Tourism Tattler April 2014 by Tourism Tattler

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Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

APRIL 2014

+27(11) 475 8422

www.syncbs.co.za

Contents

Issue 04 (April) 2014 PUBLISHER Tourism Tattler (Pty) Ltd. PO Box 891, Umhlanga Rocks, 4320 KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Company Reg.No.: 2006/015252/07 Website: www.tourismtattler.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Des Langkilde Tel: +27 (0)32 815 0414 Cell: +27 (0)82 374 7260 Fax: +27 (0)86 651 8080 E-mail: editor@tourismtattler.com Skype: tourismtattler

Competition: Win 1 of 10 Marketing Tourism in South Africa reference books

MAGAZINE ADVERTISING

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bev Langkilde Tel: +27 (0)32 815 0414 / (0)31 813 5326 Fax: +27 (0)86 656 3860 Cell: +27 (0)71 224 9971 E-mail: bev@tourismtattler.com Skype: bevtourismtattler

Destination: Kenya and the Maasai Mara Conservancy

ONLINE ADVERTISING

BANNER ADS www.tourismtattler.com/advertising_rates MOBILE WEBSITE BUILDER www.tourismtattler.com/mobile-website-builder BUSINESS DIRECTORY LISTINGS www.tourismtattler.com/business-directory

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BACK ISSUES http://issuu.com/search?q=tourism+tattler ▼ Mar 2014

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Photography: Understanding the Golden Hour IN THIS ISSUE

05 06 09 10 12 14 15 16 18 19

EDITORIAL Cover Story - April Fools' Day Article Discussions BUSINESS Statutory Requirements - South Africa SATSA Market Intelligence Report Tourism Support Services COMPETITION Win 1 of 10 Tourism Marketing books CONSERVATION OSCAP Conference for rhino Global March for Lions follow-up DESTINATIONS Seychelles leads the way Kenya's Maasai Mara

Adv. Louis Nel Gavin Courtenay Ingrid Sinclair

24 26 28 29 30

HOSPITALITY Property Review: Mdumbi Backpackers LEGAL ‘POPI’ Act - Part 11 NICHE TOURISM Special Interest Tourism PHOTOGRAPHY Understanding the Golden Hour PRODUCT NEWS Visit our website for daily product news RISK Passenger Liability Insurance TRADE NEWS Visit our website for daily travel news

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Martin Jansen van Vuuren Susan Barrett Peter Wickham Thys Buitendag Richard George MAGAZINE SPONSORS

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02 Intasure Insurance Brokers 02 SYNC Accounting & Business Services 07 Tourism Grading Council of South Africa 08 White Shark Projects 08 Avis 08 NAA-SA

08 08 11 23 27 31

BnB Sure SandBar Restaurant British Airways Kenya Tourism Board National Sea Rescue Institute (NRI) SATIB Insurance Brokers

Disclaimer: The Tourism Tattler is published by Tourism Tattler (Pty) Ltd and is the official trade journal of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA). The Tourism Tattler digital e-zine, is distributed free of charge to bona fide tourism stakeholders. Letters to the Editor are assumed intended for publication in whole or part and may therefore be used for such purpose. The information provided and opinions expressed in this publication are provided in good faith and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Tourism Tattler (Pty) Ltd, SATSA, its staff and its production suppliers. Advice provided herein should not be soley relied upon as each set of circumstances may differ. Professional advice should be sought in each instance. Neither Tourism Tattler (Pty) Ltd, SATSA, its staff and its production suppliers can be held legally liable in any way for damages of any kind whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from any facts or information provided or omitted in these pages or from any statements made or withheld or from supplied photographs or graphic images reproduced by the publication.

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APRIL 2014

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

Accreditation Official Travel Trade Journal and Media Partner to: The African Travel & Tourism Association (Atta) Tel: +44 20 7937 4408 • Email: info@atta.travel • Website: www.atta.travel Members in 22 African countries and 37 worldwide use Atta to: Network and collaborate with peers in African tourism; Grow their online presence with a branded profile; Ask and answer specialist questions and give advice; and Attend key industry events.

National Accommodation Association of South Africa (NAA-SA) Tel: +2786 186 2272 • Fax: +2786 225 9858 • Website: www.naa-sa.co.za The NAA-SA is a network of mainly smaller accommodation providers around South Africa – from B&Bs in country towns offering comfortable personal service to luxurious boutique city lodges with those extra special touches – you’re sure to find a suitable place, and at the same time feel confident that your stay at an NAA-SA member’s establishment will meet your requirements.

The Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA) Tel: +2711 315 2420/1 • Fax: +2711 315 2422 • Website: www.retosa.co.za RETOSA is a Southern African Development Community (SADC) institution responsible for tourism growth and development. RETOSA’s aims are to increase tourist arrivals to the region through sustainable development, improved regional competitiveness, and effective destination marketing. RETOSA Member States are Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) Tel: +2786 127 2872 • Fax: +2711 886 755 • Website: www.satsa.com SATSA is a credibility accreditation body representing the private sector of the inbound tourism industry. SATSA members are Bonded thus providing a financial guarantee against advance deposits held in the event of the involuntary liquidation of a SATSA member. SATSA represents: Transport providers, Tour Operators, Destination Management Companies, Accommodation Suppliers, Tour Brokers, Adventure Tourism Providers, Business Tourism Providers and Allied Tourism Services providers.

Seychelles Hospitality & Tourism Association (SHTA) Tel: +248 432 5560 • Fax: +248 422 5718 • Website: www.shta.sc The Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association was created in 2002 when the Seychelles Hotel Association merged with the Seychelles Hotel and Guesthouse Association. SHTA’s primary focus is to unite all Seychelles industry stakeholders under one association in order to be better prepared to defend the interest of the industry and its sustainability as the pillar of the country’s economy.

The Green Expo - Sustain Our Planet. Sandton, Johannesburg - 10 - 12 April 2014 Tel: +27 (0)21 689 3262 • Email: info@thegreenexpo.co.za • Website: www.thegreenexpo.co.za Three City Events, organisers of The Green Expo, have noted the need for a generally accessible exhibition focusing on sustainability issues appealing to the homeowner as well as the business person. It is with this in mind that The first Green Expo was held at the CTICC in November 2011. The success of this expo led to the launch of the Johannesburg Green Expo to be held in September at the Sandton Convention Centre.

International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) Tel: Haleiwa, USA: +1-808-566-9900 • Cape Town, South Africa: (+27)-21-813-5811 • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: +5521 40428205 • Germany: +49 2102 1458477 • London, UK: +44 20 3239 3300 • Australia +61 2-8005 1444 • HongKong, China: +852 8120 9450.

Email: member@tourismpartners.org • Website: www.tourismpartners.org

ICTP is a travel and tourism coalition of global destinations committed to Quality Services and Green Growth. ICTP advocates for: sustainable aviation growth; streamlined travel; fair taxation and jobs.

The Safari Awards 2014 Tel: +44 (0)1865 989280 • Website: www.safariawards.com With nominations from over a thousand luxury travel professionals, hundreds of readers of Tourism Tattler, Conde Nast Traveller, Brides and Travel Africa Magazine you can rest assured that any safari business nominated for a Safari Award is amongst the best in its genre. Finalists are amongst the top 3% in Africa and the Safari Award Winners are unquestionably the best, their reputation earned through excellence recognised by people who know what they are talking about.

World Travel Market Africa 2014 Tel: +44 (0)20 8910 7897 • Email: polly.magraw@reedexpo.co.uk • Website: www.wtmafrica.com Set to be the leading B2B exhibition for Africa’s leisure travel industry, WTM Africa will bring the world to Africa and promote Africa to the world. With significant global reach and generation of over £1.859 million (GBP) worth of business during its London event, WTM is the world-leader when it comes to travel exhibitions. WTM Africa will utilise all the knowledge, expertise and experience of RTE and WTM to ensure that all those important to the African travel industry are represented at WTM Africa.

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

APRIL 2014

cover story

On April 1st, 1976, British astronomer Patrick Moore took to the BBC radio waves to make an out-of-this-world announcement. At 9:47, he explained, Jupiter, Pluto, and the Earth would align. This rare occurrence would interfere with Earth's gravity and people would weigh less.

Kenya's Maasai warriors can certainly jump high - but perhaps our cover image is overtly optimistic. With 01 April being notorious for April Fools' Day pranks, we thought it appropriate to publish our own myth on a new frog species discovered in South Africa ( www.tourismtattler.com/new-frog-speciesdiscovered-in-south-africa).

Sir Richard Branson has a penchant for April Fools' pranks. His 2014 post on Virgin. com introduces Virgin Buildings − a new generation of ultra-green skyscrapers and states "After these first Virgin Buildings, we are working on taking a unique Tubular Bells design into space. Why not become the first company to put a hotel on the moon?" Judging by the comments to the article, many have been taken in by this prank.

