Published by TTG Southern Africa

Travel Industry Review

Indian Ocean island holidays are expected to bounce back with renewed vigour this year. From page 10.

The TGCSA ex-plains the value of the tourism grading system. Page 8.

Coach tour suppliers are confident in the year ahead. Page 14.

Fams are fab! Beachcomber hosted a group of agents at its Victoria Resort & Spa in Mauritius recently. Pictured above, struggling to get to grips with SUP technique (l to r): Dalize Etsebeth, Flight Centre Kolannade; Vladi Mal-kiewicz, Beachcomber; Melanie Lowe, Pulse Africa and Taryn Nelson, Flight Centre The Glen.

Operators see positive signs of growth already in 2017

BY SARAH ROBERTSON

TRAVEL industry sales for 2016 revealed a stagnant market struggling with the effects of a volatile rand, political turmoil and a no-growth economy. Suppliers and agents reported mixed individual results for the year, pointing to shifts in market share and customer loyalty, as clients shopped around for the best value, rather than as a result of growth. Andrew Stark, Managing Director Flight Centre Trav-el Group, said: “While our international air sales grew by 10 percent, the industry remained f lat. FCTG’s do-mestic air sales grew by 11 percent versus the industry, which declined by two per-

cent. Overall FCTG was up 11 percent on 2015, compared with the South African travel market declining by one per-cent. The unpalatable truth is that while FCTG is winning more of the travel pie, the pie is simply not growing.” Others also reported shifts in market share during a flat year rather than industry growth. John Ridler, Thomp-sons Holidays, descr ibed 2016 as a bumper year, while Trafalgar, Busabout and Aus-tria Connection all reported a flat year or slight decline in sales. Joanne Visagie, Sales and Market ing Manager Beachcomber Tours, one of the industry’s most consist-ent growth performers, said the operator’s results showed a slight increase in sales rev-

enue but a dip in passenger numbers due to the tough economic climate. “2016/2017’s traveller is no longer a lame duck when it comes to pricing. They have accepted that the rand is a weak and volatile currency and take proactive steps to watch the exchange rate and jump to make payment dur-ing periods when the rand is stronger than usual. They shop around and will cancel without hesitation if the rate is not to their liking but may be back in a month or two to reinstate during a period of currency strength,” said Mr. Ridler. Inge Dobihal, co-owner of Austria Connection, re-marked that while their sales were slightly down from the previous year, due to uncer-tain economic conditions, it was surprising to see a no-ticeable increase in sales for upmarket and luxury prod-ucts. “Croatia was our best selling destination last year, with sales for island-hopping cruises on small ships show-ing a remarkable increase. It was also nice to see some really unusual destinations such as Romania receive more i nte res t f rom cl i -

ents. Altogether it was a real rollercoaster of a year, with short term booking requests and a number of cancella-tions due to the fluctuation of the rand.” Jessica Clarke, Busabout Brand Manager, specif ied Turkey Sail, Greek Island Hopper, Italian Adventure and Ibiza as their top selling tours during 2016. Although

We have a winner!CONGRATULATIONS to Ilana Strauss, Corporate Consultant atTravelmark/XL Nexus Travel in Paarl, who was the lucky winner of the Delta/TIR competition and receives two Delta tickets to the US! Speaking of how she wants to use the tickets, Ilana said that “Disney World is top of my list but I also want to visit Kennedy Space Center, Washington DC and New York.” Thanks to Delta and all who entered, look out foranother competition later in the year!

continued on page 2

More cruises to call at SA portsSOUTH African ports are gearing up for a record 2017 as international cruise lines, including Cunard Lines, Azamara Club Cruises and Silversea have added local ports to their itineraries. “South Africa as a desti-nation has striking appeal for international travellers, which is a t rend that the cruise lines have picked up on,” commented Thaybz Khan, Brand Manager Cruis-es International. Ships from

Crystal Cruises and Oceania, both represented by Cruises International, will berth in South Africa over the next 12 months. “Crystal Cruises and Oce-ania have been visiting South African ports for years as part of their world cruise itineraries. The value and convenience of a cruise holi-day makes a destination like South Africa easier to get to for international travellers [and] segments to South Af-rica are often fully booked,” noted Ms. Khan.

Also contributing to the increased demand for voy-ages calling at South African ports has been the long-over-due improvement of infra-structure in local harbours. Most cruise vessels calling at Durban use the refurbished N-Shed, which was upgrad-ed in 2015, with improved immigration, check-in and boarding facilities. Durban is also set to award a tender for the development of a new passenger terminal by the end of February.

BY RICHARD HOLMES

continued on page 2

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Flight Centre Travel Group opened in Namibia last month at the Maerua Lifestyle Shop-ping Centre in Windhoek. FCTG’s entry into the market is likely to increase competition, leading to lower prices, predicted Managing Director Andrew Stark. The store will oper-ate as a hybrid, servicing leisure and corporate clients, the first of its kind in Namibia. Mr. Stark said FCTG will use Namibia as “a stepping stone and learning experience for future Africa growth”. Pictured above at the opening (l to r): Irensia Stephanus, Account Manager and Alex Van Wyk, Business Development Manager.

2 TIR Southern Africa • February 2017

News Digest

ASATA promisesmore value in 2017THE Association of South-ern African Travel Agents is promising increased ben-efits this year, as well as a breakthrough with more non-members following Flight Centre and joining the fold. The immediate plan is to implement the strategy defined last year and built around consumer awareness, member support, partner re-lations, self regulation and effective communication. ASATA will focus on ad-vocacy issues and developing products and services that directly benefit members, particularly in the area of training. The Living ASATA campaign amongst members will continue and there will be more emphasis on con-sumer awareness of the value of using an ASATA travel agent.

Chief Executive Officer Otto de Vries said the long-awaited move by Flight Cen-tre to join the association provided: “The opportunity to participate in local and global industry decision-making... They also see the value of working within the ASATA fold to influence is-sues, legislation and industry policies that affect not only Flight Centre Travel Group, but the entire industry. “Players cannot expect to be effective in isolation. The greater the participation, the stronger the collective voice and message when we deal with issues, policies and legislation.” He said it was seeing ASATA membership being a factor when appoint-ing a TMC or when consum-ers were looking to engage a travel agent more than ever before. “The ASATA office is fielding an increasing num-

ber of consumer enquiries and the website is processing more and more find-a-mem-ber queries.” Mr. De Vries said its 21st century travel agent study had shown how to evolve and remain sustainable. Keeping members updated with what was happening in the travel industry and news that af-fects them. ASATA’s annual strategic session will be held February 8 and focus on the develop-ment of a regulatory frame-work for the industry.

she described sales for the year as relatively f lat, Ms. Clarke said the company’s Black Friday and 12 days of Christmas sales towards the end of the year produced sig-nificant enquiries and book-ings. Mr. Stark noted a trend in customers cutting back on travel expenses during 2016, both in the corporate and leisure sector. He said much of the group’s growth could be attributed to some large corporate travel ac-counts taken over by FCM Travel Solutions, while lo-cal and closer-to-home travel was booming in comparison to international travel.

... positive signs of growthcontinued from page 1

More cruises to call...

For 2017 Mr. Stark pre-dicted further cutbacks from cor porates downgrading from business to economy class and that more expen-sive destinations would take a knock, while value-for-money destinations such as Zanzibar, Thailand and Mau-ritius would continue to draw South African travellers. The effects of terrorism were also felt last year, with an increasing number of trav-ellers avoiding destinations like France, Egypt, Kenya and Turkey. “The continued acts of terror cannot be un-derplayed but we know that South African travellers are very resilient and this doesn’t stop them travelling. They

just change where they travel to,” reasoned Ms. Clarke. However, Ms. Dobihal and Mr. Ridler were optimistic for the new year. Mr. Ridler said Thompsons’ forward bookings were looking great and January had got off to a positive start. Ms. Dobihal added that Austria Connection had al-ready seen a 20 percent in-crease in forward bookings compared to the same period last year. Flight Centre’s focus for 2017 will be on innovation, African growth, with its first store opening in Namibia last month, and expansion into the corporate travel manage-ment sphere.

