Cape Whale Coast

No More Malaysia Airlines Flights

2011-11-12T06:47:00.000+02:00

Malaysia Airlines plans to pull its flights to Johannesburg and Cape Town early next year.

Malaysia’s The Star Online has just reported that the airline is planning to axe various unprofitable routes in a bid to reduce costs. These include flights to South Africa and Buenos Aires in South America as early as February. The airline will also pull out of Dubai but this will be done gradually with a reduction of frequencies.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines Country Manager for South and Central Africa, Yusno Said, said the airline would soon notify the South African market of any official developments.

Source: SA Tourism Update

WTM 2011: New Breed Of Chinese Tourist Interested In Niche Travel

2011-11-10T06:12:00.000+02:00

A new type of Chinese traveller is emerging who is more interested in a quality travel experience than simply ticking off the sights. Speaking at World Travel Market (WTM), China Outbound Tourism Research Institute Director, Wolfgang Georg Arlt said the new type of tourist was far more likely to be interested in niche products than before.

“Now for the first time you have a chance to get hold of extra Chinese customers who might be more interested in your product if you package it right and sell it right.” Arlt said the new consumers were emerging as a result of the country's increasing wealth with many now simply wanting to relax, have an enjoyable experience and do things like shopping rather than joining large groups of sightseers.

Dragon Trail Co-Founder and President, Jens Thraenhart, agreed: “Chinese consumers are being moved towards an experience-based model rather than a price-based model.” Arlt said the new tourist would be far more resilient should the Chinese economy crash, which is expected, largely because of its ongoing property boom.

He said companies dealing with Chinese travellers needed to ensure that basic elements such as Chinese signs and brochures were available. Thraenhart said, with 80% of outbound Chinese travellers researching their trips online, it was vital for travel companies wishing to be taken seriously in the market to have a Chinese-friendly website with Chinese text. He said companies also needed to consider mobile technology and micro blogging to develop a multi-channel marketing plan to target the market.

While European Tour Operators Association Executive Director, Tom Jenkins, said the Chinese market was a strong one, he warned of their negotiating skills. He said in 2003 that his members were able to charge an average of €71 (R903) per person per day but this had been driven down to €48 (R610) in 2011. “These guys know how to negotiate and they know how to negotiate like nobody else does.”

The Netherlands Wins The Coveted World Chocolate Masters 2011

2011-10-22T06:57:00.001+02:00

Frank Haasnoot of the Netherlands proudly wins the Chocolate Masters Toque 2011 in Paris.

His masterpiece is called Warrior and he describes it as, 'Warrior of darkness is in search for cocoa in the mysteries of the jungle'.

Mango First Out Of The Blocks

2011-10-21T05:28:00.000+02:00

Mango will be the first airline in South Africa to offer WiFi on board its aircraft from early next year, announced Mango and Wireless G.

The announcement comes after the SA Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) last week approved Wireless G & Row 44’s application to install its in-flight WiFi-enabling equipment on South African commercial aircraft. GSM still has to be switched off when using dual model devices but airlines equipped with the technology may now apply for special exemption from the CAA to accommodate the use of WiFi only with such phones. The CAA confirmed that in-flight WiFi technology had been rigorously tested.

Elize Ferero, Executive Marketing for Wireless G, said Mango would be the first South African airline to feature the WiFi option on-board its aircraft. She added, however, that the approval provided by the CAA to Wireless G was for the B737 800 series and not limited to any specific operator.

Hein Kaizer, Mango Communications Officer, said Mango was pleased to be one step closer to in-flight Internet access being possible. “In a digital world, being online makes a significant difference in terms of business and social connectivity. In an increasingly time-poor world, imagine the productivity potential of in-flight connectivity, socially connecting through Facebook or Twitter en route to Cape Town or, for that matter, surfing the net.”

Both Ferero and Kaizer remain tightlipped about the pricing of the WiFi option on board and said the pricing would be finalised and announced simultaneously with the roll-out plan. Ferero did reveal that Wireless G would like to see more affordable rates than 3G. “The idea is not to charge per megabyte but rather provide uncapped access for the duration of the flight on a fixed-fee basis and to make it on a par with international trends in terms of in-flight as well.”

Source: Dorine Reinstein

Well Done To 138 Marine

2011-10-18T15:15:00.002+02:00

We say well done to 138 Marine beachfront bed and breakfast guesthouse for receiving another well deserved award. 138 Marine has been chosen by Trivago as the best bed and breakfast establishment in Hermanus for 2011.

At Your Service

2011-10-15T04:17:00.000+02:00

The second Annual South African Guest Relations and Concierge Conference took place on Tuesday, 27 September 2011 at La Toscana Montecasino in Johannesburg. This new forum was established in 2010 for both guest relations managers and concierges from four- and five-star properties in Johannesburg to share ideas, keep up to date with the latest industry trends and discover the attractions and activities in and around Johannesburg that can assist them in creating the unforgettable experiences guests expect.

The first conference in 2010 was initiated and set up by Deon Prinsloo, guest relations manager at The Palazzo Montecasino, with the aim of creating an opportunity for local guest relations managers and concierges to raise the bar of excellence. Prinsloo, one of South Africa’s top concierges, has been the driving force behind the guest relations and concierge conferences and regular meetings over the past 12 months.

“The annual Concierge Conference serves to create an awareness of the value of concierge services offered by hotels to ensure guests enjoy an unforgettable experience,” notes Prinsloo. “The concierge is a direct link between guests and service providers, providing exposure for the many products and services available around the country, whilst enhancing the guest experience. As such, the conference also provides an opportunity for some of these providers to exhibit their offerings of interest to guests staying at hotels in and around Johannesburg and to briefly introduce their activities to the attendees.”

The forum has been endorsed and is supported by the Johannesburg Tourism Company (JTC), which sponsors special concierge tours of new attractions in and around the city and covered the full cost of each hotel representative at the 2011 Concierge Conference.

During the event, four new head concierges received their Golden Keys and were officially inaugurated into the Les Clefs d’Or, the International Concierge Society, which brings the total number of Golden Key head concierges working in South Africa to eight members. These include: Ronnie Govender from Sandton Sun; Archie Christodoulides from The Michelangelo Hotel; Claude-Francois Ndala from Beverly Hills Hotel in Umhlanga; Deon Prinsloo from Palazzo Hotel Fourways; Lizelle De Haas from Radisson Blu Sandton; Vinny Maharaj from Intercontinental Sandton Towers; Billy Chetty from Davinci Hotel & Suites Sandton; and Ryan Van Zyl from Cape Royale Luxury Hotel and Residence Cape Town.

Jetsetters To Enjoy Mile High Connectivity

2011-10-14T01:57:00.000+02:00

South African jetsetters no longer have to forgo Internet connectivity, e-mail communication, SMS-services and even IPTV at 35000 feet.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has approved an application by WirelessG and Row 44’s to install its in-flight Wi-Fi enabling equipment onboard South African commercial aircraft. The approval will enable WirelessG to operate its G-Connect broadband services aboard commercial aircraft in South African skies.

“Although we still await quality assurance of the final installation, the CAA is proud to announce its consent for the use of this technology in South Africa especially as it is a South African company that will exclusively offer the service.” said Subash Devkaran, Senior Manager: Aircraft Certification at CAA.

Devkaran stated that although this new innovation will contribute greatly to South African industrial competitiveness in the global arena, the CAA’s first and foremost concern still remains passenger safety. The in-flight Wi-Fi technology has been rigorously tested by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The CAA’s approval of WirelessG’s in-flight Wi-Fi services was approved in a matter of weeks, following the safety endorsement and issuing of a supplemental type certificate (STC) release from Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) in the United States and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to equip 737-800 series commercial aircraft and operate Wi-Fi services.

According to Devkaran, the in-flight STC allows for the use of any Wi-Fi enabled mobile device. GSM still has to be switched off when using dual model devices, but airlines equipped with this technology, may now apply for special exemption from the CAA to accommodate the use of Wi-Fi only with such phones.

Hermanus Wines Achieve 5-Star Status

2011-10-12T11:03:00.002+02:00

Well done to the following wine makers in the Hermanus Wine Route for receiving Platter 5-Star rating for their wines for 2012. The amount of 5-Star winners reduced from 58 in 2010 to 45 in 2011. A total of 7,000 wines were evaluated for this year's Platters Guide.

Pinot Noir

Newton Johnson - Domain, 2010

Red Blend

Bouchard Finlayson - Hannibal, 2010

Sauvignon Blanc

Hermanuspietersfontein - No 5, 2010

2011-10-12T00:48:00.001+02:00

Velvet Sky has announced the opening of sales of new flights between Cape Town and Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, and Durban and Port Elizabeth.

According to the published schedules on the airline’s website, these services will start on November 4, with more flights to be added on November 6 and December 2.

Visit http://www.flyvelvetsky.com/ to see a full schedule of all their flights.

Sommeliers Vie For Wine Service Award

2011-09-27T22:43:00.001+02:00

Four sommeliers – one from Johannesburg and three form the Western Cape – will contest the finals of The Bollinger Exceptional Wine Service Award next month. They are:

Josephine Gutentoft, sommelier at Grande Roche Hotel and Restaurant, Paarl.

Wayne Kolevsohn, restaurant manager/sommelier at Le Quartier Francais, Franschhoek.

Francis Krone, sommelier at Saxon Boutique Hotel, Johannesburg.

Joakim Hansi Blackadder (pictured above) GM/sommelier at The Roundhouse Restaurant, Camps Bay.

The organiser of event, Ginette de Fleuriot CWM, is impressed with the calibre of the finalists. “Now that we are at the business-end of the competition, it’s gratifying to have four such outstanding finalists coming to the fore. The final will be fiercely competitive, not least because we will have two women and two men, and two South Africans and two Swedes, fighting it out for this unique award.”

The final round of judging will take place on October 21 at The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa in Cape Town. The names of the winner and runner-up will be announced at 19h00 on November 11 at the Swartland Revolution, at The Royal Hotel, Riebeek Kasteel.

The judges are:

Mia Mårtensson: (judges chairperson) a Swedish-trained sommelier and current sales manager of The Winery of Good Hope.

Kent Scheermeyer: a German-trained sommelier and founder of KSconsult which services the hospitality industry in wine procurement, winelist design and training.

Neil Grant: Chairman of the South African Sommelier Association (SASA) and sommelier at Rust en Vrede Restaurant, Stellenbosch.

Ginette De Fleuriot CWM: Organiser of The Bollinger Exceptional Wine Service Award and on-consumption business development manager at Vinimark The Wine Company, co-sponsors of the award.

The winner of The Bollinger Exceptional Wine Service Award will earn a trip to the House of Bollinger Champagne in France. The prize includes the airfare and accommodation in France.

The finalists will be judged on wine and food service and will be tested on any of the following:

• wine styles and terminology

• wine label information

• wine regulations

• regions of origin

• major international wine regions and their wines

• identifying wines in a blind tasting

• service techniques

• food and wine pairing

• wine storage

• social skills and ability to interact with the patron.

Gordon Gets Put Through Hotel Hell

2011-09-23T08:34:00.003+02:00

Gordon Ramsay is expanding beyond cooking and setting his sights on a new makeover target: Hotels.

Fox has ordered a new Ramsay series where the reality kingpin will partner with a team of hospitality experts, traveling across the country to try and fix every aspect of struggling hotels, and bed & breakfasts. The working title: Hotel Hell.

The series is both familiar territory for Ramsay and a real departure, combining the business makeover format of Kitchen Nightmares with the internationally known chef moving beyond a cooking-centric show on Fox for the first time. Ramsay has hotel experience, having studied hotel management as a young man, and having worked and owned hotel-based restaurants throughout his career.

With this series, and presuming his other franchises continue, Ramsay will have four shows on the air, more than any other broadcast network reality TV personality - including Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares and MasterChef.

"Gordon is amazing to work with and no matter what the premise, he delivers every time," said Mike Darnell, president of alternative entertainment at Fox. "With an unprecedented three shows already on the air, Gordon is an incredible television success, and we're really thrilled to put him through Hotel Hell."

Added Ramsay in a statement: "These are stories that everyone can relate to, because virtually all of us have had a bad hotel experience that's turned a holiday or business trip into a total disaster. It's time to put the hospitality industry to the test."

Source: ew.com

Flash To Rest In Peace - And About Time Too

2011-09-21T06:03:00.003+02:00

Microsoft announced this week that it has banned Flash and other plug-ins in the default browser of Windows 8, just like Steve Jobs did last year when Apple banned Flash from the iPhone and iPad.

What this means for hotels, guest houses and any other business with websites built on Flash is that it is becoming more difficult for guests to find them online, and that their sites are losing ROI by the minute - even if they're fully paid for. It means it's time for hotel web design to move off Flash. Fast.

What's so bad about a Flash site? For starters, search engines don't ‘see' Flash. Google (and other search engines) index websites by noting keywords, content and metadata and rank them based on the specifics of what they find. To Google, Flash-based websites look like black boxes; they can't be examined directly and so they are ignored. Hotel SEO plummets.

Also, Flash is incompatible with most mobile devices. Mobile platforms now vie with desktops as the tool of choice for web surfing and searching. Flash based sites miss all of those guests too. Consumers on iPads, iPhones, and the majority of mobile devices get a blank screen when they attempt to view Flash-based websites.

Maintaining a Flash site is expensive. Using Flash's multimedia features to create interesting visuals is an expert skill. While initial design/development costs are likely sunk, the cost of maintaining and updating it are not - and they're high. As a result, many hotels end up neglecting the site and living with out-of-date information and images. They can't integrate their hotel online reservations with their Flash front end. Guests don't find what they need or like what they see, and they leave (for good).

What to do? Pretty much anything but Flash.

The Web has evolved immensely since Flash was introduced back in the mid-90s and there are better ways to enable hotels to offer guests a rich, integrated online experience. Broadband is now pervasive, computers are faster, and web standards increasingly support the visuals and animations that were once unique to Flash. These alternatives, based on the latest web standards (HTML5, CSS3, etc) not only look great but they are also far cheaper to develop and maintain. And they're designed to be compatible with mobile devices, and SEO-friendly.

To remove Flash components from your website contact Dave to examine your site and give you an informed opinion about alternative ways of marketing your unique product. davesnoek@telkomsa.net

Lufthansa Increases Its Schedule To Cape Town

2011-09-19T13:19:00.001+02:00

Lufthansa is increasing its schedule to South Africa with the seasonal and popular flights between Frankfurt and Cape Town being re-introduced from 31 October 2011. These additional daily non-stop flights will increase the airline’s capacity by 60% within five months.

“Operating the Boeing B747-400 to Cape Town will give us the additional capacity boost so needed during South Africa’s summer season,” says Axel Simon, Director Southern Africa for Lufthansa German Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines.

Besides the seasonal schedule to the Cape predominantly used by the leisure market, Lufthansa also runs a daily non-stop flight between Johannesburg and Frankfurt throughout the year using the Airbus A380. Since deploying this aircraft, the capacity per month has increased by more than 6000 seats.

