Southern African Tourism Update February-March 2010

SOUT H ERN AFRI C AN

February/March 2010 I Issue 211 I www.tourismupdate.co.za

for organisers of tours

Island visitors dwindling but developments boom

ITB 2010

All the latest product news from Southern Africa

Free State

A potential stopover for 2010 fans

+ 2010 price gouging giving SA a bad reputation + Unity through G20 meeting + Marketing logo finally launched for SA

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FEBRUARy/MARCh 2010

A 2010 PlEA

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2 IN THE NEWS

A look at the latest tourism, destination and eco news from Southern Africa 2 Price gouging a real threat to 2010 legacy 4 Sharpeville precinct to be upgraded prior to 2010 FIFA World Cup 5 BA reports positive results into South Africa

8 ITB 2010

All the latest news from products in the Southern African region

17 CapE ToWN

Tour operators say the Mother City is still tops for their clients

20 INdIaN oCEaN ISlaNdS

Mauritius has reported a slowdown in arrivals, but tourism suppliers are still developing the region

22 FrEE STaTE

ou can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do. Rather it is how we conduct ourselves right now that will make or break South Africa’s tourism reputation.

It would seem in the run-up to 2010, SA and its tourist product are in the proverbial dog box as countless overseas tour operators and their clients lambaste tourism product, the entire destination, for “killing the goose that laid the golden egg” through price gouging.

“Wake up SA! You lose business every single day because SA is completely overpriced compared to other countries due to outrageous pricing,” said one tour operator. Another simply said: “We have grave fears for the demand for SA in the second half of the year and into 2011. With Sydney’s price gouging, it took Australia post-Olympics four years to see visitor arrivals start pulling up.” The degree of greed, they say, is “sickening”. And it is a perception, impression, a reality that is likely to stick around long after the last goal has been scored this July.

Travelling through the rural Andean highlands of Ecuador last month, I was astounded at the recognition of and energy with which the local people linked the words Sudafrica (South Africa) and Copo Mundial (the World Cup).

Big smiles and lots of nodding would ensue the second after mentioning the destination. See, even in backwater Ecuador, we already have a reputation: the host of the 2010 World Cup. Reaching more potential travellers than we could hope to ever again, this is our golden opportunity to tell a South African story about the value SA-bound travellers can expect pre-, during and post-2010. We’ve got our foot in the door! Now the first impression we create had better be a good one so we can encourage visitors to come back, tell others about us and create a positive tourism legacy well beyond the event. Yawn, yawn – we’ve heard all this spin before. Clearly, those guilty of price gouging truly don’t believe a good reputation is more valuable than money. Ironically it is your good reputation that will build your profits!

Working with other provinces to increase the tourism potential of the area

24 MoorE oN TourISM Food for thought

Cover: iStockphoto

PUBlIShER David Marsh MANAgINg EdITOR Natalia Thomson nataliat@nowmedia.co.za dEPUTy EdITOR Kate Els SUB EdITOR Ann Braun CONTRIBUTORS Sue Lewitton, Natasha Tippel,

Melody Brandon, Jeanette Phillips AdvERTISINg SAlES Claire Storey, Lara Denysschen advertising@tourismupdate.co.za AdvERTISINg CO-ORdINATOR Natalie Walker PhOTOgRAPhER Tijana Huysamen

dESIgN Brendon Bester PRINTEd By JUKA PRINTING (Pty) Ltd PUBlIShEd By Lugan Investments (Pty) Ltd trading as Now Media Tel: +27-11 327-4062 Fax: +27-11 327-4094 www.nowmedia.co.za

SUBSCRIPTION RATES R295 RSA full price R875 Foreign (airmail) full price R655 Neighbouring Africa tvlsubs@nowmedia.co.za

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For Free daily news updates: www.tourismupdate.co.za

Price gouging a real threat to 2010 legacy the south a african tourism industry is abuzz with problems surrounding price gouging during the 2010 FiFa w world Cup, but definite action has yet to be taken…

Early signs show that sa nEEds to wise up to the damage we may cause by pushing prices up in a bid to take advantage of the 450 000 soccer fans expected to hit our shores this year. Many operators are reporting hugely inflated rates quoted from the accommodation and transport sectors.

It is hoped that the real benefit of hosting the World Cup will be an increase in tourist arrivals in the years that follow. This refers to the widely revered ‘Barcelona effect’. After Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games in 1992, occupancy levels skyrocketed in the years that followed as a result of the positive exposure the destination received from successfully hosting the event.

But there is a flipside. Is South Africa in danger of falling victim to the undesirable ‘Athens effect’? After Athens hosted the Olympics in 2004, occupancy levels slumped significantly in the following years. This is partly attributed to price gouging tactics which put tourists off the destination during and after the event.

relationship break-ups r

Michael tatalias t , CEO of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) says the danger in price gouging happens when a customer decides to deal outside of the MATCH ‘loop’ and gets quoted an exorbitant rate up to four times higher than normal peak season rates. “If they decide not to come because it’s too expensive, it could damage the reputation of SA’s tourism industry,” he adds.

But even more worrying is the damage that price gouging could cause to the relationships between suppliers and tour operators. “If they are offended by inflated prices it will put a bitter taste in their mouths and they won’t sell the destination,” says Tatalias. “The channel supports the destination on a regular basis so we need to be extremely cautious about annoying our trade partners.”

“At last year’s Indaba, international sports tour operators were already complaining about the

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exorbitant prices being charged by some of the smaller coach operators. Their attitude was that they would just not send people to South Africa if they were going to be taken for a ride,” he commented.

SXC

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MatCh mishaps?

Accommodation Manager for MATCH, Vivienne Bervoets, says although she can only speak on behalf of the properties contracted, MATCH has tried to encourage the industry to take on fair pricing and reasonable conditions. “There have been instances where properties have asked for very high rates, but we have advised from previous experience that the World Cup is about leaving a positive tourism legacy that will encourage visitors to come back after the event.”

The obvious way to regulate 2010 pricing is by signing up to MATCH, but providers remain hesitant. Chris von Ulmenstein,, Owner of the Whale Cottage-branded portfolio of guesthouses, says MATCH’s commission terms are unacceptable.

MATCH demands 30 per cent commission from accommodation establishments, which Von Ulmenstein says, from the guest house perspective, is ridiculous. “The normal rate is 10 per cent, maybe 20 per cent for long-standing customers, but 30 per cent is excessive,” she says.

However, Jaime Byrom, executive co-chairman of MATCH, told journalists the 30 per cent commission it was charging contracted accommodation suppliers was “standard”.

Establishments contracted to MATCH have agreed on terms based on their published rates of 2007 plus 16 per cent inflation. He said smaller establishments such as guesthouses and B&Bs, 12 000 of which have for the first time been included in MATCH’s inventory, were charging their normal peak season rates plus a 30 per cent MATCH surcharge. Byrom couldn’t say why airlines were not subjected to the same ratecapping scenario as accommodation providers.

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Max Marx, Hilka Birns, Sue Lewitton & Natasha Tippel

never a problem in germany

Martin Juers, Editor of FVW, a leading travel trade magazine in Germany, says price gouging was not an issue during the 2006 Fifa World Cup period in Germany as there was less demand for accommodation than expected with fans coming over to Germany for the matches and travelling home the same day.

Bervoets adds that there was also a much larger accommodation supply in Germany than there is in South Africa. She notes that about six to eight weeks before the Germany tournament started, MATCH even gave unsold contracted hotel inventory back to suppliers.

South Africa has assured the world it has enough accommodation for the Soccer World Cup, but with the majority of available rooms situated in the Western Cape, fans may have to travel a bit further to attend matches across the country.