BY SHANNON LATIMER

BrieflyThe American Soci-ety of Travel Agents has initiated a re-search project, the results of which will enable members to identify how to con-vert “unmanaged” business travel to managed travel and create more, mainly smaller, business cli-ents.

Passengers ar r iving on ships mooring at E Berth in Cape Town are already ex-periencing improved arrival and departure facilities, part of a three-phase growth plan. The developments also allow more local clients to book segments on longer cruises, enabling them to ex-perience world-class cruise lines at a lower cost, without the inconvenience of hav-ing to f ly to an overseas point of departure. Regent Seven Seas Navigator will sail into Durban, East Lon-don and Cape Town at the end of its voyage across the Indian Ocean in early-2018, and Crystal Cruises has a 15-day voyage between Cape Town and Mauritius in Janu-ary 2018.

continued from page 1 Demand has been steady from local clients, and “we have had guests book a seg-ment that takes them to an international port”, said Ms. Khan, who explained that the need for just a one-way air journey “reduces the cost of air fare…” The MSC Sinfonia’s 2016-2017 season has been hugely successful. Since the season kicked off last October, voy-ages aboard the refurbished and lengthened ship have seen occupancies in excess of 94 percent. “We have car r ied over 40,000 passengers to date and forward bookings are very positive, so we expect the current t rend to con-tinue,” said Allan Foggitt, Director of Sales and Mar-keting. “Support from the

trade has been very positive and those agencies who have focused on the local season have reaped the rewards. Cruising remains one of the best-value local family holi-days in these tough economic times, so is an easy sell.” For travellers who have so far missed the boat, Sinfonia only sets sail on its reposi-tioning cruise to Europe on May 5. “Support is strong for the remainder of the season… there are still great deals to be had and substantial inven-tory still to be filled,” added Mr. Foggitt, who said that for the best deals “agents should target departures where there are still discounts of up to 40 percent. These include departures in February and March.”

Avis Point 2 Point and Avis Chauffeur Drive are prior-itising customer safety with features such as SMS func-tionality, designed to keep the customer informed on all details related to their journey, including informa-tion on the chauffeur and transfer details. Chauffeurs are trained in basic first-aid and fire-fighting, and are also linked to a 24-hour dis-patch team, ready to send a replacement vehicle if needed.

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Airlink is acquiring five Embraer E-Jets – three E170s and two E190s – starting early this year, and will be the first South African airline to operate the aircraft. CEO Rodger Foster said: “This is the beginning of the implementation of a well planned growth and modernisation strategy for Airlink that includes replacing our current fleet of Avro RJ85s over the next three years… The unique performance characteristics of the E-Jet family will enable Airlink to operate... short field and hot-and-high operations, while managing capacity and providing for growth.”

Abu Dhabi was named the fastest growing des-tination in the Middle East by the MasterCard Global Cities Index Re-port. Pictured: speed-boating in Abu Dhabi.

4 TIR Southern Africa • February 2017

News Digest

ACSA cuts could lead to lower faresTHE Air por ts Company South Africa is to reduce the Passenger Service Charge for domestic and international departures on April 1. The new tariffs for domes-tic passengers will drop from R127 per passenger depar-ture to R82, a 35.5 percent reduction, and for departing international passengers the charge drops to R223 (down from R346). Landing fees and other charges applied to the air-lines will also be reduced but there has been no indication this will result in savings be-ing passed on to passengers in the form of lower fares.

Kirby Gordon, Flysafair Head of Sales and Distribu-tion, said: “Overall pricing of tickets is a complex issue where we need to consider a number of factors. Fuel alone can account for 40 percent of direct costs, so our exposure to the rising price of oil and a weakening rand tends to have a stronger influence on fares. That said, the decrease in these tariffs is great and is a saving that we will most certainly seek to pass onto our customers.” Price comparison website, CheapFlights, recently re-ported that South African travellers are enjoying lower airfares this year than last. Andrew Shelton, Managing

Director of CheapFlights, said there had been a reduc-tion in fares of up to 15 per-cent on both domestic and international flights. Otto de Vries, Chief Ex-ecutive Officer of the As-sociation of Southern Africa Travel Agents, said: “The reduced tariffs bode well for consumers and we hope that it will help to stimulate both inbound and outbound travel and build on the gains we have already seen in 2016.” It will also give some finality in terms of much-needed airport infrastruc-ture, improving the facilities and airport experience for foreign and local travellers, said Mr. De Vries.

“This enhances the at-tractiveness of South African gateways for international airlines, which will further improve connectivity and provide additional opportu-nities for South Africans to connect with the world,” he said. “There is no doubt that the reduction in this tariff is excellent news for the indus-try and the consumer collec-tively,” added Mr. Gordon.

BrieflyEurail has introduced a range of promo-tional passes for sale until March 31. The Global Pass provides up to five extra days at no additional cost and the Two Country Select Pass adds an extra day and a price reduction of 15 – 17 percent for Austria/Germany, Czech Re-public/Germany and Denmark/Germany.

BY SHANNON LATIMER

Booking tool boostsClub Travel salesCLUB Travel Cor porate has repor ted an a i r l i ne ticket sales increase of 60 percent last year, compared to the industry total of one percent.“We attribute this massive growth in our busi-ness to our exclusive online air travel booking tool,” said Wally Gaynor, Managing Di-rector. As GlobalStar’s only South African partner, Club Trav-el Corporate has exclusive use of Fare Star, an online booking platform that pro-vides full access to airline seat inventory from more than one thousand airlines and 50 countries. The booking tool enables agents to manage travel to and from multiple countries, irrespective of whether or not the travel route touches South Africa. “It is a little known fact that international airlines re-strict the seat inventory they show various markets, based

on the strength and stability of that market’s local cur-rency,” said Mr. Gaynor. “Therefore, due to the vol-atility of our local currency, international travel booking and budgeting is becoming increasingly challenging for South African-based compa-nies.” Lack of access to all the available airline seats often results in compromises that negatively impact business operat ions and budgets; whether due to availability, alternate dates and times, non-direct flights, diversions or stay-overs, he added. “This air travel booking tool supports and strength-ens our comprehensive range of corporate travel manage-ment services both online and offline and provides an undeniable advantage in our industry, with some of our clients saving over 50 percent on their international airfare costs,” said Mr. Gaynor.

CPT increases arrivals ALAN Winde, the Western Cape’s Minister of Econom-ic Opportunities, said last month that the province’s Cape Town Air Access ini-tiative had resulted in a sig-nificant number of interna-tional arrivals at Cape Town International Airport and had generated R3-billion in

direct tourism spend. “We have secured six new routes and eight route expan-sions, resulting in over half a million more two-way seats coming into Cape Town. Since July last year, this ad-ditional capacity generated R3-billion in tourism spend for the Western Cape. Be-

tween September and Oc-tober 2016... international air arrivals into Cape Town are increasing by 22 percent year-on-year,” he said.

Mr. Winde added that for-ward bookings from the air-lines showed increases from several countries, including Germany and the UK.

