Tourists As Apposed To Visitors

Statistics South Africa have an improved eye on the numbers.
As part of a national effort to improve the quality of tourism statistics in South Africa, tourist arrivals as opposed to visitor arrivals will now be released.

Question:
Just who is a tourist?

Answer:
Tourist, any visitor travelling to a place other than that of his/her usual environment for more than 1 night but less than 12 months, and whose main purpose of the trip is other than the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited.

South Africa Rates Poorly

The USTOA has issued its first 'World's Best' list, ranking destinations in a variety of categories. Italy took top honors, as best destination in four categories: architecture, walking, romance, and culinary/wine experience. The country also trailed just behind France as best for art and culture, with France second as best destination for a romantic vacation. London was placed first for entertainment, with New York and Rio de Janeiro closely tied for second spot. However, New York edged out both Hong Kong and Italy as best shopping destination. Winning destinations were based on informal rankings by more than 50 of the top companies arranging vacation experiences, tours, and packages worldwide.

Best for:

Adventure, Soft Adventure:

Costa Rica
New Zealand

Architecture:

Italy - cited by nearly 55% of respondents
Spain - cited by some 30%

Art & Culture:

France - cited by more than 50%
Italy - cited by, 40%

Entertainment:

London
New York
Rio de Janiero

History:

Egypt
United Kingdom
Israel

Romantic Occasion:

Italy - cited by 50%
France - cited by more than 40%

Shopping:

New York City - cited by one-third of respondents
Hong Kong - cited by nearly 30%
Italy - cited by 25%

Walking:

Italy
US Western National Parks
Prague

Wine, Dining, & Culinary Experience:

Italy - cited by 45%
France - cited by 20%
Spain - cited by, 13%
Napa Valley - cited by 12%

Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

The general manager of Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, Hans Olbertz, on Wednesday unveiled a 13-metre faux evergreen, located in the gold leaf-bedecked rotunda of the hotel. It is decorated with silver and gold bows, ball-shaped ornaments and small white lights.

The tree alone is valued at R70,000, but it is the necklaces, earrings and other jewellery draped around the tree's branches that give it a record value. The tree holds a total of 181 diamonds, pearls, emeralds, sapphires and other precious stones.

But the hotel now regrets "attempts to overload the tradition followed by most hotels in the country with meanings and connotations that do not fall in line with the professional standards of the hotel," Olbertz said. "Putting up the Christmas tree is not a novelty, rather it is a tradition meant to share in celebrating occasions that guests hold while they are away from their home countries and families," the Gulf News daily quoted a hotel statement as saying. This tradition "is within the framework of the UAE's policy which is based on the values of openness and tolerance," the hotel added.

The tree is not the first extravagant offering from Emirates Palace - a massive, dome-topped hotel sitting amid fountains and carefully manicured lawns. The hotel in the oil-rich Gulf emirate where the vast majority of the local population is Muslim, bills itself as a seven-star establishment, and introduced in February a package for a week-long stay priced at R7 million.
Takers of the package get a private butler and a chauffeur-driven Maybach luxury car during their stay, as well as a private jet available for trips to other countries in the region

American Consumers` Travel Intentions For 2011

Strike while the iron is hot...
Travel Ticker®, a leading inspirational travel website, today announced the results of its annual Travel Ticker Traveler Intentions Survey. The poll revealed the opinions of nearly 2,000 U.S. consumers on their leisure travel intentions for the next year. The results indicated that as compared to 2010, 87 percent of respondents intend to take the same or more leisure vacations in 2011. In addition, when asked if they would fit more travel into 2011 if good deals were available, 94 percent of respondents answered yes.

For the second year in a row, 18 to 30-year-olds spearhead the move to take more leisure trips in 2011:

Out of all respondents, 48 percent of 18 to 30-year-olds said they plan on taking more leisure trips in 2011 than the previous year. This represents a five percent increase from last year's poll.
Following closely behind 18 to 30-year-olds are 65+ year-olds. 42 percent of respondents age 65 and older plan on taking more leisure trips in 2011, compared to 38 percent in last year's poll; an increase of four percent.

Better economic situation and more free time listed as top reasons for more leisure trips in 2011:

30 percent of all respondents said that they believe that their current economic situation will improve in the new year, resulting in the benefit of being able to travel more in 2011. This number is up ten percent from last year's survey. In addition, 31 percent of respondents said that they planned on traveling more in the new year due to an increase in free time.

Given a good deal, almost all would fit in more leisure travel:

94 percent of all respondents agreed that if they found a good deal, they would find a way to fit in more leisure travel in 2011. While many consumers believe that they will be more financially stable in 2011, they are still on the lookout for heavy discounts, travel perks and incentives to inspire their travel. In fact, 66 percent of those polled went so far as to say that they would be comfortable being spontaneous when it came to travel, letting the deal be their inspiration for planning upcoming trips.
The Travel Ticker Traveler Intentions Survey was conducted from November 17 until December 1, 2010, online among Travel Ticker users.

Fernkloof - No More Muggings

Have you noticed that we have not read of any muggings in Fernkloof Nature Reserve recently? Good News indeed.

Addo is to open their tented camp later this month and this is ideal for those holiday makers wanting something less 'luxueux' than normal. Perhaps Fernkloof management should investigate the feasability of such a camp as the prestine picnic area would make the perfect spot for this type of accommodation.

2011 Could Be A Bumper Year For Travel

Early predictions indicate that 2011 could be a bumper year for travel, with more tourists from the US and UK planning holidays abroad, according to a recent Tripadvisor survey.

In a poll of over 3,000 US-based travellers, 69% said they planned to take international trips next year. What’s more, they also plan to spend more while away, with 36% indicating that they will splash out more on travel in 2011 than they did in this year.
British travellers are also keen to travel long haul in 2011, with 66% of the 6,000 travellers surveyed stating that they plan to take an international trip next year. Over a third plan to spend more on their holidays in 2011 compared with 2010.

The survey also indicated that 2010 had been a year of travel anxieties, altering travel trends for the coming year. Top concerns for the Brits were further strikes but many were also worried about the rises in APD, the air travel tax, as well as the high-profile collapse of travel firms.

