilka Birns Chana Boucher Dorine Reinstein Photographer: Shannon Van Zyl Production Editor: Ann Braun

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ADVERTIsING Sales: katen@nowmedia.co.za Advertising Co-ordinator: Courtney Canham courtneyc@nowmedia.co.za

PRODuCTION Design Head: Dirk Voorneveld

subsCRIPTIONs Circulation tvlsubs@nowmedia.co.za

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SAX drops routesless of an impact as the bulk of this industry is not located in the Maputo area.”

The withdrawal from the Maputo and Windhoek routes will, however, have an effect on availability, especially during peak seasons, says Lynette Smith, Thompsons Holidays’ product and

contracting executive for Africa. “It could also impact on the competitiveness of ticket prices on the route. Hopefully the existing carriers will be able to manage traffic on these routes without a hitch.”

SAX did not respond to further questions from TNW.

From page 1

Marriott reveals plans for North Africa

Asata conference: who’s talking about what?Natasha tippel

ASATA has revealed a list of speakers who will present

at its upcoming annual conference, which will be held from May 23-26 at the African Pride Arabella Hotel & Spa in Hermanus.

Helen Nicholson, director of The Networking Company, will discuss how to ‘Grow your network, Grow your business’, giving agents insight into how to network and develop their own personal brand.

Lynn Baker of Executive Presence, a specialised coaching and training company, will share with delegates the basics of developing a professional presence and the attributes of highly successful leaders.

Monique Swart, founder of African Business Travel Association (ABTA), will lead a round table session where delegates will discuss the results of a recent ABTA Travel Buyers survey revealing key trends, challenges

and opportunities faced by companies when travelling into Africa.

Delegates will also receive an update from Keith Levenstein of EconoServ, on the new B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice (see page 8 for more on this topic) and how they affect the travel sector in particular.

Gareth Cremen of Ramsay Webber will present on two subjects: the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act, and Business Rescue.

Natalia Rosa will host an interactive workshop on how to get the most from your Asata membership, where delegates will learn about Asata’s new brand toolkit and tips to elevate the brand to customers.

Registration can be completed online at http://www.satravelagents.co.za/conf2014/.

All about communicationIn other news, Asata has appointed Lloyd Orr and affiliate partner, Big Ambitions, as its PR agency.

The agency will assist Asata with positioning the brand and its members in the public sector as ‘experts in travel’.

Asata is launching a number of initiatives to drive this message, the PR company told TNW.

“Various communication channels will be used to reach out to the audience ranging from print and online to social media. After a six-month evaluation, our aim is to engage with the audience on the social media platform, creating different scenarios of incidences where Asata agents and non-Asata agents were used to plan a trip. This will take the form of a game, but we don’t want to give away too much information at start-up.”

“We hope there will be a certain level of collaboration among Asata members to leverage the message wherever and whenever they can and, to this end, we will be equipping them with the correct tools and expertise,” the association said.

Hayley Cochran selects the top specials from Travelinfo SAA. Promotional fares from JNB to Seychelles. Economy-class is R3 190 return and business

class R7 470 return. Fares exclude all taxes. They are valid for sales until April 30 and for travel from May 1 to June 15. Ethiopian Airlines. Fares ex-JNB to Europe are from R2 470 (CDG), R2 820 (ARN), R2 870

(LHR), R2 940 (FCO), R2 980 (FRA) and R3 010 (BRU). Taxes not included. Saleable until May 31 for travel until June 30. Busabout, Haggis Adventures & Shamrocker Adventures. Limited offer – two for one on

Croatia Island Hopper or One Way Sail. Seven-day rates are from R7 690pp. Includes accommodation with daily breakfast and lunch, island walks, boat captain and guide. Book by April 30 for selected dates in May and June. Freeway holidays. Five-star hotel rates are from R820 (room only) and R1 180 (B&B)

in a double room. Offer expires April 30. Refer to Travelinfo for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur and SA domestic specials.

Specials Spot

Natasha tippel aNd tessa Reed

MARRIOTT International has revealed plans to aggressively develop properties across the Middle East and North Africa.

In the pipeline is the development of properties in Saudi Arabia (seven), the UAE (six), Algeria (six), Morocco (five), Bahrain (two), Ethiopia (two), Tunisia (two), Iraq (two), Egypt (one), Kuwait (one), and Qatar (one).

There are also plans to develop properties in sub-Saharan Africa: Nigeria (four), Gabon (two), Benin (one), Ghana (one), Rwanda (one),

and Mauritius (one).This is across Marriott’s

existing brands: the Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Courtyard by Marriott, Protea Hotels, Residence Inn by Marriott and Marriott Executive Apartments. There are also plans to introduce new brands such as Edition in the UAE.

Six additional Protea Hotels will be developed. These will be in Nigeria, Rwanda, Ghana, Uganda, Zambia and South Africa.

All these properties are in the “construction and

planning” pipeline for 2018, which means that while some will be completed, others will be still be under construction at that time, the hotel group told TNW.

“We are not a company that stands still, and so we anticipate that there will be growth in more markets across the continent. Our development pipeline is continuously changing and we are always looking for opportunities to expand our portfolio,” said Alex Kyriakidis, president and md of Marriott International Middle East and Africa.

BOOK ON FLYSAA.COMFLY WITH MANGOTake advantage of our extended partnership with Mango and fl y when you need to fl y.

Terms and conditions of the operating carrier Mango, will be applicable on these fl ights. They are available on Mango’s website www.fl ymango.com. Terms and conditions include, but are not limited to the following: Changes to reservations may be charged. Refunds for partial or totally unused tickets may include a fee. No special meals are offered. Baggage allowance includes 1 x 23kg piece of checked luggage and a maximum of 7kg of hand luggage. Golf bags can be checked-in at a fee of R120/bag. There is no seat selection available on booking. No discounts on children’s fares. R250 discount on infant fares. No unaccompanied minors.

BRINGING THE WORLD TO AFRICA. TAKING AFRICA TO THE WORLD.

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Go to fl ysaa.com, call +27 11 978 1111 or contact your local travel agent to book.

Earn and redeem

miles

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4 n Wednesday April 23 2014 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

NEWS

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I’ll drink to that!

The Polana Serena Hotel in Maputo is offering special weekend rates on its standard rooms for Friday and Saturday nights. Double rooms are R2 128 per room per night, while single rates are R2 415 per room per night and include breakfast. The offer is valid until December. Full prepayment is required. From left: the hotel’s Sheereen Saleh (sales account manager); Lusinda Landman (reservations); and Aayesha Ouamer (sales account manager) welcome the weekend with cocktails. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

FFPs – airlines are changing the rules

MORE airlines are changing their loyalty programmes to reward

higher paying customers rather than earning miles based on the number of miles flown.

Qantas, Lufthansa/SWISS and Turkish Airlines have recently announced changes to their FFP models.

Lufthansa’s Miles & More FFP implemented the change in January with miles earned in the lower-priced economy booking classes being reduced. Frequent flyer miles in the lower-priced booking classes have been reduced for flights operated by Adria Airways, Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Germanwings, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Luxair and SWISS.

Upgrade awards from

economy booking class T to business class will no longer be possible on European flights operated by Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa.

Turkish Airlines’ Miles & Smiles members will also now receive miles based on the price of their ticket from June 1.

Classic Plus members receive the same benefits as Elite and Elite Plus members, with additional miles when travelling in Comfort or business class on international flights. In addition, passengers travelling with a companion can obtain an award ticket for the accompanying passenger using 70% of the required miles if the member’s purchased ticket qualifies to acquire additional miles.

There is also no longer

any difference between the points awarded in high and low season. For passengers to receive regional upgrades to the next cabin, a fixed number of award miles are required that are not dependent on the price of the original ticket.

Passengers flying discount economy on Qantas will need more frequent flyer points to upgrade to business class on domestic flights from July 1.

The points needed are: On flights up to 600 miles:

10 000 points (up from 8 000)

On flights between 601 and 1 200 miles: 15 000 points (up from 12 000)

On flights between 1 201 and 2 400 miles: 20 000 points (up from 16 000)

On flights between 2 401 and 3 600 miles: 30 000 points (up from 24 000).