Most read storiesfrom the past month...

www.tir.co.za/enews

enews most read

1 Home Affairs changes birth certificate requirement

2 State-owned airlines set to merge

3 Zim suspends use of Visa cards

4 NCL announces new deployment

5 ACSA cuts passenger service charge

Starting this month Emirates will operate an Airbus A380 between Dubai and Johannesburg. To mark its latest A380 route, the carrier has introductory fares to Dubai from R6,500.

Norwegian Bliss (left) will be based in Miami, after its inaugural summer season in Alaska, and seasonally homeport there from win-ter 2018 when it will sail seven-night Eastern Carib-bean cruises each Satur-day from Miami.

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6 TIR Southern Africa • February 2017

THEBAD THEUGLYAir India has introduced seats reserved exclusively for women travelling alone on domestic flights to ensure their safe-ty from harassment. There are already women-only trains and taxi services in the country.

2016 will not be fondly remembered by the outbound travel industry in South Af-rica, with many still feeling the economic effects, largely aggravated by political policies and upheaval. Thankfully, fore-casts are better for 2017.

It is a brave explorer who goes on a self-drive holiday in Zimbabwe, once one of South Africans’ favourite destinations. A recent visitor counted 16 police roadblocks between Harare and Bulawayo – with a pay-off required at each.

CONGRATULATIONS to Jenny Voight, from The Travel Chain in George, who was spotted reading TIR in Solitaire, en route to Sossuvlei. Jenny is the winner of an American Tourister Bon Air 55cm Spinner suitcase, valued at R1,699.

American Tourister Bon Air, a zipped polypropcollection, prevents brittle breakage. This ultra-tough material is injection moulded to produce a modern look with contrasting horizontal lines on acombination of matte and shiny surfaces. It also fea-tures soft-touch handles and TSA locks. Available in Pacific blue, lime green, orange, pink, red, navy, black and white. The American Tourister Bon AirSpinner range of suitcases is available from luggage outlets.

Industry ViewThe African airline industry in review

IATA predicted that in the next five years Africa would be the third fastest-growing region in the world in terms of international traffic. This is based on an emerging middle class, strong economic growth and increasing urbanisation. Guy Leitch, Editor and Publisher of SA Flyer, comments on the African airline industry.

THE much hoped for, and indeed hyped, take-off of African airlines seems to have stalled on the runway. IATA, supported by various studies, pre-dicted that in the next five years Africa would be the third fastest-growing region in the world in terms of international traffic, with an average growth rate of 6.1 percent compared to the global average of 5.8 per-cent. This was not far behind the 7.9 percent for the Middle East and 6.9 percent for Asia Pacific. The big hope for Africa is based on an emerging middle class, strong economic growth and increasing urbanisation. One of the major beneficiaries of the ‘African renaissance’ was expected to be the airlines, as air transportation plays a vital role in a country’s growth by powering the convergence of goods and people. Visiting friends and relatives by air is yet to capture the public imagination. Currently, only 10 percent of Africans travel by air but, given the current rate of economic growth and emergence of the middle class, there should be a high de-mand for air transportation. Africa is mas-sive – about three times larger than the US. The vast distances are compounded by poor land-based infrastructure. Roads are crumbling and rail service is thin and unreli-able. In recent years, growing alliances with counterparts in other regions of the world have played an important role in the de-velopment of the African aviation industry. These alliances have permitted African air-lines to gain access to new long haul routes resulting in economies of scale and skills exchange. So, African aviation should be set to boom. However, the three Gulf carriers and Turkish Airlines are out-smarting and out-manoeuvring African airlines. Qatar’s CEO, Al Baker, said African airlines need state protection.

The ability of African airlines to seize these opportunities and grow is hampered by many factors. Boeing’s VP Sales in Africa, Miguel Santos, said that lack of skills, poor safety and security, lack of infrastructure, and lack of regulation and government ac-tions are among the main constraints the industry faces. Lack of investment in ground-based in-frastructure is a further key limiting factor to airline growth. Poor navigation aids and airport infrastructure, lack of physical and human resources and lack of connectivity are the key challenges. Despite growing awareness of the role that the aviation industry could play, the industry is still hindered by protectionism. Despite Yamoussoukro 1988 and 1999 and now a ‘solemn declaration’ by 21 African states for increased liberalisation, many African governments are still reluctant to open their skies, fearing foreign competi-tion could undercut their national airlines, most of which are already loss making. IATA has often pointed out that Africa has some of the most expensive air fares on earth. The association says governments just do not see aviation as a high-priority industry, perceiving it instead as a luxury, so air transport becomes an opportunity to milk the rich. African airfares are subject to excessive levies in the form of airport charges, fuel taxes, excise duties and more. Fuel prices at many airports in Africa are more than twice the world average. Then there are passenger taxes. At Dji-bouti, you pay up to US$85 in extra fees, in Accra, US$75. Yet in Singapore, they amount to about US$11 and Mumbai charg-es less than US$6. South Africa has demonstrated how air transport linkages and passengers carried benefit enormously from open skies, de-spite the oft-claimed uneven playing field of having to compete against subsidised

Entrepreneurs act differently when business slowsTHERE is not much doubt that customers are going to want more for less this year. Inflation in essential goods and services continues to outpace many discretionary items because they are not as affected by competition to the same degree, putting pressure on the sales of eve-rything from cars to house-hold items and clothes. Travel is a big-spend item, so it is going to face more competition from other non-essential competitors, often with financing incentives. However, the purchase of a new car or a new dishwasher can usually be delayed but, once holiday time has gone, so has the opportunity to travel until the next holiday period. That in itself is an

incentive to select travel over other, less time sensitive pur-chases and a benefit in the competition for discretionary rands. But there are other pres-sures in addition to inf la-tion. We have already been warned by Pravin Gordhan that taxes are going to rise, the country’s credit rating is still under threat, the rand is unlikely to strengthen to any meaningful degree, the unemployment rate is wors-ening, economic growth is negligible and the political scene shows no sign of im-proving. In times like these, every business knows the answer is to be more active, promote more, invest more, be more creative, because that will

maximise whatever business is out there. It will maintain the brand and ensure pro-ducer and seller will come out stronger and ahead of the competition when conditions improve. That is easy to understand and appreciate but it takes resources and an element of risk. Most organisations avoid taking that action and opt for an often counterpro-ductive, conservative ap-proach. And major compa-nies are as guilty as small businesses. This is where real entrepreneurs thrive. They are aggressive and see tough times as an oppor-tunity to outf lank competi-tors. That is what sets them apart. Withdrawing into a shell is

not the answer. The solution is to be positive, be active, believe in your product or service, provide exactly what customers want and make it easy for them to buy. Everybody agrees that the travel process has become more complicated and there is more hassle, despite the failed promise that technol-ogy would make life easier. Personal admin is more complicated and time-con-suming than it ever was, compounded by increasing bureaucracy. In travel, the airport expe-rience is the biggest culprit. IATA’s 2016 Global Passen-ger Survey came up with a number of conclusions, many of which conventional wis-dom would dispute in terms

of importance. One is that passengers want more self-service op-tions. That may suit the air-lines but adds complications for passengers, who want to be served, not serve them-selves. Technology is not a catch-all solution and suppliers of-ten fool themselves in iden-tifying what customers want in order to satisfy their own priorities. But catering to customers’ real wants is the most effec-tive advantage. Maybe that is why trav-ellers continue to use high-street travel agents, in order to interact with a live human being rather than a machine. Progress is sometimes re-gress.

tir.co.za

continued on back cover

News Digest

8 TIR Southern Africa • February 2017

Constance Ephelia SeychellesHotel Check

This is a resort with something for everyone. Travelling with kids? The 17 family villas are spacious and great for multi-generational breaks, with a large kids club to entertain children aged 4 – 11. For a little romance? Hillside villas offer spectacular views of Port Launay Marine National Park from private plunge pools, and spa villas make the most of treatments at the spacious U Spa. Wellness is just one of the attractions. Adven-turous types can tackle the climbing routes and forest zip line – the only one in the Seychelles – while guided kayak trips through the mangrove forests are memorable. A well-equipped watersports centre offers scuba diving to guided snorkelling to stand-up paddleboards. Kayaking over the coral reefs is not to be missed. Neither is the food. The resort has five dining options, from Creole buffets to Asian-inspired fine dining. Sup-plements apply for the smarter restaurants. Overall, a multi-faceted leisure-focused destination that will not disappoint.