Wine Farm Loses Its Fiz

2011-09-13T17:53:00.000+02:00

The historic family-owned Twee Jonge Gezellen wine-producing business has been placed under provisional liquidation after it emerged that it was in dire straits financially and had only R1 million “at its disposal”.

The provisional liquidation, made an order of the Western Cape High Court earlier this month, comes after the owners of the estate made attempts to try to save the business.

In an affidavit before the court, sole director and shareholder Nicolas Krone said Twee Jonge Gezellen’s financial difficulties started when it suffered a loss of earnings of R21.6m after it was supplied with contaminated bottles.

This led to lengthy unsuccessful litigation and an additional R1.5m in suppliers’ costs, which it was ordered to pay. “The legal battle crippled the applicant,” he said. Later, it started falling into arrears with its repayments to the Land and Agricultural Bank of SA (Land Bank). This led to litigation and, in terms of a high court judgment, the business owes the Land Bank R38m.

According to Krone, he and his wife had already exhausted their pension funds and personal savings to invest in the business. He said that they had only R1m at their disposal. Recent audited financial statements were not available, he said.

The case returns to court on October 27, when interested parties have to show cause why a final liquidation order should not be granted.

Source: ARGUS

Getaway Drives Them Away

2011-09-11T10:18:00.000+02:00

On 12 September, Getaway International will hit the shelves for the first time. It’s an exciting new venture for R.S & P. but for us, it's going to drive our potential visitors away.

For 22 years, Getaway has focused primarily on African travel. But over the past decade, we have, on occasion, run stories featuring destinations beyond the continent. These have proved hugely popular with our readers and so we decided to address this growing interest.

Right now the rand is strong and credit is cheap. So it’s an ideal time to head overseas. With an ever-increasing number of airlines offering international flights from South Africa, and fierce competition bringing the prices of foreign holiday packages down, South Africans are travelling abroad more than ever before. Indeed, these days it can be considerably cheaper taking a holiday in Thailand or Argentina than in Botswana or Mozambique.

In our inaugural issue, we’ve gone big and tried to present exciting options from just about every corner of the globe. We’ve looked for destinations that will appeal to South African travellers and we’ve found packages and deals that are easily doable for locals.

An Uncertain Future For Whaling

2011-09-11T09:36:00.000+02:00

In a recent article, Andrew Darby, long-time reporter on whaling politics for the Sydney Morning Herald, reported on all the obstacles facing the annual whale hunt. The Japanese government has concluded a review of the whaling program’s future after its clashes with Sea Shepherd last summer. Details of the review were leaked and Darby suspects that a majority from the hard-line Japanese Fisheries Agency stand by the hunt. However, he noted that one respected consumer advocate on the review panel—Hisa Anan, Secretary General of Shodanren, Japan’s national consumer organisation—has publicly rejected the need for any more lethal "research."

New obstacles

Then there is the ban the International Maritime Organisation has placed in Antarctica on the use of heavy fuel oil, which is used by Japan’s whaling factory ship the Nisshin Maru. Will the IMO let Japan get away with the charade that the hunt is for research purposes and therefore allow an exemption in the same way the International Whaling Commission has? And for how much longer will that charade last at the IWC anyway, now that the Australian government is taking Japan to the International Court of Justice for abusing the IWC loophole for scientific research?

Doing the right thing

As Darby reports, “There are other problems weighing on the government in its decision over whaling. Whale meat stockpile statistics published earlier this year showed it was not selling. This means the cost of propping up the whaling fleet is blowing out at a time when all available government yen must be pressed into earthquake recovery.”

It's time

One hopes the portents are true and Japan will decide it is time to leave whaling behind; however, the battle to keep the commercial whaling moratorium in place at the IWC will certainly continue regardless of this recent turn of events. At the 2011 annual meeting, the pro-whaling bloc resorted to new lows to sabotage the voting process by staging a walkout before a key vote to approve a new whale sanctuary. As a result, there was no longer a quorum of countries in the room for the vote to take place.

Unfortunately, even if Japan does decide to abandon its costly hunt in the Southern Ocean, we must still work to persuade Japan, Norway, Iceland and Korea to desist from the coastal commercial whaling programs they each conduct under different guises.

Source: HSI

The Class Room Restaurant In A Class Of Its Own

2011-09-05T12:37:00.000+02:00

Joan-Anne and I decided to visit The Class Room Restaurant in the Hemel en Aarde Craft Village, Hermanus on Sunday for their Set Black Board Lunch. The advertising and info from the website that I have seen up to now describes the restaurant as supplying 'relaxed, fine dining'. All looks rather nice, but I'm sure it'll be mighty expensive I thought as we entered. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

The decor is beautifully chosen and classy, reminding me of a fine French restaurant. The tables are spaced far apart enough so that I did not have to endure some other couple's conversation and not too far apart so that I felt adrift. The set menu for the day was a choice of soup or fish for starters, main course of two meats, mini table dessert buffet per person and coffee. All this for a staggering R130! Needless to say we could not do justice to the dessert buffet which can be seen on their Contact Us page on their website. No jokes, that is exactly how it was presented to us. Not only to us, but all the tables received identical mouthwatering desserts.

The young chef made a visit to the tables which was appreciated and the waitrons were 'invisible until needed'. Superb and out of this world to say the least.

Do visit their website at www.theclassroomrestaurant.co.za and see for yourself what relaxed fine dining is all about.

SA Tourism Figures Just Don't Figure

2011-09-04T07:29:00.005+02:00

Will the real Mr Stats please stand up. The figures for tourism supplied by SA Stats have up to now shown that tourist numbers were increasing on a quarterly basis. Now, this has not made sense to me as the dire position our industry is in does not go hand-in-hand with what is being published.

This month SA Stats' figures are a lot more realistic. Here are the latest figures for May 2010 - May 2011.

Netherlands down 22%

Italy down 16%

UK down 16%

Argentina down 47%

Mexico down 55%

Brazil only down 2% (Here is a market to nurture)

New Zealand down 12%

Asia is looking good in general with Malaysia up 138% (Another market to nurture)
Zimbabwe up 76% (Are these visitor figures? 'Go figure.')

Source: SA Tourism

Eat Out To Announce Top 10 Restaurants

2011-09-03T23:37:00.000+02:00

Every year we acknowledge and celebrate the best of the South African restaurant industry with the Eat Out Restaurant Awards. This year the winners will be announced at a glittering gala dinner on Sunday 20 November at the Rotunda at the Bay Hotel in Camps Bay.

The evening will start at 17h00 with champagne and canapés, followed by a truly special four-course meal with wine pairing. Each course of the meal will be prepared by one of the country’s top chefs. Announcing the top ten restaurants, as well as the winners of the Chef of the Year and Service Excellence awards, is Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly.

The 2011 celebrations also introduce additional honours: Best New Restaurant, the Boschendal Style Award, and five new category awards for the best Asian, bistro, Italian, steakhouse and country-style restaurants in the country.

Tickets are limited and cost R1 000 per person. To book your ticket to Mzansi’s foodie Oscars, please contact Alicia Erasmus at mailto:alicia.erasmus@newmediapub.co.za

So, What Have You Nicked Lately?

2011-08-31T04:24:00.000+02:00

We are a nation of thieves. Every morning, in hotels up and down the country, guests are walking off with hundreds of rands worth of household items - and we're not talking about the odd bottle of shampoo, bath caps or body lotion.

In one London hotel there's been a run on espresso coffee machines and iPod docking stations, while the Malmaison in Birmingham recently discovered that a flat-screen television had gone missing.

High on the list of items routinely slipped into suitcases are coat-hangers, umbrellas, bath robes, hairdryers, towels, flannels, leather folders and pens and pads of paper galore.

So it is little wonder that a company has invented a microchip which, when sewn into a towel or dressing gown, alerts the hotel if the item leaves the premises. Hotels can then charge the guest's credit card.

William Serbin, whose firm sells the trackable linen, says up to 20 per cent of towels and gowns hotels put in their rooms go missing. A towel with a chip costs about R6.00 more. The tags last for more than 300 wash cycles and can be read by sensors up to 2m away.

One hotel manager said he was ‘perfectly relaxed' about guests absconding with bath robes ‘as long as they have our logo on them'.

Source: ehotelier.com

Vic Falls Reports Impressive Occupancy Records

2011-08-29T22:33:00.000+02:00

Vic Falls in Zimbabwe is reporting an impressive turn around with a big increase in occupancy levels. According to occupancy records at seven hotels, covering a total of 1 008 rooms, levels were up by 20% based on the same seven month last year (January to July).

Several hotels reported having their best July since 2000 with occupancies at 70% and above. Furthermore, going forward August to November is looking promising with greater occupancies forecast.

According to Ross Kennedy, CEO of Africa Albida, “Victoria Falls Safari Lodge had the best July occupancy in 10 years at 70%. The Boma Place of Eating had its second best July ever. Only July 2007 saw more covers per night."

Meanwhile Ilala Lodge Hotel General Manager, Roddy Meiring, advised that “the hotel saw a massive 87% occupancy in July 2011, which is up 15% on last year”.

General Manager of The Victoria Falls Hotel, Karl Snater, says “we have seen an increase in occupancies from 2010, for all months except March, with July showing a massive 21% increase in occupancy from last year”.

According to Kennedy, there are several reasons why Vic Falls is seeing an upswing while many other destinations continue to struggle to fill beds. “The settling and stability of the economy since dollarisation in 2009 has meant that the supply chain has normalised and is thus operating to international standards. In addition it has meant that use of foreign currency, pricing and access to goods has normalised and we are once again a tourist-friendly destination,” he says.

“Destination marketing campaigns such as the Go To Victoria Falls campaign have also paid off, along with international and regional awareness and education campaigns with the travel trade and consumers,” concludes Kennedy.

Source: SA Tourism

SA Tourism Marketing On Right Track

2011-08-28T22:33:00.000+02:00

South Africa is on the right track with its tourism marketing efforts, said Minister of Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk during the official launch of Tourism Month 2011.

He explained that while market conditions in the globe remained challenging, first quarter of 2011 results showed a positive trend. From January to April 2011 South Africa had 2,750,175 foreign tourist arrivals to South Africa, up 7.5% on the 2,558,715 recorded over the same period in 2010, with core markets holding their own and good growth being recorded from new markets such as China, Brazil and India.

He added: “Lower hotel occupancy does not mean arrivals are declining, in fact we continue to record impressive growth. It does, however, point to shifts in consumer choice and where people choose to spend their money whilst on holiday in South Africa. We need to therefore work even harder to understand the tourism market and respond to the needs of global travellers. Our major tourism revenues still come from our core markets in Europe and North America and we are working aggressively to defend and grow our position in these markets, while also actively exploring the potential for tourism growth from emerging markets in Asia, the Americas and Africa.”

South Africa will celebrate World Tourism day in Clarens in the Free State Province on 27 September.

Source: SA Tourism Update

Top Tips To Accepting Criticism

2011-08-26T09:53:00.001+02:00

Even with the best intentions behind it, criticism can make me feel defensive. As the recipient of many kinds of criticism over the years, I’ve collected five tips to help you gracefully accept the words meant to make you better, no matter how awful it may feel hearing them.

Listen

The first response most of us have when it comes to even the best intended criticism is to become defensive. A defensive response may show itself as inattention, burning rage or stammering. As much as your chest feels tight and your face reddens, hearing the criticism all the way through may teach you something. Even the most painful comments can teach us something about ourselves. Shut your mouth, close down your defenses and listen to what they really have to say.

Ask questions

To grow, you want to make sure you fully understand the person criticizing you. I like to do this by asking questions. These questions are especially important if the criticism received isn’t particularly clear. By asking these clarifying questions, you’re having a conversation with your critic—this can create cooperation.

Respond

If you don’t agree with the criticism, and you are positive it’s not just your ego in the way, you can tell that criticizer that. Instead of using an angry tone, try responding by saying something like, “I didn’t realize I came across that way. Thanks for sharing your opinion. From my side, it seems like __________.” And then fill in the blank with your real opinion. “From my perspective,” is an incredibly useful phrase to have on the ready.

Accentuate the positive

Your manager is not looking for you to defend yourself, your manager is looking to make sure that you hear what they’re saying—and planning to incorporate that feedback into your future behavior. You’re not on trial. Try to respond by pointing out the positive. Say, "Thanks so much for your feedback, I’ve screwed up this way _____________. How could I look at this better?” At the very least, say something along the lines of, “Thanks for telling me, I want to take some time to think about this.”

Own it

There’s no denying it, it’s tough to hear ways that you’re not perfect. So really absorb the criticism. Feel it all the way to your bones. And then take responsibility for what went wrong. Lots of people don’t own up to their mistakes. They put the blame on someone else and it keeps them from improving. Once you own it, you can get better.

Write it down

Write down what bothers you about the criticism you just received, and write down what seems useful. Writing it down makes the criticism less personal. Sometimes, it can make you feel better to write a letter to the criticizer responding to your critique. But—goodness please—rip it up and throw it away as soon as you do. These letters are not meant to be read.

Do something nice for yourself

Above all, the most important thing to do when receiving criticism is to do something nice for yourself. It might sound silly, but being open to criticism can wound you. Take a minute to do something nice for yourself. Sometimes treating yourself well can help you better understand what you need to do to improve.

You can’t get better without a road map to the places you can improve. It can be a painful process, but it leads to achievement down the road. Growth happens when you seek out the best places to go next.

Source: Ehotelier News

Are Your Toiletries Paraben Free?

2011-08-25T04:03:00.001+02:00

Many hotels are switching over to paraben-free toiletries. Shouldn't you?

Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. They are put in formulas in small amounts to prevent the growth of disease-causing microbes. Without preservatives, cosmetics would be much more dangerous to use. These compounds, and their salts, are used primarily for their bactericidal and fungicidal properties. They can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants, topical/parenteral pharmaceuticals, spray tanning solution, makeup and toothpaste.

Parebens aren't banned, but there's a growing push to remove them from toiletries due to possible links to certain cancers.

Preservative alarmists may have a point and the industry is constantly on the lookout for new, effective ingredients to replace Parabens. They just haven’t found any. But the risk posed from these ingredients is so small that it’s not worth worrying about. There are much more critical things you can do to avoid cancer like not smoking, avoiding excessive sun exposure, exercising regularly and eating a well-balanced, low fat diet.

Don’t waste your energy fretting about the preservatives in your cosmetics.

Travellers To Carry The Burden Of ACSA’s Revenue Shortfall

2011-08-22T22:38:00.000+02:00

No respite for the tourism industry. Just when will someone listen?

The Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) has again raised concerns over Airports Company South Africa’s (ACSA) decision to increase airport tariffs. AASA believes that the increase will negatively impact air travel for local and international travellers.