US travellers are mostly concerned about high carry-on baggage fees, hotels fees and TSA full body scanners but believe 2010 has seen several positive developments for the traveller, including more online travel deals and cheaper hotel rates.

American tourists are also reporting a rise in ‘fake-ations’, where travellers take their work on their trip. Technological advances have led to 59% of travellers in employment being more connected to work than ever before on leisure trips in 2010. Most travellers admit to checking their work e-mail on leisure trips, while 13% call the office to check in. Only 8% consider the remoteness of their destination specifically to avoid connecting with work.

Medical Tourism Untouched In Hermanus

The Medical Tourism sector worldwide is growing exponentially and set to become a $100bn sector by 2012, according to industry research. The sector is growing at a whopping 20-30% annually and is bound to continue its growth pattern in the years to come.

According to Frost & Sullivan, the medical tourism industry is currently a $78.5bn industry [end-2010], catering to over three million patients who travel around the globe for medical care. The Middle East is one of the latent source markets of patients and it is estimated that 20% of healthcare seekers worldwide are from Gulf and Arab states. Significantly, patients from UAE alone spend about $2bn in healthcare travel on an annual basis. As a result, many countries are targeting the region to woo guests and patients to their own medical tourism destinations. Germany, in particular, and Europe, in general, have been a primary medical tourism hubs for hundreds of years and continue to lead the industry today followed by Asian countries such as Thailand, India and Malaysia. Boasting of an excellent healthcare system, high quality, safe and quick treatment.

Germany is considered to be a top destination for patients from all over the world, and particularly from the Middle East, UK and the US. Germany is also an attractive destination for patients from the region, in terms of distance, costs and tourism attractions - thus reinforcing it as a premier medical tourism hub in Europe.

Source: ehotelior.com

Hermanus Adventure Festival - 19 December 2010

Come and join us as we introduce you to MTB heaven, Hemel and Aarde style!

We'll show you everything a mountainbiker needs. Stunning trails for all levels and breathtaking views to reward those lung busting climbs.
Great farm roads, stunning jeep tracks and awesome single tracks will take you through our beautiful valley and introduce you to many hidden gems ranging from wine farms, farm stalls, award winning restaurants and quaint holiday accommodation.
The start and finish will be at the Hemel en Aarde Village with ample parking, great restaurants and coffee shops, galleries, health shops, specialist shops ranging from DVD's to horse and animal supplies, the world famous wine village and a newly opened cycle and adventure centre. The Hemel en Aarde Village truly is a lifestyle experience.

Come and get it!

Tourism Stats On The Up And Up.

StatsSA has released the arrivals numbers for October and, once again, the numbers of tourists, both overseas and regional, have shown increases across the board.

The US market appears to be showing very strong signs of recovery and other core markets are also on the up, including Canada, Australia, China and India. European markets are also showing promising returns with healthy growth over the month in comparison with 2009.
The total overseas arrivals grew by 9,7% from 189 932 to 208 276 while African arrivals grew by 13% from 438 756 to 496 071.

The top overseas markets for October 2010 were:

UK, down 2,9% from 40 829 to 39 642
USA, up 22,9% from 19 536 to 24 002
Germany, up 6,8% from 23 300 to 24 895
The Netherlands, down 5,2% from 15 612 to 14 796
France, up 9,8% from 11 834 to 12 995
Australia, up 32,9% from 7 029 to 9 339
India, up 24,6% from 5 047 to 6 291
China, up 73,7% from 3 280 to 5 697
Canada, up 25% from 4 536 to 5 668
Switzerland, up 28% from 3 983 to 5 097

Source: SA Tourism Update

Great White Shark ABC

Our very own and unique Sharklady, Kim Maclean, has written the ABC of Great White Sharks for the YOU Magazine to be published in the Young You section.


Sharklady, Kim Maclean, pioneered White Shark Cage Diving in South Africa in the early 1990's, and has established herself as one of the leading Shark cage diving operators. She has worked and studied Great White Sharks for over twenty five years and has extensive experience in skippering boats and Cage Diving.

Sharklady is an activist for White Shark protection, and is working with the ‘Save our Seas’ Foundation to support and develop an Education and Protection Programme of the Great White Sharks, which is of the utmost importance to her. She says, "Sharks are often portrayed as a man-eating predator of the seas which is not the case, and they are often hunted for their fins, and teeth." Her business operates in Hermanus and Shark Alley in Kleinbaai, which is 160km South East of Cape Town. We comply with the strictest code of conduct and safety for our clients, our boat, and sharks as laid down by our local Marine & Coastal Management. We operate a responsible operation and conform to being Eco-friendly. The Great White Shark is not interfered with nor is the environment polluted.

A is for Adaption: The Great White Shark has adapted a body temperature warmer than the surrounding water.

B is for Biting: When the shark bites, it shakes its head side to side, helping the teeth saw off large chunks of flesh.

Keep an eye open for the entire informative Great White Shark alphabet to be published in the YOU Magazine early next year.

Socialites And Celebrities Destined To Hit Hermanus

The Cape Whale Coast calendar starts off bright and early in 2011 with a Celebrity Weekend from 7 - 9 January.

Joan-Anne Harris, marketing specialist from Southern Stroll Marketing, has put together a group of celebrities to visit the CWC and enjoy our 'champagne air' and world beating hospitality. Joining them for the entire weekend is a reporter and photographer from YOU Magazine, whilst an All Access TV crew will be filming Vanessa Marawa, winner of the first SA Survivor reality TV show.

Well known socialites confirmed for the weekend are:
Brigitte Williers - Swimsuit model and SA Survivor participant
Ard Matthews - Just Jinger lead singer
Tammy-Anne Fortuin - Presenter on All Access TV show
Edith Venter - Well-known socialite and charity fundraiser
Jared Orlin - YOU Magazine Entertainment Editor
Roderick Labuschagne - Boland rugby player and boyfriend of Brigitte
Landi Swanepoel - International model and Ard's wife

Local businesses in the CWC have been approached to get involved in this marketing campaign by sponsoring luxury transport, gourmet meals, exciting adventure activities and 5-star accommodation for the group.