Tourism Minister Marthinus van schalkwyk chalkwyk told a media briefing at Parliament in Cape Town that an extensive accommodation audit undertaken by the National Department of Tourism concluded that South Africa had more than 202 712 rooms or 405 424 beds (based on two beds per room) available across the country. He was satisfied this would be enough to accommodate the expected 450 000 fans, as they weren’t all going to be in the country at the same time.

The audit has resulted in the first comprehensive accommodation database in South Africa. It forms the basis of a new national accommodation booking website for the Soccer World Cup, www.Rooms4U.travel, which will be administered by the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa). www.tourismupdate.co.za

tourismnews

For free daily news updates: www.tourismupdate.co.za

Sue Lewitton South Africa will be the first-ever host of the G20 Tourism Ministers’ meeting in February, an event that is said to have the potential to finally co-ordinate tourism efforts across the world. The news of the meeting has been met with enthusiasm from the tourism industry which hopes this may be the beginning of a process that will ultimately mainstream tourism in global decision making.

Shaun Vorster, Special Adviser to the South African Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, says the economic and development case for travel and tourism is clear. “Tourism is one of the world’s top job creators,” says Vorster.

“It is also responsible for 30 per cent of the world’s services exports and is a key stimulus for the transition to a greener economy.”

Despite this, tourism ministers remain largely unco-ordinated in the efforts on a number of global issues. Vorster says: “It has become clear that tourism ministers could speak with much greater solidarity, not least in relation to the G20 Summit process.

“The need for a unified approach also extends to the H1N1 response; ongoing global trade negations; the consideration of new taxes and

IMC

Greater unity on the cards for international tourism levies on air travel; bunker fuels in climate-change negotiations; visa issuance modalities; as well as the facilitation of tourist travel by persons with disabilities.”

Kate Els Michael Tatalias, CEO of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA), says the The International Marketing G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting is a crucial part Council (IMC) has announced a new of the process of getting the rest of the business international marketing logo for brand South world to take tourism more seriously. Tatalias says Africa. The purpose of brand alignment there are many issues that he hopes will be sorted is to avoid brand dilution when various out collectively, across all destinations. “Whilst far South African entities market themselves too many people consider other destinations as internationally using different logos. competitors, the truth is that we all need more Inspired by the South African flag but people getting into airplanes and travelling,” he evolved into a “trade-markable” form, the new says. logo is distinctive, dynamic and energetic and “When that is achieved, only then we can we stands out within its competitive environment fight as to where the tourist goes.” says the IMC. Some of the issues he hopes will be addressed The roll-out of the new logo will be include the attempts of some airlines to hide costs facilitated by an easy-to-use, do-it-yourself and charges through surcharges; anti-competitive manual and will be available for usage by behaviour by airlines; countering the green urban anyone mandated to market SA internationally legend that aircraft are the biggest polluters; and including tourism, sports, arts and culture, getting Iata to be far more accessible and useful trade etc. The International Marketing Council and less dictatorial. of South Africa (Brand South Africa) will “We need to spread the message that tourism be providing an easy-to-use, do-it-yourself needs to be looked after and treated sensibly – to corporate identity manual, which will be protect and create the jobs it can create,” says made for use1:51 by anyone mandated to Tatalias, “Treat it badly and the world’s largest job DeH_adSATour.pdf 1 available 2009/09/09 PM market South Africa internationally. creation industry is hampered and hindered.”

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destinationnews For Free daily news updates: www.tourismupdate.co.za

Sharpeville precinct to be upgraded The Sharpeville precincT SiTuaT ua ed uaT just outside Johannesburg in the Sedibeng district is to be upgraded in time for the 2010 FiFa Fa World cup to allow tourists to Fa experience the full history of the area.

Location of one of apartheid’s most brutal uprisings, Sharpeville offers guests a unique perspective on township lifestyle and will improve on its tourism offering by refurbishing and upgrading certain exhibitions and memorials.

The municipality is investing millions of rands into a range of urban upgrades ahead of 2010 with the long-term vision of recognising the value of cultural tourism and dark tourism (travel to sites associated with death and suffering). Sharpeville commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre in March 2010.

The plan is to convert the police station into a mixed-use precinct with a museum and a centre for a host of non-government organisations. The façade will be restored and an image of the station as it was in 1960 will be displayed.

The front façade, where the crowds gathered on that fateful day in 1960, must be restored so that the actual place where police shot into the protestors can be memorialised. Aerial and other photography taken on the day will evoke the crowd presence,” said Executive Mayor of

Mark Jackson Moss

Kate Els

TAKEN OVER… The abandoned Beer Hall in Sharpeville, which showcased international and local jazz musicians during the apartheid era, will be refurbished.

Sedibeng, Mahole Simon Mofokeng.

The decaying Sharpeville municipal beer hall and brewery that mark the entrance to the township will also be refurbished ahead of this year’s anniversary of the massacre. Envisioned in the rehabilitation and subject to approval by the South African Heritage Resources Agency, is a multipurpose space with each floor fulfilling a different role. This will include a ground floor restaurant,

retail craft hub and exhibition relating the beer hall history, first floor office space and upper floor function and conference facilities.

The intention is to refurbish the old brewery while maintaining its structure and façade and to utilise the structure as the core for the new leisure hub adjoining the dam. The outcome will be a testimony to triumph in the face of a dark history, Mofokeng said.

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BA reports positive results into SA Hilka Birns BriTiSh airW irWay irW WayS haS reporTed “reasonably good inbound demand” for services on its South a african route. So says Sa commercial Manager, Sue Botes.

Botes adds that demand for flights into the country is expected to increase in the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup to be held this year.

“Bookings over the tournament are good and we are considering more flights. Longterm we’re hopeful that the international exposure the World Cup brings continues to stimulate inbound tourism beyond 2010.

“Not only should it provide a vital shot in the arm for a travel and tourism sector recovering from an awful year, but it also does so in midwinter, when travel generally, and leisure travel particularly, falls off.” She said BA would not inflate its prices on its

new durban airport named

international flights for the World Cup, but would charge its normal high-season fares.

At this stage, BA will operate 19 services a week to Johannesburg and daily services to Cape Town over the tournament. It will make a call in the next few weeks whether to add capacity.

Meanwhile, BA had also seen good inbound demand over the South African summer peak season with many flights booked up, Botes said.

Last year, the airline made recession-linked capacity cuts, reducing its Johannesburg services from 19 to 14 a week and reducing its expanded summer schedule to Cape Town from 14 to 13 services, as one of the aircraft now operates a second service between Luanda and London. It now also uses a combination of B747-400 and smaller B777 aircraft to Cape Town rather than an all-B747 service.

The new airport at La Mercy near Durban will officially be known as King Shaka International Airport. The last aircraft is planned to land at the current Durban International Airport on April 30. The new airport is expected to commence operations the following day.

Acsa limits domestic baggage Natalia Thomson AHEAD oF THE 2010 WoRLD Cup, A ACSA and domestic airlines have agreed to implement hand-luggage restrictions to reduce “unnecessary flight delays”.

“With passengers now being able to check in at home or through the self-service kiosks, we have seen a huge increase in hand luggage.

In many instances the hand luggage cannot fit into the cabin, meaning it has to be manually loaded into the hold of the aircraft, resulting in flight delays,” explains Acsa group Manager: Communication, Solomon Makgale. These restrictions will take effect at oR Tambo immediately, while Cape Town and Durban will see restrictions in place from February 6.

