No More Malaysia Airlines Flights

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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