"This is the perfect opportunity for local businesses to come onboard and showcase their establishment and reap the rewards of proactive marketing", says Joan-Anne.

Tourism Reaches Pre-recession Levels

Tourism worldwide is back on par with levels pre-economic recession and South Africa has seen positive growth in 2010 as expected with the hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. This was the message from both SA Tourism and the National Department of Tourism (NDT) in a briefing yesterday.

The results of a survey by the NDT and South African Tourism (SAT) on the impact of the World Cup show that in addition to the 309 000 tourists arriving in South Africa for the primary purpose of attending the World Cup, a R3.6 billion injection went into economy in terms of spend.

“The results of this comprehensive study of the impact of the World Cup show us that more than 309 000 foreign tourists (309 554) arrived in South Africa for the primary purpose of attending the World Cup. Of these arrivals, 38% were from our continent, followed by 24% from Europe, 13% from Central and South America and 11% from North America,” Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk announced.

He noted that in terms of land arrivals from within the continent, the top three source markets were Mozambique (24 483), Swaziland (19 593) and Botswana (16 387). In terms of air arrivals, the top three markets were Nigeria (4 324), Ghana (3 578) and Kenya (2 089). The top three European source markets were the UK (22 802), the Netherlands (8 741) and Germany (8 596).

The arrivals from the United States topped more than 30 000, and had more than 12 000 arrivals from Australia. In terms of Central and South America, the top three markets were Brazil (14 815), Mexico (9 680) and Argentina (8 757).

“The World Cup also attracted a large number of first time visitors to South Africa, particularly from the Americas (North, Central and South America). A total of 59% of arrivals to South Africa for the World Cup were first time visitors to this country,” Minister van Schalkwyk said.

Source: SA Tourism Update

SA Express Adds Durban - Cape Town

SA Express will be adding the Durban - Cape Town route to its network, from January 10, 2011. The announcement follows Comair’s announcement last week to increase flights on the route.

SA Express will operate a minimum of three flights a day on weekdays and twice a day at weekends.

In order to adequately accommodate customers who frequent this business and leisure route, SA Express has factored in frequency, availability and timing of flights in this addition to its schedule. The flights will initially be operated by a CRJ-200 aircraft.

Source: SA Tourism Update

Man Of The Moment

David Higgs not only earned Rust en Vrede first place in this year's Eat Out Awards Top 10, but also took home the trio of revered culinary titles, namely Restaurant of the Year, Service Excellence (his second one) and Chef of the Year.

“More so than in life, restaurants are about balance.”

Not only in food and wine, but also people. And thus our service is as important. What makes it even more of a challenge is when all this happens on a historic and award winning wine estate.
We have selected the right team and together we built from there, to create the finest dining experience at a world-class venue. By the time the doors opened we had selected the purveyors to provide the freshest ingredients and have personally selected the wines to compliment the menu.

The original cellar, a National Monument, has been converted and our kitchen is placed “front and centre”, thus creating an ambiance that is relaxed but vibey. We also have a proprietor/winemaker table in a private area between or cellars which can accommodate a maximum of 8 people. We take pride in the fact that time was taken with well known potter, David Walters, to create the crockery, handcrafted Riedel stemware was selected and Laguiole knives purchased, to give you an experience you won’t soon forget.

Cape Whale Coast Wines Receive 5 Star Status

We would like to congratulate Newton Johnson and Hermanuspietersfontein on receiving 5-Star Status in Platter’s Wine Guide 2011:



Pinot Noir • Newton Johnson Domaine 2009
White Blends • Hermanuspietersfontein Die Bartho 2009
Two other wines also created at Newton Johnson also won 5-Stars:
Chardonnay • Julien Schaal 2009 (Julien Schaal, French winemaker)
Merlot • Shannon Mount Bullet 2008 (partnership James Downes)

Bartho Eksteen puts Hermanus(pietersfontein) on the Diner’s Club wine map! Hermanuspietersfontein’s winemaker Bartho Eksteen has been named the 2010 Diners’ Club Winemaker of the Year. Eksteen’s, Die Bartho 2008 blend was awarded a 5-star 2011 Platter rating for the first time, however, it’s the 2009 Hermanuspietersfontein No.5 Sauvignon Blanc that won the Diner’s Club award, the wine produced for the first time exclusively from grapes from their own vineyard. Eksteen was a winemaker at Wildekrans Wines when he won SA Champion Young Wine in 1996.

Diners Club Announces Winemaker Of The Year

The winner of the 2010 Diners Club Winemaker of The Year Award went to Bartho Eksteen from Hermanuspietersfontein winery near Hermanus.

Bartho follows the winning footsteps of winemakers such as Günter Brözel, Sydney Back and Danie de Wet. All winemakers in this category had to submit Sauvignon Blanc wines. Dave Hughes, chairman of the judging panel, spoke of the wine: “No. 5 is a perfectly balanced wine with a 15% Sémillon component that adds a further layer to the combination of wood and fruit. It is a style proving increasingly popular with South African wine lovers.”

Great White Shark Activity In False Bay

The City of Cape Town and the Shark Spotting Programme have sent out an alert to beach users of recent and ongoing high Great White shark activity in the inshore area of False Bay, particularly in the Muizenberg, Fish Hoek and Clovelly areas.

Shark Spotters have recorded consistent shark sightings throughout Monday at both Muizenberg and Fish Hoek beaches. The spotters have also noted the presence of more than one shark at any given time at both beaches. The sharks appear to be actively following Yellowtail fish that have been schooling in the area, and are among their preferred prey.
The city is thus issuing a general caution, which will remain in place until Shark Spotters confirm that shark activity has decreased. The high levels of activity are expected to subside once the Yellowtail move back into deeper water, which should be within the next day or two.