ACSA’s tariff hike, which will become effective on October 1 2011, will increase passenger service, landing and aircraft parking charges by almost 70% so that ACSA can recover a revenue shortfall. This year’s increase arises from a 34,8% increase approved by the ACSA Regulator effective April 1, but delayed for implementation until October 1 following the issuing of final permission by the Regulator in May this year. It also comes on the back of a 33% increase on April 1 2010, and will be followed by an increase of a further 5% in 2012, 5,6% in 2013 and 5,5% in 2014, resulting in a cumulative increase of 161% increase by ACSA over a five year period.

“Our greatest concern is the ultimate impact on the local travelling public. Prevailing competitive pressure, against a backdrop of an already weak state of the industry, makes it highly unlikely that airlines will be able to continue absorbing the costs from their already small margins. They will have to recover the costs from passengers by increasing airfares for both domestic and international customers,” says Chris Zweigenthal, ceo of AASA.

AASA continued to say that adding to the industry’s concern is the one-sided manner in which these increases have been proposed. “Other than one meeting with the appointed ministerial task team we have had no insight into the process. Nor have we, or any other representatives from the local airline industry, been invited to take part in discussions around proposed airport charges increases and the possible impact thereof on the industry,” continues Zweigenthal.

“The regulatory processes over the past few years, which have resulted in this unacceptable situation, have been acknowledged by all parties including the Airline industry, ACSA, the Regulator and the Department of Transport as being unacceptable. All parties have therefore committed to working together over the next six months to review the current regulatory process and its full impact on the industry to create a sustainable regulatory model in the future and protect the interests of air travellers in South Africa,” concludes Zweigenthal.

The Most Preferred Tourist Attraction For The Chinese In 2011

2011-08-22T06:55:00.002+02:00

Cape Town was recently awarded ‘the most preferred tourist attraction for the Chinese in 2011’ in the 1st Global Tourism Thermal List campaign. The campaign, which was jointly held by the World Travel Broadcasting Union and Radio Beijing Corporation, called on tourism enthusiasts in China to vote for their favourite destination online.

Cape Town has been steadily marketing itself in the Chinese market since 2007. The city’s efforts have translated into numbers with Chinese annual arrivals to the Western Cape doubling from 2008 to 2010 with 20 724 arrivals in 2008 and 41 532 arrivals in 2010. Calvyn Gilfellan, CEO Cape Town Routes Unlimited, comments: “Next to India, China is the emerging market with everyone scrambling to get a piece of this lucrative market. Since 2007, Cape Town and the Western Cape have aggressively pursued this market.”

Gilfellan says CTRU adopted a three-pronged approach to the Chinese market with targeted media hostings; education of local property owners, service providers and tour operators on the needs of the Chinese market; and attendance at international platforms in the East.

He says that after studying the Chinese markets, it becomes clear that the Chinese trade is interested in the following experiences and products: the West Coast flowers, golf tours, shark-cage diving, experiencing a South African cultural village, motorcycle tours, wine farm tours, beach quad biking and sand boarding. He adds: “Although the Chinese trade has no problem with English, they strongly urged us to at least print some of our basic collateral in Mandarin. It would also help if at least one page of our website is translated.”

Source: SATourism Update

Why Coffee Is Better Than Men

2011-08-21T20:10:00.000+02:00

By Nature, human beings are social creatures and coffee shops allow us to fulfill this need. Drinking coffee allows us to sit with friends and family and discuss various topics of our lives. Where else can you go and spend just a couple of bucks, for your coffee of choice and spend a good hour or so talking with good friends. Add a couple of comfortable chairs and pipe in some good music and you’re set.

Drinking coffee also gives us a time to take a few moments to refocus on our lives. If you are drinking a cup of coffee alone it gives us a few minutes of relaxation from this fast paced world. This is a perfect time when we can reflect on our past, present, and future. It might even be a time when we decide to make life changing decisions, such a career change, marriage, or having children.

OK, so why is coffee better than men?

A cup of coffee looks good in the morning.
You won't fall asleep after a cup of coffee.
You can always warm coffee up.
Coffee comes with endless refills.
You won't get arrested for ordering coffee at 3 AM.
Coffee is out of your system by tomorrow morning.
You can make coffee as sweet as you want.
Coffee smells and tastes good.
You can turn the pot on, leave the room, and it'll be hot when you get back.
You can always ditch a bad cup of coffee.
No matter how ugly you are, you can always get a cup of coffee.
A big cup or small cup? It doesn't matter.
You can have an intelligent conversation with coffee.
Coffee is ready in 15 minutes or less.
Coffee doesn't take up half your bed.

A Tour Operator You Can Rely On

2011-08-20T21:44:00.002+02:00

Ever need a tour operator that is reliable? Look no further than Magical Mystery Tours... Gerda recently played tour guide to two top Ukranian tourism agents and she impressed them so much that they have made here their local tour operator of choice.

Magical Mystery Experiences happen all the time!

If you decide to visit this beautiful diverse country, South Africa, and you want to come to the Western Cape, I can help you to have a great time! Experiences vary from Food & Wine to Cultural, Natural, Hiking, Art, Shopping etc. Had enough of Hotel and Restaurant cuisine? Enjoy real South African food and hospitality with local people in their own homes. I work from the best whale whatching town in the world - HERMANUS!

www.magicalmysterytours.co.za

Hotel Prices Decrease In Cape Town

2011-08-18T07:17:00.000+02:00

So, who's missing the boat on Cape Town hotel prices? Cape Town Tourism, CTRU? This blog has been following stats supplied by Statistics South Africa for the last 6 months and we are told that tourist figures are increasing monthly. Yet when you speak to accommodation establishments and read the local rags, all you hear is the doom and gloom about our hotels and guesthouses overcharging. Is it all a case of smoke and mirrors? Someone is seriously confused, so read on...

The quarterly Hotel Price Radar by HRS, the hotel portal, has identified a levelling of global hotel prices. Whilst most rates increased in Q1 2011, Q2 has seen many prices decrease, especially in Cape Town which has seen a dramatic decrease of 28% compared to the same time last year when it hosted the World Cup.

HRS compared hotel room prices in a total of 50 cities across the world to reveal that guests in Zurich and Sydney found the biggest rise in prices over the same quarter last year. Average prices for hotel rooms in both these cities rose by more than 20% - to more than 160 euros in Zurich and just below 143 euros in Sydney.

In most European cities room prices rose in Q2 2011 compared to the same quarter last year. For Istanbul, Warsaw and Zurich this was a double-digit rise. Zurich saw prices rise by 24.6% to more than 160 euros, knocking Moscow off the top spot. However, the Russian capital also reported higher prices - up by 5.63% to 148.44 euros. Other relatively expensive cities are Amsterdam, Oslo and Paris, with prices above 130 euros per room.

Outside Europe, prices varied widely. In 13 of the 20 cities reviewed prices have fallen, mostly by a few percentage points. Cape Town, Tokyo and Las Vegas have seen a stronger decline of more than 15%. In Cape Town room prices have fallen one year after the football World Cup by 28%, the most significant HRS found in this survey. The average price paid by guests to the South African city in Q2 2011 was 84.42 euros; in the same quarter last year it was still over 117 euros. The prices have fallen to 2009 levels, the year before the World Cup.

Maybe, just slash the price of crayfish and wine then stand back and watch as the tourists come marching in.

New Tourism Drive For Cape Town?

2011-08-17T04:02:00.000+02:00

CapeTown Tourism (CTT) is launching a new brand positioning and destination marketing campaign to counter the current slump that has already seen 118 tourism businesses in the Cape close up shop in the past two years and 18 000 potential jobs lost due to lack of growth in the industry since 2007.

The campaign, to be launched formally locally in October and globally in November, is the result of a seven-month long in-depth study and broad consultations with all stakeholders, says CTT CEO, Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold. CTT also engaged international consultant Ian MacFarlane, involved in campaigns such “100% pure New Zealand”, “Malaysia Truly Asia” and “Incredible India”. She says the new plan is flexible enough to adapt to changing market conditions. It will support the planned establishment this year of an Economic Development Agency (EDA) that is to drive long-term economic development strategy for the city and region.

Du Toit-Helmbold says research shows that Cape Town has a tourism demand problem because of a lack of knowledge about the city globally and because of the worldwide recession, not because it is too expensive as is often claimed. “Post World Cup figures found that 92% of foreign visitors said they would recommend South Africa to others and 96% said they would return. This does not suggest a fundamentally flawed product or pricing problem.”

She says South Africa after the World Cup over-relied on its natural beauty and wildlife to sell itself, while 70% of travellers now define themselves as “urban tourists”. “The world’s cities are the new tourism battleground and Cape Town probably does not induce nor receive a quantum of visitors anywhere near its potential.”

Source: SA Tourism Update

A South African Visitor's Travel Wishlist

2011-08-16T05:48:00.001+02:00

If you have friends or family who are coming to South Africa, it is most likely the trip of a lifetime and you want to make sure they don’t miss a thing! However, scouring through websites and guide books can be overwhelming! That is why we have done the work for them. Below are the Top 5 things to do and see in South Africa—although you’ll still want to do some research and personalize their trip depending on the length of stay and their travel budget.

1. Cape Town

No trip to South Africa is complete without a stop in Cape Town. Whether the starting point or end point of your travels, be sure they stay a few days in this well-known city and take in the following:

•Table Mountain

•Robben Island

•Tour of the Townships

•Cape Town Beaches

•Victoria and Alfred Waterfront area

2. Wine Country

While many think of Safari and Nelson Mandela when they think of South Africa, the country also boasts an amazing wine country that is a must stop for anyone that appreciates wine or just enjoys good food and great scenery. The towns of Stellenbosch (closest to Cape Town), Franschhoek, Wellington, and Paarl are the most popular destinations and all have wonderful local accommodations.

3. Kruger National Park

The quintessential experience in South Africa is, of course, a Safari. Located in the most Northern part of the country, the park can be easily reached via land or air. There are numerous types of safaris from self-guided to five star tours, so let them do their research and choose the one that fits their travel preference and wishlist budget.

4. Hermanus

Located in the Western Cape, this town is known for being one of the best places to watch whales, whether from many lookout points on land or from the deck of a luxury, purpose built, catamaran. The more daring can even go cage diving with Great White Sharks near Dyer Island. No prior diving experience is necessary. If that is not your thing, don’t worry, there is also sea-kayaking, great restaurants, and lots of festivals and markets to enjoy in this charming seaside village. Hermanus has three blue flag beaches on its doorstep so remember to pack in the bathing costume and loads of blockout cream. Tell your visitors to contact Southern Stroll Marketing in Hermanus for more info.

5. Garden Route

Along the Western coast is a magnificent strip of land known as The Garden Route. It’s an awe inspiring stretch of country that has something to offer everyone; breath taking scenic vistas, trails through ancient forests, pristine beaches, and the most gorgeous plant and bird life. Whether you only take a short drive or spend time along the route in the many welcoming towns and villages, the Garden Route is a must see.

Something a bit more “Off the Beaten Track”.

•Namaqualand Wild Flower Route

•Attend a Rugby or Cricket Match

•Enjoy a drink of “Amarula” with some locals

Adapted from: Travelwires

Bouchard Finlayson Awarded Wine Cellar Of The Year. Peter Finlayson Is Viticulturist Of The Year

2011-08-16T00:12:00.000+02:00

Boutique winery Bouchard Finlayson in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley has triumphed at the second South African Wine Index awards held in Stellenbosch yesterday, winning one trophy and with three wines rated above 96 points.

For the second time, the SAWI Grand trophy for the Top 2010 Wine Cellar went to Bouchard Finlayson, which was also included in the SAWI Top 10 Winery Awards.

Winemaker Peter Finlayson was once again named Viticulturist of the Year.

“I am shaken but delighted by these fantastic results,” Finlayson said. “It is a tribute to our dedicated team at the farm who work tirelessly in search of perfection. We have the Hemel-en-Aarde’s uniquely gentle climate and the cold ocean to thank for our quality grapes which make Burgundian-styled wines of excellence.”

Gender Bill To Put Women In The Driving Seat

2011-08-13T21:28:00.000+02:00

THE government is moving ahead with its efforts to pass the Gender Equality Bill, which would see companies given strict targets to employ more women in positions of power.

The Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana, said yesterday that the bill could see non-complying firms being penalised. She was speaking at the Women Economic Empowerment Conference at Durban’s International Convention Centre. “The Gender Equality Bill that we are developing is to gain legislative authority to enforce this principle of 50-50 gender parity,” Lulu said.

She said the target was to have the bill put to the cabinet by March next year. Consultations were under way with stakeholders on the scope, enforcement measures and various elements that needed to be included in the bill. Lulu said she was appalled that only 21 percent of women occupied leadership positions in the private sector. This was against the 35 percent in the public sector. “Our target is to reach 50 percent by 2014,” she said.

While the minister said that some people saw the Gender Equality Bill as a pipe dream, she was confident that it was feasible. It had been achieved successfully in Norway. “In 2002, barely 6 percent of Norway’s corporate directors were female, and about 70 percent of the top companies in the country did not have a single woman on their executive boards... The Norwegian parliament passed a law in 2003 giving companies five years to have 40 percent women in their boards. The law affected about 460 listed companies and none of them have been penalised because they all complied,” she said.

Lulu said gender equality was an issue that countries across the world were grappling with because of a lack of understanding. “It does not make business sense as it limits the overall potential for economic growth,” she said. Lulu also warned women against being used as a front in male-dominated companies.

Our Very Own Asteroid Called Hermanus

2011-08-12T21:38:00.001+02:00

In a function hosted by Overstrand Mayor Councillor Nicolette Botha-Guthrie on 10th August 2011, a ceremony was held to announce the re-naming of the recently discovered asteroid 260824. In the words of John Saunders, Chairman of the Hermanus Astronomy Centre, this is the story of how Hermanus got its own asteroid:

“At one of the early MONET sessions, Rick Hessman via SKYPE from Gottingen and whose “baby” the MONET telescopes are, made a quick comment that now we have mastered MONET maybe we should have an Asteroid named after Hermanus.

That set me thinking and the idea grew within my thoughts over several weeks.

With the idea now gathering some momentum, I e-mailed Dr. Amanda Gulbis in Cape Town, who I knew had been able to name an asteroid as a naming competition as a project with Pinelands school in Capetown, for advice on if and how we could go about it.

Her advice was as follows:-

First, contact someone who has discovered an asteroid and studied its orbit for a few years and then ask for his or her permission to rename it.

In our case one of Amanda contacted one of her close friends David Trilling; a professional astronomer based in Tucson, Arizona, to see if he could help. Sure enough David was willing to have Asteroid 260824 he had found in 2005 renamed.

With that in mind, I found that you have to draft a citation to go with the renaming of your asteroid.

In our case my wife Irene and I drafted a four sentence citation and submitted it to Amanda for consideration.

Amanda through her experience explained that it should be just one sentence and so she shortened it as follows:-

The village Hermanuspietersfontein, later shortened to Hermanus, was founded in honour of a man who taught Dutch to farmers’ children. This minor planet is named in recognition of the Hermanus Astronomy Centre’s enthusiasm for astronomy and their dedication to educational outreach in South Africa.