The tradition of April Fools' Day goes back to medieval times. Precursors of April Fools' Day include the Roman festival of Hilaria, held on March 25th, and the Medieval Feast of Fools, held on December 28th, still a day on which pranks are played in Spanish-speaking countries. In Scotland, April Fools' Day is traditionally called Hunt-the-Gowk Day ('gowk' is a Scots for a cuckoo or a foolish person). The traditional prank is to ask someone to deliver a sealed message requesting help of some sort. In fact, the message reads "Dinna laugh, dinna smile. Hunt the gowk another mile". The recipient, upon reading it, will explain he can only help if he first contacts another person, and sends the victim to this person with an identical message, with the same result. The 1 April tradition in France, Romandy and French-speaking Canada includes poisson d'avril (literally 'April's fish'), attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim's back without being noticed. This is also widespread in other nations, such as Italy, where the term Pesce d'aprile is also used to refer to any jokes done during the day. This custom also exists in certain areas of Belgium, including the province of Antwerp. The Flemish tradition is for children to lock out their parents or teachers, only letting them in if they promise to bring treats the same evening or the next day. In Poland, prima aprilis ('April 1' in Latin) is a day full of jokes; various hoaxes are prepared by people, media (which sometimes cooperate to make the 'information' more credible) and even public institutions. Serious activities are usually avoided. This conviction is so strong that the anti-Turkish alliance with Leopold I signed on 1 April 1683, was backdated to 31 March. In 1957, the BBC pulled a prank, known as the Swiss Spaghetti Harvest prank, where they broadcast a fake film of Swiss farmers picking freshly-grown spaghetti. The BBC were later flooded with requests to purchase a spaghetti plant, forcing them to declare the video as a prank on the news the next day.

EDITORIAL

Last year, Virgin Atlantic made headlines with the “world’s first glass-bottomed plane”. Images of the new aircraft were broadcast far and wide, with promises of a glass-topped aircraft to follow, so passengers could see the stars at night. The prank was bound to succeed because it was such an appealing concept and because if anyone was going to launch a glass-bottomed plane, it would be Richard Branson. "This technological innovation coincides with the start of Virgin Atlantic Airways first ever domestic service to Scotland", said Branson. The prank, published on Virgin.com, garnered 57,000 Facebook 'Likes'. It was followed up with Virgin Balloon Flights saying that they'd introduce glass-bottomed baskets for Scottish flights. Virgin Active declared it would host diving classes for would-be dinosaur hunters to prepare for a Loch Ness dive, while Virgin Experience Days said they would host 'Spot Nessie' diving experiences. Virgin Trains said they'd paint a giant Nessie on one of their Scotland-bound trains for airborne passengers to spot and Virgin Wines suggested a nice glass of their exclusive Merloch wine could be served onboard. Humour aside, in this edition of the magazine we look at how the Seychelles is leading the way in Private Sector Relations (page 18), we feature Kenya's Maasai Mara Conservancy as our April Destination Review (pages 19 - 22) and visited Mdumbi Backpackers in South Africa's Wild Coast for our April Property Review feature (pages 24 25). Richard George looks at Special Interest Tourism (page 28) and a new article series on Photography, by professional photographer Peter Wickham starts in this edition (page 29). Yours in Tourism, Des Langkilde Executive Editor.

April Fools' pranks: the BBC's 1957 Spaghetti Tree, Virgin's 2014 Greenest Skyscrapers and 2013 Glass Bottom plane pranks.

APRIL 2014

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

March 2014's comments received on the Tourism Tattler website and Facebook pages. CONSERVATION United Against Trophy Hunting

been before, and due to the Lion March I didn't go on the 15th. How fortuitous for me!!! Mel Chiert

www.facebook.com/www.tourismtattler. co.za

• Comment: March 22 at 5:37pm

Posted on Facebook March 22 at 4:00am:

This is John Edward, a well known psychic....he believes that the cub-petting park he visited is ethical; however, it was the same park from whence this now infamous pic was taken. The photo of a lion being dragged by his hind legs. Mr. Edward has stated that research was done prior to the trip to make sure that these parks are ethical. We don't doubt that - they hide it very well. Please share this far and wide - CUB PETTING FEEDS THE CANNED HUNTING INDUSTRY.......TOURISTS BEWARE!!! • Comment: March 22 at 8:48am

Name and shame all who visit and support cub petting! This place must be closed down!!! I will personally fund the care of the lions there and try to relocate them to ethical sanctuaries. Who is with me on this? Also, John Edward is now persona non grata to me and banned in my home, and I will not ever again attend his shows. I have

Congratulations to Angela Helgesen Angela's comment has been chosen as the prize winner for March 2014. Angela's prize of a ‘Eye of the Leopard’ DVD will be delivered with the compliments of Livingstones Supply Co – Suppliers of the Finest Products to the Hospitality Industry. Editor.