The city appeals to all water users to be extra vigilant at this time, to familiarise themselves with the recent shark activity in the area before entering the water, obey the shark siren and to take note of the Shark Spotters’ flags and signage for regular updates on shark sightings. The four-flag warning system works in the following manner:

• A red flag indicates a Shark Alert. This flag will be flown during periods of increased shark activity, after a shark has recently been spotted in the area and the beach cleared, or when conditions are conducive to high shark activity.

• A green flag means that the spotting conditions are good and no sharks have been seen.

• A black flag means that the spotting conditions are poor, but no sharks have been seen.

• A white flag with a black shark diagram means that a shark is currently near the beach, and beach users must get out of the water. A siren is sounded and the white flag is raised.

World Cup Spin-off So Soon?

The arrivals statistics for September have been released by StatsSA and show enormous promise from both core and emerging markets.

The total arrivals into the country grew by 12,9% with a total of 658 565 visitors, up from 583 352 last year September. While overseas arrivals showed double-digit growth of 25,1% from 136 767 to 171 158, African arrivals grew by 9,4% from 443 578 to 485 090.

Traditional core markets showed huge growth over the month, possibly a result of displaced travellers who would normally have travelled over the period of the World Cup. The UK, SA’s top market, swelled 11,3%, while the US market, grew by an enormous 30,2%.
European markets were also positive with only the Netherlands dropping off slightly for the period. Asian markets performed exceptionally well over the period with China and India showing their strength as emerging economies.
Australia has battled its way into the country’s top five source markets with almost 60% growth in travellers visiting the country.

The top overseas markets for September 2010 were as follows:

UK, up 11,3% from 27 869 to 31 028
USA, up 30,2% from 17 857 to 23 256
Germany, up 17,3% from 13 889 to 16 291
Australia, up 59,6% from 7 640 to 12 194
The Netherlands, down 2,7% from 9 272 to 9 018
France, up 12,5% from 6 211 to 7 297
China, up 142% from 2 979 to 7 209
India, up 58% from 4 466 to 7 057
Italy, up 12,5% from 4 129 to 4 645
Canada, up 20,9% from 3 256 to 3 937

Source: SA Tourism Update

Comair Adds Capacity On Durban To Cape Route

Comair is to operate an additional British Airways flight on its Durban-Cape Town route.

In a statement the airline said it was currently the only premium airline operating on this route following the cancellation of SAA flights in October to let it focus on the more profitable African routes.

The additional BA flight will operate from Monday to Friday, adding to the existing schedule of three return flights per day, Monday to Friday, and one return flight on Saturday and Sunday.

“Demand on this route has grown substantially,” said Heidi Brauer, executive manager for group marketing.

The new schedule is effective December 15.

The additional flight from Durban to Cape Town departs at 10h45, arriving at 12h55, and the return flight departs at 13h30, arriving at in Durban at 15h25, Mondays to Fridays.

The airfares for these flights range from R803 for Traveller (economy class) to R2 835 for Club (business class). Airfares quoted reflect one way only, all taxes included.

Source: SA Tourism Update

Two Very Proud Mothers

African Wings snapped these proud mothers nursing and playing with their calves in Walker Bay recently.

Whilst the Southern Right Whales will be making their way further south soon, we are still blessed with sightings like this. Hermanus, the whale watching capital of the world.

A Brand New Tourism Product For Hermanus

The details are still being ironed out as we upload this snippet of news folks.

Percy Hayward, from Percy Tours, has let this exciting 'cat out of the bag'. A regular Dr Seuss is our Percy. Next whale season it appears that we will have access to an additional Tourism Product right here in Hermanus.

Helicopter trips over and around Walker Bay to spot the whales.

We eagerly await the details of this fantastic venture from the organisers.

South Africa has been named 'Africa, Indian Ocean and Gulf States Golf Destination of the Year 2011' by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO). The announcement was made in Valencia, Spain, at the annual international awards ceremony for the golf tourism industry.

South African Tourism’s UK Country Manager, Lebo Mokhesi, said: “With over 600 golf courses providing every type and level of golf experience, we are proud to be announced as winners of this prestigious award. This is a significant acknowledgement by IAGTO that South Africa is fast becoming an irresistible golfing destination for golfers of all abilities across the world, as well as one of the most diversely appealing destinations on the planet.”

The selection for winning golfing destinations is made through votes cast by over 300 golf tour operators from 50 countries who consider customer satisfaction; quality of golf courses and accommodation; value for money; support from suppliers, tourist boards and airlines; professional conduct of suppliers; and accessibility to tee times.

Source: SA Tourism Update

‘Don't Talk As If You Are Crimeless’

National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele took a British journalist to task on Thursday for asking for an assurance that no more tourists were going to be killed in Cape Town.
“You (in the United Kindgom) are not crimeless,” Cele said. “We should not come here as if we are spotless in our own countries.”
Cele was addressing a media briefing in the city on investigations into the weekend slaying of honeymooning tourist Anni Dewani.
The journalist, who identified himself as representing “all UK newspapers”, provoked Cele's ire when he asked whether the commissioner thought Cape Town was a safe tourism destination.

Dave's comment:
"Bloody agent represents all UK newspapers. Bastaard must use Lifebuoy soap for spotless tourist spots.

A Match Made In Heaven?

Following reciprocal visits by representatives of the Franschhoek Wine Valley and Knysna Tourism, the proposal for a twinning relationship between Franschhoek and Knysna has been accepted, with a Memorandum of Understanding signed to seal what promises to be a mutually beneficial relationship.

The twinning relationship is based largely on the fact that both towns are highly compatible tourist target markets. Both of these popular lifestyle and tourist destinations are ideal partners, in that they offer prime location with shared reputations as scenic tourist routes offering an array of festivals and outdoor activities, collective niche speciality shops, similar accommodation offerings as well as similar business profiles, with a mutual focus on wellness tourism. Furthermore they share a similar demographic profile, and high-end real estate offerings. While food and wine festivals are major Franschhoek focus areas, Knysna is known for its natural attractions, shopping and festivals.

Cape Town Tourism Announces New Board

The members are:

Chairman of the Board, Ian Bartes, manager for service standards and quality assurance, ACSA, Cape Town International Airport.