Once this had been agreed, the citation was sent to David Trilling who in turn submitted on our behalf to the Minor Planet Committee in the USA.

The next step was to wait patiently….for approximately three months.

Just over three months later, after a few e-mails, we found that Asteroid 260824 had indeed been renamed “Asteroid Hermanus”. The asteroid is 2.79 Astronomical Units from the Sun and that is equal to 417.3 million kilometres.

Its orbit is close to circular with an eccentricity of only 0.095.

Its orbit has an inclination 5.13 deg from the lateral ecliptic.

It has a diameter of approximately 1–2 km.

It has a magnitude of 16.6 which means it is very, very faint.

It must be noted that there is only one other Asteroid in South Africa named after a town or city and that is Asteroid Pretoria.

So, What's Your Next Move?

2011-08-11T20:54:00.001+02:00

Whale watching is best along the Cape Whale Coast from Pringle Bay to Pearly Beach during the months of June to December, with notable mentions of the towns of Hermanus, which boasts the only whale crier in the world, and Walker Bay, the whale nursery of South Africa.

Remember:

• You can spot whales by looking for white patches in the ocean where the waves break on their bodies. When they breach they also cause a huge white splash.

• Whales are along our coastline during the months of May to December. Contact the local tourism bureau to enquire whether they have arrived. They are more prolific between August and November.

• Be patient – seeing your first whale is an experience you will never forget.

• Whales can be seen from land, but there are also many boat-based tours available.

• The migratory Humpback Whale, which has the longest flippers of any whale species, can be seen briefly from May to June and again on their return journey between November and January. Brydes Whales and Orcas (Killer Whales) are seen only occasionally. Dolphins are in residence throughout the year.

Whales have a variety of ‘moves’ recognisable from shore:

• Breaching is when a whale leaps out of the water, sometimes twirling around. This action may be done purely for play, or may be used to loosen skin parasites and other irritations the whale might have. Breaching is also believed to be a means of communication with other whales and is usually done in sets of between four and six.

• Fluking is when a whale raises its tail out of the water as it begins a dive.

• Lobtailing is an activity in which the whale sticks its tail out of the water, swings it around and then slaps it onto the water's surface. This produces a loud sound which is believed to be a means of communication between whales.

• Logging is when the whale is merely lying in the water, with its tail hanging down. Part of the head and back are exposed.

• Spouting is when whales blow water out of the blowholes located near the top of the head. Southern Right Whales have two blowholes which act as nostrils. When they blow water out of their blowholes a distinctive V-shaped cloud of vapour is produced largely by condensation when warm breath comes into contact with cooler air.

• Spyhopping is an activity in which the whale pokes its head out of the water, possibly to take a look around.

'Hundreds Of Thousands’ Will Be Enticed

2011-08-11T07:00:00.001+02:00

SA Tourism says its latest destination campaign will entice hundreds of thousands of overseas tourists to visit SA over the next few years.

The new campaign, which it says is a natural extension of the first phase ’20 Experiences in 10 days’ campaign that ran last year, is being flighted on BBC World and CNN International. It will launch soon on National Geographic. “When all these elements are in place, the larger campaign will reach more than a billion people a month,” says SA Tourism in a media statement.

The campaign features four couples, one each from China, Germany, Angola and Brazil, travelling through South Africa. “This campaign speaks to target consumers in their own languages, in Mandarin, Portuguese and German in the instance of this, the second phase, of the campaign. Strong online content creates talkability about South Africa,” says Roshene Singh, Chief Marketing Officer at SA Tourism.

“Our ambition with the campaign is quite simple. We wanted to use ordinary people to show how accessible our destination is; to show how much they enjoy the experiences South Africa offers. In using regular members of the public, we successfully position South Africa as accessible to billions of travel consumers the world over. Nothing is scripted and nothing is acted. It’s all real, spontaneous and authentic. We’re very proud of this campaign, and we are satisfied that BBC World and CNN International will take our message to the widest, and most appropriate global audiences,” says Singh.

The larger campaign will include special deals that will be accessible from SA Tourism’s website and in partnership with the travel trade in each of South Africa’s key markets.

The campaign can be seen on the South African Tourism homepage (www.southafrica.net).

Source: SA Tourism Update

Meet Our Very Own Oryx Top Guns

2011-08-10T14:10:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, three women of the South African Air Force made history when they became the first women-only crew of a helicopter flight.

The flight by pilot Captain Tarryn Bind, co-pilot Captain Laura Ilunga and flight engineer Lieutenant Olwethu Soga, of 15 Squadron, was a first in the 91-year history of the second-oldest air force in the world.

The trio were proud and particularly pleased the event had taken place in time for Women’s Day and in Women’s Month. The Oryx flight took off from Durban’s air force base, near the old Durban International airport, and made a 30-minute circuit of Durban. The air force’s theme for yesterday was: “Strong women building a strong SAAF in defence and service of the nation”.

Bind, 27, originally from Joburg, is the first woman to qualify as an Oryx commander at 15 Squadron; she is only the second woman to achieve this in SAAF history.“We are all professionals and we were excited. It was really quite nice having ladies only in the helicopter,” she said of yesterday’s flight. It’s a far cry from her childhood dream of being a flight attendant and another step towards her dream of becoming an astronaut.

Ilunga, 26, described being part of history as “overdue but great”. She joined the SAAF in 2004 as a pupil pilot and completed the gruelling basic training and officer courses. She then studied at the military academy and got her BMil: Defence and Technology Management through Stellenbosch University, majoring in aeronautical science. She got her wings at the central flying school, Langebaanweg, in 2007. She said: “We need more women in the air force,” adding that she was part of an NGO, Southern Africa Women in Aviation and Aerospace Industry, which aimed to get bursaries for young women who wanted to be in the force.

Soga, 28, of Butterworth, in the Eastern Cape, qualified in 2008 as the first and only woman flight engineer in the SAAF. Last year she qualified to take leadership as 16 Squadron technical officer – the person in charge of all technical aspects of running the squadron. Her flying tasks have included night flying, mountain flying, formation flying, night specialist operations, sea rescues, mountain rescues, casualty evacuation, gunnery war simulation exercises, and firefighting and cargo-slinging.

4th Annual Mr & Miss Village Square Pageant

2011-08-10T08:20:00.002+02:00

This year will see the 4th annual Mr & Miss Village Square Pageant for children 3 - 10yrs.

Venue:

The Piazza area at Village Square Centre on Saturday 1 October will be the fantastic backdrop for this fun event. The competition will run from 11h00 - 12h30 during the Whale Festival.

This year, creator of the event, Lezanne van Zyl has created even more categories which will be hotly contested and each entrant will receive a gift for participating. The entry fee is R30 per child.

The categories this year are:

Boys-

Mr. Village Square

Mr. Personality

Mr. X-factor

Mr. Photogenic

Girls-

Will be in junior (3-6yr) and senior (7-10yr) categories

Miss Village Square (jnr & snr)

1st princesses (jnr & snr)

2nd princesses (jnr & snr)

Miss Personality (jnr & snr)

Miss Photogenic (jnr & snr)

Your contact person for this fun event which should not to be missed is Lezanne van Zyl.

Lezanne can be found at:

Shop 18 GRAFFITI, Village Square (across from Mugg & Bean)

Lezanne's mobile number is 084 208 9018 or e-mail her at lezannevz@yahoo.com or Facebook - Lezanne Van Zyl and Graffiti Shop Hermanus.

Additional Singapore To Cape Town Flight

2011-08-05T07:17:00.000+02:00

Singapore Airlines has announced the addition of a Tuesday flight between Cape Town and Singapore, via Johannesburg, making a total of four flights a week, effective October 30.

The new flight is in addition to the Wednesday, Friday and Sunday flights from Cape Town to Singapore via Johannesburg. The airline’s services between Johannesburg and Singapore remain unchanged at seven times weekly.

All four weekly flights will depart Cape Town at 11h40, arriving in Singapore, via Johannesburg, at 07h05 the following day. The return flight will depart Singapore at 02h35, arriving in Cape Town, via Johannesburg, at 10h25.

World's Priciest, Cheapest Cities For Travellers Named

2011-08-04T08:35:00.002+02:00

South Africa manages to stay under the radar when it comes to these cities.

Best value international cities
1. Bangkok
2. Beijing
3. Sharm El Sheikh
4. Kuala Lumpur
5. Sofia
6. Budapest
7. Auckland
8. Marrakesh
9. Warsaw
10. Dubai

Most expensive international cities
1. Paris
2. Zurich
3. London
4. Tokyo
5. New York City
6. Rio de Janeiro
7. Moscow
8. Kiev
9. Amsterdam
10. Stockholm

Women's Month - Team Of Three To Join Mongol Rally

2011-08-03T09:48:00.000+02:00

A team of three determined South African women is crossing Europe in the epic 16 000km Mongol Rally from the UK to Mongolia to raise money for two charities, the Christina Noble Children's Foundation (CNCF) and the Pink Drive Campaign.

Joanne Theron, Shannon Davis and Gene Arundel – all from Johannesburg – began their daring journey on 23 July 2011 in London with Ulan Bator, Mongolia, as their final destination.

British adventurer Tom Morgan founded the Mongol Rally in 2004 with just six teams participating in the first year. The event is now in its eighth year and is described as more of an adventure for the participants and less of a traditional rally in the competitive sense.

No prizes are awarded, but teams get the satisfaction of donating their vehicles to needy Mongolian causes - although the maximum engine size permitted is 1 200cc, exceptions are made for vehicles which will be of particular use in the high-altitude country, such as fire engines or ambulances.

Supporters can track the route of their favourite team on the Mongol Rally website, and will be able to follow their fundraising progress too.

South Africans can also follow the adventures of the local trio on the team blog, on the UTrackIT website, or via Facebook and Twitter.

Source: MediaClub SA

World's Top Ten Hotel Swimming Pools

2011-08-03T08:38:00.001+02:00

Here are the world's Top Ten Hotel Swimming Pools brought to you by ehotelior.com

1 The Cambrian, Switzerland
Located in Adelboden in the heart of the Swiss Alps, The Cambrian's heated outdoor pool is surrounded by lush meadows and snow-capped mountain peaks. It is part of the hotel's spa where you can unwind after a day's skiing or hiking by relaxing in the Finnish sauna and steam baths before heading to the top-notch restaurant for some classic mountain cuisine.

2 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
You'll need a head for heights if you fancy a dip in this pool as it is 55 floors up. It stretches 150 metres along the boat-shaped SkyPark, a gravity-defying cantilever, the length of four-and-a-half jumbo jets.

3 Perivolas, Greece
This infinity pool appears to merge with the glinting Aegean Sea below and has sweeping views over Santorini's extraordinary caldera.

4 Chongwe River House, Zambia
You'll need your waterproof camera when swimming in Chongwe River House's outdoor pools on the banks of the Lower Zambezi River where you can watch elephants and hippopotamuses sauntering past.

5 San Alfonso del Mar, Chile
You might want to down a few energy drinks before doing laps in this pool. Part of the San Alfonso del Mar complex in Algarrobo, near Santiago, it is the world's largest pool at 1,000m long and 35m deep.

6 Villa D'Este, Italy
Check into this grand Renaissance villa with its beautiful pool built into a pontoon floating on Lake Como. It not only has a whirlpool and a children's pool but mountain vistas in every direction.

7 Hotel Du-Cap-Eden Roc, France
The cliff edge saltwater swimming pool has been the centrepiece of this Cap d'Antibes resort for 80 years and has been graced by everyone from Brigitte Bardot to Clark Gable. Views over the Lérins Islands and Cannes Bay are spectacular. Leave time to visit the hotel's chocolaterie.

8 Jade Mountain, St Lucia
Take a dip in your private pool when you book one of the hotel's 24 infinity pool suites. All are individually designed and have sea views, a shallow water lounging area and optical fibre illumination at night.

9 Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, China
Not surprisingly, the tallest hotel in the world also boasts the highest indoor pool. A dazzling 118 storeys up, it has a huge ceiling-mounted LCD screen which swimmers can watch while they perfect their backstroke.

10 The Joule Dallas, US
The pool at this striking neo-Gothic hotel has to be seen to be believed. On the 10th floor it projects 8ft over the pavement and entices swimmers with its panoramic views of Dallas. Scattered throughout the hotel is an impressive art collection, with works by Andy Warhol.

Women's Month - Opera Singer Does Pretty Well

2011-08-02T03:45:00.002+02:00

Pretty Yende, a graduate of the South African College of Music, has brought the country’s opera singers into the spotlight by winning the prestigious Operalia Competition.

The event took place in Moscow, Russia, from 18-24 July 2011, at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre.

Operalia took place in three stages with 40 contestants selected to compete during the quarter- and semi-finals from 18 to 23 July. Only 13 contestants made it to the finals on 24 July – these included past winners, Erwin Schrott and the sensational Rolando Villazon.

Founded in 1993 to give young, early-career singers exposure on an international scale, Operalia is held in a different city each year. This year's edition was the 19th.

Pretty, the only African to compete, won the R200,000 first prize for best female singer, the R66,000 Pepita Embil Domingo Zarzuela prize and the audience favourite prize of a Rolex watch.

Plácido Domingo, world-renowned opera singer and founder of the competition, said: “My purpose in Operalia is to help identify not only the best voices, but also to discover those singers whose personalities, characters and powers of interpretation show that they have the potential to become complete artists. Individuals such as these become tomorrow’s stars. This is why the jury is not exclusively made up of great singers, but also includes general managers, stage directors and casting directors.”

The soprano, who currently resides in Milan, Italy, attributes her success to her sense of determination. Yende said: “I spent five years applying for admission and was never accepted. I, however, did not part with my dream to compete in and win Operalia.

Pretty is billed to perform at the Arts Cape Theatre in Cape Town on 4 August 2011 and will appear in four productions put on by the La Scala Opera Studio.

Women's Month - Women Pilots Navigate Local Waters

2011-08-01T21:49:00.002+02:00

Three South African women have set the standard in Africa by becoming the first black female marine pilots on the continent to gain open licences, enabling them to navigate ships of all sizes and types into local waters.

Precious Dube, Bongiwe Mbambo and Pinky Zungu, who are three of only five female marine pilots in South Africa, are tasked with guiding ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours.

The marine pilot acts as an advisor to the captain, who maintains legal, overriding command of the vessel.

Tau Morwe, chief executive of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), said: “The maritime sector used to be one that was closed off to the historically disadvantaged, including women, but this is changing and we are geared for even greater success stories than this.”

The three women are products of the TNPA’s development scheme, which has been encouraging more equitable participation in the maritime sector since the 1990s.

Rufus Lekala, chief harbour master in South Africa and the youngest in the world, said: “These women have put us on the map once more and should be very proud of their achievements.”