The restrictions are as follows:

● one bag + laptop for economy-class passengers ● Two bags + laptop for business/ first-class passengers ● Weight of each bag may not exceed 7kg ● Total dimensions of each bag may not exceed 115cm (56cm x 36cm x 23cm). ● Compliance with these requirements will be verified at security checkpoints.

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itb2010

ITB

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The Tourism Update team take a look at what’s happening at this year’s ITB and bring you all the latest product news…

Visit us at ITB 10-14 March 2010 Hall 20 stand 138 Booth A008

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Take March 10

NoTe! 13h30-14h30 ITB World Travel Trends Report: An Update on Global and European Tourism Forecast (Hall 7.1 b, Auditorium London) Here, the most recent forecast data on German, European and worldwide travel patterns will be presented.

13h45-14h45 Unesco World Heritage Title – Help or Hindrance? (Hall 7.1 a, Auditorium New York 1) With culture and nature trips increasingly popular, the title Unesco World Heritage plays an important part. How do you obtain World Heritage status and what impact does it have on the destination?

14h45-15h45 Web 2.0 and Social Media: Lessons from the Leaders (Hall 7.1 b, Auditorium London) Web 2.0 and social media offer enormous opportunities for customer acquisition and retention in the tourism industry. This presentation will demonstrate practices of destinations, tour operators and hotels.

16h40-17h10 Luxury Tourism: Does this Market Segment Still Work? (Hall 7.1 b, Auditorium London) The luxury segment has shown itself to be unsustainable during times of crisis. Will the luxury customers return soon or will price sensitivity remain high?

March 11

15h15-16h15 Spirituality and Tourism (Hall 7.1 a, Auditorium New York 1) Religious and spiritual motives play an increasingly important role in travel decisions. The market segment for spiritual vacations is often underestimated in terms of its attractiveness. How exactly does this market segment look and how can you tap into its full potential?

16h30-17h45 China Outbound Tourism Marketing Forum (Hall 7.1 a, Auditorium New York 1) Social media are increasingly important, especially for the younger, affluent and techno-savvy Chinese.

It is also an excellent barometer of the rapidly evolving consumer trends and interests that are relevant for destinations seeking to attract a greater share of this market. The workshop will look at evolving travel trends in China as well as explore the changing situation of social media in China, the country with the largest number of Internet users in the world.

March 12

10h30-11h45 Individual Vacation Packages (Hall 7.1 a, Auditorium New York 3) Customers increasingly want to be addressed individually and emotionally with customised products. The much-touted paradigm shift to ‘long-tail opportunities’ has already started.

12h00-13h30 Best Demonstrated Practices in Sustainable Tourism (Hall 7.1 a, Auditorium New York 1) Sustainable tourism is already practised in many destinations. What approaches have proved particularly successful?

14h15-15h45 Strategies for the Growing Market Segment Gay & Lesbian Tourism: Lessons learned from the First Movers (Hall 7.1 a, Auditorium New York 3) The gay and lesbian tourism market has extraordinary potential.

Destinations, hotels and airlines show the strategies and marketing concepts with which this attractive market segment and new source markets are being successfully developed. Results of an exclusive study on gay and lesbian tourism are presented.

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itb2010 mashovhela Lodge upgrades its bathrooms to get four stars

more news on page 10

Bobo Campers introduces mobile workshop With the inCrease in guided group tours from the uK, the netherlands and germany, Bobo Campers has gone one up with its 12-seater iveco high-roof bus that has been specially converted into a complete mobile workshop/living quarters.

With seating for five adults, the bus has a complete air-conditioner repair and refilling station and all required hand tools, oils and spares to keep tours running like clockwork. The workshop is also equipped with the latest Iveco diagnostic computer. The bus has a kitchen, bed, fridge/freezer and awning as well as cooking facilities. r roland Baron, a real people person, as well as Bobo’s Mobile Technician/Tour Adviser, with the ‘Rolandmobil’, will accompany group tours throughout Southern Africa to make sure the wheels keep on rolling.

MAShovhelA hovhel lodge hovhelA l In The Soutpansberg Mountains has just been awarded three stars by the Tourism grading Council of South Africa, but with the present upgrading of its bathrooms it will receive a fourth star. peter morrison, Marketing Manager for Mashovhela lodge claims: “It was always our intention to upgrade our chalets’ bathrooms as we felt they were not of the same standard reflected in the rest of our lodge. “Renovations started in october but, needing to be graded so we could enter the South African Tourism Welcome Awards, we had to rely on what we had and we easily got three stars, which will be raised to four stars on completion of our bathroom upgrade.”

Coral Lodge opens Coral lodge 15.41, a luxury lodge near Ilha de Mozambique, has announced that it will officially open on February 1. The new property comprises 10 villas each designed for privacy and relaxation.

The living space includes informal sitting areas, a bedroom, a bathroom and a big terrace.

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Thompsons expands Mauritius add-on packages for 2010

AFTERNOON SUN… The Hide offers its guests a view of a water pan right on its doorstep.

Following a soft launch of its Mauritius add-ons from Southern Africa two years ago, Thompsons Africa has now aggressively invested in expanding these options, offering international visitors the opportunity to combine Mauritius with traditional African holidays.

Thompsons has now extended its range of add-ons at specially selected hotels for 2010 from three to 16 properties. These are all packaged with excellent rates and vary from three-star right through to five-star de-luxe, catering for every need.

The Hide announces refurbishment plans The Hide, situated on the eastern boundary of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, has announced plans for a third refurbishment.

The camp will be closed until February 14 and upgrades will include significant work to the A-frame, the main meeting area of the camp, and all its facilities; the construction of a new building to host the reception office and curio shop; a new large pool with a teak deck and outside bar area; the relocation and redesign of two tents and general

improvements to the other eight tents; enlarging the outside breakfast and boma areas; improving the kitchen facilities, refuse disposal and developing the vegetable garden and tree nursery.

The Hide will have some rooms available from February 15, which will include six tents.

Dining will take place in a temporary site set up in close proximity.

Gavin Rennie, General Manager, confirmed that the camp would reopen completely on April 1.

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more news on page 12

Malawi opens new reserve and lodges Malawi has oPened iT nkhoTako T Tako T Ta wildlife reserve, the protected area closest to lilongwe.

The reserve lies on the Rift Valley escarpment and is an area of genuine rugged wilderness, says the Malawai Travel Marketing consortium. covered with woodland, the reserve is known to contain large mammals including elephant, buffalo and lion. Two concessions for privately operated lodges have been awarded and both have joined the Malawi Travel Marketing consortium and are set to open very soon.

Bua River lodge, on the banks of the Bua River just 2km inside the eastern boundary of the reserve, will initially comprise six accommodation units: purpose-

made safari tents, pitched on wooden decks under thatched roofs with each unit well separated from the others. The two luxury and two standard units are en-suite with open-air bathrooms, while two economy units are not en-suite. The existing campsite has also been upgraded.

Tongole wilderness lodge will consist of four luxurious, thatched riverside suites, each with huge sunken baths/plunge pools and spectacular raised wooden decks overlooking the Bua River. The lodge has been designed to incorporate the best of local Malawian culture while also blending in perfectly with its lovely natural setting. Tongole is due to open in June and further beds are planned for 2011.

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However, due to the complexity of an itinerary change, this is not covered and will be forwarded to the relevant consultant for speedy assistance. often an emergency case requires extra services to be booked, such as emergency meet and assist, road transfers, excess luggage storage and accommodation. costs that are raised from these cases can be paid directly to Africa Traveller Assist by using the client’s credit card. Africa Traveller Assist also offers assistance to clients with language translations.