Vice-Chair of the Board, Bulelwa Nobuzwe Makalima-Ngewana, deputy CEO of Cape Town Partnership.

Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold, CEO of Cape Town Tourism.

Nombulelo Mkefa, director of tourism at the City of Cape Town.

Alderman Felicity Purchase, mayoral committee member for economic development and tourism.

Sabine Lehmann, CEO of Table Mountain Cableway Company.

Nils Heckscher, managing director of the Winchester Mansions Hotel.

Guy Lundy, CEO of Accelerate Cape Town.

Rashid Toefy, CEO of Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Pierre du Plessis, member of Mokate Monk and du Plessis quantity surveyors.

Susanne Faussner-Ringer, managing director of Greenways Hotel.

Sarah Struys, events and marketing manager at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

Claus Tworeck, CEO of City Sightseeing Cape Town.

No More Lost Keys To Replace

A world's first pilot is starting at the Clarion Hotel Stockholm in Sweden. ASSA ABLOY, Choice Hotels Scandinavia, TeliaSonera, VingCard Elsafe and Venyon, a fully owned subsidiary of Giesecke & Devrient, have joined forces to replace hotel room keys with NFC-enabled mobile phones. The technology makes it possible for hotel guests to check-in and out using their mobile phones.
The goal of the pilot is to get feedback from guests and employees using the NFC phones for a variety of services. Guests will be able to check in to the hotel and receive the hotel room key directly onto their mobile phones before arriving at the hotel. Guests can also access other services via their mobile, and on departure, the check-out process using the phone promises to be easy and stress-free.
The technology also increases security. If a mobile phone is lost, the access credentials can be revoked remotely and then reissued. This makes it impossible for unauthorized people to use a lost or stolen NFC mobile phone.
The pilot starts this week and will last for four months. The experience gained from the Clarion Hotel Stockholm pilot is planned to be enhanced and expanded over time to other hotels as well as to commercial and residential buildings.

NFC stands for Near Field Communication. Similar to the Bluetooth system.

Pilot Programme For Budding Blue Flag Beaches

In South Africa, municipalities that are planning to enter beaches into the Blue Flag programme, have to implement at least one year of what is called a “pilot phase”. This pilot phase allows the municipality to put in place the necessary water quality monitoring and start to develop infrastructure (if necessary) and services that a full status Blue Flag beach would require.

For some beaches, the municipalities managing them take a full two years to go through the pilot phase. The most important aspect of the pilot phase is for the municipality to start testing the bathing water quality at that beach. This is one of the main reasons why beaches fail to make it into the Blue Flag programme – the water quality at the beach does not meet the international standards set by the Blue Flag programme.

Current Blue Flag pilot beaches are: Witsands (near Stilbaai), Kings beach and Pollok beach in Port Elizabeth, Cannon Rocks near Kenton in the eastern Cape, Umzumbe beach, Hibberdene beach and St Michael’s beach on the Kzn south coast.

International Shows – Worth The Expense?

In tough times, it is imperative that every business evaluates its expenses and determines what costs are really necessary. With the advent of World Travel Market just under a week away, many industry stakeholders have started to question whether international trade shows are worth the massive expense and have started to evaluate other options.

Michael Tatalias, CEO of SATSA, says although the traditional value that a trade show offers is still there, industry is starting to analyse exactly what value they are getting out of these shows. He furthers that with some businesses deciding to skip attending WTM this year, it might make for a 'quieter' show that will allow those present better visibility to delegates.
Tatalias also suggest pre- and post-roadshows to visit clients in the region in which the trade show is occurring in order to maximise on the trip. He even suggests visiting your clients’ clients to better understand their current environment and better facilitate offering packages that would suit their needs.
It’s also important that exhibitors take the time to plan what exactly they are going to achieve at trade shows, says Tatalias. Attendees must research the market they are presenting to and take a good few months to prepare and schedule quality appointments.

For some tourism suppliers, trade shows are more important in terms of just gaining market visibility before breaking in, says MD Planet Africa Tours, Takashi Miyata. He points out that in the case of the Japanese market, operators prefer to work with products that they have been introduced to before at trade shows such as the annual JATA (Japanese Association of Travel Agents) Congress.

Measuring the successes at international trade shows should also not be measured by how many business deals were signed, says Miyata in the case of Planet Africa’s dealings with the Japanese market, but rather the quality of the meetings held. He says that often the positive effects from these meetings only show themselves in the long term.

Source: SA tourism Update

Three Of The Best On Our Doorstep

Yes, we have three blue flag beaches right here in Hermanus. Hawston Beach, Grotto Beach and Kleinmond Beach.
South Africa is the only country outside of Europe that adheres to the international criteria when it comes to the grading our beaches. I certainly hope that you are pointing this fact out to your potential guests.

Social Media Marketing, Get To Grips With It...

Overheard in a marketing meeting recently, "Oh, I prefer looking at adverts in a hard copy magazine."

Is this a form of intelectual suicide? Can one really afford to sit back and not engage in cutting edge technology and the most exciting marketing possibilities. A doctor refers you to a specialist for in-depth analysis. Why, because the specialist has kept abreast of latest discoveries, innovations and remedies by spending valuable time researching his particular subject on the web.

Surely then, it goes without saying that, making use of modern technology at our fingertips is the way to go?

The emergence of social media and the resulting shift of control from suppliers to consumers - who increasingly distrust formal advertising and instead make choices based on online word-of-mouth, reviews and referrals from their online friends - constitute the biggest media revolution of our times. Spending on social media advertising has increased dramatically recently while print media advertising is in decline.

Social media also means that, if it is used effectively, any small business can now compete with and have the same global advertising reach as big international companies. Where has this been possible before? An active social media marketing campaign is far more effective than a dull stagnant website or magazine ad.

Because of smart phones and the mobile web, people now have instant access to their social network applications as they travel, which is not possible with their desk PC. Smart phones are going to take over from notebooks and laptops internationally before we know it.

Social media marketing is here to stay, for good. Embrace this technology and prosper.

How Compatible Is Your Website?

With more and more people acquiring and using the advanced features of smartphones, is your Website compatible with these browsers?