Join Us For The Hermanus Wine & Food Festival

2011-08-01T13:07:00.004+02:00

Hermanus Wine & Food Festival Nominated one of the
10 Best Wine Shows in South Africa!

Taste more than 200 wines from Elgin to Elim Producers at the
Hermanus Wine & Food Festival

When:
Saturday 6 August 2011 12:00 – 18:00
Sunday 7 August 2011 12:00 – 18:00
Monday 8 August 2011 12:00 – 17:00

Where:
Hemel-en-Aarde Village Hermanus

Cost:
R95.00 per day and R200.00 for a weekend pass

Free Entry to the Food Marquee

See You There!

Latest Tourism Figures For April 2010 - 2011

2011-07-29T13:28:00.001+02:00

The latest figures for tourists entering South Africa have just been released by Stats SA. The figures below are those that showed the larger % growth year on year.

Country      2011       2010        Increase
Germany:     18,626    10,695    +74.2%
UK:               40,301 30,176    +33.6%
Norway:         1,959           882    +122.1%
Switzerland :  3,311      2,226      +48.7%
Russian Fed:      861       556      +54.9%
Portugal:       4,236        2,732      +55.1%
Hungary:          231           147      +57.1%
Denmark:     1,808        1,058      +70.9%
Austria:         1,687           988      +70.7%
Argentina:        865           598      +44.6%
Mexico:           308            214      +43.9%
India:             7,193        4,498      +59.9%
Japan:           2,017        1,380      +46.2%
Malaysia:         833            415      +100.7%
Philippines:      789           394      +100.3%
Turkey:              952           533       +78.6%

Overseas Total: 172,145     128,773     +33.7%

Cape Looks East To Tackle Global Tourism Slump

2011-07-27T13:18:00.000+02:00

Awakening global economic giants China and India are sending more and more tourists to Cape Town, a sign that dramatic changes are happening to the Cape’s traditional visitor demographics, experts say.

Tourism authorities have detailed extensive plans to market Cape Town to the world, to help pull the city and province out of a worldwide slump.

The Cape Argus reported last week that many in the Cape’s crucial industry were speaking openly of a “crisis”, because of low occupancy rates in accommodation establishments, and a similar drop in trading across the industry.

But provincial Tourism MEC Alan Winde, Cape Town Tourism head Mariette du Toit Helmbold and Accelerate Cape Town head Guy Lundy have revealed extensive plans to bring more visitors to the Mother City.

Among these are innovative ways of bringing Gautengers to Cape Town, renewed efforts to attract the Cape’s traditional markets in Europe – despite their economic woes – and dramatic increases in the number of tourists from the “new” markets of China, India and Brazil.

Winde said the Western Cape would be promoted at key trade shows in Brazil and Argentina later this year. “If one analyses the statistics for the first quarter in these markets, it is clear the Western Cape is hitting the right target.”

In 2009, there were 26 975 visitors to the province. This increased to 41 532 last year, an increase of 54 percent.

Arrivals from India to the Western Cape grew from 14 960 in 2009 to 19 543 last year, a 30.6 percent increase.

One of the star markets for that period, Brazil, grew from 15 580 visitors in 2009 to 26 340 last year, a 69.1 percent rise.

Source: Argus

Knysna Tourism Invites Stakeholders To Marketing Presentation

2011-07-26T08:37:00.000+02:00

Knysna Tourism will host a discussion on South African tourism market trends, presented by Professor John Simpson from the UCT Unilever Institute.

Simpson is co-author of ‘Marketing in South Africa: Cases and Concepts’ and Director of the UCT Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing.

Knysna Tourism CEO, Shaun van Eck, says participants will get to the core of the factors changing the consumer environment. “Attendees will also hear how all new expert research will help to refocus their businesses to meet the challenges facing the new South African marketplace, including latest trends in the emerging black diamond market.

“This is obviously a market that we would like to welcome to Knysna,” said Van Eck. “And attending this discussion will give tourism operators and anyone who works within the industry a better insight into reaching this market and communicating with them effectively.”

The discussion will take place at The Premier Hotel on George Rex Drive in Knysna at 11h00, on Tuesday, August 16. Entrance is free but interested parties need to RSVP to Janine Arendse at the Knysna Tourism office at +27 (0)44 382 5510.

Cosatu Joins ‘Tourism Crisis’ Debate

2011-07-26T08:08:00.001+02:00

Cosatu (The Congress of South African Trade Unions) has called for urgent action to address the “crisis in tourism” and has said an investigation should be conducted into the implications of regulating the industry.

In a media statement, Cosatu Western Cape Provincial Secretary, Tony Ehrenreich, says the cause of the crisis is the overcharging of international tourists. “The exorbitant prices for wines and crayfish are contributing to visitors feeling ripped off,” he says. “And so the important word of mouth that underlies a tourist destination’s success is not assisting the South African industry.”

The statement goes on to accuse the Western Cape MEC of Economics, Alan Winde, of excluding workers from the tourism board. “As Cosatu we will insist that the workers’ interests be directly represented by a labour representative, before the funding to support the industry is released. We will further call for an independent body to examine the crisis, as the industrial players have been colluding with government at a local level. This collusion is demonstrated by the City Council giving the tourism industry R40 million to spend on themselves,” says Ehrenreich.

Source: SA Tourism Update

Just goes to show that you don't have to have an inkling of what the situation entails. My heart goes out to Alan Winde and all those who strive to reverse this economic black hole and build up tourism in our towns and cities countrywide. Dave

South Africa Proclaims Another Biosphere

2011-07-23T10:23:00.004+02:00

South Africa added a sixth biosphere reserve to its tally when the Vhembe region of Limpopo province became one of 22 newly proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).

South Africa's six biosphere sites are Kogelberg (added in 1998), Cape Winelands (2007), Cape West Coast Reserve (2000, with an extension in 2003), the Waterberg (2001), the Kruger to Canyons Reserve (2001), and Vhembe. This is a tshiVenda name for the mighty Limpopo River symbolising life.

The new addition is situated in the northeast of Limpopo province. It is famous not only for its bird and animal life, but also for its rich cultural history, dating far back to the awe-inspiring rock paintings of the San people. Vhembe encompasses the ancient African kingdoms of Thulamela and Mapungubwe. The latter is one of South Africa's eight world heritage sites and was inscribed on the Unesco list in 2003.

Vhembe includes the northern part of the Kruger Park, the Makuleke Wetlands, which are protected under the international Ramsar Convention, the Soutpansberg and Blouberg bio-diversity hot spots, and the Makgabeng Plateau, which boasts hundreds of rock art sites.

SAT Sponsors Online Textbook For E Tourism Africa Summit

2011-07-22T00:45:00.005+02:00

South African Tourism (SAT) recently announced the sponsorship of an online tourism textbook for the South African market. The ‘E Tourism Frontier’s Guide to Online Tourism – the South African Edition’ will be published in September and given to all delegates attending the E Tourism Africa Summit taking place in Cape Town on September 15 and 16.

SAT is sponsoring the fourth E Tourism Africa Summit, along with Cape Town Tourism as the host city for the summit. It will feature some of the world’s leading experts in online tourism, including TripAdvisor, Expedia and Google.

William Price, global head of e-marketing at SAT, says the role and significance of online marketing and consumer engagement have become critical in destination marketing. “It’s not enough for us to merely sponsor events. We have decided to invest more heavily in the E-Tourism Africa Summit by sharing a tangible and useful resource with the industry. The E-Tourism Frontier’s Guide to Online Tourism is a great resource and offers easy-to-follow tips and excellent local examples of tourism businesses using and benefiting from online marketing,” says Price.

The author of the new textbook, Damian Cook, is the CEO and Founder of E Tourism Frontiers and a global expert on online tourism.

Says Cook: “Our industry needs to focus not just on their own marketing but to encourage their clientele to market for them via social media. Some 50% of travellers now read a review before booking a hotel or trip for a long-haul destination and this is especially relevant for travel to Africa. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are vital tools when researching travel. However, only a small number of tourism companies are really accessing and using these tools to their full potential. The textbook is designed to show South African tourism businesses how to do just that.”
Source: SA Tourism Update

Hermanus Wine & Food Fair Nominated For Top Ten

2011-07-21T08:48:00.004+02:00

The Hermanus Wine & Food Fair was nominated as one of the 10 best wine festivals in South Africa! 50 Local wineries from Elgin to Elim will present their wines for tasting, not forgetting delectable fares from various cheese and olive farms amongst others, as well as the famous Sushi of The Harbour Rock. All the wines on tasting will be available for purchasing at the Wine Village during the festival at cellar prices.

This year's festival will take place from Saturday, 06 August to Monday, 08 August and looks to be an even greater success.

Do not miss the opportunity to taste and pay for your favourite wines and fill up your wine racks! This is the only Wine and Food Fair in South African where you are able to purchase the wines tasted and either take them home immediately or have them shipped home anywhere in the world. What utter convenience!

Come and enjoy more than 200 wines from the various wine estates, olive products, glorious cheese, and loads of speciality food stalls.

Hermanus Tourism Has New Management Committee

2011-07-19T14:58:00.000+02:00

A new management committee for Hermanus Tourism was elected at last night's Special General Meeting. Mary Faure (Chairperson), Jenny Bowes-Meyer, Bill Harling, Ryno Rabie, Quinton Mitchell, Fabio Lenzi (Vice-Chairperson), Suzanne Clarke, Pam Nel, Jenna Raubenheimer, and Maurice Douree will represent the members of Hermanus Tourism.

The Cape Whale Coast DMO wishes the new committee all the best for the future.

Cape Town Wins Another Award

2011-07-18T07:01:00.002+02:00

More than 60 destinations joined in the competition. Cape Town has received a long list of international tourism accolades and was named one of the most beautiful cities in world, providing a variety of attractions.

Tourists can tackle Table Mountain and Cape Point, shopping and sight seeing at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, visit the historical Robben Island, experience shark cage diving or swim with the penguins at Boulders Beach. Cape Town is the only Province on the African continent to receive this award.

The 10 destinations that received “The Most Preferred Tourist Attractions for Chinese in 2011” awards are:

•Cape Town, South Africa - Most number of Votes by far
•Bali Island, Indonesia

•Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

•Bora Bora, Tahiti

•Niagara Falls, Canada

•Hawaii, America

•Paris, France

•Edinburgh, Britain

•Madrid, Spain

•Lake Lucerne Region, Switzerland

Vindaba, Specialist Wine Tourism Exhibition

2011-07-17T22:42:00.000+02:00

South Africa will host its first specialist wine tourism exhibition, Vindaba, in Cape Town in September next year.

The organisers plan to turn Vindaba into a world-class event that will assume the status of a leading wine exhibition among the international wine and travel fraternities. It will also offer specialist seminars, focus on gastro-tourism and provide tailor-made wine tours for the international and domestic travel business fraternity.

Although conceived as a stand-alone event, it will be staged simultaneously with Cape Wine 2012 at the Cape Town Convention Centre.

Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, has identified South Africa’s wine tourism as central to marketing the country as an attractive long-haul destination. Speaking at a tourism stakeholder workshop in April, he said: “Wine tourism is a vital product offering in South Africa’s tourism product as it helps improve the country’s competitiveness against destinations like Brazil, Australia, Kenya and Thailand.”

Although Australia has a highly developed wine tourism industry, many of its wine regions are located far apart, unlike South Africa where production is concentrated mostly in the Western Cape.

IWC 63 Says No To Whaling Sanctuary

2011-07-15T10:04:00.001+02:00

Yesterday’s feel-good atmosphere dissolved into profound uncertainty after Japan led the IWC’s pro-whaling bloc in a walkout intended to break the body’s quorum, with a vote on the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary looming.

What promised to be a day filled with discussions of important conservation work and other matters instead became the occasion for a closed door commissioners’ meeting and a lot of wrangling over quorum and other procedural rules.

By the time the Commission resumed in open session on Thursday evening, it was time to close IWC 63. In the interim, the commissioners had privately worked out a statement to explain away the near meltdown and restore some prospect for comity within the IWC in the future.

To read the complete article go to:
http://www.hsi.org/news/news/2011/07/iwc_63_day_four_071411.html

Nothing Worse Than A Unstable Table

2011-07-13T10:14:00.002+02:00

By attaching a base, which uses an intricate hydraulic system, to a table, it can adapt itself to an uneven surface, keeping it flat and rock-solid, no matter how many times it is moved. It also allows two or more tables to be attached together and remain even.

The stabiliser is being launched into the UK market this month following a successful trial in the hospitality sector in Australia.

Tracey Sanders of Spiro Designs, said: “We are extremely excited about the launch of the award-winning FLAT bases in the UK. You ask any customer what annoys them the most in any pub or restaurant, indoors or outdoors and the answer will be wobbly tables!

“We think these table bases are going to revolutionise our industry. There is nothing on the market that answers the issue of wobbly tables so simply."

There are seven varieties of table bases available, covering a variety of sizes of tables across the hospitality and commercial furniture sectors.

This beats the folded piece of cardboard method used the majority of establishments.

SA Tourism Gets Celebrities Involved In New UK Campaign

2011-07-11T09:07:00.001+02:00

SA Tourism UK has launched 'My Mission South Africa', a new nationwide campaign that will track four UK personalities on holiday in SA.

The campaign, which includes advertising, a new interactive website, celebrity My Mission itineraries, digital amplification and a PR and consumer-facing competition, will showcase the country’s wildlife and affordable luxury offering while highlighting holidays for more adventurous travellers.

The four British personalities are Monty Don, Gloria Hunniford, Jamie Theakston and Chris Packham who will be travelling in September and focusing on their personal areas of interest, including horticulture, adventure, wildlife and luxury travel.

Each of the celebrity missions will be filmed and their experiences tweeted throughout their visits. The content will be available to follow on the dedicated www.southafrica.net/mymission website, Facebook page www.facebook.com/mysouthafrica and specifically created mobile apps for both iphone and android mobiles.

Prospective travellers will also be able to create their own missions online. My Mission builder is a custom video and PDF brochure application that allows prospective visitors to quickly build and populate their ultimate holiday itinerary from a list of predefined activities. They can store these online, send to fellow travellers and share with friends via Twitter and Facebook.

Now is your opportunity to promote your business by offering to host, wine-and-dine and show the group just what we have to offer the tourist.

Your Business Will Do A Lot Better With A Little Training

2011-07-09T22:07:00.000+02:00

Problem: Everyone talks about how important it is to have well-trained service staff, but my company is asking us to make cutbacks in every area, so how can I ensure my front-of-house staff keep standards high when I have no budget to pay for training?

Solution: Commitment and leadership is where the answer lies. However, too many people do not understand the true meaning of these words and go on talking about them as if they were empty of meaning. All too often they are used to fill gaps and make people feel important.

Indeed if you are really committed you will make sure things happen in an urgent manner to deliver the results. As for leadership it is simply made of the actual actions of the people on the ground (whether in a top job or not).