QR ups flights and introduces B787 to JNBQATAR Airways is adding three flights a week to its Johannesburg schedule, bringing total frequencies to 10 flights a week.

The additional services will improve connections to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Manila.

From May 1, the airline will also introduce its Boeing 787 Dreamliner on all services to South Africa.

The B787 has custom-made seats in business and economy class. “This, along with an advanced entertainment system

featuring the world’s first ‘dual-screen’ interface and communication systems, including on-board WiFi for all passengers, enables us to offer a unique product for passengers from Southern Africa,” says Qatar Airways ceo, Akbar Al Baker.

All Leisure Holidays appoints SA GSADISCOVER the World will now provide representation in South Africa for All Leisure Holidays Group.

Headquartered in Market Harborough, England, the group is the holding company of All Leisure Holidays, an established cruise company that owns the tour operators Voyages of Discovery, Swan Hellenic, Hebridean Island Cruises and Discover Egypt. Voyages of Discovery, Swan Hellenic and Hebridean offer destination-led cruises to a number of countries, and focus on the market for mature passengers.

Discover Egypt offers packages to Egypt, including cruises and excursions on the River Nile.

The group has expanded its affiliation with Discover the World to set up sales and marketing representation in South Africa.

Colin Wilson, group sales director of All Leisure Holidays Group, says the company decided to establish South African representation because it has seen promising results for its products, especially the Swan Hellenic brand, Minerva.

Fastjet, Proflight Zambia sign partnershipFASTJET has signed an agreement with Proflight Zambia that allows passengers to book flights for both carriers on a single ticket.

From May 1, fastjet will be the sole carrier between Dar es Salaam and Lusaka

and will also operate Tanzanian domestic routes from Dar es Salaam, while Proflight will service its existing domestic routes in Zambia and its Lusaka-Lilongwe service.

“This collaboration with Proflight Zambia adds

momentum to fastjet’s vision of democratising air travel on the African continent, while boosting growing trade relationships between Zambia and Tanzania,” said Richard Bodin, chief commercial officer of fastjet.

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6 n Wednesday April 23 2014 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

AirHeadsAF increases flights and destinationsAIR France has added a third destination in Brazil and is to increase flights from Paris to Panama. Flights to Brasilia started on March 31, the airline’s third destination in Brazil after Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The three weekly flights (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) are operated by a Boeing 777-200 configured with 35 seats in business class, 24 in premium economy and 250 in economy class. AF 0520 departs CDG at 13h30, arriving BSB at 19h15. Return flight AF 0515 departs BSB at 22h40, arriving in CDG at 14h20 the following day. Air France KLM’s partnership with GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes will enable passengers to connect on to 28 destinations in Brazil, served by GOL. The airline is set to add a fourth frequency to its current three flights a week to Panama City. The extra flight will come online for the summer 2014 schedule and, from October 27 the frequency will increase to five flights a week for the winter schedule.

Fly-SAX introduces Lokichoggio flightsKENYAN safari and private charter airline, Fly-SAX, has launched flights between Nairobi and Lokichoggio in Kenya. The operator is now flying three return flights a week.

BA increases flights to BerlinBRITISH AIRWAYS is increasing flights from Heathrow to Berlin. The airline will launch an additional daily flight from October 26. Weekday flights will increase from six to seven flights a day, and Saturday and Sunday flights will increase from five to six flights a day. BA994 departs London at 14h30 and arrives in Berlin at 17h15. BA995 departs from Berlin’s Tegel Airport at 18h05 and arrives at Heathrow at 19h00.

EY connects to Spain with UXETIHAD Airways has launched codeshare operations with Air Europa (UX), providing easier access to Spain for passengers travelling from the UAE. Passengers flying on Etihad from Abu Dhabi to Brussels and Amsterdam can now connect on Air Europa-operated services with an EY flight code to Madrid then on to Barcelona and Palma, Mallorca.

A snapshot of the week's airline news

Airport opens but no planes James Hall

SWAZILAND’S King Mswati III has dedicated the country’s new R3bn

airport and named it the King Mswati III International Airport. “We challenge all existing and potential export-oriented companies to take advantage of this infrastructure,” the king said.

The controversial project will sit idle for the time being. No air carrier wants to use it, citing low passenger numbers to Swaziland, absence of connecting flights to other destinations and its location,

a 20- to 35-minute flight from three larger SA airports, including OR Tambo.

Swaziland Airlink, the only airline that services Swaziland, flies only to OR Tambo, carrying 70 000 passengers annually (the new airport will require at least 300 000 passengers annually to break even). In a survey provided to TNW, Swaziland Airlink said it would lose passengers if forced to relocate from the airport in Matsapha because it would be quicker for them to drive to Gauteng than to the new airport in the eastern lowveld, with early check-in, the

flight, customs at OR Tambo and then ground transportation to their destinations.

“We will have to fly out of the new airport if they shut down Matsapha and move customs there,” a source with Swaziland Airlink told TNW.

To address the absence of connecting flights, the Director of Aviation said the country would create its own airline. King Mswati said a new town would be built to absorb the business of all the foreign investors who would be lured to the country through the King Mswati III International Airport.

Stylin’!The official airline partner of SA Fashion Week, Lufthansa, hosted the fashion show’s ‘First Best Collections’ on April 4 at the Crowne Plaza Johannesburg. Young designers, selected by the SA Fashion Week board were offered a platform to broaden and further develop their brands, showcasing their spring and summer collections. Pictured here, at the event, are the always stylish (from left): Axel Simon (Lufthansa), Johanna Mukoki (Travel with Flair), and Manoj Papa (Air Seychelles). Photo: Shannon Van Zyl.

Advocate Louis Nel discusses Security Safeguards in the next in his series on the Protection of Personal Information Act

THE responsible person (RP) must ensure the integrity of personal information (PI) in its possession or under its control (19).

What does ‘integrity’ mean’? POPI does not define it It can mean, inter alia,

‘perfect condition’, ‘whole or complete’

Webopedia refers to it as ‘the validity of data’ and states that datA integrity can be compromised in a number of ways i.e.

Human errors when data is entered

Errors that occur when data is transmitted from one computer to another

Software bugs or viruses Hardware malfunctions,

such as disk crashes

Natural disasters, such as fires and floods

It suggests that such compromise can be minimised as follows:

Backing up data regularly Controlling access to data

via security mechanisms Designing user interfaces

that prevent the input of invalid data

Using error detection and correction software when transmitting dataPOPI requires the RP to

take appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational measures’ – see ‘minimise’ above.

Such ‘measures’ must prevent: ‘loss of, damage to or

unauthorised destruction of PI; and

‘unlawful access to or processing of PI’Such ‘measures’ must

endeavour to: identify ‘all reasonably

foreseeable internal and external risks’

‘establish and maintain safeguards against such risks’

‘regularly verify that these safeguards are effectively implemented’

‘ensure such safeguards are regularly updated’ given ‘new risks and deficiencies’ Compliance standard:

RP must have ‘due regard’ to ‘generally accepted information security practices’ applicable to it generally or ‘specific industry or professional rules and regulations’

From Louis the Lawyer – POPIASATA encourAgeS You To ATTend WTM AfricAThe countdown to the first World Travel Market (WTM) Africa has begun. If you have not registered to attend WTM Africa as yet, we encourage you to do so at www.wtmafrica.com/registration.

ASATA, as the association for the travel industry, has been involved with WTM on various levels, and ASATA CEO Otto de Vries, encourages all to be a part of this inaugural event at Cape Town’s CTICC, May 2-3, 2014.

1) It is in your best interest as a travel professional to familiarise yourself with topical issues in the industry and how this can impact you and your business see www.wtmafrica.com/event-programme

2) Interact not only with professionals in this industry but network and exchange ideas with your peers whilst at the exhibition

3) Visit a number of exhibitors new to our market such as Turkey and Germany – go to www.wtmafrica.com/exibitor-directory

4) Entrance is free for pre-registered visitors

5) Last but not least, mix business with pleasure and enjoy your long weekend in beautiful Cape Town

The lucky ASATA Diners Club Awards winners will be attending WTM Africa. Find out first hand from them, in our next column, what their expectations are from attending WTM Africa.