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

APRIL 2014

Wi n

I don't believe that a name and shame is the goal. Most do not realise the link between canned hunting and cub petting. I don't believe Mr Edwards did. Most of these facilities would never publicly state that their main purpose is to breed canned lions. The rule of thumb - if they offer cub petting, avoid at all costs. Awareness is the key..... Angela Helgesen • Comment: March 22 at 2:31pm

Mel as you have been to John Edwards shows, do try to go one more time, I know it will not be easy, to see if you can speak to him one on one and tell him exactly what happens to the cubs from the time they are pulled from their mothers at a few days old to the time they are killed for the pleasure of humans. You might be the only one on this board who has been to his shows and you might be able to get to him to tell him the whole truth of the horrors of canned hunting. Penny Thorn

The winning comment posted on the Tattler website during the month of April 2014 will receive a copy of Dereck and Beverly Joubert’s ‘Relentless Enemies’ DVD with the compliments of Livingstones Supply Co – Suppliers of the Finest Products to the Hospitality Industry. In an amazing place called Duba Plains in Botswana, a relatively new island is home to three prides of lions and just over a thousand buffalo. The interactions that happen each day are intense. Three prides compete for the prey but far from being a one sided relationship where lions hunt from the herd, it has become a battle between them with lions often being chased and occasionally For more information visit: killed as well. www.livingstonessupplyco.co.za

APRIL 2014

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

CLASSIFIEDS

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Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

APRIL 2014

BUSINESS

Statutory Registrations are a very important part of running a business legally in South Africa and must be adhered to. By Thys Buitendag CA (SA). Below is a list of registrations that need to be completed at each stage of your business cycle.

• Compensation Commissioner (Workman’s Compensation) – All business entities (this includes Sole Proprietors) who employ staff, as above, need to register with the Compensation Commissioner. Workman’s Compensation is essentially a form of insurance that covers you and your employees from any workplace accident. You can register and file returns via the website www.labour.gov.za

• Income Tax. All businesses need to register with the South African Revenue Services (SARS) for Income Tax. In the past this registration was done automatically when you registered your business with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), however this is no longer the case; therefore you now have to visit your nearest SARS office and complete an IT77C, whereupon they will register your business for Income Tax. It is important to note that it’s not just your business entity that needs to be registered for Income Tax; ALL entrepreneurs also need to register for Income Tax and as a Provisional Tax Payer.

• Value Added Tax (VAT). Unless your business is turning over more than R1 million per annum (R83,333 per month) there is no need to register. Business entities (including Sole Proprietors) can voluntarily register for VAT if their Turnover is below R1 million but above R50,000. • As from 1 April 2014 a business whose taxable supplies have exceeded R1m in the preceding twelve months must register for VAT.

The moment you decide to employ staff, you will need to complete the following registrations:

Deadlines coming up: • SARS EMP501 reconciliation (PAYE,UIF,SDL) due by 30 May 2014. • Compensation Commissioner Return of Earnings due 31 May.

• Pay as you Earn (PAYE). All business entities (this includes Sole Proprietors) that employ staff who earn more than R70,700 per year are required to register for PAYE with SARS. Tax is deducted from the employee salary and paid over to SARS (together with UIF & SDL) on a monthly basis. • Skills Development Levy (SDL). All business entities (this includes Sole Proprietors) with a payroll that exceeds R500,000 per annum are required to register for SDL. There is no separate form for this registration and if it is not done when you register for PAYE, you can ask SARS to activate it when you see that you will exceed the R500,000 per annum payroll threshold. • Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). All business entities (including Sole Proprietors) that employ staff who work more than twenty one (21) hours per month (the R70,700 level does not apply) are required to register with the Department of Labour as an Employer. Once you are registered, you will need to submit a UI-19 form to the Department of Labour, whereupon you will list your employees and what they earn. You can register and file returns via the website at www.labour.gov.za

• CIPC. Every company and cc must file an annual return with the CIPC to keep the registration active.

About the Author: Thys Buitendag is the principle value contributor at SYNC Accounting & Business Services. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant after studies at the University of the Free State. He has over 25 years of experience ranging from being an auditor for a few years to being part of the senior management of large corporations and operating his own business, mostly in the manufacturing (feed, FMCG, agriculture related) and IT industries, driving efficiencies in production, logistics, treasury, administration, finance and sales. For advice or assistance telephone +27 (0)11 475 8422 or for more information visit: www.synbs.co.za. You can also send an mail to tattler@syncbs.co.za. APRIL 2014

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

BUSINESS

Market Intelligence Report The information below was extracted from data available as at 28 March 2014. By Martin Jansen van Vuuren of Grant Thornton.