Park inn rebrands

cape Town’s Park inn Hotel has announced its rebranding going forward into 2010, changing from the ‘Park inn’ to ‘inn on the square’.

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Motswari's charming Carolyn “Who is behind the cheery voice that answers the phone at Motswari Private Game Reserve’s sales and reservations office? Trying to place her accent surely won’t help you guess. Carolyn Smit, Motswari’s reservation officer for the last 6 years, hails from Northern Ireland. Unlike many English speaking immigrants to this country though, Carolyn mastered Afrikaans and can “praat die taal” with the best of them!

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Carolyn’s love for people is evident as she goes out of her way to ensure that callers receive the best possible service imaginable.

She derives pleasure in pampering others and is genuinely selfless and giving. Being the mother of 2 grown children not only allows her to practice this selfless giving but keeps her young at the same time!

With fond memories of the “Emerald Isle”, Carolyn naturally enjoys travelling - particularly to wide open spaces - and the bush features high on her list. The perfect getaway for Carolyn and her husband, Donovan, is a few nights tucked away at Motswari Private Game Reserve - either for an adrenaline packed safari or a quiet night of quiet star gazing!”

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Priva e Game reserve PrivaT

P.O. Box 2025, Florida Hills 1716, South Africa.

Tel: 27 11 674 1818/9 • Fax: 27 11 674 1827 Email: info@randcoach.co.za Website: www.randcoach.co.za

Southern aFrican touriSM update

B o t s wa n a m a l a w i n a m i B i a s o u t h a f r i c a z a m B i a z i m B a B w e TU1439SD

www.safariadventurecompany.com

Tel +27 11 463 1990 Fax +27 11 463 1992 Email: reservations@motswari.co.za Website: www.motswari.co.za TU4642

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CAPE TOWN TOURISM

itb2010

Empressive dining, entertainment and meetings. Never before have you been this spoilt for choice. Business is a pleasure with so much more to see taste and do at our new Entertainment Emporium. Only here will you find 6 new digital Nu-Metro cinemas with a variety of experiences including leather seating, dining and beverage services, the largest cinema in Africa and 3D cinemas. Discover a world of flavour with a new choice of Indian, Asian, Continental, Italian, Portuguese and local fare.

Tip a glass at the intimate corporate & live entertainment venue, 64 @ The Palace or the ever-trendy News Café.

Unwind with an ice-cold draft and big screen sporting action at Sportsville, indulge in some retail therapy at our speciality stores or take in a live show, music concert or thrilling boxing match. Answer the call of Lady Luck when you follow the sound of the roulette wheel and the jingle of the slot machines. Stay over in one of 4 world-class hotels and take our complimentary shuttle back to the airport.

ONLY AT AFRICA’S LEADING CASINO RESORT

CLIMBING TO THE TOP… Visitors to Cape Town can now enjoy three activities with the new Go Cape Town Card.

three Cape attractions team up to offer tourism experience City SightSeeing eeing OpenOpen-tOp tOur, t table MOuntain a aerial Cableway and t two Oceans a aquarium have joined forces to launch the go Cape t town Card, an all-inclusive ticket for the three popular tourism attractions.

Visitors pay only R360 (€34) per card, which includes a return trip on the Cableway, a visit to the Two Oceans Aquarium and a ride on an open-top City Sightseeing Bus. Children under 18 pay R180 (€17) per card.

“The beauty of the card is that visitors no longer have to stand in queues at any of the attractions, as well as the three-month validity, which allows for more flexibility in planning your itinerary,” said Jillian grindley-Ferris, Brand and Business Manager of Two Oceans Aquarium.

Sabine lehmann, CEO of Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, believes the Go Cape Town Card encourages visitors to experience all three attractions at a reduced rate making it an affordable and stress-free outing.

Claus tworeck tworeck of the City Sightseeing Open-Top Tour, says the open-top bus is the perfect connection between the Aquarium and the Cableway with regular departures leaving every 20 minutes. The Go Cape Town card can be purchased at any of the three attractions, the Cape Town Tourism offices or online at www.webtickets.co.za. Cards are valid for three months from date of purchase. The Cableway operates weather permitting. For information please contact any of the three attractions or Cape Town Tourism.

ricksha bus tour relaunched in Durban

For bookings and details contact: EMPERORS PALACE SALES: Tel: +27 (0)11 928 1055 | Fax: +27 (0)11 928 1551 E-Mail: ibotes@emperorspalace.com | Website: www.emperorspalace.com peermont supports the national responsible gambling programme. problem gambling toll-free helpline 0800 006 008. players must be 18 years or older. winners know when to stop.

The eThekwini Municipality (Durban) has relaunched Ricksha Bus City Tours with two city tours a day, seven days a week. Tours leave from the Municipal Police Station in Borscombe Terrace, which is near major accommodation and provides ample parking, says Project Co-ordinator richard Moulton.Tour times are 09h00-12h00 and 13h00-16h00 and costs range from R20 (€ 1,9) for pensioners and under-seventeens to R50 (€ 4,6) for adults, while children under five ride free. Tickets are available at Durban Tourism, Tourist Junction and at the co-ordinator’s office at the departure point at Borscombe Terrace. Any queries can be directed to Durban Tourism on +2731 322 4188.

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more news on page 14 VINEYARD HOTEL & SPA

New lodge opens in Malawi

OVER 100 YEARS OLD… The Vineyard Hotel guarantees its guests the ultimate in privacy.

Vineyard Hotel launches private villa programme Cape Town’s historic Vineyard Hotel & Spa has launched a private villa programme featuring five two-bedroom villas that can be combined to provide fourbedroom villas.

Each villa comprises two spacious bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, living room and dining room, with terraces overlooking the river and the gardens. Two of the villas share a private pool.

They all have free wireless high-speed Internet access. The villas can be accessed from the hotel or directly from the secure underground car park.

A butler and room service are available 24 hours a day, while a personal chef can prepare and serve meals in each villa.

A private vehicle and driver can also be arranged.

In the main hotel, all 207 rooms and suites have been recently built or refurbished, with ultra-modern bathrooms and luxurious linens and some have private terraces and balconies facing Table Mountain and the gardens.

All rooms are equipped with free high-speed Internet access and guests can make use of the numerous Internet hotspots in and around the hotel.

A new lodge, Africa House Malawi, has opened in Lilongwe, using a unique blend of African designs, furniture, fabrics and personal collectables. Each room is named after an African country, style or culture and decorated to reflect that. The lodge has a range of different rooms, all en suite, and a restaurant for residents. During many years of experience and travel in Africa the owners collected traditional arts and crafts. This is coupled with 15 years’ experience in the tourism industry and promises to offer a genuine African hospitality experience.

New visitor centre opened at Vallée de Mai A new visitor centre at the Vallée de Mai in the Seychelles was opened in December.

Speaking at the opening, President James Michel said the centre at the World Heritage Site was a demonstration of Seychelles’ commitment to environmental conservation. “This site is our contribution to the world. It does not only benefit us as Seychellois, but humanity at large.” He added that the country was looking after it for the future generations of Seychellois and that it was also conserving the fauna and flora at the site for foreign experts and other visitors.

*Terms and conditions apply

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HILTON WINDHOEK

itb2010 Radisson Blu goes green with refurb The Radisson Blu Hotel in Cape Town has refurbished 11 sea-facing suites and 57 Business Class rooms.

Suites have been designed to minimise wastage. To be economical and environmentally friendly they have been fitted with water-efficient baths and showerheads, keeping water usage to a minimum, Energy-saving low-watt light bulbs and power-cutting access key cards enable electricity usage to be kept to a minimum and balcony door sensors ensure that the airconditioning unit is deactivated when they are open.