Visit us on facebook and follow us on twitter

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/wtmafrica @WTM_Africa

regiSTer noW!www.wtmafrica.com

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8 n Wednesday April 23 2014 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

RepoRt B-BBee codes

Preferential procurement poses big challenges The deadline for the recently revised Broad-Based Black Economic-Empowerment (B-BBEE) codes of good practice has been extended to the end of April 2015, but that doesn’t mean that travel agency owners can rest on their laurels. Dorine Reinstein reports.

“NOW is the time to take action,” says Keith Levenstein,

ceo of EconoBEE, a specialist B-BBEE consultancy. Even though travel agency owners might only need a new certificate next year, they will be judged on the new BEE criteria for the current running financial year. “In other words, travel agencies should start planning now for a verification that is going to take place next year,” he says.

The revised codes have reduced the scorecard elements from 7 to 5 by combining Management Control and Employment Equity into one element and Preferential Procurement and Enterprise Development into one element. “In short, this means there are going to be a lot of changes as to how people are going to come up with strategies to comply with the new scorecard. They’ll have to work a bit harder and a bit more diligently to find strategies,” says Keith.

The new procurement targets, in particular, are likely to create havoc in the travel industry. The procurement element comprises the previous Preferential Procurement as well as the Enterprise Development, and has increased in importance from 35 to 44 points. According to Keith, it will now be more difficult for companies to reach targets on procurement. One of the indicators on the new element is for a company to spend 40% of its procurement from empowering suppliers that are at least 51% black-owned.

Claude Vankeirsbilck, chief sales and marketing officer of Tourvest Travel Services, agrees that the most significant change will be around preferential procurement, which will be more onerous. He adds, however, that for TMCs this is relatively small, taking into account that suppliers’ spend is not deemed as procurement as the travel agent doesn’t choose the procurement (i.e. which airline to fly) – the client

does. Therefore, the client is responsible for the procurement.

But this can be tricky where it is not clear who is purchasing the ticket, says Keith. The client feels that as he/she pays the travel agency, his/her procurement is done with the travel agency and not with the airline.

The most straightforward solution for agents, Keith says, is to clearly state on the invoice which expense is for the client’s account and which expense is their own service fee. Keith adds that this in itself will be a challenge, as corporate clients would rather use the procurement level of their travel agency than have to run around looking for BEE certificates of all the airlines or other suppliers. This situation could be viewed as fronting (i.e. a deliberate circumvention of the B-BBEE Act and

the codes. Fronting commonly involves claims of compliance based on misrepresentations of facts. Window-dressing is an example of fronting and includes cases in which black people are appointed or introduced to an enterprise on the basis of tokenism), which in turn could lead to jail time. The agency should carefully explain to the client how BEE procurement works and could assist the client in collecting BEE certificates of third-party suppliers.

The car-rental industry will be severely affected by BEE procurement targets, as 90% of procurement is vehicle procurement from the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), says Keith Rankin, ceo of Avis. He foresees a tough year ahead, with significant challenges for the car-rental industry,

as most of the vehicle OEMs are international companies, making it almost impossible for car-rental companies to fulfil the procurement element of the new BEE charter.

Keith says Avis is currently level 2 BEE compliant but he foresees the company being at risk of dropping to a level 6, 7 or even 8 because of procurement targets. “The concept of BEE is valuable, and we support transformation 100%. But there is still a lot of work to be done for the code to be practical.”

President of Savrala (Southern African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association), Marc Corcoran, says the association will be engaged with the National Department of Tourism over the next few months to try and assist with the scorecard alignment process.

Planning for the new codes will not be easy for the travel industry, as the new sector code for the tourism industry (which includes the travel trade) has not yet been published.

According to Keith, it is unlikely that the tourism charter will be aligned with the revised codes in time for the deadline next year. The charter first needs to be re-drafted with the help of the entire tourism industry, after which the public has to be given between two months and a year to comment. Only then can the new code be adjusted and finalised.

Whether the tourism charter will or will not be aligned in time, the travel industry won’t receive a reprieve from the new codes. Keith foresees that the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, might cancel the tourism sector code in favour of the amended code until the tourism sector becomes aligned. The best option for the industry, according to Keith, is to try and align with the general published amended codes, even though they might change slightly when the new tourism charter is published.

The most important changes

B-BBEE pillarsThe seven pillars of B-BBEE have been amalgamated into five. 1) Ownership (25 points): This has not changed significantly. The targets are

still 25%, and weighting is 25 points. 2) Management Control (19 points): The codes previously included two elements:

Management Control and Employment Equity. Both elements have been consolidated into a single element but with substantially the same indicators.

3) Skills Development (25 points): Skills has increased from 15 points to 25, showing

the importance of skills development in the economy. 4) Enterprise and Supplier Development (44 points): The current codes speak of two elements:

Preferential Procurement and also Enterprise Development. The new element, Enterprise and Supplier Development (E and SD) is a simple combination of both elements.

5) Socio-economic Development (5 points): The last of the five elements is unchanged at

5 points.

Thresholds for Enterprises Exempted Micro Enterprises must have an annual

turnover of less than R10 million (previously R5 million). Qualifying Small Enterprises must now have a turnover

between R10 million and R50 million. Enterprises with a turnover of more than R50 million

must be measured on the Generic Scorecard.

B-BBEE recognition levelsTHE B-BBEE recognition levels have changed. For example, previously 65 points were needed for a level 4 B-BBEE rating, whereas now 80 points are needed to maintain a level 4 rating. A level 3 rating previously required 75 points, whereas 90 points will now be required.

Level Amended codes Current codes

1 ≥100 ≥100

2 ≥95 but <100 ≥85 but <100

3 ≥90 but <95 ≥75 but <85

4 ≥80 but <90 ≥65 but <75

5 ≥75 but <80 ≥55 but <65

6 ≥70 but <75 ≥45 but <55

7 ≥55 but <70 ≥40 but <45

8 ≥40 but <55 ≥30 but <40

Non-compliant <40 <30

“There are going to be a lot of changes as to how people are going to come

up with strategies to comply with the new

scorecard.”

QUICK READ FOR bUSIESt pEOplE Wednesday April 23 2014 n 9

MAURITIUS

The Naked Agent

SELL MORE ...

Our selling-orientated criteria:10% Engage the customer by making an excellent first impression –

be interested, excited and enthusiastic.

20% Profile the customer, getting to know their needs in full, their likes, dislikes and prior travels. Use consultative sales techniques, not transactional questions only, and provide advice about the destination.

10% Hook the customer, preventing their further shopping around, by sounding like an expert.

10% Match the enquiry to the quote, providing two or three options, ideally within the same day of enquiry.

20% Sell the holiday ideas and bring them to life. Don’t just attach a quote.

5% Close the sale when you spot buying signals.

15% Convert the sale by creating a sense of urgency and asking for the booking.

10% Persist if customers provide a reason why they can’t book – attempt to overcome objections.

100% TOTAL

Agents are scored up to the maximum of the weighted percentages above.

Family holiday in Mauritius

OUR mystery shopper contacted three agents in the Durban area for a family holiday to Mauritius

during the school holidays. She explained that her family had been to

Mauritius before on a disastrous self-catering holiday booked online. This time they wanted to have a great time with access to kids’ clubs, spas for her and golf for hubby.