Staff need training, but so do owners and managers, and they may not understand the benefits of it or are too short sighted or focused on the short term. However, if you are truly a leader and are committed to high standards, then it is an opportunity for you to test and demonstrate your skills by managing up and influencing your boss and staff to see the light.

Sound interesting and want to learn more? Contact the CWC DMO and learn how a little training goes a long way.

Fees Van Die Ganse To Rival Knysna Oyster Festival?

2011-07-08T10:08:00.002+02:00

Visitors will be treated to local cuisine, entertainment, a mountain bike fun ride as well as a soap-box race. The highlight of the festival is its unique Winter Fynbos Show – the main reason why the festival takes place in the winter. Sheep dogs will demonstrate their herding skills, 4x4 enthusiasts will be catered for at the 4x4 Obstacle Challenge and local artists like Dillon Lerm, Die Broers and Rooies will entertain the crowds with their music.

“Festivals like these with their strong local flavour are a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit shared by many South Africans, but specifically those living in the Western Cape. This particular festival is also a wonderful opportunity for locals to celebrate our magnificent floral kingdom, which is at its best during the winter months,” says Alan Winde, MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism.

Calvyn Gilfellan, CEO of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, destination marketing organisation for Cape Town and the Western Cape, agrees with this and adds, “What can be more gratifying to a tourist than to arrive in a town and find that the party is already going strong and all that is required of him or her is to join in the fun. Fees van die Ganse is starting to become an institution and I hope that it will soon be just as big as the Knysna Oyster Festival.”

For more information contact the Gansbaai Tourism Bureau at 028 384 1439 or visit www.gansbaaiinfo.com.

Adults will pay R30, pensioners R20 and scholars R10 to take part in the festivities. Weekend passes are also available at R50 (adults), R30 (pensioners) or R15 (scholars).

Air Namibia Boosts Cape Town - Windhoek - Luanda Service

2011-07-08T07:22:00.003+02:00

Air Namibia has updated its schedule from Cape Town to Luanda via Windhoek to improve its connections and allow passengers to arrive in Luanda at 12h00 from Johannesburg or Cape Town.
Air Namibia Sales and Marketing Manager, Michell Fourie, says Cape Town – Luanda is a regular market. “Air Namibia flies to Luanda from Windhoek four times a week with connections from Cape Town and Johannesburg. Our new improved schedules allow our clients to arrive in Luanda at very convenient times. Clients also now only spend one hour 30 minutes in transit to Luanda and on the return, one hour 15 minutes in transit in Windhoek.”

Source: SA Tourism Update

Zambesi Airlines Lands In Cape Town

2011-07-05T07:43:00.001+02:00

Zambezi Airlines completed its inaugural flight to Cape Town International Airport recently. It will operate a three times a week direct service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from Livingstone, Zambia, using a Boeing 737-500 aircraft.

Said Deidre Hendricks, Cape Town International’s Communications Manager: “Recently, Turkish Airlines and Emirates Airline increased their number of flights and Air France also announced its non-stop flight between Cape Town International and Paris, Charles de Gaulle with three flights a week. Now Zambezi Airlines will also be flying three times a week. This is all positive news for the airport and Cape Town and certainly a testament to what we have to offer as a region in tourism and business.”

Zambezi Airlines Commercial Manager, Sidney Siwabamundi, said management and staff were excited to be launching the Cape Town-Livingstone route. “We are particularly proud that we are the first airline to launch the direct flight between the ever-popular destination of Cape Town and Zambia’s adventure capital, Livingstone, which is also home to the world-famous Victoria Falls.”

Source: SA Tourism Update

South African Tourism Announces Dates For India Road Show

2011-06-29T08:23:00.004+02:00

South African Tourism has announced the dates for the SAT India road show:

January 30, Mumbai;
February 1, Bangalore;
February 2, Chennai;
February 3, Delhi;
February 6, Pune.

Registration for the road show will open at the end of August.

For any queries contact davidsnoek@telkomsa.net

18th World Travel Awards

2011-06-23T17:10:00.009+02:00

Western Cape is set to scoop more than one accolade in the prestigious World Travel Awards, which will take place on 16 September 2011 at the Royal Savoy Hotel in Egypt.

The awards, which is in its 18th year, is well known as the Oscars of the travel industry and serves to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.

Categories that the destination has been nominated in include: Africa’s Leading Airport, Africa’s Leading Beach Destination, Africa’s Leading Destination, Africa’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre and Africa’s Leading Port.

Local hotels nominated for the 2011 World Travel Awards are:

Africas Leading Boutique Hotel
Birkenhead House
Africas Leading Family Resort
Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa
Africas Leading Spa Resort
Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa
Africas Leading Luxury Hotel
Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa

For the full list of nominees visit:
http://www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees

Marianas, In The Top 20 For A Sunday Lunch

2011-06-23T00:49:00.004+02:00

If somebody asked you to recommend a good spot for Sunday lunch that was worth a bit of a drive, keeping in mind solid fare, value for money, no big-name chefs or franchises involved, and as a bonus, good scenery en route, which venues would you suggest?

There are plenty of places that serve a menu for lunch, but we were after out-of-the-way recommendations. We tried to avoid fashionable urban haunts and looked for the nostalgic Sunday carvery roasts and quality buffet spreads many of us grew up with. The team hunted down less-known country venues where quirky owners serve à la carte fare cooked with love, and discovered a couple of hidden gems along winding dirt roads serving a set lunch. Essentially places with character that lure diners on a Sunday, where the food takes time to prepare and eat.

The following 6 restaurants in the Western Cape are amongst the top 20 in S.A. offering the best Sunday Lunches.

Mariana's

12 Du Toit Street, Stanford

Tel 028 341 0272

After 11 years, Marianas has reached iconic status for its menu originality, the sustained food quality, the friendly service (Peter Esterhuizen’s repartee is fun and informed; wife Mariana emerges from the kitchen as lunch winds down) and the wide range of herbs growing beyond the back stoep. Recent standouts included game rillettes, lightly aromatic fish curry, aubergine stuffed with ricotta, confit de canard and homemade ice cream doused with espresso and local grappa. Diners come from afar, and expect to expire – such is the flair of the fare that it can be wise to stay overnight in town. Wines are local, prices fair. Booking essential.

The others are:

96 Winery Road

Winery Road, Stellenbosch

Tel 021 842 2010

Bar Bar Black Sheep
Short Street, Riebeek Kasteel
Tel 022 448 1031
De Malle Meul
Church Square, Philadelphia
Tel 021 972 1097
Driefontein Farmhouse
1km off N2 in the direction of Greyton
Tel 028 881 3612
Oestervanger
Retreat turn-off, Rietvlei, Robertson Valley
Tel 023 626 4047

Well Done.

Source: Wine Magazine

It's All Balls At High Tea

2011-06-22T07:25:00.001+02:00

Wimbledon fever has begun and London hotels are getting involved whether it's afternoon tea, 3D TV or good old strawberries and cream.

Those who weren't lucky enough to score tickets for the court should visit the Park Plaza Victoria London for the next best thing. The hotel's bar will be screening the Wimbledon singles finals on its 47 inch 3D television and 100 pairs of glasses will be available on the 2nd and 3rd July. The hotel is located near Victoria Station, a short walk from leading tourist attractions like Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

The 5 star Royal Horseguards Hotel is always among the first to come up with themed afternoon teas and true to form, has created a special Wimbledon high tea. It features all the usual scones and sarnies as well as a bucket of homemade tennis ball truffles and Wimbledon logo cupcakes (pictured above). The tea starts from £38 per person.

Source: ehotelier.com

Top Destinations For Under 30’s

2011-06-21T09:36:00.000+02:00

Relaxation is sublime, but sometimes you need something a little more lively, so if you’re looking for a holiday destination where the sun never sets and the party never ends, here are our top five suggestions…

1. Ibiza

An obvious choice, but for good reason. The large Spanish island is probably most famous for its parties as well as its famous clubs, most notable being Café del Mar. If you’re looking for a riot and a glimpse of some of the worlds best DJ’s and bands, then this is the place to be during summer. The government is currently trying to change the vibe of the island, to attract different and quieter kinds of crowds, but there’s little chance that the party scene of this legendary destination will turn down the volume any time soon.

2. Cyprus

A hugely desirable island destination in the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is home to the Ibiza-like resort, Ayia Napa, which is known as the party capital. Not only does it boast some of the finest high end restaurants, clubs and shopping spots in the area, but it’s also home to a sea monster legend. Either the locals drink way too much Ouzo or there really is a monster – so either way it’s worth a visit.

3. Cape Town

The weather, scenery and laid back vibe make this South African city the perfect holiday destination for the young at heart. With loads of pristine beaches, cool surfing spots, forests, mountains and outdoor life, there’s always something to keep you occupied. When the sun goes down and cocktails have been drunk, the world famous Long Street is waiting to dazzle you with its bustling bars, restaurants and clubs.

4. Rio de Janeiro

Think world class festivals, samba in the streets, club hopping till the sun comes up and incredible possibilities in a city that will breathe life into you. Not only that, but the beaches and mountains are breathtaking too. The Brazilian carnivals alone are well worth a trip for their elegance and extravagance. The well known Rio carnival is the largest in the world with up to two million people joining in the street parties every day during the event.

5. Acapulco

One of Mexico’s oldest and most famous beach resorts, Acapulco is well known for being a popular vacation spot for stars and billionaires. You’ll find spectacular high rise hotels, irresistible beaches and an explosive nightlife culture dominated by dance clubs, cocktail bars, beach drinking spots and live entertainment. Also worth seeing are the famous cliff divers, who can be seen jumping from horrifying heights into a flaming ocean lit with gasoline.

Source: Travelwires

Recycle Soap And Help The Poor

2011-06-21T07:57:00.004+02:00

That bar of soap you used once or twice during your last hotel stay might now be helping poor children fight disease.

Derreck Kayongo and his Atlanta-based Global Soap Project collect used hotel soap from across the United States. Instead of ending up in landfills, the soaps are cleaned and reprocessed for shipment to impoverished nations such as Haiti, Uganda, Kenya and Swaziland.

"I was shocked just to know how much (soap) at the end of the day was thrown away," Kayongo said. Each year, hundreds of millions of soap bars are discarded in North America alone. "Are we really throwing away that much soap at the expense of other people who don't have anything? It just doesn't sound right."

Kayongo, a Uganda native, thought of the idea in the early 1990s, when he first arrived to the U.S. and stayed at a hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He noticed that his bathroom was replenished with new soap bars every day, even though they were only slightly used.

"I tried to return the new soap to the concierge since I thought they were charging me for it," Kayongo said. "When I was told it was just hotel policy to provide new soap every day, I couldn't believe it."

Kayongo called his father -- a former soap maker in Uganda -- and shared the experience. "My dad said people in America can afford to throw it away. But I just started to think, 'What if we took some of this soap and recycled it, made brand new soap from it and then sent it home to people who couldn't afford soap?' "

For Kayongo, collecting soap is "a first line of defense" mission to combat child-mortality around the world. Each year, more than 2 million children die from diarrheal illness -- the approximate population of San Antonio, Texas. According to the World Health Organization, these deaths occur almost exclusively among toddlers living in low-income countries.

Source: CNN

Record Broken Beyond The Boerewors Curtain

2011-06-20T08:32:00.000+02:00

Following on about the story of Gansbaai and the Abalone pot, another record was broken on the same day. But this time it was beyond the Boerewors Curtain. The Guinness World Record for the longest boerewors ever braaied was broken in Mookgophong (Naboomspruit) on Thursday, Afriforum Youth claimed.

Guinness World Records has requested proof of the feat before it is made official, the civil rights organisation's national chairperson Charl Oberholzer said.

"Together with the girl band, Saarkie, the singer and comedian, Thys die Bosveldklong, and seven other farmers' associations from the Mokopane district, the organisation braaied a 514.5m long boerewors at the Windpomp Festival."

The previous record was 321m. The boerewors weighed about 420kg and it took 40 people working together to put on the braai. "There were a couple of close calls, but luckily the boerewors didn't break during the braai," Oberholzer said.

It was later distributed to old age homes in the district. "It is important on Youth Day that the youth honours the older people and show that we care, even if it's only by attempting to break a boerewors braai record and providing a free plate of food."

Fedhasa Cape Confident About Hospitality Sector

2011-06-20T00:41:00.000+02:00

Fedhasa Cape Chairman Dirk Elzinga claims that more than 70% of hotels in Cape Town are doing well despite an overcapacity of rooms and a recession-linked decline in tourism numbers.

He told the organsiation’s AGM in Cape Town on June 14 that he remained confident tourism would bounce back following excellent exposure during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when 878 000 room nights were filled and 95% of guests promised to return. “Yes, two hotels recently closed their doors but we also have colleagues who are running at high occupancies. This is a positive indication for the future.” His comments contrast those made recently by Protea Hospitality Group CEO, Arthur Gillis, who said many hotels had over-extended themselves ahead of the World Cup and were now struggling to survive in the current slump.

Elzinga said Cape Town’s image was suffering because it was perceived to be too expensive, yet people often only looked at extreme examples . In reality, there was a wide range of 230 accommodation options in Cape Town. “There are several excellent guest houses, for example, where you can stay this weekend for less than R300 per room per night and for R475 per night you can even stay in a four-star hotel! It is absolute nonsense that that is too expensive!”

Source: SA Tourism Update

Art Galleries To Work Closer With CWC DMO

2011-06-17T02:46:00.006+02:00

Good News is the Overstrand art galleries will in future work more closely with the CWC DMO. At a recent meeting between interested and relevant parties various ways to promote the 'Art Route' were discussed and we can look forward to marketing events such as 'Art Jams' and 'Clash of the Artists'.

An Art Jam is a group of ten or more people, getting together to experience and explore the fun of painting and the long forgotten joy that comes with that experience.

Art Jamming is mixing unlimited paint with unlimited imagination and letting someone else clean up the mess! Playing, painting, sponging, spraying and creating your very own unique piece of artwork in full colour in a stress free party atmosphere. Putting on an apron to face a blank canvas and unleashing your own individual creativity.

One of the best places for an Art Jam is a pub or restaurant where all the participants have access to a bar and can paint away with a glass of wine in one hand and a paintbrush in the other should they so choose.

Wow, what a fantastic opportunity for the art galleries and restaurants to work together and market themselves in the Overstrand.

Thandiwe January-McLean Resigns

2011-06-17T01:30:00.000+02:00

Thandiwe January-McLean, the CEO of SA Tourism has resigned to pursue personal interests.

January-McLean has been with SA Tourism for a year and a half in total. Discussing the resignation, SA Tourism Chief Marketing Officer, Roshene Singh, says: "She led the organisation through its most challenging and exciting times. The year 2010 was a momentous year for all in tourism and under her leadership and drive, working closely with stakeholders across various sectors, South Africa attracted an all-time high of over eight million foreign tourist arrivals.