AccommodationFacilitiesFoodLocation

ServiceAttitudeValue (x2)Overall rating

85858075

75808080

Robinson Club is to expand into the Asian market this year. Its first resort in Thailand will be located in Khao Lak. Khao Lak is 85 kilome-tres from Phuket. The 320-room resort is on the beach, eight kilome-tres from the centre of town.The brand’s sec-ond resort will be in the Maldives.

Agents urged to considerterrorism insurance

BY KATE ELS

TRAVEL insurance compa-nies may provide cover in the event of a terror attack but complicated terminology and a general lack of under-standing by travel agents cre-ate a difficult challenge when advising clients. The scarcity of incidents and variances in products and conditions make it con-fusing to know exactly what a customer could claim for. “Selling insurance can be daunting for a consultant, especially when clients ask in-depth questions about in-clusions or exclusions,” said Lucinda Tyler, Club Travel Product Manager. Although the company had not had cancellations due to terror in-cidents, some travellers had requested not to fly through certain airports and usually insurance queries were re-ferred to the supplier. Simmi Micheli, Travel In-surance Consultants Man-ager – Sales and Marketing, explained that a good travel insurance policy should pro-vide cover for three instanc-es: emergency medical and related expenses; accidental death or permanent disability cover and cancellation cover, if the terrorist incident oc-cured within two weeks of departure in a city included in the itinerary. She said TIC concentrated on training to ensure trade partners were informed: “We make at least one thousand personal contacts a month,

where we train on items like this...” Clients are often also mis-taken about why they should take out insurance for terror-ist incidents, thinking they can claim back from airlines or hotels directly, said Hanri Pretorius, General Manager Bidvest Travel Insurance. “The harsh reality is that some people only find out once they try to cancel their trip that airlines and hotels are not refunding fares or deposits when a traveller de-cides to cancel. “We are one of the few insurance companies... cov-ering the cancellation costs if our clients decide against risking their safety in coun-tries that have fallen victim to acts of terror and extreme violence,” she said. What travel agents do find helpful are case studies, com-mented Sarah Kieck, Senior Travel Counsellor Kaltravel. “The majority of the systems that we use to sell insurance products do not have all the information at hand and if they do, it is a brief descrip-tion and not an explanation. I always find it best to under-stand the necessity of travel insurance from reading case studies.” Ms. Kieck said an online portal that enabled agents to compare policies from dif-ferent suppliers, similar to those used by car or home insurance companies, would be one solution to help agents familiarise themselves with insurance product.

ON THE

SPOT

Grading helps South Africabe internationally competitive

How does the assessment process work and what are the requirements for the different grades?

Establishment owners need to apply on the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa’s website. If the estab-lishment qualifies, an assessor is dispatched to evaluate the premises and amenities in person. The assessment is verified and the number of stars awarded depend-ing on the level achieved. A star grading is valid for one year only and is renewed after a follow-up visit by an assessor. This process enables establishments to enjoy the benefits of the grading scheme without having to reapply every year.

Chief Quality Assurance Officer for the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa, Darryl Erasmus, comments on the validity and value of the tourism grading system.

What is the industry’s perception of gradingand its validity and value?

It is an internationally-recognised system of quality as-surance. The TGCSA applies strict criteria and is recog-nised as a world leader in the industry.

How rife is the illegal use of stars andhow can they be verified?

Unfortunately, there are many instances where travel-lers find establishments that market themselves as star graded but do not in fact, hold a valid TGCSA grading. This is done both deliberately as well as not being aware of the rules. Many do not know that it is illegal to claim that they are star graded in marketing and advertising material or at their premises if they are not a valid grading member. These establishments can be found guilty of a criminal offence in line with the Tourism Act. Establish-ment owners who choose to unsubscribe are free to do so but must remove all forms of the insignia from their establishments and marketing collateral. It is imperative to prevent the illegal use of grading stars – not just to protect the SA tourism brand but to protect the value and integrity of those participating in the grading system. Those who suspect an establishment illegally displaying TGCSA stars should contact the TGCSA on 0800 000 607 or email: satourism@tip-offs.com.

What has grading done toimprove the quality andconsistent standards of product?

Establishment owners need to apply on the Tourism Grad-ing Council of South Africa’s website. If the establish-ment qualifies, an assessor is dispatched to evaluate the premises and amenities in person. The assessment is verified and the number of stars awarded depending on the level achieved. A star grading is valid for one year only and is renewed after a follow-up visit by an assessor. This process enables establishments to enjoy the benefits of the grading scheme without having to reapply every year.

How successful was the 2016 campaign in raising the awareness of the value of grading?

2016 saw a significant increase of about 10 percent in graded establishments and/or rooms. The initial increase became evident in May and June, which co-incided with the launch of the Tourism Analytics Pro-gramme, an online-based system that collates guest reviews on platforms such as Bookings.com, Agoda and TripAdvisor.

What further developments are expected in 2017?

Reminding members of TGCSA benefits, including fi-nancial services to assist during the tax season. We are also reviewing our criteria and requirements and will hold a nationwide roadshow to share the results and get input from the industry. The revised criteria should be imple-mented in the new fiscal effective April 1. The roadshow will outline the TGCSA’s holistic value proposition: our business support service mechanism; update on train-ing initiatives including online training to assist smaller businesses; quality protection, an increased focus to eliminate illegal use of stars and plans around Meetings Africa and INDABA and how graded establishments can benefit from them.

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10 TIR Southern Africa • February 2017

Indian Ocean IslandsMauritius tipped to continue growthBY SHANNON LATIMER

WITH the trend of customer downgrading and economic uncertainty this year, the in-dustry still believes Indian Ocean island holidays will do well, with Mauritius main-taining the lion’s share. “Mauritius remains very strong and shows continu-ous growth at kulula holidays due to its affordability, ease of access and outstanding value adds,” said Chantelle Browne, Senior Product Manager. “The ability to con-firm a wide range of pack-ages in a live environment on our website has made it even more attractive and easy...” Kulula has seen strong growth in the all-inclusive sector for Maldives and Mau-ritius and expects the trend will continue through 2017. “Travellers are more savvy than ever with their budgets and they recognise the ben-efits of pre-purchasing pack-

age extras upfront...,” said Ms. Browne. Sue Howells, Sales & Mar-keting Manager African Syn-ergy, had the same response. “We expect Mauritius to see a rise in numbers again, as it is often a more affordable and all-round destination.” She added the Maldives was continuing to offer good deals: “It is a favourable time for guests to take up this op-portunity and enjoy the cur-rent discounts.” David Germain, Direc-tor Africa & the Americas for the Seychelles Tourism Board, remarked on the ex-per ient ia l t ravel market trend. “We have noticed that the South African traveller is moving away from normal package holidays towards an experiential travel experi-ence. Travellers are looking for more meaningful activi-ties that will contribute to the destination they’re visiting,” he said.