Other amenities include movies on demand, which can be viewed on new 107cm LCD screens fitted in each lounge area, as well as the smaller 81cm LCD screens in each bedroom.

Zambian Lodge offers pillow menu ARTIST’S IMPRESSION… A view of the new Hilton Windhoek, scheduled to open this year.

Hilton steps into Namibia Hilton Worldwide has announced the signing of a management agreement with Pride of Africa Hospitality, Africa Pride Hospitality and United Africa Group for the first Hilton property in Namibia.

The 154-room Hilton Windhoek is scheduled to open in mid-2010 and will form part of a mixed-use development that includes a casino, retail outlets, residential housing and office space.

Once complete the property will feature

all-day dining and speciality restaurants, a lobby bar, meeting facilities, an executive lounge, a swimming pool and spa.

“We are excited to bring our style, worldclass service and directional approach to Namibia and specifically Windhoek, a new country and capital city for us. Hilton is our company’s flagship brand and serves more countries than any other full-service hotel brand.

We are proud to welcome guests in capital cities around the world,” said Dave Horton, Global Head, Hilton Hotels.

THE David Livingstone Safari Lodge and Spa in Zambia, has announced the launch of a ‘Pillow Menu’ and a new Marimba band.

To ensure an even better and peaceful night’s rest, the ‘Pillow Menu’ is available to guests staying longer than one night.

It offers a choice of five pillows, including a traditional down pillow, a hard or flat foam pillow, the green tea and lemon grass pillow, and the lavender pillow.

Lodge guests can now also look forward to the sounds of a newly introduced Marimba band as they board and disembark The Lady Livingstone, the lodge’s three-deck, 144seater Zambezi River cruiser.

Offering a unique sound, the repertoire stems from a local Zambian culture called the ‘Lozi, which forms the platform to the band’s rhythmic Marimba beat.

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more news on page 16 SHINDzEL z a BuSH zEL SH Camp

Your a africa grows into the asian market a soUtH africa-Based YoUr africa Has annoUnced the amalgamation of crown t travel into its operation, thereby growing its customer base into south-east asia and Japan. operations were integrated late last year with Merle Kwan as operations Director and Monika iuel as sales & Marketing Director for both companies. Effective this year, the Crown Travel brand will be phased out and a new look and feel for the Your a africa brand, incorporating asian a elements to welcome the new customer base, will be launched.

“Your a africa is very excited about the opportunities this strategic move brings us, both in terms of the growth of our brand as well as in terms of new colleagues and customers,” said iuel.

new safari option for Zimbabwe WiLD fronTiErs ZiMBaBWE is a nEW EW safari oPEraT ra ion – raT a joint venture between robin r and Jo Brown of Canoeing safaris and John and debbie addison a of Wild frontiers – to be launched this year.

The operational base will be in victoria falls and all vehicles, guides and equipment will be Zimbabwean based. The vision of the company is to offer a middle to upmarket mobile safari solution for Zimbabwe. included in the itineraries will be Hwange national Park, victoria falls, Matopos, Matusadona, Mana Pools and the Lower Zambezi.

The safari style will be similar to Wild frontiers’ operation in Tanzania and consist of en-suite tents, exclusive sites, meals and guides, with safari crew going ahead of guests. Walking, canoeing, and other activities synonymous with the region will also form part of the itineraries.

More Quarters for cape town t

shindzela adds en-suite bathrooms Shindzela Tented Camp in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve in the Kruger National Park will add en-suite bathrooms to each guest tent at the camp. The bathrooms will feature a shower, hand basin and flush toilet. They will be built by a local contractor and, in keeping with a low environmental impact, natural materials such as thatch, wood and reeds will be used.

roBert More, oWnEr of MorE HoTELs, rECEnTLY introduced the latest addition to its portfolio – More Quarters in Cape Town.

More Quarters, the sister property of Cape Cadogan and Lion sands, offers guests a stay in Cape Town that combines the benefits of a hotel with the independence of a luxury apartment. The property used to be old slave cottages that were converted into small villas, consisting of eight onebedroom units, two two-bedroom units and a four-bedroom house. The coming months will also see other houses in the area converted. “We have found that apartment-style accommodation is very popular, especially with Europeans,” said More. “The lounges, outside courtyards and balconies, together with self-catering kitchens, give guests the freedom to cater to their own requirements, but still know there is the full service of the hotel should they require it.”

More Quarters offers 24-hour room service but for those guests wishing to explore the area, the property’s location just off Kloof street offers easy access to specialist food shops and restaurants. Children of all ages are welcome at the property.

Situated just one hour outside of Polokwane, Mashovhela offers ideal accommodation for 2010 fans as well as authentic culture packages combined with a Big 5 experience.

Comprising four individual, 5-Star lodges each with its own identity and look and feel, Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve offers close-encounter, Big 5 safaris combined with unparalleled luxury and a unique brand of excellent service and African hospitality.

Sustainable conservation practices mean a reserve that is a hotspot of biodiversity, making Sabi Sabi home to an astonishing diversity of wildlife and a dream safari destination.

Selati Camp is intimate, romantic and olde-worlde; Bush Lodge a meeting place for friends in a beautiful contemporary setting; Little Bush Camp small, secluded and following the Bush Lodge style; and the ultra-luxurious Earth Lodge a celebration of organic architecture and rich textures inspired by Nature. ‘Consistently voted one of the world’s top destinations by discerning travelers’.

4 Jameson Avenue, Melrose Estate, 2196 Tel: +27 11 447 7172 Fax: +27 11 442 0728 E-mail: res@sabisabi.com www.sabisabi.com Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve P.O Box 52665, Saxonwold, 2132 South Africa

Tel/Fax: +27 12 991 6930 Email: info@mashovhela.com ● www.mashovhela.co.za

Southern aFrican touriSM update

Voted one of the world’s top destinations by discerning travelers Voted 3rd Best Luxury Hotel in the World Voted Best Safari Spa in South Africa Voted Best Service in South Africa TU4646

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itb2010 SA TouriSm

Book tours to the durban stadium

56 METRES HIGH… The Augrabies Falls in the Northern Cape.

Be adventurous with Liquid360 A new outdoor Adventure company, Liquid360 Adventures, is now operating in Kakamas close to the Augrabies Falls national Park.

Activities include river rafting, quad biking, 4x4 routes, wine tasting and Kalahari/Augrabies Falls tours.

There are half-day to five-day fully catered trips on the Orange River and to the Kalahari

with experienced and qualified guides as well as day tours to the Augrabies Falls and the hot springs at Riemvasmaak. Wine tastings are done at the local private wine cellar and quad biking is available on three different routes.

The company also specialises in team building, conferences, school adventure camps, youth trips, year-end functions and event management.

TOURISTS cAn nOW OW bOOK TOURS TO the Moses Mabhida Stadium, the new state-ofthe-art landmark sport facility in Durban, home to various soccer matches during the FIFA World cup.

Fully trained tour guides will take visitors through the sport facility and surrounding Kings Park Sporting precinct, including the VVIP Presidential suites and atrium; the stadium banqueting facilities and various venue hire premises; the stadium competition area including change rooms, Venue Operations centre (VOc); the hallowed 2010 World cup semi-final venue pitch, the stadium bowl, the Arch with its Sky car and Adventure Walk; and the People’s Park and Heroes’ Walk Imbizo Place lifestyle retail area.

Prices are R75 (€ 7) for a 90-minute tour with a professional tour guide. General tour prices are R20 (€ 1,9) for adults and R15 (€ 1,4) for children. Pensioners qualify for a 10 per cent discount. Tours run from Tuesday to Sunday from 09h00 to 17h15 with a maximum of 20 people in a group.