WINNER

Kloof

Flight Centre

A really friendly greeting was followed by brilliant, highly interested service making me feel at every stage that Jade Box had my best interests at heart. She asked a few transactional questions but used them to get to the nitty gritty of my needs. She knew the school holiday dates off the top of her head and established our flexibility around them. She asked whether we had been to Mauritius before and when I told her about our disastrous holiday she was empathetic and asked what we wanted from this holiday to make it perfect. When I said I had busy kids, she explained what all-inclusive hotels offered, expanding in detail about children’s clubs and watersports. Jade said during the school holidays the resorts put on even more entertainment, and hubby and I would be able to relax while they had fun. She sounded like an expert throughout. Only at the end, just at the right time, did she clarify our budget. She recapped and promised me two highly competitive quotes that would give me options. I was hooked and felt no need to go anywhere else. Within two hours I received two quotes, one that was R17 000 over budget and one right on budget. The covering email was disappointingly short with just flights and

links to photos and reviews on TripAdvisor. This was the opportunity to sell the holiday and while it takes a little more effort by email, it is easily done. It’s a shame that Jade didn’t attempt to bring the holiday to life, selling the two options, making a recommendation and asking for the booking. She did, however, follow up very timeously with a sincere request for feedback together with a commitment statement to find me the perfect holiday. I was very impressed despite the lack of selling of the quote and would probably have used this agent.

70%

Jade Box

Want to improve your sales skills? ‘Get sales fit’ is a free two-hour online workshop running on Travelinfo Workshops now. It is exclusive to TI Plus users.

Get sales fit

10 n Wednesday April 23 2014 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

IN A snap survey on selling Mauritius conducted among retail travel agents and wholesale tour operators, respondents revealed the importance of price in selling Mauritius as well as the generally receptive response clients

have to upselling of the destination.The survey, posted on eTNW for a day,

aimed to explore holiday patterns to Mauritius, and highlight opportunities to upgrade packages sold. 187 readers responded to the survey.

Family holidays rule

Price is the deciding factor

Family holidays emerged as the highest proportion of Mauritius sales by far (almost 60%), with romantic getaways second at just over 30%. The popularity of family holidays suggests that agents and tour operators can capitalise on this by selling more child-friendly excursions and

facilities. The fact that group vacations and singles trips came out as the lowest contributors to Mauritius sales could indicate two largely untapped markets. Some respondents who listed ‘other’ in their answers, however, mentioned that incentives contributed to Mauritius sales.

Price, at 62%, clearly emerged as the biggest influencing factor in a client’s choice of resort. Location and facilities received the second

and third most responses. The significance of price perhaps creates an opportunity to sell lesser-known, more cost-effective resorts.

What is the main factor influencing a client's choice of resort?

SELL MORE MAURITIUS

The friendly agent showed genuine interest, excitement and enthusiasm – a great first impression. This was followed by the standard transactional questions: When? Where? How long? How much? and How many people? When she asked if we had been to Mauritius before, I was excited as I felt she was going to respond well. I said we had stayed in the north of the island and went into details about our previous experience. This was the perfect opportunity for her to ask what went wrong and what our likes and dislikes were, but she just laughed along nicely. She asked if I had a hotel in mind – I told her no and that I needed help. She then asked if we would like a hotel or all-inclusive

but didn’t mention any of our other needs. Sadly this really engaging agent didn’t use any sales skills to hook me. Three emails and quotes were received the same day but she didn’t attempt to sell the options offered. A follow-up email was received within 24 working hours to which I replied that I was shopping around and waiting for quotes from Flight Centre. This was a great opportunity to further engage me, try to overcome the hesitation and understand whether what she had found was suitable or what I was unsure of. No response was received.

I was put on hold three times and when I was finally put through, the agent seemed ready to get to know my needs. However, the first unfavourable impression deteriorated further when she showed no interest, excitement or enthusiasm about my requests. The questions were transactional throughout. I explained

about our previous visit to Mauritius then

asked if she could give me some advice. My request was practically ignored and she just said she would mail me some quotes. I was extremely disappointed and after three working days no quotes or communication had been received.

Kloof

Durban

Harvey World Travel

Avoca Travel

35%

3%

SELLING is not just about producing one or two quotes and hoping that the customer will choose one.

You are a travel professional, you need to sell the quotes.

Bring the holiday to life, get excited, get clients excited, provide them with reviews. You need to generate trust and

confidence in your selections and you can only do this if you have understood the customer’s needs and if you mirror their requirements in the products you select for them.

Without these actions you will rarely convert a booking and you will continue to churn and burn enquiries.

1. Would you buy a holiday from you?2. Do you provide expert advice?3. Is your service on a par with or better than this month’s winner?

Ask yourself these questions

Sell your holiday ideas, bring them to life

Sales tip

What makes up the largest proportion of your Mauritius sales?

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%Business

Trips

6%

33%

2%

58%

0% 2%

Romantic/Honeymoon Getaways

Group Vacations

Family Holidays

Single Trips Other

Price (62%)

Location (22%)

Facilities (11%)

Entertainment (0,5%)

Food (0,5%)

Exclusive extras (4%)

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An easy upsell

QUICK READ FOR bUSIESt pEOplE Wednesday April 23 2014 n 11

What percentage of your Mauritius customers venture beyond the resort in which they are staying?

How many excursions do Mauritius clients take on average?

How receptive are Mauritius clients to upselling?

When does the weather affect sales?

Encourage exploration

Weather affects sales

How to upsell

Tips from sellers...

The majority of holidaymakers in Mauritius do not venture beyond their resort. According to the survey, 69% of respondents said fewer than half of their customers left the resort during their stay. In addition, 75% of respondents said their customers only took one to two excursions on average, while 22% of respondents said their clients took three

to four excursions. Only 3% of respondents said their customers took five or more excursions on average. Thus the opportunity to upsell by offering excursions and encouraging customers to explore the island is significant. A reason for clients not doing more of this may stem from their lack of awareness of everything Mauritius has to offer.

There is a direct correlation between weather/climate in Mauritius and the popularity of the island as a destination choice. The worst periods of the year to travel in terms of seasonal issues are the first and third quarters of every year. Kathryn Garton of Black Martini Travel, explains that January to December is one of the worst times for travel to Mauritius because it is cyclone season. Temperatures are exceptionally high during this period and there can be anti-cyclones with heavy

winds and rainfall. From July to September, the east coast of the island can also be exceptionally windy. People may avoid travelling during this period because of the cooler weather. Respondents also answered that sales were lowest at these times of the year. Clients may not be aware of different weather patterns on different parts of the island and this may once again provide agents and tour operators with an opportunity to increase sales during off-peak seasons.

The survey revealed that there was good potential for upselling to Mauritius and that the majority of clients were receptive. Respondents indicated that only 5% of clients were not at all receptive to upselling. This poses the question – what are the best methods of upselling the destination? According to the survey, travel agents and tour operators employ these tactics:

I encourage clients to stay longer. I always tell them that they only really start relaxing after the fourth or fifth day of holiday. The fare and taxes are already paid for and staying for a few additional days does not work out to be too expensive, so it makes sense to stay longer.Michelle Minaar – Harvey World Travel (Plettenberg Bay)

Product knowledge and awareness need to be passed on to clients so that they realise that Mauritius is not just about the beach – it

has far more to offer.Chantelle Browne – Holiday Tours (Randburg)

A good resort must meet all of the sensory requirements: sights (outstanding scenery and beautiful decor), sounds (peace and tranquillity), touch (spas and pools), aroma (incense, sand and sea) and taste (delicious food). Susan Le Marquand – Travelwise (Rondebosch)

I try to include as many excursions as possible. All are pre-booked and pre-paid

for in South Africa, and commissionable.Jashika Komal – A2Z Travel (Durban)

I try to sell items like forex and travel insurance, additional extras the client may not initially ask for.Salomi Joerdens – XL Boland Travel (Paarl)

If they have been to Mauritius before, I try to upsell products on their second trip as they are more willing to leave the resort and try different activities. Sarah Bolton – Zenojet Travel (Edenvale)

Encouraging clients to upgrade their entire package clearly emerged as the most common upselling strategy. Joanne Visagie, sales and marketing manager at Beachcomber Tours, believes that the most important aspect of upselling is how the agent or tour operator presents the opportunity to the

client. She says: “This skill requires solid and clear consultation; knowing your clients and their needs, way of life, priorities and values, and being confident with the resort you are offering. A suggestion is to give a client what he or she asks for and then offer your upsell. It is important that a client knows you listened to the

initial request. A client will never want to spend more unless you sell the ‘more’ to them. A lot of clients don’t have an idea what things cost and unless you propose an upsell to them they don’t know. Validate the upsell with reasons, be smart and savvy, confident, professional and knowledgeable.”