Although Seychelles does not offer backpacker accom-modation options, it does feature a wide range for the budget-conscious traveller. There are numerous bed and breakfast establishments on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue that offer travellers an au-thentic experience. This year, STB will focus on promot-ing “affordable Seychelles” packages in African markets. The packages will include self-catering establishments, guesthouses, lodges and vil-la-type accommodation. Ter r y Munro, Manag-ing Director Beachcomber Tours, predicted a “tough but successful” year. Beach-comber resorts have a very high incidence of repeat cli-ents. Victoria and Shandrani resorts are still firm favour-ites with South African lei-sure travellers and the MICE market. “This is due to the incredible value-for-money aspect and the superior all-

inclusive packages available at these two resorts,” said Mr. Munro. Beachcomber promotes many money-saving specials throughout the year, with the mid-year period appeal-ing specifically to families. Agents can f ind offers of children sharing and eating free, to tie in with Air Mau-ritius’ ‘two children under 12 fly free’ special. “It is easy to feel panicked about how volatile our cur-rency is, but it is still possible to travel like a king on a shoe-string by taking advantage of fantastic 2017 holiday deals to all of the Indian Ocean islands,” said Nodine White, Head of Product at Perfect Destinations. Travelling during shoulder seasons, considering indi-rect flights and picking dates, are all different ways agents can make a holiday more af-fordable for their clients, she added.

Sales Resourcethe

Slideshows and more online tools available.Beachcomber’s 24-hour online quoting and booking system now has more handy sales tools, slideshows and hotel fact sheets. www.beachcomber.co.za

Regular updates and live availability for agents.Kulula’s online booking tool, which has live availability for most of its resorts in the islands, has regular updates for agent reference. holidays.kulula.com

> Email submissions to sarah@tir.co.za

The short stay Taste of Réunion from Thompsons vis-its St. Denis, St. Pierre and St. Gilles, from R12,237pp ex-JNB, including flights, four nights’ accommodation with breakfast and car hire.

kulula holidays winter specials start from R10,460 for Coin de Mire Attitude resort during May – Septem-ber, excluding school holidays and other peak periods.

Beachcomber Tours has five nights from May 22 – June 29 at Le Mauricia in a standard room from R14,580. Includes return flights ex-JNB, transfers. breakfast & dinner daily. 20 percent Early Bird discount subject to 30 day advance purchase.

Sell These

Mauritius sales increasingly driven by inclusionsBY SARAH ROBERTSON

OPERATOR predictions for 2017 Mauritius sales are bull-ish with most suppliers re-porting that January got off to a positive start. Demand for the island is being driven by package inclusions rather than accommodation star rat-ings, with travellers looking for value in all price brackets. “2016 was a bumper year for us. The Indian Ocean Is-lands did well with Mauri-tius remaining a top seller while demand for Zanzibar boomed due to the improve-ments in connectivity to the island. Our f inancial year begins in October; sales for the year are already up and January has taken off at a hell of a pace,” said Thompsons Holidays’ John Ridler. Cathie Bester, Marketing Relationship Manager, World Leisure Holidays, was also positive about the region:

“We added to our portfolio in the Indian Ocean Islands and received additional avail-ability from our exclusive partners. We are optimistic that 2017 sales will continue to show positive growth... our forward sales for the first six months of the year are look-ing great.” Suppliers noted that the

South Afr ican market to Mauritius consists mostly of four- and five-star book-ings, however, in the current economic climate, reiterated demand for the island was driven mostly by inclusive features. “Today’s market consists of a cautious traveller who wants to avoid financial sur-prises at the end of a holi-

day. Drinks on an island are expensive and even non-al-coholic soft drinks for the kids add up after a week or two away. The trend we have noticed is that clients are cur-rently looking for value for money and that the bookings that convert are the ones that offer dinner, bed and break-fast over bed and breakfast,

or all-inclusive options over meal plans,” explained Mr. Ridler. Ms. Bester agreed, add-ing that even their premium travellers were more aware of special offers than before. She confirmed they experi-enced a definite spike in sales during periods when special offers were available and that more of their clients were

conscious of loyalty benefits than in the past. “We sell packages across the board from three- to five-star options and the trend that we have repeatedly noticed is that everyone is looking for value for their money.” Chantelle Browne, Sen-ior Product Manager Kulula Holidays, mirrored the senti-ments, saying they had seen growth in Mauritius sales in 2016 and was forecasting it to continue this year. “The affordability of the islands remains a huge drawcard for cash-strapped travellers who are looking for quality and value at an affordable price.” Joanne Visagie, Sales and Marketing Manager, Beach-comber Tours, was more cau-tious, reporting that she had seen an increase in turnover for 2016 but a slight decrease in passenger numbers, due to the tough economic times. As a result, Beachcomber

aims to achieve the same number of passengers in 2017 but another year of increased revenue. She said passengers were still booking similar numbers of four- and five-star hotels, with no noticea-ble change in booking trends for accommodation catego-ries. New to the Mauritius mar-ket, Annemarie Lexow, Sales

and Market ing Manager Travel Vision, said most of the company’s business was for corporate bookings which had very specific require-ments for hotels, mostly in the four-star range. She explained that Travel Vision’s aim was not to com-pete with the Mauritius lei-sure specialists but to focus on the business sector.

“The Indian Ocean Islands did well (last year) with Mauritius remaining a top seller, while demand for Zanzibar boomed due to the improvements in con-nectivity...” – John Ridler, Thompsons Holidays

Pictured above: Victoria Beachcomber Resort & Spa which recently, for the third year in a row, won the TUI Top Quality Award which is awarded to the top 250 holiday resorts and hotels worldwide and is exclusively based on guest experience.

The Beachcomber Choice

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Choose Beachcomber� Pioneers of tourism in Mauritius

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� Eight hotels and over 2 000 rooms

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� Many free water sports including water-skiing

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� West is best: avoid easterly trade winds and enjoy the sunsets

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The Right Choice

Indian Ocean Islands

TIR Southern Africa • February 2017 11

BrieflyAir Austral has special fares to Mauritius from R5,095, including taxes. Sale is on until February 28 for travel until June 30.

Thompsons has added The Zan-zibar Collection hotel group to its portfolio. There are four hotels, the Zawadi Hotel, Baraza Resort & Spa, The Palms Zanzibar and Breezes Beach Club & Spa, which-will feature in the Thompsons Zanzibar brochure due out this month.

Value, not cost, drives Seychelles demandFOR many South African travel-lers the Seychelles ticks all the right boxes… but it comes at a cost. However, despite the volatile rand, local clients are still happy to pay, provided there is recognis-able value. “The local market is definitely looking for a great deal,” said Sue Howells, African Synergy Sales and Marketing Manager, lo-cal GSA for Constance Hotels & Resorts. “However, they are not necessarily looking for the cheap-est, but rather wanting to ensure that they are definitely getting the best possible experience for their money. “South Africans are looking for value-for-money; there are many local travellers that can af-ford luxury products, but would like to ensure their hard-earned money is well spent on the right level of property in terms of food, service, and overall quality.” “Price does play a role with some clients, however the major-ity of those who are interested in travelling to the Seychelles are prepared to pay a bit more...,” added Joanne Visagie, Beach-comber Tours Sales and Market-ing Manager. Beachcomber’s all-villa Sainte Anne Resort & Spa, situated on a private island near the interna-tional airport, is a favourite with honeymooners, wedding clients and travellers celebrating a spe-cial occasion. “Sainte Anne is also a fantastic base for those who are interested in deep sea fishing or scuba div-ing...” said Ms. Visagie. “Whilst price is always im-portant for a large segment of the South African market, there is still the market segment looking for the unique experiences on offer in the Seychelles – private islands, incredible fishing, hik-ing trails [and] island hopping,” commented Margaret Park, The Holiday Factory Product Man-ager. “These customers are look-ing for value-for-money and the experience rather than focusing purely on price… the bulk of our bookings are for the five- and five-star-plus resorts.” With the honeymoon and spe-cial occasion market in mind, part of the islands’ value comes in the form of exclusivity. “Travellers to the Seychelles generally seek out resorts which offer couples a more private expe-rience and they are willing to pay a higher rate to guarantee seclu-sion and privacy,” added Ms. Vis-agie. “Experiential travel is also a growing trend... Familiarisation with the local culture and activi-ties which immerse the visitor in the heart of the Seychelles’ mag-nificent fauna and flora, are high on every client’s must-do list.” Improved air access has also