Trips in the Sky car are R75 (€ 7) for international visitors and for the Adventure Walk, R100 (€ 9,3) for international visitors. Tours run from Monday to Friday and Sunday from 09h00 to 18h00 and from 05h00 to 18h00 on Saturday with a maximum of nine people in a group. ■

● Affordable Kruger Safari Camp ● Full walking safaris as well as game drives offered every morning ● Afternoon and night game drives ● Small intimate camp

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If we can get the King of the Beasts this relaxed, imagine what we can do for our guests.

reservations@africaonfoot.com ● +27 21 4218433 ● www.africaonfoot.com

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To find out more contact: info@idube.com or tel +27 11 431 1120 www.idube.com

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C pe Town TouriSm CA

destinationcapetown

Still magical overseas tour operators continue to rank Cape t town as their clients’ top ‘tourist attraction’ in South Africa. But a lot of work goes into maintaining the city’s excellent reputation. Sue Lewitton finds out more about some of latest developments…

2010 tourists urged to stay a while longer and use the opportunity for sightseeing – not just jet in and out of the country.

“As part of the ‘beyond the 90 Minutes’ campaign, we’ve packaged the destination’s offerings into six funky, football-themed travel itineraries,” says Itumeleng Pooe, cTRU’s Executive Manager: Domestic & International Marketing, responsible for 2010.

The itineraries are: ‘Score an Adrenaline Hat Trick’; ‘cheer a Killer Pass On and Off the Field’; ‘When your craving Demands more than a burger’; ‘Take in a bit of cape culture as your Team goes for Glory’; ‘When the Sound of the Vuvuzela Starts Getting to You’; and ‘Living it up when the Final Whistle blows’. cTRU has also filmed a collection of short

documentary-style videos telling the cape Town and Western cape travel stories of more than 30 fans from 17 countries in eight languages.

The fans represent the campaign’s core markets, and different age and interest groups such as youngsters, business executives, 30-somethings, 40-plusers and ‘empty nesters’. The brand-new footage, with voice-overs in 10 languages, premiered at Soccerex and is now posted on YouTube and various other channels to market the destination.

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SA Tourism Update will be including a route planner on the Western cape with the next issue to celebrate these themes.

AfriCAn pride

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APe town And the reSt oF the w western Cape have launched a campaign focusing on attractions and activities that take place beyond the stadiums.

Calvyn Gilfellan, ceo of cape Town Routes Unlimited (cTRU) says the marketing campaign, entitled ‘beyond the 90 Minutes’ is an investment in Africa’s tourism future. “We encourage visitors to literally go beyond the 90 minutes of the football match to see, hear, feel, taste, smell and experience as much of cape Town and the Western cape as possible.” cape Town and the Western cape expect up to 150 000 visitors per day on match days.

Tourism stakeholders expect 2010 visitors to stay

new corporate hotel for African Pride’s portfolio African Pride has just opened the Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa in Century City. The 180-bedroom luxury hotel has been designed with the business traveller in mind.

The hotel offers conferencing facilities that can cater for board meetings, as well as major launches and functions with a 300-seater facility. Hotel features include rooms with centrally placed bed and shower experience called the ‘Crystal Showers’. There are also two specially created private hotel lounges, themed with personal consultation from David Kramer and Kingsley Holgate.

There is also an in-house wellness spa, operated by Spas of Distinction, and gym.

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destinationcapetown TWELVE APOSTLES HOTEL AND SPA

New café brings old warehouse to life

LIKE A FAIRYTALE… A look at one of the newly refurbished rooms.

The old, abandoned warehouse at the V&A Waterfront adjacent the Oceana Power Boat Club, has been transformed with the opening of the Grand Café & Beach on the site.

The exteriors of the old warehouse have been retained but a sundeck and sea sand ‘beach’ will be extended to the water’s edge while inside the Grand Café & Beach will include an exhibition kitchen, dining area and gallery along with a VIP section.

This will be the third destination in the Grand portfolio which currently includes the Grand Café restaurant on the Camps Bay beachfront and Grand Café & Rooms boutique hotel in Plettenberg Bay.

Twelve Apostles unveils its new look The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in Cape Town has just completed an extensive structural and interior design upgrade. Each en-suite bedroom features custom-made furniture, private balconies and 400-thread-count sheets on the beds. New technology has also been introduced into the rooms, such as iPod docking stations and WiFi. Some of the more unusual elements in the design include mud chandeliers and candy-stripe wool carpets. The new Presidential Suite takes up almost the entire top floor of the hotel at about 455sqm.

It features a large lounge, wood-panelled study and dining area and easily transforms to provide one, two or three bedrooms en suite as required. The Presidential Suite has marble floors throughout with underfloor heating, white chandeliers from Capri, and the walls are adorned with antique mirrors. The suite’s dining area can seat 10 and the hotel’s Executive Chef can prepare private dinners according to guests’ personal selections.

February opening for Cascades

The Cascades Collection will open its third boutique hotel, Cascades on the Promenade, in Sea Point, in February. Eight rooms will be on offer, each with a private balcony, Apple Mac computer, 40 inch LED screens, mini bar, espresso machine, Wi-Fi and en-suite bathroom. ■

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Wake up in a national treasure.

Housed in two meticulously restored buildings dating back as early as 1896, the Taj Cape Town opens its doors to a precinct filled with cultural treasures. Within comfortable walking distance from shopping malls, art galleries, monuments and museums, the hotel is perfectly suited to both leisure and business travel. For over 100 years, Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces has been enhancing and caring for landmark properties and has now created this magnificent space. The history of this site, combined with the luxury of contemporary Indian hospitality offer guests a truly authentic experience, in the heart of an extraordinary city.

Opens January 2010. For special introductory offers contact our sales team on +27 (0)21 819 2000 or e-mail sales.capetown@tajhotels.com Taj Club | Business Centre | Meetings, Conferences & Events | Three Restaurants | 166 Rooms & Suites | Heritage Suites | Health & Fitness Centre | Jiva Grande Spa For further information visit www.tajhotels.com/capetown or go to www.tajcapetown.co.za/blog TU1442SD

SXC.hu

destinationindianocean

Still Waters?

Dwindling tourism arrivals have forced Indian Ocean destinations to up their game. From new tourism infrastructure to exciting new activities, the region is doing whatever it can to ensure tourists continue to visit. Sue Lewitton finds out more…

Signature moves into the islands

Overhaul for Mauritius airport

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ORK is under way on a new passenger terminal at Mauritius’s Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (SSRIA), which the Airports of Mauritius Company (AML) says will change the face of the airport and position it as one of the leading facilities in the region. The airport is expected to be operational by 2011.

CEO of AML, Serge Petit, says he expects this new infrastructure will boost the development of Mauritius’s tourism sector, while improving the standard of service being offered to passengers.

The Rs11bn (€ 255m) cost has been financed by a loan from China and a contribution from Air Mauritius for the construction of a second runway.

The new terminal will have a handling capacity of four million passengers annually and will be three storeys high, allowing less congested passenger movement.

There will also be specific tracks for domestic and transit passengers and the hold

20 l February/March 2010

baggage screening system will be brought in line with international security standards.

The new terminal incorporates steel and glass and has been designed with the harsh climatic conditions in mind that can hit the region at certain times of the year.

However, the latest tourist arrival figures, as well as the number of passenger arrivals at SSRIA have painted a rather bleak picture of the state of the country’s tourism industry.