"Together with her team, the CEO always demonstrated professionalism and openness in engaging stakeholders to continue the positive momentum and brand positioning that was leveraged off the success of the Soccer World Cup tournament," says Singh. "She leaves a legacy of having moved the organisation forward to explore new markets and she firmly placed Africa and the domestic tourism agenda at the forefront of South African Tourism’s marketing efforts, while entrenching its core markets."

January-McLean will leave South African Tourism at the end of August, at which time Tim Scholtz will be acting CEO until the board has completed its recruitment process.

Gansbaai Cooks The Record Books

2011-06-16T17:12:00.004+02:00

Despite a blustery, cold and rainy day hundreds of locals braved the weather and descended upon Gansbaai Academia High School to witness the largest single pot of Abalone (Perlemoen) ever cooked.

Besides having the oportunity to taste the potjiekos there were a number of other food and craft stalls to keep one indoors. Competitions were arranged to entertain us. Find the best hat, Mr and Miss Gansbaai and many others.

Chef Ian's team set out to beat the previous record of 45,8 Kilo's and had an optimistic target of 90 Kilo's in their sights. All the preparation work and cooking was overseen by an independant judge and Toni the representative from Guiness Book Of World Records.

Well, not only did they beat the record at the final weigh-in, the Potjie came in at a whopping 103 Kilo's with more than 50 Kilo's of Abalone cooked to perfection.

Congratulations to Chef Ian and his team as well as Gansbaai Tourism. Well done.

Leopard Caught In Hermanus

2011-06-15T13:11:00.006+02:00

For the first time, a leopard has been captured in the Hemel en Aarde Valley, Hermanus, and tagged and released for conservation research.

The capture, on Saturday, was instigated by the Landmark Foundation, an NGO dealing with conservation in Southern Africa – in a bid to provide detailed information of leopard movements and behaviour. Its director, Bool Smuts, said a farmer helped set and monitor a hi-tech trap as he believed the animal was responsible for livestock losses.

Smuts said this was the only known leopard in the area and was a breakthrough in facilitating the conservation of this species: “The foundation, farmer and CapeNature decided to capture it, place a GPS collar on it and track its subsequent movements. We were called when the (male) leopard was discovered in the trap and a veterinarian from Hermanus darted it before a GPS device was fitted.”

Smuts said apart from “superficial facial abrasions and contusions” the animal was in great condition and released back into the wild. He said the GPS data had already been obtained from the collar and shows the leopard moving in its natural range in the mountains.

The project has led to a leopard rescue, rehabilitation, release and research programme and has saved at least 40 from certain death. In the same period 38 leopards have died as a result of gin-traps, poisons and hunting.

Source: The Mecury

Convert Telephone Enquiries Into Bookings

2011-06-15T09:08:00.000+02:00

Handling bookings enquiry calls is the most important aspect of room reservations management. The way the room reservations manager or the booking agent handles these calls could be the difference between getting the booking or loosing it.

Yet, in many hotels through my personal experience, I have seen reservations staff suggesting customers to book the hotel through travel agencies, Tour operators or OTAs instead! Seriously, what kind of industry does that?

In case the customer would not be happy with the price the travel agent or the tour operator offers, the travel agent will go ahead and suggests another hotel. There you go! You just lost a customer that wanted to book you hotel in the fist place.

Accordingly, redirecting customers to book through OTAs could result in ''loosing'' the customer. OTAs do list your hotel along with your competitors often in the same page, allowing patrons to choose from a variety of hotels in the same category and geographical area.

Because they have been working in the hotel for long time, the room division workers know a lot about the property, the quality of service it offers, and primarily the amenities it has. On this notion, I personally believe that the hotel staff is the most qualified to sell the hotel to customers.

To help you convert your booking enquiries into concrete bookings, I have put together the following tips:

Converting telephone enquiries calls into bookings check-list:

• Always keep rates ready on your desk.

• Be professional: Be warm and enthusiastic when you answer the phone, speak slowly and

clearly so that callers could understand you easily .

• Negotiate: A few dollars discount won't hurt. Remember! The travel agent will charge the guest higher prices than you would.

• Showcase the hotel's amenities and services: If the hotel has 5 pools for instance don't forget to mention it. Talk about the service quality the hotel provides.

• Before calling you, customers have probably checked online reviews about the hotel in Tripadvisor, HolidayChek or similar websites. If the hotel has favourable online reviews ask callers to check out what previous guests think about the property.

• Follow up: Keeping record of caller's phone numbers is very important for closing the sale.

Source: ehotelier.com

Backpacking, A Cheaper Alternative

2011-06-14T09:41:00.001+02:00

South Africa is becoming a top destination for global travelers and especially backpackers. Students, seasoned travelers, and adventure seekers alike can all find some incredible activities in this coastal country. Backpacking is a wonderful way to have a cheap holiday in South Africa because it allows the time and flexibility to do so much, on a relatively small budget.

With South Africa perfectly situated between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, there is no better place to get in some amazing whale watching on your holiday backpacking. Hermanus has a variety of backpacking options available to suit all tastes. In the town, you will find the world’s foremost land based whale watching location. It’s a charming little fisherman’s village complete with its own Whale Crier announcing the arrival of the majestic giants.

Nearby in the town of Gansbaai, you’ll find our frequent visitors the Southern Right whale and Great White sharks. This is the home for those more adventurous souls who want to experience the wonder and fear of going Shark Cage Diving. There’s nothing quite like the experience of swimming underwater while staring right into the eyes of a Great White.

New, Bigger Council To Serve All

2011-06-12T09:21:00.002+02:00

In her acceptance speech at the inaugural meeting of the Overstrand Council, re-elected Executive Mayor, Cllr Nicolette Botha-Guthrie highlighted her priorities for her administration;

Ensuring housing for our poorer communities and public servants.

Achieving sustainable and environmentally-friendly local economic development thus creating much-needed jobs.

Protecting our environment and the conservation of our architectural heritage.

Maintaining law and order and establishing a Municipal Court.

Maintaining disaster management services and supporting victims of fires and floods.

Public participation through the well-functioning ward committee system.

Deepening democracy through a comprehensive network of communication channels.

Cllr Botha-Guthrie closed her speech with these words, "My promise to you all is that I will serve you with love, dedication and understanding, to ensure clean administration and to manage a corruption free municipality."

Overseas Visitor Statistics For February Prove Interesting

2011-06-11T11:10:00.002+02:00

The latest stats from Stats SA shows some interesting figures.

Overall overseas visitors to South Africa between Feb 2010 and Feb 2011 increased by 7,7%.

Europe: up 1,7% to 128,000

UK: down -0,3% to 46,500

USA: up 25,9% to 18,000

Argentina: up 60,6% to 2,000

Brazil: up 18% to 3,000

Australia: up 37% to 7,000

India: up 41,5% to 5,500

Germany: up 7,6% to 23,500

Russia: down -7% to 731

Southern Right Whales Have Returned

2011-06-11T10:32:00.000+02:00

Yes, the Southern Right whales have returned to entertain us once again.

They will be with us until early December and we will be able to view them in Walker Bay breaching, lobtailing, spyhopping, and tail slapping.

Herman from Walker Bay Adventures was fortunate enough on Friday to be on board the luxurious purpose built catamaran Miroshca on one of her first voyages after a brief lay-up to carry out annual maintenance. It was on this trip that a couple of Southern Rights were spotted lazing about. According to Herman the pair were rather lethargic and showed little interest in showing off their prowess. Obviously limbering and warming up for the season ahead.

Cape Whale Coast Featured On Top Billing

2011-06-08T07:55:00.000+02:00

Last night's edition of Top Billing showed some awesome coverage of what the CWC has to offer our visitors.

Our Whale Crier was featured as well as Arabella Hotel and Spa, Sarah Milton and her horses from Arabella Equestrian Centre (great shots of Fred the gentle one). The lovely antique shop Romantiques and our Southern Right Whales were also featured.

Western Cape Tourism Focuses On East Asia

2011-06-06T08:52:00.000+02:00

Emerging markets such as those in the Far East are an untapped well of potential for the Cape Town and Western Cape tourism industry.

This is according to Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU) CEO, Calvyn Gilfellan, who will take part in this year’s South African Tourism Far East Asia Workshops.

CTRU aims to promote Cape Town and the Western Cape as the destination of choice to local tour operators at the workshops, which will be split into three legs – the first in China from June 3-5, the second in Korea from June 6-7 and the third in Japan from June 8-10.

Says Gilfellan: “The Far East Asia is a lucrative market for the Cape Town and Western Cape tourism industry. Tourists in this market tend to travel during our ‘low season’, which is from May to September, and generally travel in groups. Last year, the country recorded a 47.4% increase in visitors from China, Korea and Japan, translating into 113 375 visitors. This can in part be attributed to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which created top-of-mind awareness of the destination.”

Source: SA Tourism Update

British Travel Industry Is Pessimistic

2011-06-02T09:35:00.000+02:00

The UK travel industry is ‘pessimistic' and wants more Government support, according to research by Barclays Corporate.

In a survey among agencies, airlines, cruise companies and other travel suppliers, more than half (52%) said they now expect to see no growth in UK traveller numbers in 2011 at all, with a further third (36%) predicting a contraction this year.

The research, carried out at the annual Barclays Corporate Travel Forum last week, also revealed companies want the Government to do more, with 89% of respondents saying it is not doing enough for the industry.

However, despite the challenges, 2012 promises to be a more positive year, with more than 40% of those surveyed predicting an increase in traveller numbers, a jump from just 12% predicting an increase this year.

Over half (54%) of the businesses surveyed believe they will be more confident in growing their business next year, with only 26% expecting to be more cautious.

Chris Lee, head of travel at Barclays Corporate, said: ‘Whilst the industry's immediate outlook is far from rosy, it has always been a resilient and innovative sector. We are facing the most challenging conditions in decades and yet there is light at the end of the tunnel. By all accounts 2011 is expected to be flat, but in just 12 months time, there are significant expectations of growth.'

Over half of survey respondents expect to see their business grow by up to 10% in the coming year and a further 23% expect to see levels of growth of up to 20%.

Source: e-hotelier.com

Guinness World Record Attempt in Gansbaai

2011-06-01T02:09:00.000+02:00

A group of enthusiastic people in Gansbaai are attempting to smash a Guinness World Record and make the biggest abalone dish in the world on 16 June 2011!

The previous Guinness World Record is for a whole cooked abalone – better known by South Africans as perlemoen - that tipped the scales at 49kg! Everybody at the event will get the opportunity to taste the dish and a fun-filled day is being planned on the Gansbaai Sports Grounds.

There will be plenty of food and craft stalls, including a beer tent. Everybody is also welcome to try their hand at the fun competitions from keg rolling and keg throwing to the largest beer belly and the longest beard contests. The Mr & Miss Abalone contest is sure to draw lots of spectators and there’ll be prizes for the best hat of the day and other smaller contests.

The aim of this event is to put Gansbaai on the map and to showcase what else the town has to offer. Gansbaai is situated nearby Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa and shark cage diving is an extremely popular activity in this coastal town. Being situated on the Cape Whale Coast also means that whale watching is possible from June to December.

The fun will start at 10h00 and go on until late, and the entry fee will be R30 for adults and R10 for children, which includes a taste of the record-breaking abalone dish.

All profits will go to charity and rest assured that all the abalone are being legally sourced.

All enquiries can be sent to Gansbaai Tourism 028 3841439, Marie Reid 083 3101733 or Toni Boshoff 082 344 2145.

Cape Whale Coast - 30 cool things to do

2011-05-30T15:17:00.001+02:00

Check out the latest (June) issue of Getaway Magazine and see what awesome coverage our Overstrand has received.

Nine pages of fantastic pictures and copy.

What a fantastic marketing initiative by the Cape Whale Coast DMO.

There is also a two page spread about photography on the De Hoop Whale Trail.

2011-05-26T13:42:00.000+02:00

British Airways will increase its Cape Town summer frequencies from 13 a week to double daily from October 31, according to the airline’s new area GM for Europe and Africa, Gavin Halliday.

He said this would increase BA’s existing summer capacity to Cape Town by almost 709 seats a week. The airline will switch from B777 services to B747-400 services on the route. This means it will be the only carrier to offer a First Class product on the direct route between Cape Town and London.

Asked if the airline would consider operating double daily services year-round to Cape Town, Halliday said this would depend on the success of the new service, which would be closely monitored.

Tourism Figures Show An Increase Once Again

2011-04-28T05:36:00.010+02:00

Despite countrywide reports of a tourism slump, arrival statistics published by Stats SA have shown growth in tourist arrivals for the month of January 2011.
Total arrivals for the period grew by 9.3% from 729,056 to 796,526 with overseas visitors accounting for 179,493 a 7% increase from the January 2010 total of 167,706.
Most European markets showed growth while their was a ditinct reduction from the UK.
Once again, worth noting is the growth from Brazil which is up 35% from 3,208 to 4,331. Brazil narrowly missed out on a Top Ten spot on our list of source markets.

Top Ten Visitor List:
UK down 7,6% from 42,246 to 39,041
Germany up 12.3% from 18,987 to 21,313
USA up 10.8% from 15,963 to 17,658
Netherlands down 4,4% from 10,882 to 10,400
France up 6,2% from 8,506 to 9,036
Australia up 32% from 6,469 to 8,544

India up 62% from 3961 to 6415
Sweden up 5,9% from 4,997 to 5,292
China up 33,1% from 3,737 to 4,968
Canada up 9,9% from 4103 to 4508

SAA To Trial In-Flight Mobile Usage

2011-04-21T03:31:00.002+02:00

The ban on the use of cellphones on board aircraft might soon be a thing of the past.

SAA has confirmed that it is working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to test the use of cellphones in flight mode on its aircraft.

The extent of the use will be during cruising phase and the airline stressed that did not mean that passengers would be able to make a call while in flight.

In a statement, SAA said that at this stage it was the only carrier in the country to work with the CAA to carry out the tests, which were currently under way.

A CAA spokesperson was quoted saying that the CAA received the airline’s programme in early April, which was due to be followed by a review before testing started.

The CAA further stated that although the use of cellphones was prohibited, technology advanced rapidly and the CAA realised this.

SA Set To Host World Golf Championship

2011-04-14T12:47:00.002+02:00

South Africa is set to host the World Golf Championship from 2012.

The announcement follows extensive meetings between the US PGA Tour and the International Federation of PGA Tours, of which the Sunshine Tour in South Africa is a founding member.

The World Golf Championship will feature the top 70 players in the world golf rankings.

Said Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, Gareth Tindall: “This is without a doubt, the most significant milestone in the history of professional golf in South Africa, what is even more significant is that we have the commitment that we will host this World Golf Championship event for a period of five years. That has enormously positive implications for the game and for our country as a whole.”

The event will be closely linked to building awareness of poverty and the HIV/Aids pandemic in Africa and will be known as the Tournament of Hope.

In closing, Tindall said: “We now find ourselves at the beginning of one of the most exciting chapters in South African sport and we have plenty of work to do. We look forward to being able to make further announcements about the World Golf Championship event in due course.”