Ways of upselling Mauritius % of respondents who use this method

Upsell from half-board to all-inclusive or full-board plus 90%

Upsell to a higher grade of hotel 40%

Upgrade room type 32%

Upgrade airfare from economy to business 11%

Upgrade seat in coach transfers to private transfers 8%

None of the above 2%

1-2 (75%)

3-4 (22%)

5-6 (3%)

Not receptive at all (5%)

Moderately receptive (80%)

Very receptive (15%)

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%January- March

April- June

July- September

October- December

Worst time of year for travel to Mauritius

Period of the year when Mauritius sales are lowest

75%-100%

51%-75%

26%-50%

0%-25%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%% of respondents

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12 n Wednesday April 23 2014 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

SELL MORE MAURITIUS

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Quick Reference Guide: Resorts’ unique selling pointsIn this quick reference guide, tour operators name their top-selling Mauritian properties and list their unique selling points.

Le Canonnier: A four-star property with a prime

beachfront location, two scenic beaches, three restaurants and a unique wellness centre in the branches of a banyan tree.

A wide choice of room types, superb kids’ facilities and a baby care room.

An interchangeable, all-inclusive package with Le Mauricia is optional, enabling guests to dine at either hotel.

Le Mauricia: A four-star property with a

beachfront setting in trendy Grand Baie. Offers a wide choice of room types.

Features two swimming pools on the beach, two restaurants, a wellness centre and night club.

An interchangeable, all-inclusive package with Le Canonnier is optional, enabling guests to dine at either hotel.

Le Victoria: Located on the beachfront of

the protected north-west coast, halfway between Grand Baie and Port Louis, Le Victoria is rated four-star superior.

An excellent property for groups and families, with spacious accommodation in a wide

range of categories. The resort has three restaurants

and a new wellness centre. An optional Beachcomber all-inclusive package includes imported alcohol brands and spirits.

Shandrani: A five-star fully inclusive resort

including all meals, drinks, leisure facilities and more.

Features two swimming pools, three beaches, a Spa by Clarins, a wellness centre and five restaurants.

Ten minutes from the airport and a good choice for action-filled holidays, families, groups and nature lovers.

Paradis: The five-star superior Paradis has

an idyllic location with 7km of beach and is nearby the iconic Le Morne mountain.

There is an 18-hole championship golf course, four restaurants shared with four more at sister hotel Dinarobin and an optional full-board-plus package.

Features a Spa by Clarins, eight categories of rooms and villas and is a paradise for sports enthusiasts.

Beachcomber Tours Holiday Tours

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Le Canonnier Photo: Beachcomber Hotels

Centara Poste Lafayette Resort & Spa: Sold on a half-board-plus-one

basis; in addition to breakfast, clients can choose between lunch or dinner daily in participating food outlets. There’s a three-hour open bar service with the meal.

Rooms feature modern technology including USB, network, printer and screen ports for quick plug and play.

Le Meridien Ile Maurice: The hotel has two separate wings

– the adults-only Nirvana section and a deluxe wing. The Nirvana wing is ideal for honeymooners and couples seeking romance.

The resort is sea facing and offers a wide range of room categories.

Preskil Beach Resort & Spa: Resort is close to the airport

with a short transfer but is not affected by air traffic noise.

The TGIF Cocktail session exclusive to Holiday Tours clients is held every Friday from 18h00-18h30. Each guest is entitled to three free cocktails or non-alcoholic mocktails.

Tropical Attitude: Property has small-hotel charm

ideal for those seeking a

more private experience. Free boat trips run to Ile aux Cerf

daily with a complimentary picnic basket as part of the all-inclusive package.

Outrigger Mauritius Resort & Spa: This resort offers a dine-around

concept on half board. Fresh fish supplied daily from the jetty is prepared at the Crab Shack.

Two-bedroom family rooms can accommodate two adults and up to three children aged 17 and under. Children stay free in these room types on half board.

Centara Poste Lafayette Resort & Spa Photo: Centara

Island Light HolidaysLUX* Belle Mare: Recently upgraded, offering five-star

luxury. Homemade ice cream offered free

on the beach daily. Offers fine dining in a selection of

restaurants.

Tamassa: The all-inclusive rate includes drinks

on the property. Features four pools and a spa. Many water sports on offer and a

kids’ club. LUX* Belle Mare pool. Photo: LUX* Belle Mare

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14 n Wednesday April 23 2014 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

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Thompsons Holidays

World Leisure HolidaysSELL MORE MAURITIUS

Astroea: A small boutique hotel on

the east coast. An adults-only hotel, it is

ideal for romantic couples and offers personalised service and fine dining.

Crystals: Under new management,

meticulous attention to service is assured.

Free upgrades to higher room categories.

Access to a spectacular beach.

Preskil: A charming Creole-style

hotel on a private island. Offers access to four

superb beaches within a pristine marine reserve.

Guests enjoy seasonal unlimited draught beer.

Villas Caroline: Villas Caroline is located

on an expansive beach on the west coast, within walking distance of Flic en Flac.

Features a FunClub with all-day entertainment and activities for all ages. Free beer, wine and ice cream on tap.

Self-catering: A wide selection of

apartments is available, from basic to luxury. The apartments feature fully equipped kitchens, air-conditioning and DStv and can sleep up to 10 people.

Most of the apartments are in walking distance of the beach and local shops.

Ambre Hotel: Situated on the east

coast, this four-star hotel is only for travellers aged 16 years and older who are looking for peace and tranquillity, away from kids.

It is a popular choice for families with older children, singles, couples as well as the gay market.

It offers good value in terms of the food, beverages and entertainment.

La Pirogue: A four-star family hotel

on the west coast, also catering for couples. During school holidays families fill up the hotel while during school terms most guests are couples.

A quaint and romantic hotel that offers great value and has all the facilities to suit families.

Le Touessrok: A five-star resort with its

own 18-hole golf course. Three private villas are

available on the property for those seeking a

more private holiday. The resort is considered

great for families in terms of affordability and is also well frequented by individuals.

Long Beach: A five-star Mediterranean-

style hotel in the form of a village.

Suited to active travellers, and offering facilities such as a running track and climbing walls. Also popular with families.

There are numerous restaurants and entertainment options in the square of the village.

Sugar Beach: A five-star resort, yet

affordable for family holidays. It sees significant repeat business.

It has a South African feel about it; the gm is an ex-South African and South African travellers make up its highest occupancy.

Colonial-style architecture with superb facilities, specifically for sporting.

Sugar Beach Photo: WLH

Quick Reference Guide: AirlinesSAA Flies daily between

Johannesburg and Mauritius and twice on Saturdays and Sundays, with schedules planned to maximise travellers’ time on the island. It is located in terminal

A at OR Tambo, with dedicated desks for online or self-service check-in. Depending on demand,

SAA deploys wide-body aircraft on the route, allowing customers to experience a great level of comfort throughout the cabin.

Air Mauritius Direct flights to Mauritius

from Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. The Travel Smart

programme offers a discounted fare during low season. Couples get a discounted rate and two kids under 12 travel free. Families travelling in economy class have access to the business-class lounge and increased baggage allowance. Discounted rate for

brides. Value-adds and upfront discounts have also been structured for honeymooners. Passengers can pay

R1 500 to upgrade from economy to business class at the airport should seats be available. Free kids’ kits on board

with suitable content for children up to the age of 12 years.

Preskil Hotel. Photo: Preskil

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16 n Wednesday April 23 2014 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

All-inclusive special from Holiday ToursCENTARA Poste Lafayette is offering a special all-inclusive rate from R13 800pps for seven nights. The package includes return flights on MK Travel Smart with airport

taxes, return transfers and seven nights’ accommodation in a deluxe ocean facing room on all-inclusive meal basis. It is valid for travel from May 5 to June 20.

Mauritius for honeymoonersBEACHCOMBER Tours has a number of honeymoon packages on offer for travel between May 1 and June 29 that include a 35% accommodation discount.