An average drop of 9,7 per cent in arrival numbers was recorded in the first three quarters of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008, and tourism revenue for 2009 is predicted to be 12,6 per cent lower than it was in 2008.

Despite this, tourism industry stakeholders are optimistic that the new terminal will yield positive results. AML says the recommencement of Virgin Atlantic’s Mauritius service in November last year and Eurofly and Corsairfly’s intention to increase their scheduled flights indicate that recovery may be on the horizon. AML says it will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Signature Hotels has expanded its portfolio to include new properties in Mozambique and Madagascar. Isalo Rock Lodge in Madagascar opened in January and is located adjacent to the Isalo National Park in the south and features 60 rooms.

Casa do Capitão, in Inhambane, Mozambique, is located on a lagoon and is set to open in February. It will feature 25 rooms and conference space for up to 120 delegates.

An à la carte restaurant, able to seat up to 80 guests, has already opened.

The Casa do Capitão Barra Beach Club, also in Inhambane, will open in the first quarter of this year. It will be a nine-suite hotel on Barra Beach. Guests from Casa do Capitão are brought daily to the club or guests can elect to reside at the Beach Club if they do not wish to stay in town.

New diving centre at Mnarani Mnarani Club, in Kilifi, Kenya, has just opened its new diving centre, managed by Buccaneer Diving. The centre offers a variety of dives, including all gear and accessories and training whenever required.

The best weather and marine conditions for diving at Mnarani are from October until the middle of December and from February to April. The water temperature is about 27 degrees centigrade and visibility ranges from 10m to 20m. www.tourismupdate.co.za

Rani ReSoRtS t tS

doubletree opens its doors in nungwi THE DOuBLETREE By HILTON RESORT Zanzibar-Nungwi has opened its doors. Hotel facilities include a free-form swimming pool and built-in pool bar, ocean fitness centre and spa facilities. The Ngalawa restaurant offers fusion cuisine.

Room facilities include a queen-size bed, in-room safe, tea- and coffee-making facilities, iron and ironing board and balcony with views of the ocean and the swimming pool.

Technology featured in the rooms includes high-speed Internet access, and 32-inch plasma screen TVs with satellite channels.

hilton seychelles introduces butler service BROADBILL… Rani Resorts’ guests can now charter this specialised fishing boat.

Rani launches live-aboard fishing boat Rani ResORTs has LaunChed Broadbill, a specialised fishing boat, in Pemba, northern Mozambique. The 42-foot catamaran comes with safety gear, tackle, lures and bait.

There are three double cabins on board, as well as two bathrooms and air-conditioning.

The boat is available for fully catered charters and has an 800 nautical mile range.

The captain and crew have been trained to find the best fishing grounds based on sea

and weather conditions.

Broadbill offers live-aboard boat trips to the popular game fishing destination of St Lazarus Banks, an underwater mountain rising from a depth of 2,3km to within six metres of the surface. Combinations of island hopping and fishing trips are also on offer. guests can request video camera footage and coverage of the fishing action, while individual photos can be printed on the boat to take home.

THE HILTON SEyCHELLES NORTHOLME Resort and Spa situated on the island of Mahé, is offering a new exclusive butler service for guests.

This new service offers guests a personal butler, who will be dedicated to fulfilling their every need from the moment they land on the island.

The service includes a meet and greet at the airport, guaranteed hassle-free, early check-in and late check-out and unpacking and re-packing guests’ suitcases. guests will be served breakfast in bed and dinner out on the terrace and all excursions, spa treatments and tables in the restaurant will be booked. guests will also be taken on guided tours and shopping trips. This exclusive butler service is available to all guests. ■

spoon des iles celebrates 10 years

One&Only Le Saint géran’s restaurant, Spoon des Iles, in Mauritius, has just celebrated its 10th birthday. In honour of the event the venue introduced the ‘10 years, 10 dishes, 10 wines’ concept highlighting the original chef, alain ducasse’s, personal choice of food and wine combinations that have defined the restaurant over the years.

new GM for shanti ananda

Paul van Frank has just been appointed the new gM of Shanti Ananda on the south coast of Mauritius. Van Frank has been in the hotel industry for over 25 years, working at various SATU AD - Feb/Mar 2010 9:17 AM the Page 1 properties around the 1/20/10 world including Ananda in the Himalayas.

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destinationfreestate

Highways and byways The Free State has joined hands with neighbouring provinces ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to promote Karoo tourism. Kate Els finds out more…

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hE FrEE STATE hAS AlWA lWAy lWA WAyS been one of South Africa’s less-visited provinces by international guests, but with a new project initiated between the Karoo Development Foundation and the University of the Free State, visitors are expected to make a few more stopovers in the run-up to and during the 2010 FIFA World Cup to be held this year.

Hosted late last year, the Karoo Conference set out six routes or ‘highways’ that the province, in conjunction with the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape, wishes to promote to international guests.

Professor Doreen Atkinson, a specialist in rural development, believes tourism is a key component of a holistic rural development strategy. “We need a partnership between universities, government and the private sector to identify and promote all the niche tourism advantages of our local desert, the Karoo. Desert Tourism is increasingly popular internationally, and we need to build on this type of destination marketing in order to truly maximise the promotion of the Karoo as a destination.”

The development of the routes is based on the premise that fans will be travelling by road in between major host cities such as Johannesburg and Cape Town through Bloemfontein in the Free State. “The Karoo is strategically placed for the FIFA 2010 World Cup, as thousands of soccer fans will travel by road and rail between host city destinations, and this will take them through the Karoo.

The Karoo has many accommodation facilities and special attractions along the highways, for our 2010 visitors as well as South Africans searching for unexplored destinations,” said Atkinson.

Although no date has been set for this new project Atkinson did say: “The conference highlighted the importance of desert tourism in South Africa, which is an undiscovered niche tourism market.

“We achieved our goal of promoting networking and collaboration amongst the four Karoo provinces – the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape and Free State. We identified a new brand name for the Karoo, and we hope to launch a website, tourism brochure and accommodation guide books soon.”

City lodge announces second Bloem hotel CITy ITy LoDgE HoTEL IT TEL group HAS STArTED r rTED development on its new 66-room r road Lodge Bloemfontein Airport. It will be the group’s second hotel in the Free State.

Construction started in october and the hotel is likely to be completed in May/June this year and will be fully operational for the Soccer World Cup. The hotel will enable one, two or three people to share a room for the single room rate. road r Lodge has one-star grading and offers excellent

22 l February/March 2010

value for money to budget-conscious travellers.

The decision to build a hotel at Bloemfontein airport is line with the group’s belief that there is strong demand for airport accommodation – providing passengers with the convenience of accommodation when they land late, are in transit or have an early-morning flight.

It is envisaged that r road Lodge Bloemfontein Airport will attract a broad cross-section of guests – both business and leisure travellers. www.tourismupdate.co.za

De Stijl Gariep

Highland Mountain Retreat’s new look The four-star Highland Mountain Retreat, adjacent to the Golden Gate Highlands National Park in the northern Free State, is to undergo a face-lift.

The retreat, the highest located accommodation in South Africa, will undergo some soft refurbishment including new carpets, replacement of front doors and repainting of the wooden furnishings.

Terminal upgrade complete

The refurbished Bloemfontein Airport terminal opened at the end of last year after a revamp under the direction of the Department of Transport’s Terminal Reconfiguration Project in an effort to accommodate increased passenger arrivals over the World Cup period next year.

Also forming part of the project is a hotel, road realignment project and the upgrading of aprons, expected to be completed this year.