Source: SA Tourism Update

2011-04-11T12:11:00.004+02:00

The Knysna and Franschhoek Tourism offices will be conducting workshops in Cape Town and Johannesburg to showcase the innovative twinning agreement between the offices, as well as the exciting and fresh tourism products on offer in these towns.

According to Knysna Tourism CEO Shaun van Eck, the first workshop takes place on Wednesday 13 April in Cape Town, with the second taking place on Tuesday 19 April in Johannesburg. “Members of the tourism trade will attend these workshops and we will be taking 30 exhibitors along to showcase their products – from Knysna and the Garden Route, and Franschhoek.”

Source: travelwires.com

Cape Town To Get 3 New Paris Flights

2011-04-07T08:06:00.003+02:00

Air France will be launching a new thrice-weekly non-stop service from Cape Town to Paris from November 3.

Flights will be operated by a Boeing 777-200 with a total capacity of 309 seats, equipped with 35 seats in the Affaires cabin (business), 24 seats in the Premium Voyageur cabin (premium economy) and 250 seats in the Voyageur cabin (economy). The airline’s new business-class seat will be on board.

The Cape Town to Paris flight will depart at 01h15, arriving at 11h35 on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, while the Paris to Cape Town return leg departs 10h40 arriving in Cape Town at 22h50 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

This brings to 24 the number of weekly services offered by Air France KLM between South Africa and the airlines’ two hubs at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol as from European winter 2011. Air France already operates a daily A380 flight between Paris and Johannesburg, while KLM operates a daily B777 flight between Amsterdam and Cape Town, and a daily between Amsterdam and Johannesburg.

This new route launch is part of Air France and KLM’s expansion policy on the African continent, with four new destinations in 2011 including Freetown (Sierra Leone), Monrovia (Liberia), Bata (Equatorial Guinea) and Cape Town.

Meanwhile, Starting May 3 as part of its European summer operating schedule, KLM will reduce its weekly Cape Town-Amsterdam flights from daily to five weekly, until October 28. The airline has extended the daily flights to May 2, after which the Thursday departure changes to a Saturday departure for the convenience of travellers.

Source: SA Tourism Update

Cape Town Reports 'Fair' Summer Season

2011-03-31T01:05:00.006+02:00

Cape Town Tourism has released the results of its 2010/2011 Summer Tourism Survey, based on polls of member organisations, attractions and visitors between December 2010 and February 2011.

The report suggests that there is cause for optimism as traditional markets begin showing signs of recovery, while new source markets are increasingly becoming interested in Cape Town.

Accommodation establishment respondents had mixed feelings about performance during the Cape Town 2010/ 2011 summer season, with 45,8% stating that the period had met their expectations, while the rest said it was average or below average.

Almost 18% (17,60%) of accommodation establishment respondents operated at 81% to 100% occupancy during December, dropping to 12% of respondents for the same levels in January and increasing to 20,70% for February.

The majority of local bookings were received from Gauteng (75,6%), followed by the Western Cape (46,3%) and KwaZulu Natal (26,8%). Internationally, the traditional source markets of the United Kingdom, Germany, The Netherlands and the US performed well.

The tour operator member base of respondents noted a general increase in bookings for the period December to February when compared with the same period in previous years, with the international market being the source of the majority of their visitors. Traditional markets from the UK, US, Germany and The Netherlands led the pack. The most popular booking methods were via direct e-mail by returning guests, telephonically, and bookings through travel agents, in that order.

CEO of Cape Town Tourism, Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, said: “We have experienced a fair summer season for 2010/ 2011. It has been a season dominated by many unpredictable factors and perhaps inflated expectations after the World Cup. The biggest trends Cape Town Tourism has noticed are the slow recovery of international tourism due to various global crises, an encouraging growth in domestic tourism, and a significant increase in online and last-minute bookings, the use of social media and user-generated websites.”

Source: SA Tourism Update

2011-03-30T03:39:00.004+02:00

South Africans saved 350 MW – enough electricity to power the city of Bloemfontein – when they switched off their lights during Earth Hour this weekend, power utility Eskom said on Tuesday.

As part of its support for the Earth Hour campaign, Eskom measured the reduction in electricity used during the hour against typical consumption for this time on an average Saturday evening.

Eskom’s support is in line with the 49M movement launched recently by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe to mobilise South Africans to save electricity.

“We encourage every South African to ‘lift a finger’ − which is all it takes to switch off a light when it is not in use. Simple actions, such as using compact fluorescent lamps instead of incandescent globes, keeping unused appliances switched off, adjusting the thermostat on your geyser and switching it off when we leave for work and turning it on before we go to bed. Reducing electricity wastage can have a dramatic impact on electricity consumption. If you are not using it, switch it off,” said Eskom CEO Brian Dames.

In 2010, Eskom measured an estimated reduction of approximately 420 MW during the hour-long campaign.

Source: Engineering News

Top 10 Wine Countries

2011-03-28T07:47:00.006+02:00

Interesting towns, interesting wine farms with traditional cellars, delicious wine and food – all this is often part of a wine tour. CWC brings you the Top 10 countries to visit for a wine vacation.

Australia

New Zealand

Chile

Spain

France

USA

Germany

South Africa

Moldova

Italy

National Tourism Sector Strategy Launched

2011-03-25T07:24:00.003+02:00

The National Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS) was launched yesterday by the Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, who said it would help position tourism as one of the fundamental pillars of the South African economy.

“The NTSS is a result of intense collaboration between the National Department of Tourism (NDT), an advisory panel of top industry minds, representatives of a variety of professional bodies in the tourism sector, academia, provinces, tourism-marketing agencies, civil society, local and national governments and members of the public,” said Van Schalkwyk.

“The process of formulating the strategy, gathering and incorporating comments and input and fine-tuning this product was comprehensive and consultative and the result is a sector strategy we can all collectively take ownership of,” he added.

The NDT received more than 37 000 inputs on the draft strategy, which was published in May last year. “These were considered and further bilateral consultations on the revised draft strategy were held with stakeholders,” said the NDT in a statement. “The final document has therefore been more than 18 months in the making and was formally approved by Cabinet on March 2, 2011.”

“The vision of the NTSS is to position SA as one of the top 20 tourism destinations globally by 2020, and I believe our concerted and focused efforts as a sector will enable us to reach this goal,” said the Minister.

Key focus areas of the NTSS are:

- Arrivals – the strategy will direct the achievement of increased numbers of tourists to SA, with a target of increasing foreign tourist arrivals to 15 million in 2020.

- GDP – the aim is to increase tourism’s contribution to GDP from an estimated R189,4bn in 2009 to R499bn by 2020.

- Job creation – the aim is to create 225 000 jobs by 2020.

To achieve these three overarching objectives, the NTSS will focus on:

- Domestic tourism development – by increasing the number of domestic trips from 30,9 million in 2009 to 54 million by 2020.

- Regional tourism development – by establishing five SA Tourism offices within the continent by 2020.

- Emerging markets – the NTSS requires that in terms of the determination of target markets and marketing approaches we recognise the need to leverage on the platforms facilitated by BRICS.

- Business Events – by establishing a National Convention Bureau under the auspices of SA Tourism, which will be operational in the new financial year.

Tourism Grading Council In A Nutshell

2011-03-24T11:51:00.003+02:00

1. The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) is the only officially recognized organization that authorizes accommodation establishments to display Quality Stars.

2. Operating as one of the business units of South African Tourism (SAT), the TGCSA ensures the standard of quality of accommodation and conference venues, throughout South Africa through its stated vision: ‘To establish a recognisable and credible globally benchmarked system of quality assurance for accommodation and MESE (Meetings, Exhibitions and Special Events) experiences, which can be relied upon by visitors when making their choice of establishment’

3. This is achieved by literally “putting the stars where they belong”. The TGCSA provides a rigorous framework and process for the quality assurance that is continuously sought after by tourism products seeking to showcase their products in this vibrant industry which contributes to an increase in consumer confidence, thus ensuring the country’s international competiveness as a tourism destination of choice.

4. There are currently, over 7000 graded establishments; with an average of 150 NEW establishments joining the grading system every month.

5. The Awards Sub Committee appointed directly by the Minister of Tourism, following a public nomination process, oversees the awarding of One to Five Stars Grading Status to various establishments within the nine categories which include Hotels, Guesthouses, Country Houses, Bed & Breakfast, Lodges, Caravan & Camping, Self Catering, Back Packers and Hostelling as well as MESE.

6. The Process of getting graded is as follows:

a. Visit the TGCSA website www.tourismgrading.co.za

b. Read the minimum requirements and grading criteria and decide which of the 9 categories your establishment falls under (hotel, B&B, Guest House, etc).

c. Decide which quality star level your establishment fits (One to Five Star).

d. Fill in the online application form and choose an Assessor that operates in your province.

e. You will then receive an invoice from the TGCSA, which has to be paid BEFORE an Assessor comes to visit.

f. Your chosen Assessor will contact you to arrange a suitable time to visit your property and conduct the assessment.

g. The Assessor will then submit his motivation (for the particular Star grade he is recommending for your property) to the TGCSA, monthly Awards Committee Meeting for approval.

h. Once approved by the committee, you will receive a full report on your grading assessment as well as various correspondence welcoming you to the TGCSA family.

i. You will receive a certificate which needs to be prominently displayed in the reception area of your establishment.

j. You will receive a plaque denoting your Star grading status which also needs to be prominently displayed around the entrance of your establishment.

k. You are now ready to market yourself as a Star Graded Property!

7. This Grading Status must be renewed annually following a reassessment by a TGCSA Accredited Grading Assessor.

8. Should an establishment choose not to get renewed, they will have to remove all marketing material that refers to Stars as the TGCSA has the trademark rights to this.

9. The TGCSA has its offices in Sandton, Johannesburg and is headed up by Chief Quality Assurance Officer, Ms Thembi Kunene.

10. The chairman of the TGCSA is Mr Peter Bacon who has been appointed by the Minister of Tourism, together with the 9 other members of the Awards Committee.

11. Contact the Tourism Grading Council at: Tel: +27 11 895 3000 or visit www.tourismgrading.co.za

New Star Grading Plaques Launched

2011-03-23T00:16:00.004+02:00

A new star grading plaque, together with a universal accessibility plaque, has been introduced by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA). The launch of the new plaques is being hailed as a major milestone in the TGCSA's bid to overhaul its grading criteria, minimum requirements and operating systems.

The previous grading criteria were originally introduced in 2002. Inconsistencies in the application of the grading criteria and minimum requirements, coupled with inadequate management processes and systems, led to a lack of uniformity in the awarding of stars.

Speaking at the unveiling event held at the King Edward Hotel and the Forest Hall Guest House in Port Elizabeth, Chief Quality Assurance Officer, Thembi Kunene, said: "The new plaques will help protect our brand and put a stop to the illegal use of stars as they are now trademarked."

On the new plaques the stars are placed above the category name. A critical inclusion is a sentence stating that the plaque is the property of the TGCSA, which will allow officials to legally enter a property to remove a plaque if necessary. Each plaque also features a unique serial number linked to the membership number of the property.

Also in attendance at the unveiling was Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, who said: "Our grading plaques are a symbol of the assurance we provide to tourists, both local and international, that they can rely on star graded establishments when making their choice of accommodation or conferencing establishment. A significant amount of time and energy was spent during this process in fine-tuning the criteria to get them right for the industry. The aim was to not only ensure that South Africa can maintain its international competitiveness as a tourist destination, but indeed to show that we can be world leaders in terms of quality assurance."

"But a system is only good as the people who are participating in it. The public are not only on the receiving end, but also an active player in the system. As South Africans, we tend to accept poor service, but we are asking that the public not only complain, buy also provide feedback on where improvements can be made," said Van Schalkwyk.

Velvet Sky Takes To The Air

2011-03-18T04:08:00.004+02:00

Starting March 22, South Africa’s newest carrier will launch its inaugural flight from Johannesburg to Durban.

Following months of speculation and rumours, Velvet Sky Aviation yesterday announced its launch.

“As a new airline offering the lowest possible ticket prices, our corporate philosophy mandates cost saving through all levels of our operation. It was this mandate that dictated the city of Durban, with its lowered operating costs as the administrative centre of the business.”

“In-flight service will consist of pre-ordered snack boxes and drinks which are available online as part of the booking process. You can also book meals at the check-in desks in the terminals. Skychefs, which are part of the Lufthansa group will be providing on board catering. Alcohol is unavailable on our flights, for now, said Cecil Reddy, chairman of Velvet Sky.”

2011-03-17T12:16:00.004+02:00

Wednesday saw an awful fire rage through the Kleinmond area decimating almost everything in its path. Fueled by strong winds, the fire caused the near evacuation of everyone in its path.

After a couple of phone calls from the DMO approximately 800 litres of bottled water were delivered to those firemen and helpers bravely trying to kill the inferno.

Huge thanks must go to Birkenhead Brewery and Pick n Pay for donating the water and a special thanks to Percy of Percy Tours for delivering the water.

Thanks Guys. You make us proud to be Overstranders.

Massive Price Hikes During 2012 Olympic Games

2011-03-16T08:41:00.005+02:00

Tourists are facing the prospect of massive hikes in the cost of accommodation in London during next year's Olympic Games.

Many of the capital's hotels intend to raise their prices during the Games and one hotel intends to charge five times the normal tariff, according to a report by the Financial Times.

A four-star hotel quoted £1100 for a room that would normally cost £200, according to a wholesale tour specialist who asked for neither the hotel nor his company to be named.

Another four-star hotel quoted £297 per room per night during the Games compared with £131 this year, and a three-star hotel has more than doubled its £80 a night rate to £162.

One hotel is planning to implement a strict 100 per cent cancellation fee during the Games, which run from 27 July to 12 August 2012.

The same hotel is also demanding that 70 per cent of bookings must be paid by the end of September 2011 and it is insisting that the final balance should be handed over by 31 January.

Tickets for London 2012 go on sale tomorrow and tourism chiefs are worried that the price hike will deter people from visiting London during the Games.

Chris Foy, a spokesman for the government's tourism agency Visit Britain, told TravelMail: ‘We will get a much clearer idea of hotel prices once the tickets go on sale but we have heard from tour operators overseas that they are having trouble booking hotels during the Games'.

Source: ehotelier.com

Cape Whale Coast

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The Netherlands Wins The Coveted World Chocolate Masters 2011

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Jetsetters To Enjoy Mile High Connectivity

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Lufthansa Increases Its Schedule To Cape Town

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SAT Sponsors Online Textbook For E Tourism Africa Summit

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Vindaba, Specialist Wine Tourism Exhibition

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Your Business Will Do A Lot Better With A Little Training

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Zambesi Airlines Lands In Cape Town

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18th World Travel Awards

Marianas, In The Top 20 For A Sunday Lunch

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Recycle Soap And Help The Poor

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Thandiwe January-McLean Resigns

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Convert Telephone Enquiries Into Bookings

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