The six-night packages start from R12 920 per person sharing at Le

Mauricia and include flights and taxes. Clients receive complimentary lunch daily as well as special honeymoon gifts, which include a small bottle of French Champagne, fresh fruit on arrival and a gift voucher per person for the Beachcomber Boutique.

The Ambre for foodies

SAA deploys A320 to Mauritius

WORLD Leisure Holidays is offering an all-inclusive package for Ambre Hotel from R14 440 per person. The package is valid from April 28, in conjunction with the MK Travel Smart programme.

Travellers will have the choice of three different

culinary experiences at Ambre, including the interactive buffet at Indigo Restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner; the La Plage beach restaurant for lunch and dinner; and Dolce Vita, which offers Italian à la carte dinners. Selected beverages are also included.

SAA customers travelling to Mauritius can now also experience the airline’s brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft.

SAA has taken delivery of four new A320s to date, which form part of an order for 20 new aircraft.

They are configured with 24 business-class and 114

economy-class seats.Business-class offers ample

leg room and a seat pitch of 99cm. Seats are arranged in a 2-2 configuration, offering more seat width. In all seats except for the first row, the back shell has space to stow a PC tablet, with a USB power-point to keep the tablet powered during flight, and PC

power points in the centre console.

Seating in economy class offers a 79cm seat pitch, with shared USB and PC power points and an adjustable headrest. Customers will enjoy the greater sense of ‘living space’ that the slim-line seats offer.

On the move!

Air Mauritius has launched a new mobile website with capability for customers to purchase tickets, check-in, access ‘Manage my Booking’ and consult the airline timetable for updated flight information. The site is available in both English and French and can be used on most handheld mobile devices. Carla da Silva, regional manager Southern Africa and Latin America soaks up some island rays. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

SELL MORE MAURITIUS

SAA's brand-new Airbus A320. Photo: SAA

Did

you

kno

w?

From July, Air Mauritius is increasing its frequencies between Johannesburg and Mauritius. On Saturdays and Sundays additional flights will depart Johannesburg at 09h40, arriving in Mauritius at 15h40. On Fridays and Saturdays, flights will depart Mauritius at 17h00, arriving in Johannesburg at 19h35.

TNW6135SD

QUICK READ FOR bUSIESt pEOplE Wednesday April 23 2014 n 17

Bo

ok

it!

TNW5983SD

TNW6998

INDIA • SRI LANKA • LAOS • NEPAL

CHINA • VIETNAM • CAMBODIA • MYANMAR

Discover the wonderful countries of Asia with Wendy Wu Tours’s extensive range of fully inclusive group tours or independent tour departures

Contact details:Tel: 011 394 1660 Email: info@wendywutours.co.za www.wendywutours.co.za

The new generation of escorted coach tours is about adventure, authentic experiences and off-the-beaten-track destinations, writes Dorine Reinstein.

New-look coach tours have arrived!

GONE are the days when travellers mindlessly followed the guide’s

umbrella from one monument to the next. Escorted tour operators are working hard to shed the image of cramped and boring tours for the mature market and are now actively promoting the adventure options in their brochures.

Alet Steyn, business development manager at Wendy Wu Tours, highlights numerous adventure options such as crawling through the Cu Chi Tunnels in Saigon, hiking in Sapa in Vietnam and staying with local hill tribes, or experiencing a Mekong Delta homestay, overnighting with a local family. Top Gear-type biking tours through Vietnam are also a popular option.

Alet says nowadays tours are graded to assist clients in deciding which itinerary best suits their physical ability and personal liking. They range from comfortably paced and medium paced to active tours.

Sarah Whiteside, sales & marketing manager for Travel Vision, has noticed strong growth in adventure travel. “Adventure companies like Exodus, G Adventures, Intrepid, Grand American Adventures and Trek America offer inspirational small group tours with similar guided touring experiences to traditional coach tour companies but whose business models have been adapted to appeal to a younger, more socially and environmentally aware client. All of these companies employ responsible tourism models.”

According to Sarah, this new generation of tours for adventure-seekers tends to keep groups down to about 10 people rather than filling a bus of 40. “The smaller size impacts less on the environment, allows you to visit more genuine and

off-the-beaten track attractions and offers a more intimate interaction between group members.” These tours are often more active than a traditional coach tour and frequently make use of local transport, giving clients a more authentic experience.

For Contiki, adventure is also top of the agenda. Kelly Jackson, Contiki gm, says: “At Contiki, we have a way of life. It’s called #NOREGRETS. We treat every day as a new adventure. We build friendships that last a lifetime. We live every day as if it’s our last and leave absolutely nothing behind. We have also embraced our travellers on all forms of social media.”

Authentic experiencesTheresa Szejwallo, md of Trafalgar, says the tour operator has invested a lot of time and money in honing its product offering. “We introduced the Insider Experience just over three years ago as a response to market research on what our guests are looking for. The Insider takes guests deeper into the destination.” She adds that Be My Guest experiences enable travellers to overnight with people they meet on their travels, sharing their personal stories in the intimate settings

of their own homes, farmhouses and vineyards. Trafalgar also offers Authentic Accommodation, letting guests stay in unusual venues such as the Renaissance Palace in Spain or a Turkish cave hotel in Cappadocia.

Exotic destinationsA distinct advantage of escorted coach tours is that they employ the services of a guide who speaks both English and the local language. This gives travellers deeper insight into exotic destinations. Says Alet: “Many of our destinations cover areas where language and communication are a huge problem. This is, however, not a problem when you’re on a Wendy Wu tour, as the local guides and national escorts are always there to assist.”

Sarah says clients often seek out a small group adventure tour when they are travelling to less established tourism destinations, where infrastructure and language barriers exist. “South America, Russia, China, India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Turkey are particularly popular for guided tours.”

Family marketCoach tour operators have also focused their marketing efforts on the family market. The Family Experiences by Trafalgar, for example, are great for multi-generational travel and offer experiences the whole family enjoys. These range from visiting a gladiator school in Rome, flamenco dancing in Spain and zip lining in Costa Rica.

Wendy Wu has also begun catering for the family market. The ‘In Pursuit of Pandas’ 10-day tour is now available for children eight years and over. So far, it has been a great hit with South African travellers, says Alet.

Kompas offers flexibility KOMPAS coach tours, specialises in Eastern Europe, and offers guaranteed departures on all tours.

Inge Dobihal, owner of Austria Connection, the company promoting the programme in SA, says:

“A point that is appreciated by clients is that they can join or end the tour one or two days later than scheduled. In addition, for each unused night US$70 (R745) per person will be deducted from the coach tour price.”

Irish specials from TV TRAVEL Vision’s Irish Adventure Coach Tour is a seven-night tour that takes visitors to Dublin, Waterford, Killarney, Galway, Derry and Dublin. The tour price starts from R23 836pps and is valid from May 5 to September 24 (departs Mondays and Wednesdays).

A local guide escorts travellers through Dublin and on walking tours of Waterford and Derry, as well as sheepdog trails in the Ring of Kerry.

Your clients will take a ferry ride across the River Shannon, see the

Book of Kells at Trinity College in Dublin, go to the Glendalough Visitor Centre, the Dunbrody Famine Ship, the House of Waterford Crystal, Blarney Castle, the Blarney Woollen Mills, the Skellig Experience, the Cliffs of Moher, the Knock Shrine, W. B. Yeats’ grave, the Giant’s Causeway and Titanic Belfast.

The eight-night Irish Explorer coach tour takes visitors to Dublin, Donegal, Galway and Killarney and starts from R26 386pps.

It is valid from May 4-25 and departs on Sundays.

Priced from R15 768pps and departing May 10, Trafalgar’s Iberian Explorer is the perfect way to explore Spain and Portugal. Travellers spend 13 days getting to see all that Iberia has to offer.

Sarah Whiteside

18 n Wednesday April 23 2014 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

CoaCh Tours

Travel memories for life...