ARRIVALS The latest available data from Statistics South Africa is for January to October 2013: Current period

Change over same period last year

351 248

0.2%

Germany

234 532

14.8%

USA

290 086

5.2%

India

92 559

5.3%

China

126 653

17.1%

Overseas Arrivals (excl same day visitors)

2 144 760

6.1%

African Arrivals

5 676 692

3.3%

Total Foreign Arrivals

7 838 833

4.0%

NB: African Arrivals plus Overseas Arrivals do not add up to Total Foreign Arrivals due to the exclusion of unspecified arrivals, which cannot be allocated to either African or Overseas.

HOTEL STATS The latest available data from STR Global is for January 2014: Current period

Average Room Occupancy (ARO)

Average Room Rate (ARR)

Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR)

All Hotels in SA

57.4%

R 1 093

R 627

All 5-star hotels in SA

61.8%

R 2 002

R 1 237

All 4-star hotels in SA

58.6%

R 1 009

R 591

All 3-star hotels in SA

56.8%

R 803

R 456

Change over same period last year All Hotels in SA

0.8%

11.4%

12.3%

All 5-star hotels in SA

0.6%

13.4%

14.0%

All 4-star hotels in SA

2.2%

9.2%

11.6%

All 3-star hotels in SA

3.1%

8.3%

11.7%

Passengers arriving on Regional Flights

Passengers arriving on Domestic Flights

The latest available data from ACSA is for January 2014:

ACSA DATA

Change over same period last year Passengers arriving on International Flights OR Tambo International

4.8%

8.7%

1.8%

Cape Town International

4.1%

7.1%

5.0%

King Shaka International

32.4%

N/A

-3.7%

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR MY BUSINESS No new Arrivals data has become available since the previous report published in March. The March report focused on performance during the full 12 months of 2013, while this report focusses on the data available for January 2014. STR data for January 2014 indicates that occupancies for all hotels in South Africa have grown by 0.8% over January 2013. The growth in average room rates of 11.4% contributed to the growth of 12.3% in RevPAR. ACSA data for January 2014 indicates that arrivals on international flights grew by 4.8% at OR Tambo International, 4.1% at Cape Town International and 32.4% at King Shaka International. Arrivals on domestic flights grew by 1.8% at OR Tambo International, 5% at Cape Town International and declined by 3.7% at King Shaka International. For more information contact Martin at Grant Thornton on +27 (0)21 417 8838 or visit: http://www.gt.co.za

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

APRIL 2014

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

BUSINESS

TOURISM SUPPORT SERVICES The business of tourism has become a fiercely competitive global cyber-market. To many, this cyber-market is as confusing to the layman as the terminology or 'Geek-Speak'. To address the needs of the travel trade, Tourism Tattler has launched Tourism Support Services. By Des Langkilde. Tourism Support Services is our flagship support center, created specifically for the African Tourism and Hospitality industry. This new service provides free online marketing tools and incorporates superior online solutions aimed at assisting African Businesses to compete successfully in global markets. Services include Website Design, Facebook Business Pages, Social Media Marketing, Online Marketing, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Business Collaboration. Additional services include a free Travel Trade Directory listing section, Mobile Website Builder application and B2B Advertising channels. HelpDesk Support The Service Center is fully integrated with an online HelpDesk 'Chat' facility, which is located at the bottom left-hand corner of every service center page. Questions that the user may have are answered in 'real-time' by a 'real-person' at the other end of the ServiceCenter. Enquiries can also be submitted through our Support Center Enquiry form. Service Center Commitment Through the service center we look forward to supporting your business, responsibly and confidentially with your goals, aims and expectations in mind. Host & Post! Host and Post is the Support Center’s Website Installation Service. With this website upgrade or new website installation service you get a fully operational WordPress website that is user friendly and fully supports both PC’s and mobile devices. In addition, each website has owner / user admin access, which means that you have total control over your website's page content and can make changes or upload new content and images directly from your laptop, tablet or smartphone at any time, no matter where in the world you happen to be (provided, of course that you have WiFi access). New websites include a choice of .com domain name and web hosting for one whole year. The price per installation or upgrade is competitively priced at just $395 (USD)*. This service is intended for those wishing to start their own website or for those who wish to upgrade their old website to a new design. The service installs all the necessary functions to perform online business remotely. 12

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

APRIL 2014

Each website design is provided complete with your homepage header section pre-filled (your images and text included). Where the homepage includes an image slider, your best images will be shown here. Websites are pre-setup with a Contact Page, including contact form; a Reservations page (for those who take room-bookings); an About Us page and a Blog Page. www.tourismtattler.com/ allaboutwebdesign Website Designs: A wide range of website design templates are available to suit just about any travel and tourism product or service. Scroll through the templates at www.tourismtattler.com/websitewebdesign-installation-hosting. Online Marketing SEO Use the Service Center's search optimisation tools to check your current website's Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) performance and improve your website's ranking. The SEO Tools provide direct help with Backlinks and PageRanks, Keywords and Meta Tags, Compatibility, Source and Reference, DNS and Web, and Lookup. If these words sound 'Geek' to you, click on the links to get an explanation. Give it a try at www.tourismtattler.com/apps/seo. Facebook Business Pages Normally a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate is required to create a Personal Facebook Page online. With Tourism Support Services, this is not required as we provide the certificate on our servers, thus saving you the cost of securing your own SSL certificate, while providing an excellent Facebook Business Page Service. Let the Tourism Support specialists convert your Facebook presence into a potent business tool or opt for the monthly assisted content update service. We’ll be happy to provide you with a personal quote any time. Read More at www. tourismtattler.com/business-facebook-page.