Just because you can view your website layout as you designed it on your PC screen, don't be fooled. It looks nothing like that on my Blackberry. Text boxes and images are scrambled as if the web designer was on his dose of tic.

Have your web designer make the necessary changes to the site, as more and more people are moving away from browsing on their PC's and finger-tapping on their smartphones.

Just You Wait Enry Iggins, Just You Wait

I read this article this morning and just had to share it with all of you.

The brits were slating SA for raising prices prior to the World Cup and in the far reaches of my little brain I kept thinking- Just you wait Enry Iggins, just you wait... Let's now wait for the security issues (which we did not have I might add) to crop up. And with Mr Cameron's fiscal cuts coming along nicely. Show me a South African hotel which doubled its room rate and I'll show you...

Hotels are set to more than double their prices during the 2012 Olympic Games, but doing so could cause long-term damage to corporate business an expert has claimed.
Basing its predictions on data gathered during the Vancouver Winter Olympics, market intelligence company Rubicon believes hotels in the capital (London) can expect to see profits leap during the summer of 2012.
However, hoteliers are being warned to watch their margins so as not to turn off business from the corporate sector, which is expected to plunge by up to 80 per cent during the period.

Andy Storey, managing director for Rubicon Europe, said that high room rates could potentially damage business in the long term. "Generally hotel owners fail to put enough attention on the shoulder seasons either side of sporting events, and this is what causes them to do worse than in ‘normal' years," he said. "It is no surprise that hotels will be busy during the event itself, but London properties should heed warnings and set pricing and market accordingly."

By Becky Paskin - ehotelior.com

We Are In The Top Ten

Top 10 Attractions in Cape Town & Western Cape

1. Table Mountain Cable Way
Table Mountain, the breathtaking backdrop and icon of Cape Town & the Western Cape extends its welcome to all visitors. The Cableway takes you to the summit in under 10 minutes and the cable car's rotating floor ensure that all passengers get a 360 degree aerial view of the city.

2.Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
The very epitome of African chic, the V&A Waterfront a unique shopping & entertainment environment, is South Africa's most visited tourist attraction with about 10 million visitors a year.

3. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is world-renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape flora it displays and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. Kirstenbosch grows only indigenous South African plants.

4. Robben Island
Robben Island, some seven kilometres off the coast of Cape Town, is where former South African President and Nobel Laureate Nelson Mandela, alongside many other political prisoners, spent decades imprisoned during the apartheid era.

5. Cape Agulhas - southernmost tip of Africa!
Cape Agulhas is the southernmost tip of the vast African continent where the mighty Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. Interestingly, a compass shows no real deviation between true north and magnetic north at this spot, and Agulhas also boasts one of the oldest working lighthouses in South Africa.

6. Cape Point Nature Reserve
Cape Point is the southwestern most tip of Africa and forms part of the Table Mountain National Park which stretches from Signal Hill in the north to Cape Point in the south. Nowhere else in the world does an area of such spectacular beauty and such rich bio-diversity exist almost entirely within a cosmopolitan city. Since 2004, it also forms part of the Cape Floral World Heritage Site.

7. The Whale Coast
Drive to the fishing village of Hawston and stop at Hermanus - the world's best land-based whale-watching spot. Hermanus is the only town in the world to boast a Whale Crier who ensures that visitors don't miss out on spotting the oceans gentle giants.

8. The Cape Winelands
Take a drive along the Western Cape's many wine routes and visit global award winning wine farms for a spot of wine tasting, cellar tours and an opportunity to purchase some good local, internationally recognised wines.

9. The Garden Route
From Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay, the Garden Route with its lush forests and wide meandering rivers is an adventure playground for scuba diving, golfing, surfing, snorkelling, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, biking, hiking, flying, hang-gliding, paragliding, ballooning and parachuting ... and bungee jumping!

10. The West Coast's wild flowers & fishing villages
The Cape West Coast dotted with fishing villages like Yzerfontein, St Helena Bay and Elandsbaai, is also renowned for its spectacular shows of spring wild flowers (July to October) where more than 8 600 species of flowers occur of which 68 percent are found nowhere else in the world.

Why A Static Website?

You may have designed a website for your hotel ages ago, and even spent a lot of money to do so, thinking that you would only have to do it once. Unfortunately, you were wrong. Like everything else related to running a business, updates are required to ensure continuing success. Imagine if you had been running a retail clothing outlet since the 1980s. Would you still be selling the same clothes you offered twenty or more years ago? Actually, with the way fashion trends recycle, you might be.

The point is, you need to get with the times! An outdated website can quickly become a detriment to the progress and growth of your business, even if you think it has all the elements required to attract patrons to your hotel. So here are just a few reasons you might want to consider an overhaul that brings your site out of the dark ages and into the bright glow of a computer monitor.

1. Refresh to impress.

2. Connect with new clients.
3. Compete, for goodness sake!
4. De-clutter.
5. Get trendy.

Source: Travel Wires

Spend Money To Make Money

Further to the earlier blog: The Cape Whale Coast Destination Marketing Organisation (CWC DMO) should put together a grand scale marketing package for overseas travel agents. Select the group carefuly and invite them here and then 'Wine 'n Dine' them with a slick performance that would win Oscars.

"All it takes is a little planning to reap great rewards", so says Dave Snoek partner in Southern Stroll Marketing, a Hermanus based destination and retail marketing company.

Much More Awareness Required

For those of you that thought the SWC 2010 was going to solve all your hospitality woes, think again and be proactive. The geographic spread does not appear to be improving despite claims that the World Cup increased awareness of other destinations within South Africa say operators and tourism suppliers dealing with South Africa.

Overseas visitors tend to stick to the better known destinations such as Kruger and Cape Town because of the long-haul nature of the destination for them says Douwe Baas, Director of Suid Afrika Reise in The Netherlands. “A holiday to South Africa for three weeks, inclusive of intercontinental flights, costs at least €3 000pp and that’s a lot of money. In fact too much money to take risks to go somewhere that has not been written about.”
Baas furthers that the problem may also lie with the trade who are afraid to sell the lesser known destinations due to the increased sales calls necessary to convert customers which in turn poses a financial risk to a company.