2010 visitor centre opens in Bloemfontein

A 2010 Visitor Information Centre (VIC) has been launched in Bloemfontein. The refurbished centre, located at the Old Presidency building, aims to provide a onestop service on a wide range of tourism aspects including information enquiries, reservations, accommodation, tours, vehicle hire, entertainment, dining, sports, adventure, shopping and travel tips.

De Stijl Gariep renovates, opens spa The old Gariep Hotel located alongside the Gariep Dam, now named De Stijl Gariep Hotel, has been fully renovated and has opened a spa after its recent change of ownership.

The property offers 41 rooms and has both wedding and conferencing facilities. It is also located near various adventure activities such as river rafting, fishing and horse trails, among others.

Go for gold in the Free State Nteboheng Phakisi CURRENTLY the only grassland national park in South Africa, the Golden Gate National Park in the eastern Free State is home to over 60 types of grass, each with its blooming season, allowing for photographic opportunities all year round.

Visitors will also delight in the opportunity to see an abundance of wildlife and birdlife with particular interest in the park’s Vulture Restaurant, a feeding area for vultures located along one of the park’s scenic routes. Lucky visitors will catch a glimpse of vultures feeding, as well as the rare Bald ibis, which breeds annually in the Cathedral Cave.

Other bird species to look out for include the Martial eagle, Peregrine falcon and Rock kestrel.

Ribbokop, the highest vantage point in the park, offers breathtaking views of the surrounding area. Other look-out points include Generaalskop, Zuluhoek and the popular Brandwag Rock formation, which takes on a golden hue when the sun shines directly on it.

A guided tour around the Basotho open-air museum is a must with visitors gaining deeper insight into South Sotho cultural life dating back to the 16th century.

Guests are welcomed by the chief

Southern African Tourism Update

and as a token of hospitality get to taste ‘mothahamane’, a traditional Basotho beer.

A visit to the chief’s wives’ huts will transport guests back in time to when women used to go about their daily chores, grinding maize and brewing beer, using traditional tools.

To round off the tour, a traditional meal is served in the evening while a group of Basotho women sing and perform traditional dances. Guests can stay overnight at the selfcatering rest camp resembling an 18th century Basotho village.

Active visitors can try out the guided walking trail to the Cathedral Cave or the 31km Rhebok Trail.

At nearby Bokpoort Horse Farm, visitors can engage in horse-riding and discover other scenic parts of the park not easily accessible by road transport.

A swim in one of the park’s many mountain pools, or kayaking, abseiling and mountain biking are other options.

The oldest fossilised dinosaur eggs in the world, about 200 million years old and from the late Triassic period were found in the park at Rooi Draai in 1973. Plans to establish a dinosaur interpretation centre in the park are under way. ■ February/March 2010

l 23

mooreontourism

fromsatsa

our expert traveller shares her views on tourism

tourism trends

A different kind of garden party

I

CLASSIFIEDS

There is something fundamentally appealing about a cactus

have been writing about tourism for far more years than I would comfortably admit, and one factor has emerged again and again: the most attractive and intriguing tourism product is invariably a result of some dedicated individual (perhaps eccentric, perhaps fey, perhaps just plain mad) who has stumbled upon an odd-ball pursuit, has developed it into a showpiece, and now draws people from all over the world to share this obsession in a niche activity or place that never existed before.

The point of similarity to all these tourism mountain tops is that the individual is inseparable from the idea. Other people might follow, but without a champion the project would never have taken off.

You get passionately egg-headed scientists, zoologists and botanists who find themselves veering into tourism: and the result is frog tours, flower tours, fish tours, chameleon tours and the like. Magpie-like collectors create little museums and invite people to share their curiosity about toys, farm tools, magnets, beer mats – the list is endless.

Well, here’s another one of those: Soekershof, near Robertson in the Western Cape, is a shrine to – wait for it – cacti!

The story began in 1910 with a farmer called Martinus Malherbe, who – for reasons which are now lost to history – began to collect succulents and cacti from all over the world. He created gardens and rockeries and paths and a nursery, and is known (only to a few, rather obsessive, people) as the father of all succulent knowledge in South Africa. When he and his wife died, unfortunately his passion died with him. But it is hard to kill a succulent, and so his plants thrived until the passion found new owners in the form of a Dutch and German couple called Yvonne and Herman.

They bought Soekershof (Seeker’s Court) 10 years ago and immediately poured all their imagination and European precision into creating a magical garden of strange-looking plants.

The 10-hectare plot has 10 different gardens, each with an unusual theme.

There is something fundamentally appealing about a cactus anyway. Either the upright cactus holds its arms up as if surrendering (or doing the Mexican Wave); the round ones look like sofa-cushions that have been surprised sneaking off to the fridge for a snack.

When you take these alien shapes and put them together into patterns and waves, the result just has to be something special. And when a cactus flowers, the whole world knows about it: the contrast between the hostile plant and its delicate, transparent flower makes for a new kind of magic.

But – as they say in the adverts – that’s not all. Herman and Yvonne have also started a project called Land Art – local wood and wire craftsmen fashion art for the gardens, as well as the curios and mementoes for their shop on the farm itself. These can range from a 2,5-metre wire baobab tree (with a counterpart in the SA embassy in Berlin), to tiny jewel-like wooden boxes for keepsakes. Resident artist Joey Mussindo also invented an elf-like ‘Solar Umbrella’ shaped like a bird or a butterfly that visitors can personalise.

As word spreads about Soekershof through enthusiastic reviews in Lonely Planet and the Rough Guide, the wonderful photographs on its website www.soekershof.com and ecstatic recommendations from neighbouring guest houses, this is another quirky and memorable tourist attraction to add to the Cape’s famous Route 62.

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24 l February/March 2010

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Here at SATSA National Office, we have been doing a bit of research to see what are going to be the trends in tourism for the coming years.

The first thing we have to realise is that the economic crises of the past 18 months – still ongoing in many places – have changed our industry forever.

Money is tighter and harder to earn.

So people who have money to spend are looking for value in everything they buy.

For years SATSA has been banging the drum for ‘sustainable tourism”, and the new attitude is much more in tune with that idea. It was heartening to see that South Africa is one of the top ten countries where ‘Ethical Tourists’ can go. A recent poll in the USA showed that people have confidence that our tourism industry is benefiting our people as a whole, and that we are looking after our environment.

Super luxury is out, and more economical travelling is ‘in’. A recent article reviewing the industry, says “Those destinations and tourism businesses that focused on value for money product and affordability rode out the global financial crisis relatively well, with Africa actually recording growth. Those destinations that touted themselves as centers of luxury and indulgence faced a very challenging year. “ ( eTN) So what do travellers mean by ‘value for money product’? That can vary a lot, but maybe a simple definition would be any product where the traveller does not feel he/ she has been ripped off.

Another trend foreseen for 2010 by travel pundits is a resurgence of the package tour. You definitely save by being part of a group, buying on an all-inclusive basis for accommodation and transport. It was an industry maxim for years that a package is almost always cheaper than FIT, while offering equivalent value, and that still holds true.

South Africa needs to up its value offerings through people working together in an area to put together deals that offer more bang for the buck! SATSA members have the huge advantage of networking with other people who also pride themselves on the quality of their products.

2010 is going to be very secial for us all– so be ready, willing and able to go with the flow!

For more information contact: Marjorie Dean ttel: +27 86 12 728 72 Fax: +27 11 886 7557 Email: communications@satsa.co.za Website: www.satsa.co.za Physical address: 3rd Floor Petrob House 343 Surrey aavenue Ferndale Postal address: PO Box 900 Ferndale, 2160

"SatSa means business" www.tourismupdate.co.za

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