TNW7074

Ireland • Scotland • england • WaleS

dunguaire castle,co. galway

Offers yOu:• Over 40 coach tours • Guaranteed Departures • Fully Inclusive Tours • Friendly, local guides • 82 years of experience

All CIE Tours are protected by the company’s EUR400+ Advantage, a no-fee benefit guaranteeing that travellers are never charged for special features considered optional extras with other tour companies.

For more information contact Travel Vision on 086 001 8020, at info@travelvision.co.za or visit www.travelvision.co.za.

In partnership with

To receive TNW contact Wanita on wanitaf@nowmedia.co.za

Putting value to the test...TRAVEL agents often punt coach tours as true value-for-money for travellers struggling with their holiday budget during tough economic times.

Alet Steyn says Wendy Wu has always thrived on its ‘value for money’ motto. “We believe this approach

to group travel lets our customers receive the very best prices by consolidating all the tour components into one cost-effective package so that there are no hidden costs.”

Theresa Szejwallo says coach tours have always been a firm favourite with

travellers but have become more popular because of the value factor. “The Costsaver by Trafalgar product is a great example of how travellers can have an amazing holiday while still watching their pennies, with savings of up to 30% compared with booking on their own.”

Trafalgar compares an independent 15-day European tour and its own coach tour product.

Independent packages from Wendy WuWENDY Wu has introduced a number of independent packages for travellers who enjoy the comfort of travelling at their own pace. These

packages can be entirely tailor-made, or added to the beginning or end of an existing group tour.

Independent packages are

inclusive of accommodation, private touring with local English-speaking guides, entrance fees, some transfers and meals as detailed.

Bo

ok

it! Priced from R11 475pps with a May 10 departure, Trafalgar’s highlights of the Italian Lakes lets

guests explore Lake Maggiore, Lake Lugano and Lake Como plus Verona, Lake Garda, Brescia and Milan in an eight-day itinerary. They also enjoy a cruise to Bellagio. Accommodation, with breakfast daily and three three-course dinners, is included.

Holiday feature 15-day independent holiday 15-day Trafalgar European ImpressionAccommodation: 14 nights (1 night Amsterdam, Florence, Rhineland and Innsbruck; 2 nights Vienna, Venice, Rome, Lucerne and Paris)

R11 711 plus: • Research to find quality • Retail prices • Extras on top

Included: • Carefully chosen quality hotels • Tips and porter service

Sightseeing R2 965 plus: • No guide • Queuing at sights

Included: • Expert travel director • Local guides in Vienna, Rome and Paris • Express entrance at major sites • River cruise in Venice and the Rhine

Meals R4 965 plus: • Research to find quality/ making reservations • Pay restaurant prices • Tips

Included: • 14 breakfasts and five dinners • Reservations and recommendations • Quality local food • Tips

Transport R19 104 plus: • Foreign road rules, signs and routes to learn • Languages to grasp • Tolls and parking

Included: • Daily travel on luxury coaches• Experienced coach driver• Fuel, toll charges and parking • Chauffeur-driven, worry-free journey• On-board WiFi

Total (per person) R38 745 R26 950

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QUICK READ FOR bUSIESt pEOplE Wednesday April 23 2014 n 19

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

TNW6141SD

JHB Sales & Marketing Representative (Sandton)

A dynamic position promoting international hotel group & tourism destinations. A minimum of 3 year’s sales experience in the

outbound tourism industry.

Email CV to Lesley@lscpr.co.zaTNW7083

Divisional Mngr – Far East Int’l luxury T/O req your strong leadership to lead dedicated team. Mandarin speaking adv! Sal from R 30 000.

Branch Mngr Oversee & motivate cons in FIT / Groups div. Sound Africa exp & min 5 yrs mngm secures! Sal from R 20 000.

Magical MICE Mngr NSubs. Boost morale by injecting your team mngm in this thrilling role! Join a renowned int’l brand! Sal from R 22 000.

Fanatic FIT Cons SSubs. Luxury T/O req top South & East Africa fundi to join their team! Sal from R 15 000 + comm.

Portuguese Cons Work directly with South American markets. Full travel training provided! Immed start! Sal from R 13 000 + comm.

Call Malika / Morne: 021 418 1084, capetown@nowjobs.co.za

Top jobs in Cape Town this week:

TNW7084

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

7086

Client Relations - JnbTravelinfoSuit intermediate looking for a career change. Maintain relationships with travel clients and agents. Travel diploma, 4-5 years’ experience, license & own car. Email: careers@nowmedia.co.za

Leisure Consultant - FourwaysProfessional Career Services4+ yrs exp. in the industry and preferably to have travelled! Amadeus and Quick Trav. Salary: R10 000-R12 000 +com. Email: nonocv@pcs-sa.co.za

Senior Consultant - CPT, SouthQuantex Recruitment Group5+ years luxury travel inbound consulting experience coupled with excellent Southern Africa, East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands product knowledge required. Email: bridget@quantex.co.za

Travel Manager – DurbanLee Botti & AssociatesTop notch corporate retail division seeks strong, dynamic leader with sales approach. Senior package!Email: jillm@nowjobs.co.za

Sales Executive – JHBInfusion ConsultingHotel group in JHB to manage the sales to corporate/tour operators for a hotel. Acquire, grow, maintain and retain clients @ +R27KPM + benefits + comm. Email: belinda@infusion.co.za

Groups Reservations Manager – NorthEquity Connections ccTake full responsibility for team of groups consultants. Manage all aspects of daily operations. In-depth in-bound experience in South/Southern/East Africa needed. Email: equitycon@mweb.co.za

Corporate Consultant – W.CapeClub TravelMinimum 1 year consulting experience with a GDS (Amadeus preferable). Able to do ticketing, recalculations and re-issues with exceptional customer service skills. Email: careers@clubtravel.co.za

Groups Consultant – PretoriaProfessional Career ServicesAmadeus/Galileo. Exp. in planning itineraries for groups. Focus on international school and sports tours. Work in a pressurised environment. Salary: R8 000-R12 000. Email jeancv@pcs-sa.co.za

Conferencing Event Manager - CPTQuantex Recruitment GroupVibrant and energetic individual with expertise in conferencing market required. Sound supplier relationships and a focus on excellent service delivery required. Email: bridget@quantex.co.za

Senior MICE Cons - JHB North Lee Botti & AssociatesDeal with elite corporates arranging domestic & international events. Galileo advantageous. National travel group! Negotiable offer. Email: traceyc@nowjobs.co.za

Director of Sales & Marketing – JHBInfusion ConsultingDirector of sales & marketing for a 5* hotel in JHB @ +R45KPM CTC. Email: belinda@infusion.co.za

Sales Executive – NorthEquity Connections ccGenerate new business, maintain existing business, source and target prospective clients. Must have corporate retail travel sales experience. Email: equitycon@mweb.co.za

Travel Sales Consultant – Cape TownClub TravelOpportunity to analyse the market, offer feedback, meet, exceed targets whilst identifying new agents, build relationships, provide training and handle branding. Email: careers@clubtravel.co.za

Intermediate Consultant - Gauteng - Sandton – RetailWendy’s Travel PersonnelWork closely with Director handling all levels of leisure and corporate travel bookings! Galileo essential!! Email: wtp@icon.co.za

TNW7071

NEW BUSINEES DEVELOPMENT – Cape TownTravel agency exp. Salary: R23 000 ctc p/m medical aid, provident fund. Jean

SENIOR TRAVEL CONSULTANT – JHB AreasAmadeus/Galileo. Travel agency exp. essential. Salary: R15 000 - R22 000 ctc p/m. Jean

TOUR CONSULTANT – JHB NorthOutbound travel. Travel diploma. 2+ Yrs. exp. in travel industry. English and Afrikaans - both verbal and written. Own transport. Salary: R9 000- R10 000 + com p/m. Nono

INTERNATIONAL SALES EXECUTIVE – Sandton4+ Yrs. proven Sales Management track record. Degree/ Diploma. Sales and luxury tourism product exp. Willing to travel. Salary: R25 000 ctc.p/m. Nono

CONTRACTING MANAGER – CPT NorthInbound Tour Operator. 8+ Yrs. exp.Salary: R25 000 - R28 000 ctc. p/m. Candice

MARKET MANAGER (MICE) – CPT North Inbound Tour Operator5+ Yrs. exp. in MICE background R22 000-R24 000 ctc. Candice

E mail: jeancv@pcs-sa.co.za | nonocv@pcs-sa.co.za | candicecv@pcs-sa.co.za Web: www.pcs-sa.co.za

For the recordThe photo caption ‘Dining in Style with Beachcomber’, which was published in TNW April 16, said that Beachcomber’s educational was held in Cape Town. The group were from Cape Town and were hosted at Le Victoria hotel in Mauritius. TNW apologises for the error.