BUSINESS

Social Media Marketing

B2B Advertising channels. Make use of the Support Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Social Search engine. Get help and advice to take full advantage of Facebook and other Social Media Websites. (This is a paid for service but the search engine tool use is free of charge). Read More at www.tourismtattler.com/ online-marketing.

Support Center Suggestions Suggestions about Services needed but not listed here can be made through the Support Center Suggestions Form at www.tourismtattler. com/support-center-suggestions. Travel Trade Directory Tourism Tattler has over 33 000 registered subscribers, now imagine if every one of these businesses had a listing in the directory. It would mean that buyers would have a quick reference tool for finding suppliers across the entire continent of Africa. This is the objective of the trade directory feature and we have kept listings free of charge to help you, in helping us, to achieve this objective. Each listing takes less than 15 minutes to create and includes Google Maps with location pins, images, address / contact details and website hyper-links. And best of all; it's free of charge! To list your tourism service go to www.tourismtattler.com/business-directory. Eco Atlas Is your hospitality establishment environmentally friendly? Tell the world by listing your property on our partner's website at a nominal fee of just $6 per month. Mobile Website Builder Travellers are using their mobile phones and tablets to find information on destinations, products, attractions, restaurants and transport services. If your website is not mobile friendly, then this services provides an ideal solution and can be created in under 30 minutes. And the cost? Just $6.95 per month! The application is filled with usable, interactive features, including a mobile simulator (how the user will see your page), Google Maps for quick-find directions, Social Media Buttons and much more. To get started, go to www.tourismtattler.com/mobile-website-builder.

Advertising is about getting your business and brand recognised for its unique differentiators in products and services. Research shows that people want to interact with brands that they recognise, find commonality with and can create a relationship with, and there is no better way to do so than to advertise on the Tourism Tattler's various channels. Magazine Ads The Tourism Tattler Trade Journal is recognised as the official magazine of Africa's pre-eminent private sector travel trade associations and public sector organisations for its credibility in reporting on matters that affect the travel trade in Africa. The magazine is distributed globally on a monthly basis in both print and digital formats. The digital format enables hyper-linked content for websites, email enquiries and video informational content, directly from the advertisement page. Banner Ads With over 400 000 page views per month, the Tourism Tattler website has become the preferred online portal for news and information on the travel trade in, and to, Africa from both an inbound and outbound perspective. A wide range of banner ad sizes and position options are available at competitive pricing and can be tailer-made to suit your specific objectives and marketing budget. Publia News Publia is an online news facility for trade news and advertorial articles. This service is available in 'self-upload' or 'assisted-upload' options and every article posted onto the Tattler's Publia portal, includes full SEO, RSS and Social Media functionality. To download the Print and Online Rate and Data Cards, go to www. tourismtattler.com/advertising. * We require all customers to utilise disk space and bandwidth in a manner consistent with the normal operation of a personal or small business website. Please note that companies using more then normal bandwidth or disk space due to excessive use will be advised and moved to a different hosting plan. We reserve the right to determine what constitutes a personal and small business website, as well as normal or excessive use; please ask us if you are not sure. APRIL 2014

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

n i W

COMPETITION

To enter this competition, simply find the answer to the following question (the answer can be found in the text below) and visit the Tourism Tattler website at: www.tourismtattler.com/competition

"Who is the author of the book?" The first TEN correct entries drawn after the closing date of 28 April 2014 will each win a copy of 'Marketing Tourism in South Africa 4th Edition', with the compliments of Oxford University Press and the University of Cape Town. Marketing Tourism in South Africa, by Richard George, Ph.D., who is Senior Lecturer in Services Marketing and Convenor of Tourism Management at the University of Cape Town, offers a solid foundation in marketing theory applied to the unique context of the tourism industry in South Africa. This edition is suitable for both owners of tourism products and services as well as students at universities and colleges who are studying courses in Tourism Marketing to obtain a National Diploma in Tourism, a BCom (Tourism) or a Postgraduate Diploma in Tourism. Marketing Tourism in South Africa fourth edition features: • Graphs, tables and figures showing the latest industry trends and statistics; • End-of-chapter case studies that explore topical tourism issues; • More than 150 vignettes to demonstrate real-life current practice and issues; • Logos and photographs of key organizations and