contr ibuted to growth in the South African market. Last year, Air Seychelles added a fifth weekly flight from Johan-nesburg to Mahé, and will launch direct f lights between Durban and Mahé from March 30. The increased f requencies have “definitely made the desti-nation more accessible, especially to honeymooners, who need flex-ibility of f lying times, and the corporate/MICE market”, said Ms. Howells. “Greater flexibility with flight

schedules is always a bonus for a destination when there are lim-ited flight routing options for cli-ents to consider,” Ms. Visagie agreed. Hotels and tour operators are also making it easier for South African travellers – and travel agents – to discover the Seychelles, with discounts and special offers. Family-friendly Constance Ephelia and luxury-focused Constance Lémuria have discounted specials for the South African market throughout the

year and, for most of the year, one child under-12 stays free when sharing with parents. The two resorts also have honeymoon dis-counts, including in-resort credit of €100 per room per night over certain months of the year. Beachcomber runs regular educational trips to give agents experience of Sainte Anne first-hand and also has special travel agent partner rates. The heavily-discounted rates are available throughout the year, subject to availability.

BY RICHARD HOLMES

Canonnier Beachcomber Resort & Spa will close for renovations May 2 and re-open September 3 with many updated facilities.

Product Update

AA-Run_138x420-vecto.indd 1 18/01/2017 17:29

12 TIR Southern Africa • February 2017

Indian Ocean IslandsMadagascar aims forgrowth from South Africa

BY SHANNON LATIMER

MADAGASCAR is still a small seller for South African travel agents and, despite its relative proximity, is better-known in some European markets, particularly Italy, where it is sought after for its unique f lora and fauna. Tourism infrastructure is not on the same scale as the more popular Indian Ocean Islands but is slowly expanding and improved air connections are expected to provide a major boost to awareness and de-mand in this market. Manitra Andriamialisoa, Chief Executive Officer of Madagascar Endemics & Re-sorts, commented on some of the island’s main selling points: “Wildlife... to be able to see lemurs, aye ayes, in-sects, reptiles/amphibians… It is a top birding destina-tion as well, and humpback whales are here from June to September. Isalo National Park is great for landscape photography, wildlife and culture, as well as hiking and swimming in natural pools. “World Her it age Site, Tsingy of Bemaraha – or the limestone rock forest – is not to be missed. This is for more adventurous people but defi-nitely worth the challenge of

getting there.” “Madagascar is an option for clients that have ventured into the mainstream island destinations and are looking for something more remote, adventurous and untouched to exper ience,” said Sue Howells, Sales & Marketing Manager African Synergy. Mr. Andriamialisoa rec-ommended that, for luxury

clients, Anjajavy has attrac-tive packages, which are also popular with honeymoon-ers. “It is very easy to see wildlife here at the 750 hec-tare reserve. And if your cli-ent is looking for beautiful beaches, endemic orchids and whale-watching safaris – even a famous Pirates’ Cem-etery – Sainte Marie island is a winner.” Constance Tsarabanjina is a private island lodge, a one-

hour boat ride from Nosy Bé. “This property has seen the biggest growth in 2016 of all our properties. It offers an all-inclusive private island experience and is nice to combine with a stay in Nosy Bé. Its popularity is due to the introduction of Airlink’s direct f light from Joburg to Nosy Bé,” said Ms. Howells. Currently Airlink operates

once a week, on Sundays. However, “we are hopeful they will increase frequency in 2017”, she said. The luxury Miavana re-sort, due to open at the end of April in Nosy Ankao, will provide an option for top-end clients wanting a different experience. Rates are R2,400 per person per night, and a helicopter transfer from Die-go or Nosy Bé is required to reach it.

The island of Nosy Ankao, off the northeast coast of Madagascar, location of the new Miavana resort.

14 TIR Southern Africa • February 2017

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Busabout winning overthe youth market in SABUSABOUT is gaining pop-ularity in its targeted market of young South Africans, due to its flexibility, competitive packages and hop-on, hop-off options. Trade suppor t is a lso growing as agents become more familiar with the prod-uct. Brand Manager, Jessica Clarke, said the St. Paddy’s Day trips, the Greek Island Hopper and Sail Turkey were the company’s top sellers last year. “This year we will be in-troducing a truckload of new product, beginning with Ul-tra Miami in March.” The four-day package starts from R17,730 and in-cludes a three-day Ultra Mi-ami ticket, with three nights’ accommodation in Miami Beach and transfers to and from the music festival. “We also have a new desti-nation... on our hop-on, hop-off network... Portugal. The

new Iberian Adventure trip takes us to Spain, Portugal and Morocco but allows you to choose where you would like to start...” Ms. Clarke explained. As Scandinavia has be-come more in demand, Busa-bout has introduced the Ulti-mate Scandi-Baltics 15-day trip which includes Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Other music fes-tivals packaged include Lol-lapalooza in Berlin and the three-day Ibiza Blast in the heart of Ibiza’s club scene. Burma has been reintro-duced, as well as Thai Island Moon Parties. Ms. Clarke said the hop-on, hop-off product is sell-ing well in South Africa and “we have simplified our trips to make navigating our net-work even easier”, she said, adding: “As South Africans become more travel savvy they are developing a taste for Busabout’s freestyle way of travelling.”

BY SHANNON LATIMER

Operators add packages, discounts for 2017BY SARAH ROBERTSON

SUPPLIERS are confident 2017 will be a good year for coach tours, with operators reporting stable sales in 2016 and an increase in enquir-ies towards the end of the year. Europe remains the most popular region, with a surge in popularity for Croa-tia, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe in particular. “Europe was our 2016 top seller for escorted tours for both the youth and the 40-plus market,” reported Meg-an D’Arcy, Product Manager USA, Europe, Cruising and Touring, kulula holidays. “We expect this popularity to continue in 2017 due to the product diversity, easy combinability of destinations and the wealth of attractions available in such a small area.” Perfect Destinations took over the GSA for the Globus brands last year. Shona Pit-taway, Perfect Destinations Managing Director and Pie-ter Beyers, Insight Vacations General Manager, agreed that Europe and Eastern Eu-rope were the most popular for an escorted holiday. Morocco also became pop-ular and Scandinavia showed strong growth last year. Ms. Pittaway added that she ex-pected to see South Ameri-can tours gain in popularity with the additional f lights and reduced air fares. Austria Connection’s At-las coach tour brand and the more upmarket Kompas Tours experienced most sales for Eastern Europe, with Croatia being top. Atlas has a