Business Development Sales Executive

Based at Bedford office

Focus on outlining areas: Pretoria, Free State, Mpumalanga, as well as Southern Africa: Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Primary focus is to develop sales in these abovementioned areas.

Principal accountabilities:•SalesCallingonallcustomersegments:Trade,Corporate,MICE

•EstablishRelationshipmanagement&RevenueGeneration

•NewBusinessacquisition•Attainingrevenuetargets,increasing

market share, client retention and brand awareness

•Allapplicationsmustincludeacovering letter addressing how the applicant meets the above requirementstogetherwithabriefCV,e-mailagoddard@airmauritius.com by close of business on Friday 09 May 2014.

•Takenotethatonlyapplicationsthatmeetrequirementswillbeevaluated.Air Mauritius reserves the right to reject profiles that do not meet the minimumlevelofrequirements.

Applicants must have South African citizenship.WeconformwiththeEmploymentEquityAct.

TNW7085

Sunitha Ganesh has joined Jet Airways as sales manager.

Emeline Jacobs is new gm of Three Cities Urban Park Hotel & Spa in Umhlanga. Previous positions include groups and events manager for Lagoon Beach Hotel, gm for Adderley Hotel, Harbour Bridge

Hotel and Suites and Leisure Bay Luxury Suites.

Nadia Gokul has joined Border Air and Lu Dowell Representations as a new sales executive. Nadine previously worked for The Holiday Factory. She will be concentrating on Border Air’s South American products – LATAM airline group and AeroMexico.

Appointments

To advertise on this page

email courtneyc@nowmedia.co.za

20 n Wednesday April 23 2014 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

TNW NEWS

TNW7067

TNW7067

Letter to the Editor

Sightseeing beats food! What are your clients willing to forego when travelling abroad to save money?

n Meals at the hotel/resort 45% n Gratuities 24%n Alcohol 18%n Sightseeing activities 13%

SAA reveals more of its strategy for AfricaChana BouCher and natasha tippel

THE SAA Group – which includes SAA, SA Express, and Mango – plans to

continue strengthening its African network, with more frequencies in the SADC region and West Africa.

Public Enterprise Minister, Malusi Gigaba, speaking at the recent Captains of Industry event at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg, said the group planned to increase frequencies to destinations within the SADC region as early as May. Meanwhile, SAA would continue to focus on West Africa, where it can build a competitive advantage.

The Minister said the group was still looking into establishing a West African hub with the help of the right airline partner and adding capacity to Ghana would still

be a focus for SAA. The airline has applied for

three services to Freetown, Sierra Leone, which is not currently on its network. It has also applied for three flights to Libreville, Gabon, which if granted, could potentially allow for daily flights to the destination. SAA has also applied for one flight a week to Abuja, Nigeria.

SAA spokesperson, Tlali Tlali, confirmed that the above applications had been made to the Air Services Licensing Council, but added: “We would not want to get ahead of ourselves and comment more elaborately about what changes could occur before we know the outcome of our applications.”

Meanwhile, at the event, Minister Gigaba said: “Africa is the future and the future is in Africa. We must therefore

make deliberate attempts to integrate ourselves into the African continent in terms of our business activities. The event’s theme ‘Under African skies. Aviation in focus’ is core to SAA’s future,” he said.

He added that the South African public could expect to see more collaboration between the three airlines – SAA, SAX, and Mango, the brands appearing side by side – in the near future.

BeijingThe Minister also revealed that SAA had been successful in securing a more favourable time slot on its Beijing service and this would help in turning around the profitability of the route.

SAA had not responded to TNW’s request for details on the new landing slot at the time of going to print.

SAA’s Captains of Industry dinner. From left: Rod Rutter (coo of XL Travel); Bulelwa Koyana (SAA acting gm of marketing and communications and ceo of SATC); Mary Shilleto (Thompsons Travel ceo); and Kendy Phohleli (SAA acting gm of commercial). Photo: Natasha Tippel

ANTOR responds on DTCM issueIT IS with concern that I write to you in response to the article on the front page of TNW, dated April 2: “Agents left out of pocket by ‘endorsed’ operator”.

ANTOR (Association of National Tourist Office Representatives) represents 11 destinations, most of which facilitate trade workshops or road shows annually to educate the trade on their destination. In the majority of cases the tourism board that hosts the workshop is joined by tourism product companies and service providers who are interested in getting more business from our market. While a tourism board, in most cases, would not bring any partner to our market that has not been verified as a suitable business match to the audience targeted, I am unaware of any of our members, in any situation, taking full liability on behalf of any of these partners.

As mentioned in the article, Quality Tours took part in a Dubai Tourism workshop in

October 2012. They still had a licence until March 24, 2014, therefore there was no reason for DTCM to question the business practices of Quality Tours, and therefore there was no reason not to include them in the road show.

While it goes without saying that ANTOR empathises greatly with those agents who were financially compromised by this Dubai operator going out of business, it is completely unreasonable to hold the tourism board responsible for this. If this is the attitude we are to accept here in our market then I fear it will severely jeopardise future educational workshop opportunities for our trade, as the tourism authorities would not be able to risk the chance of introducing our agents and tour operators to potential business partners. Is this the message we want to put out to our agents?

Hélène Bezuidenhoudt President ANTOR Southern Africa

Cheap fares for island hoppers dorine reinstein

AIR Austral has recently launched a new Air Austral Vanilla Island Pass, which is available to all passengers travelling from SA to Réunion on Air Austral only. However, the new pass has led to some confusion in the trade, as it seems to be the same as the existing Indian Ocean Pass.

Lenél Vining, Air Austral manager for SA, says there is little difference. The Indian Ocean Pass has been available for some time to travellers in possession of an Air Austral, Air Seychelles or Air Mauritius ticket from SA to Réunion, Seychelles or Mauritius. The Vanilla Islands Pass is a new initiative and is only available to long- and medium-haul Air Austral ticket holders.

The discounts and terms and conditions for the passes, however, do differ. The Indian Ocean Pass fares range from €45 or R653 (SEZ-PRI) to

€217 or R3 149 (RUN-YVA). To qualify for the fares, travellers must purchase a minimum of three different sectors, choosing from 15 routes within the Indian Ocean: Comoros, Madagascar, Maldives, Mayotte, Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues and Seychelles. The pass is valid for two months.

The Vanilla Island Pass offers reductions of between 35% and 55% on regular fares but travellers need to purchase a minimum of four different sectors, something that could be a major obstacle for the new pass. Angela Uys, Thompsons Holidays’ product and contracting executive for Réunion, says some South African travellers would be interested in combining at least two of the islands in a cost-effective way, especially Mauritius and Réunion or Réunion and the Seychelles, as Réunion offers a very different, active holiday experience compared with the Seychelles and Mauritius. “I’m

not sure SA travellers would necessarily combine three islands in one holiday.”

Despite low fares, the majority of South Africans are unlikely to take advantage of this new pass, agrees Dr Marlene Martin, owner of Sun and Sandals Tours. “Most people don't see much of a difference between one island and another, not enough to warrant airport transfers and moving from one island to another.” She says most Indian Ocean packages from South Africa are only seven days, which doesn’t make island hopping an interesting option.

Chantelle Browne, product manager of Holiday Tours, says South Africans will only explore other islands if the combination doesn’t increase the total cost of the holiday by too much. “Mauritius is still the most affordable of the Indian Ocean Islands and this is a contributing factor to the tendency to book Mauritius only,” she adds.