Contents Part 1: Understanding marketing in the tourism industry 1. Marketing principles 2. Characteristics of tourism marketing Part 2:Gathering information for decision-making 3. The tourism marketing environment 4. Tourism marketing planning 5. Tourism marketing research Part 3:Analysing the tourism market 6. Segmentation, targeting, and positioning 7. Consumer behaviour in tourism 8. Organisational behaviour in tourism Part 4: Implementing the marketing mix strategies 9. Product-offering strategies 10. Pricing strategies 11. Distribution strategies 12. Marketing Communication and advertising strategies 13. Sales promotions and personal selling strategies 14. eMarketing and direct marketing strategies 15. Marketing collateral, public relations, and sponsorship strategies 16. Physical evidence, people, and process strategies Part 5:Understanding tourism marketing issues 17. Service quality through internal and relationship marketing 18. Destination marketing 19. Relationship marketing 20. Event marketing 21. Tourism trends and the future of tourism marketing

role players, and lists of website links to familiarise the student or practitioner with the tourism industry in South Africa. Included in this edition: • All tourism statistics, terminology and names of organisations; • Chapter five includes theory on marketing research and supplies an extensive list of secondary research data. It also provides information on questionnaire design and how to write a marketing research report; • Chapter seven examines the many different consumer niche tourism markets, from adventure tourism to youth tourism; • Chapter fourteen covers theory on social-media applications and viral marketing; • Chapter eighteen discusses branding of destinations and marketing of resorts; • Case studies cover organisations such as Europcar, Chillibush Events, Surgeon and Safari, Singita Game Lodegs and the Oppikoppi Music Festival – as well as the latest trend, space tourism. To order copies of Marketing Tourism in South Africa 4e, at R349.95 (VAT Inclusive) contact: Oxford University Press Southern Africa on Tel: +27 (0)21 596-2300 or E-mail: orders.za@oup.com Note: Read the Terms and Conditions of this competition, which can be downloaded at: www.tourismtattler.com/wp-content/ images/Competition-April-2014-Terms-Conditions.pdf

WINNERS OF THE DE HOOP NATURE RESERVE COMPETITION FROM THE MARCH 2014 EDITION CONGRATULATIONS to the following 2 winners: (1): Stuart Parker of Capturing Africa Journeys and; (2): Linda Moffat, a Freelance Tour Guide. Stuart and Linda have each won a two-night mid week break-away for six people sharing on a self-catering basis in an Opstal House in the De Hoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa. Each prize includes a guided marine walk for six people, with the compliments of The De Hoop Collection. www.dehoopcollection.com

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

APRIL 2014

CONSERVATION

Conference Aims to Assess Risks in the Trade of Rhino Horn The International rhino horn conference to be held from 8-9 April, at the Onderstepoort Lapa, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, South Africa will assess and debate risks inherent in the trade of rhino horn. By Susan Barrett. In the face of a catastrophic 7,000% increase in rhino poaching since 2007, the South African government is preparing to ask the international community to approve the legalisation of rhino-horn trade. Unsurprisingly, this is one of the most contentious subjects in wildlife conservation today. Outraged South African Citizens Against Poaching (OSCAP) has taken the bold step of bringing the debate out in the open. Internationally renown wildlife trade experts, field biologists, academics, tourism experts, conservationists, and economists, will gather in Pretoria to lay the issue before the South African people. The debate is likely to get pretty intense. OSCAP is holding this conference in advance of the country's 2014 general election so that all prospective parliamentary candidates have the opportunity to declare their position on a matter of national and international significance. The government – and some South Africans – believe that by legalising trade and exporting rhino horn to the markets of China and South East Asia, they can not only meet demand and reduce poaching but can also generate resources for rhino protection", said Allison Thomson, Founder of OSCAP. "Opponents argue that this controversial strategy could accelerate poaching, pointing to the massive slaughter of elephants that has occurred since China was permitted to buy Southern African ivory stocks legally. I hope that this conference – and the public debate that it ignites – will assist policymakers to end any speculation about legalising rhino horn trade and prompt them to decide against submitting a proposal for trade to the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of