10 percent early booking bo-nus off all departures if full payment is received before March 15. In the escorted adventure tour segment Europe, Vi-etnam, Cuba and Peru are popular. Warren Robertson, Sales and Marketing Man-ager of Wandering Free, re-ported that Intrepid was run-ning a promotion allowing tours to be booked with only a R25 deposit. The offer is only valid until February 15. He said they do not of-fer many discounts on the Exodus product, preferring to keep margins as low as possible throughout the year to encourage sales. “We find that constant discounting is not necessary as Exodus tours are suitably differenti-ated from their competitors, particularly when it comes to the variety of exotic destina-tions that we offer...” South Africans typical-ly book far in advance for coach tours, thanks to the long-standing early booking bonuses that have been of-fered by Travcorp and other escorted tour companies. Insight Vacations has a 7.5 percent early payment discount on Europe and Brit-ain Summer tours for book-ings made and paid in full before March 24. Mr. Beyers said one third of Insight’s total bookings were early bookings. Ms. Pittaway reported that Globus and Cosmos sales were already up 320 percent over last year, with Cosmos offering excellent value for money and Globus focusing on higher quality hotels and

more inclusions. Cosmos has a 10 percent early booking bonus for 2017 European de-partures, while Globus is of-fering a five percent early booking discount off all its departures. These discounts are combinable with its five percent repeat traveller dis-count. Kulula holidays has added a handful of new tours in Central and Eastern Europe. “These tours include up and coming destinations such as Hungary, the Czech Repub-lic, Austria and Croatia. In our youth market portfolio we will continue to push Top-deck USA and Far East tours in addition to their Europe offering,” said Ms. D’Arcy. New tours for 2017 include

Insight’s Luxury Gold 11-day Classic South American tour which incorporates stays in luxury hotels and dining at Michelin-starred restaurants, travelling through Chile, Ar-gentina and Brazil. Cosmos has 11 new tours, including its 11-day Europe Photo Album, 12-day Viking Explorer and 15-day Tour and Cruise in Greece and Turkey. Wandering Free has in-troduced new festival de-par tures, offer ing guests the chance to participate in unique cultural experiences such as the Naadam festival in Mongolia, Day of the Dead Festival in Mexico, Harbin Ice Festival in China and Timkat festival in Ethiopia.

Escorted tours helpavoid Italian hassles

BY RICHARD HOLMES

THE summer influx of tour-ists in Tuscany and Umbria can make this region of Italy a nightmare for independent travellers, navigating crowd-ed country roads, over-priced hotels and endless queues

at popular attractions. It is one of the most popular and busiest areas of Europe due to its ancient hilltop villages and towns, gastronomy and historic sites and art. More visitors are finding an escorted tour does away with all of the associated hol-

iday hassles. “Italy is one of Trafalgar’s top selling destinations and we have a wide range of guided holidays and tours...” said Theresa Szejwallo, Tra-falgar Managing Director. “We really take the hassle out of navigating the highways and byways with... our travel directors taking the guess-

work out of the destination.” The same goes for hotels and restaurants, with au-thentic accommodation pre-booked and tour leaders on hand to provide local insight and advice. “Our guests... enjoy excep-tional quality and service at a price that is impossible to replicate as an independent traveller,” added Ms. Szej-wallo. Whether that destination is the Uffizi Gallery in Flor-ence or the Leaning Tower in Pisa, congestion and lack of parking near major sights is a problem for self-drive visitors, but not an issue for guided tour operators. “These companies nor-

mally have dedicated parking facilities for charter coaches and city councils provide in-frastructure, as tourism is a very important channel of income,” said Annemarie Lexow, Sales and Marketing Manager Travel Vision. While guided holidays make sense for clients, they are also rewarding for agents. “Our commissions are some of the highest and we pay our commission across the whole guided holiday package not just small ele-ments,” said Ms. Szejwallo, adding: “Our Rand Price Guarantee ensures that the pr ice pr inted in our bro-chures is honoured all year round, in our local currency.”

The hop-on hop-off network links 46 of Europe’s top destinations between May and October. Decide where your client wants to go, for what length of time and for how many stops.

How to book a HOHO

The Colosseum in Rome, at dawn.

by John Wardall

It will be shake, rattle and roll in 2017

continued on page 16

M

TIR Southern Africa • February 2017 15

Personally Speaking

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dl_advert_#41_260x98x3_TIR_final.indd 1 11.01.17 12:24

r. Grumpy is back after a slothful holiday break, going nowhere, doing nothing except dog-sit

ravenous hounds, which demanded more attention than mother-in-law’s bunions. It was bliss, except the Cape waters are too cold to ease the extended hot, dry spell without risking hypothermia and, to be honest, it would have been nicer to wallow in the warm embrace of the Indian Ocean in Mauritius, the Seychelles, Réunion or the Maldives. Water, however, was much on the minds of Capetonians, as we continue to be plagued by a water shortage and the local fascists’ finger-wagging water restrictions, as the rest of the country is deluged and takes to the lifeboats. Don’t you love the way governments al-ways find a way of blaming others for their shortcomings? The water crisis is a classic example. People are using water wastefully; they are not complying with water restrictions; sneak on your neighbours; fine them; raise water tariffs; threaten and punish. It is all so predictable. No mention of the millions of people who have flooded into Cape Town, putting unprecedented pres-sure on resources and how the government has failed miserably to develop infrastruc-ture to meet the demand and has ignored the necessity of replacing ageing mains pipes, which are cracked and frequently burst, losing millions of litres of water. A burst water mains flooded my house, pool and washed away much of my garden – twice – a while ago. I got no compensa-tion or consideration and the city manager wrote back to me saying it was not the city’s responsibility. Who’s was it then? Was I supposed to maintain the municipal infrastructure. Like other ratepayers, I already pay for it; or I thought that was what I was paying rates for.After fighting for a while, I gave up; the has-sle wasn’t worth the stress and the bureau-cratic tactic of wearing down the customer worked again.

It’s a lot safer to hitch a ride on a Russian military jet or take a stroll through Khayelit-sha when the shebeens are emptying out at midnight than take to the roads of South Africa during the year-end holidays. More than 1,700 people were killed in the latest carnage, with many thousands more left bereaved, with their lives in tatters. It is a ghastly statistic which shows how

irresponsible, blind to consequences and patently unqualified to drive so many South Africans are. Minibus taxi drivers are the poster boys of dangerous driving and live in the deluded never-world that they are skilled drivers. But the authorities are too intimidated to take them on and take the necessary action to control them, check and remove unroad-worthy vehicles or cancel the licenses of dangerous offenders. Next December I shall be holidaying in Syria; it is safer.

I wish Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown would stop pronouncing on the state-owned airlines. Actually, I wish she would just go away altogether. She clearly doesn’t know what she is talk-ing about and keeps insisting the govern-ment is going to keep control and oversight.That is presumably the oversight which con-tinues to rack up massive losses, taxpayer subsidies or guarantees – essentially the same thing – and a continuing management shambles. The idea of a minority strategic equity partner keeps being floated in the fantasy world the government seems to inhabit, which is about as likely as the Zoomer read-ing a book.

The tit-for-tat attitude illustrated by the visa requirements imposed late last year on New Zealanders wanting to visit South Africa, and soon to be imposed on others, was summed up by Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba when he said reciprocity was a national principle. That’s all very well if you want to shoot yourself in the foot and turn away tourism and investment. But it ignores the reason why other countries require South African passport holders to apply for visas, in order to satisfy a political inferiority complex. Nobody ever accused the image-ob-sessed apparatchik of learning from past mistakes however. He is far too wrapped up in his own perceived superior intellect. If visa requirements are introduced for all other countries, which impose visas for South Africans, we won’t have many inter-national tourists left.

I am quite shattered; New York ’s Carn-egie Deli has closed. It has always been an essential indulgence during a visit to my favourite city for its giant corned beef or pastrami sandwiches, dill pickles, potato latkes and doorstop-sized slices of cheese-cake, all of them better than you could find anywhere else in the world. I will now be restricted to the shrinking mandatory list of essentials on every visit – lobster rolls and a glass of Sancerre in the Food Hall basement of the Plaza Hotel, a drink at Bemelman’s Bar in the Carlyle Hotel while listening to its resident jazz pianist and temptation at the Fountain Pen Hospi-tal, sadly the last remaining store specialis-ing in those works of art in New York but still with the greatest selection anywhere.