Vickie Baehner, an Independent Contractor for Travelstore Inc. based in the United States, says that she is not currently receiving requests from her clients for any alternative destinations in South Africa besides the mainstream ones. She furthers that she does not feel confident in selling other destinations because she does not feel her knowledge of the country is enough to sufficiently navigate around properly.
Baehner also says that the nature of American travel does not lend well to travelling to far out and less accessible destinations: “The difficulty for American travellers seems to be the breadth of the land, the high cost of transport and the time needed to reach more places. Americans do not take long holidays. This is a problem for travel planning no matter where they travel.”

Belgium-based Julien Roelants, the Managing Director of Travel Worldwide, says that he hasn’t seen any request for new destinations, but suggests that perhaps a solution would be to better market these other destinations to international markets and suggests the appearance of provincial tourism boards on travel shows on national television networks overseas. Roelants also says that travel documentaries on destinations other than the Kruger and the Cape would help greatly in raising awareness.
Baas says that his company is however being proactive about marketing other destinations such as the Karoo and Eastern Cape by preparing packages ahead of a travel fair to be held soon in Utrecht that will be available on Suid Afrika Reise’s website.

Source: SA Tourism Update

City Card For Cape Town

Cape Town Tourism (CTT) is boosting its self-generated income by developing its own retail range and launching a ‘City Card’ for visitors and locals that is linked to the city's new public transport system.
Making the announcement at the association's recent AGM, CEO Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold, said other focus areas for the future were:
• Repositioning Cape Town's brand to ensure it remained relevant after the World Cup.
• Media and trade relations in new markets such as South America and the Far East.
• Continued investment and keeping up with global trends in online and mobile tools as 70% of travel decisions and bookings were now made online. CTT is hosting the third annual E-Tourism Africa summit in Cape Town on October 25 and 26.
• Developing Phase Two of a new data management system that will result in a more effective booking system. Phase One is already in place.
• Developing an events strategy in co-operation with the Cape Town municipality to attract more key events during the low season.

She appealed to the city's private and public sectors to find creative, innovative techniques to market the city, stressing that the success of the World Cup needed to be followed up with visible, accessible offers that appealed to a recession-battered world. She warned that already attention was shifting away from SA to Brazil, the World Cup host in 2014.
CTT Chairman, Ian Bartes, said by 2020 Cape Town wanted to be Africa's top city and among the top ten in the world to visit, live, work, study and invest in. CTT's vision was to double the economic impact of tourism on the city by 2020.
He said CTT's task during the next three years would be to maximise the long-term benefits created by the World Cup while addressing seasonality through events and business tourism. The CTT Board would focus on developing a broader strategy for the city that would guide future tourism development and marketing.

Source: SA Tourism Update

UK Feels We Are Bad Value For Money

An international expert on destination marketing says Cape Town’s strong and recognisable brand must be used to market the city and the province internationally.

The local tourism marketing structure is under review as Western Cape MEC of Finance, Economic Development & Tourism, Alan Winde, seeks to unify all marketing under one organisation and brand, a process that is pitting city marketer Cape Town Tourism (CTT) and provincial marketer Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU) against each other.

Speaking at CTT’s AGM yesterday, CTT Chairman, Ian Bartes, urged for the current uncertainty to be resolved as soon as possible, saying it is impeding CTT’s ability to plan ahead.

Keynote speaker, Claes Bjerkne, CEO of Bjerkne & Co, a Swedish destination marketing consultancy, said the city and province should work together to develop a tourism strategy, “but it’s a waste of time not to use the strong city brand”. He suggested: “Let Cape Town be the driving force in the process of developing tourism in the city as well as the province.” He proposed local tourism marketers combine brand Cape Town with topics of interest - such as wine, whales, flowers, culture, golf and wildlife - to entice visitors further into the region.

Cape Town City Council Mayoral Committee for Economic Development & Tourism, Felicity Purchase, expressed continued confidence in CTT as the city’s marketer. The city will fund CTT to the tune of R38m for the next financial year.

Source: SA Tourism Update

Do You Use A Content Management System?

First, just about any website designer can provide a Content Management System (CMS) for your hotel website, but there are some very good reasons why smart hoteliers don't use them. If you are only relying on your webmaster to make the changes to your site that you request, you are sadly missing the boat. A good webmaster should be working with you to make improvements to your site.
Assuming you have selected a website designer with hotel marketing experience, I encourage you to collaborate with them to continually tweak and improve your site based upon the results you are getting from it. There are many knowledgeable site designers looking to become your Internet marketing partner.

A well-designed hotel site is one which will attract visitors through organic search and has carefully developed content to convert visitors into reservations. These two functions are highly dependent upon knowledgeable composition and writing skills. You have heard the phrase 'content is king'; developing content for your hotel site and maintaining effective content requires knowledge of search engine requirements as well as how and why travelers choose hotels on the Internet.
Sure, you may save a few dollars by making these adjustments and changes yourself, but making changes yourself can also destroy the effectiveness of your site. When changes are made to your site, they often require research for additional keywords to be added to that text to optimize search find ability and create internal link development.

So get rid of your webmaster. To me, this just demonstrates a lack of knowledge of how hotel websites work. Making content changes to your website requires more than knowledge of HTML technology. Their suggestion indicates they believe in the old-style design-it, publish-it, and say-goodbye theory of site design; an out-dated concept. Today's web designers should take responsibility for the site's reservation production after it is published. Since most of us are not plumbers or electricians, we can create ezPlumer and ezLectric. These new and free products will allow you to get rid of your plumber and electrician so you can make changes to these systems yourself. Once a hotel is built, I'm sure it doesn't matter how changes and additions to plumbing and electric are made; it even sounds silly, but hey, it's an idea.

From the ridiculous to the honest and realistic, let's consider the effects of time restrictions. There are many hoteliers that have difficulty finding the time necessary to even discuss changes and additions with their webmaster; let-alone to actually make those changes to their own site. What about keeping up with new Internet technology and changing search engine requirements.
It's a very attractive proposition to be able to make your own site changes using CMS, but in reality, it is neither practical nor beneficial for most hotels.