I don’t get too fazed by political and security concerns when travelling but would think twice about a holiday in Turkey right now. Following the attempted coup last year, President Erdogan went on a paranoid ram-page, arresting and firing thousands of in-nocent members of the country’s security, police and intelligence services, seriously damaging the ability to counteract terrorist acts. Subsequent events have proved that point and I fear will not improve anytime soon.

I have been wistfully watching a lot of cricket over the past few weeks, as the Proteas strut their stuff. My own aspirations to become a first class cricketer bit the dust early because it was a road to penury in that era. So I became a journalist and achieved the same result! But how things have changed for sports stars. Three of South Africa’s current and former cricket greats live on my estate; I ogle their exotic vehicles every time they drive past and always know when they are entertaining their colleagues as I join a queue of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Aston Martins at the gates, conspicuous in my Group A rental car clone.

Cyril Ramaphosa’s paean to Zanu-PF and Mad Muggs during his visit to Zim, shortly before the end of last year, was deeply wor-rying. His utterances become more despotic

and little short of bonkers every time he opens his mouth and I begin to wonder, if he did become President, whether he might be even more duplicitous and craftily danger-ous then even the Zoomer. His rival in the posturing to become the next Number One, Nkososana Dlamini Zuma – please God, not another Zoomer – has proposed that African countries should have open borders, an idea which is even more nutty than the European Union, which is headed down the khazi, probably has-tened by upcoming elections in the Nether-lands and France, where the growing trend of identity politics will come into play. As if we don’t have enough homegrown problems. It would be a security nightmare and an economic and social disaster. Having been a totally ineffective head of the African Union, she now wants to come home and compound her former husband’s destructive legacy.

The Queen’s New Year’s Honours List is always good for a laugh and this year was no exception. It is a farce and undermines the recognition given to genuinely deserv-ing people. The sports and entertainment industries were, as usual, prominently fawned over, in-cluding that well-known Scottish separatist Andy Murray, who follows in the footsteps of a fellow Scotsman who wants to separate from the Union, Sir Sean Connery, who hasn’t lived in Britain for decades. Not that I have a problem with them sup-porting independence; I quite like the idea of independence for Wales, even though I know it is completely impractical. And, lo-cally, how about the Western Cape? But surely it makes no sense to be hon-oured by a union you want to break up. Victoria Beckham got an OBE for being vacuous and the civil servant responsible for blowing a few hundred million on the failed airport project on St. Helena got a knight-hood. The glaring omission, who actually de-served an award for shaking things up, Nigel Farage, was naturally snubbed by the elitist establishment he easily outmanoeuvred and made look idiots.

None of the television stations provided live coverage, or any coverage at all, of the start of the Cape to Rio yacht race last month,

PS PS

continued from page 15

... shake, rattle and roll in 2017 In the next issue of TIR

PS

We take a look at the UK & Europe in our next destination report and showcase the

latest trends in the annual Car Rental feature.

PS

despite the fact that it is a major international event. No wonder I have largely given up watching and listening to local TV and radio. That self-impressed oracle John Maytham, rationalised it was because the coverage cost money and advertisers didn’t support it. So what; the media, obsessed with politics, sycophanti-cally covers the Zoomer and every other politician every time they open their mouths and say something irrelevant or stupid – which is every time they open their mouths. No wonder social media and streaming from other coun-tries is leaving most of the traditional media drowning in its wake and they are failing to respond.

Education was also on my mind during the holidays. I really did think it was a joke when the Oxford University Student Union, to be followed by Cambridge, suggested banning the words ‘he’ and ‘she’ and the Mayor of London dropping ‘ladies’ and ‘gentlemen’, so as not to offend transgender people. The barmy doctrine dictates that everybody should be referred to as ‘ze’! I’ve never heard such ideological claptrap.Supposedly intelligent people are actually taking this non-sense seriously. Somebody please put me out of my misery. I wonder when the tyranny of political correctness is go-ing to demand that all of our literature has to be rewritten. Poor old Shakespeare won’t know what’s hit him beyond the grave. I shudder to think what could be the next target of these sanctimonious idiots. They should all be confined to a padded cell. When I was a student, we were too busy chasing girls and drinking beer to think up this kind of angst-ridden rubbish, and that seems to me to be a lot healthier. Students at the University of Pennsylvania removed a portrait of William Shakespeare, which had been hanging alongside a staircase for years, and replaced it with a photo-graph of Audrey Lorde, an activist, black, lesbian poet. The head of the English department defended the action as part of the “changing nature of authorship”! God help us. And, in another move in the left-wing war on Western culture, a Mr. Ali Habib is trying to halt the study of white philosophers at London University. No doubt his genius trumps the limited vision of Plato, Kant, Engel and Socrates. Meanwhile, the education crisis here is even worse than

we suspected and it has been revealed that the government has been hiding results and statistics which illustrate an ap-palling state of education in the country. That revelation followed the decision to reduce the mat-ric maths pass rate for grade 7 to 9 pupils to 20 percent. When I stuck my head out of the window to gasp for air, I could hear the Chinese laughing all the way from Beijing.

It is going to be interesting to see what impact the new Trump administration is going to have on the international airline industry. The long-simmering resentment of Emirates and the other Gulf carriers by the legacy airlines will no doubt take encouragement from the Trumpet’s ‘America First’ phi-losophy, giving legs to the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, headed by Delta, American and United.

Keep your head down; this year is shaping up to be even more shake, rattle and roll than 2016.

News Digest

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79767 TIR.indd 1 2017/01/18 5:01 PM

Lufthansa held its first digital aviation forum last month, part of its commitment to digi-talisation. The airline unveiled 29 related pro-jects being launched or in the beta version stage. The innovations included those targeting the leisure traveller, cor-porate traveller, travel management compa-nies, pilots and crew. Pictured left: a Rimowa suitcase equipped with an electronic tag that can be tracked any-where in real time, using the Lufthansa app.

Partnership to transformthe SME tourism sectorSOUTH African Tourism and the Southern African Tourism Services Associa-tion have established a new market access partnership to develop the SME tourism sector and increase transfor-mation. “It is through developing SMEs that we inject new en-ergy in our sector, introduce diversity and variety and ul-timately cater to the needs of the tourists who are look-ing for unique and authentic experiences,” said Sisa Nt-shona, SA Tourism’s Chief Executive Officer . Running until May, the initiative will see small- and medium-sized historically disadvantaged enterprises take part in training and peer-to-peer mentorship. This will

be followed by introducing selected SMEs to key de-cision makers from the in-bound tourism industry at a speed marketing session the day before Indaba. Se-lected SMEs will exhibit at the show. The project is based on experience at the Gauteng SME market access event SATSA held last year, in partnership with Gauteng Tourism, Jo’burg Tourism, SA Tourism, Gauteng Enter-prise Propeller and the Gaut-eng Department of Economic Development. “The National SME Market Access Pro-gramme aligns with SATSA’s strategy of contributing to transformation and offering trade members exciting and unique products and destina-tions to add to their portfo-lio,” said David Frost, SAT-SA Chief Executive Officer.

BY SHANNON LATIMER

of successful low cost car-riers emerging in east and even central Africa. Africa’s safety record has been nine times worse than the world average. However, we are seeing progress in the form of the IOSA audit. So, it seems that the

continued from page 6 much hoped for take-off may have been delayed, but gradually things are improv-ing. Let us hope the safety record stays good and the ‘solemn declaration’ is sol-emnly acted upon.Then we will finally see the airline and GDP growth we have been waiting so long for.

The African airline industry in review