White Whales Are Right Whales

African Wings photographed a mother and baby duo of Southern Right whales swimming in Walker Bay recently. Albinism has been documented in 20 cetacean species, including humpback whales, sperm whales, pilot whales, and bottlenose dolphins. White (not necessarily true albinos) killer whales and southern right whales have also been documented.

Albinism is inherited, and occurs when both parents carry the recessive gene for the condition and the offspring receives both of the genes. Albinism causes a lack of melanin, the chemical which causes pigmentation, in the body.

Some animals do have pigment, but it is not expressed well, and these animals are white or lighter-colored than usual, but not true albinos. These animals have dark eyes, which may be the case with the animal that was photographed in Walker Bay. This condition is called leucism, and occurs when pigment is expressed only in certain regions of the body.

Post-World Cup Blues

A recent survey has revealed that post-World Cup blues may be affecting South African hotels as concern over low occupancy prevails.

Results from the latest edition of Horwath HTL Global Hotel Market Sentiment Survey, shows that hotel operators in all world regions believe that while recovery is on track, they don’t think the worst is over. South Africa’s results reflect this view, with hoteliers disappointed with occupancy growth when compared with previous expectations.

The survey, which is carried out every six months, aims to gauge the driving forces behind industry sentiment. Michele de Witt, director of Horwath HTL in South Africa said, “The survey findings confirm what we have been experiencing on the ground, that conditions continue to be tough and that while indications are that average room rate and total revenues have begun to rebound, owners and operators remain concerned by low occupancy levels.”

In its annual results, City Lodge confirmed that although occupancies during the World Cup were satisfactory considering the late cancellation of a large number of bookings by MATCH, they were not as favourable as originally expected, particularly outside of Gauteng. “Trading after the World Cup final on July 11 has been disappointing amid clear evidence that normal business travel patterns have not yet resumed,” said ceo, Clifford Ross.

However, there is some optimism as the industry considers the best way to deal with the current market conditions. According to Clive Bennett, md of The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, “The key issue now is to ensure one’s business is fully aware of the choices in its competitor set, and really demonstrates and effectively promotes and sells the meaningful point of difference over competitors; that the value one is offering to the client is meaningful and well articulated and ensure the relationships and their trust with the hotel’s delivery is unquestionable and beyond doubt.”

Source: SA Tourism Update

To Review Or Not To Review

It appears that opening up hotel reviewing to the masses has come at a cost. Reality, does not always match people's expectations and you don't have to search too hard to find reviewers who are furious because the television set wasn't quite large enough, or the bacon at breakfast wasn't crisp enough. There is, of course, no accounting for taste, and herein lies the problem.

In the days before the web you had to write a letter, put it in an envelope and go to the post box. Now you can sit down and fire off a rant online. The immediacy of the web means that if you've had a bad day and one of the towels isn't folded properly, you can go online and write a scathing review saying what a bad time you've had. But how often is that balanced by someone saying they had a wonderful time? Critics are concerned that people with an axe to grind can write a savage review and hide behind their online anonymity.

What is the Fur Free Alliance?

The Fur Free Alliance (FFA) is an international coalition of over 35 animal protection organizations working to bring an end to the exploitation and killing of animals for their fur.

This poster came third in the Design Against Fur competition for the Russian region.




Real or Fake?

FEEL: Feel the difference by rolling the hairs between finger and thumb.
GENUINE: Feels smooth and soft, easily rolls between the finger.
FAKE: Feels coarse.

LOOK: Longhaired fur—blow on the hairs so they divide.
GENUINE: Often made up of several layers of thin, almost curly hairs which form a dense under-wool, through which the longer hairs stick out. The base is leather.
FAKE: Simpler in structure, individual hairs are often the same length and even in colour.

PINCH WITH A PIN: Through the base.
GENUINE: The leather resists, pin is hard to push through.
FAKE: Pin easily goes through the base.

BURN TEST: Pull (very carefully) a few hairs from the fur and hold them to a flame.
GENUINE: Singes like a human hair and smells similar.
FAKE: Melts like plastic and smells like burnt plastic. Forms small plastics balls at the ends that feel hard between finger and thumb.

Arty-Pam Shops 'Til She Drops

Arty-Pam just loves Hermanus for its abundance of classy shops. She will browse for hours on end in search of that 'elusive bargain dol'. When she is not shopping, Arty-Pam can be found at Fick's pool touching up her lipstick and cute callosities.

Arty-Pam has a crush on Whalewatcher-Walter and often gives him a wink with those dreamy eyes as he sails nearby.

So, Are You Compliant?

Over half of South Africa’s hospitality establishments do not comply with Department of Labour legislation, placing it on government’s list of 'high risk' and 'problematic' sectors for the 2010/2011 financial year.

Zondeki says that during inspections, the department discovered that employers were not aware of the annual increases in terms of minimum wages and 49 per cent of respondents said they either were not aware of, or could not afford to pay, minimum wages to their staff.

Don Leffler, Director of The School of Business, says the tourism and hospitality sectors are largely made up of small businesses operating in very competitive markets with low margin returns on investments. “Many of these businesses, including one-man travel agents, tour operators, guides, B&Bs, restaurants and pubs, operate under the radar and, in some instances, either have limited knowledge of, or deliberately defy labour legislation requirements,” he says. “It is difficult to monitor and enforce compliance on these small businesses, particularly those operating outside of the main cities.” Leffler says that while he believes the department’s statistics to be accurate, established medium to large businesses will be close to 100% compliant.

Interestingly, the draft National Tourism Sector Strategy identified the importance of making the tourism sector more attractive to job seekers as one of its key focus areas. In an environment where salaries are often below minimum wage, this could be difficult to achieve. Leffler says the retention of quality staff is hampered by generally poor training and development, career progression and salary levels. “Tourism is not perceived as a career of choice and this needs to be addressed so that the best people are attracted to the sector, retained and continually developed to meet changing requirements,” he adds.