LIST OF ORGANISATIONS & SPEAKERS Born Free Foundation – Will Travers Environmental Crime Specialist – Justin Gosling Environmental Investigation Agency – Mary Rice Environmental Journalist – Ian Michler Earth Org Namibia – Marcia Fargnoli Humane Society International – Susie Watts Independent Economist Mexico – Fransisco Aguayo International Fund for Animal Welfare – Jason Bell Kenya Wildlife Services – Dr Ben Okita-Ouma National Prosecuting Authority – Advocate Antoinette Ferreira Natural Resources Defense Council – Alex Kennaugh WildAid – Peter Knights Wildlife Direct, Kenya – Dr Paula Kahumbu Wildlife Conservation Society, Vietnam – Ms Duong Viet Hong Working Wild – Karen Trendler Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which South Africa is hosting in 2016", said Thomson. We shall see. Further details can be found at www.oscapconference.co.za Registration can be completed at www.oscap.co.za For more information: Allison Thomson +27 741040208 allison@oscap.co.za On the subject of rhino poaching, the statistics shown in the table below (as at 14 March 2014) reflect the reality of rhino deaths from horn poaching compared to poacher arrests. A total of 2,625 dead rhinos compared to 1,061 arrests over the past 4 years and 3 months! Editor.

Rhino Poaching Stats in South Africa by Province Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Deaths vs Arrests Deaths Arrests Deaths Arrests Deaths Arrests Deaths Arrests Deaths Arrests KNP 146 67 252 82 425 73 606 133 113 24 MNP 00 00 06 00 03 00 03 00 00 00 Gauteng 15 10 03 16 01 26 08 10 00 00 Limpopo 52 36 80 34 59 43 114 34 17 00 Mpumalanga 17 16 31 73 28 66 92 00 06 04 North West 57 02 31 21 77 32 87 70 18 02 Eastern Cape 04 07 11 02 07 00 05 26 03 09 Free State 03 00 04 00 00 06 04 07 04 00 KwaZulu-Natal 38 25 34 04 66 20 85 63 11 15 Western Cape 00 02 06 00 02 00 00 00 00 00 Northern Cape 01 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 TOTAL 333 165 448 232 668 267 1004 343 172 54 KNP = Krger National Park, MNP = Mpumalanga National Park. Statistics as at 14 March 2014. Source: www.wessa.org.za APRIL 2014

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

CONSERVATION

Global March for Lions A Roaring Success

The Global March for Lions on March 15th was a roaring success in terms of support and media exposure. Now the real fight starts. By Des Langkilde.

Isreal's March for Lions event, staged in front of the South African embassy drew attention with their candid display, which drew the attention of both media and pedestrians.

It is yet to be seen if the South African government takes cognizance and decisive action against the canned hunting of lions and other captive bred predators by passing legislation in similar terms to CITES Decision 14.69, banning the farming of lions for the sale of their body parts.

Johannesburg

The Memorandum of Protest , delivered at marches around the world, also calls for CITES to include lions with the other big cats listed in the Appendix 1 category of CITES; to have all commercial trade in lions banned - and criminalized. To the EU Commission, to stop pandering to the hunting fraternity by banning the import of lion trophies, and to the United States Fishery and Wildlife, to raise the status of lions to Endangered. The unified message to the world, to "Forget Sustainable Use. It has become Sustained Abuse! Start protecting and preserving our wildlife heritage" came across strongly at all of the Global March for Lions events. Africa - South Africa Organisers: Jenni Trethowan, Wynter Worsthorne, Lizette & Ryan Ord, Sheila Wilson, Melanie & JC Thomet, Jane Martin, Geila Wills, Nikki Elliott and Carol Kruger. Approximately 2 000 warriors for our lions, came together to march down the streets of Cape Town. Marchersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; chants rang out calling on President Zuma, Minister Molewa and Minister van Schalkwyk to ban this vile industry. At the gates of Parliament, the Cape Town Opera Choir welcomed the crowd with their version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight, while Rev Mpho Tutu addressed marchers and expressed her, and the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support for the cause.

Pietermaritzburg Organiser: Gail Thornhill. We drew attention to the 'lion park' which falls within the jurisdiction of the Pietermaritzburg municipal area, but also to force Ezemvelo headquarters who control our provincial parks to take note, both of which we achieved.

Dakar Organiser: Vicky van Gemert. We assembled near the SA embassy in Dakar at 11am with a group of 50 schoolchildren from a local school. Animals (any animal) do NOT feature on the list of priorities in Senegal. We were in fact laughed right out of the police station (literally) when we applied for permission to march! Despite the Lion being the national symbol of Senegal, not many people have ever seen a lion here. Asia - China

Hong Kong Organiser: Rosana Ng.

Durban Organisers: Christine Jordaan, Stella Stewart, Mariana Fernandes, Yvette Taylor, Margot Stewart, Gillian Waldeck, Michael Almendro, Pierre Lombard. Speaker: Beverley Langkilde Followed by +600 supporters of the Campaign Against Canned Lion Hunting in South Africa, they were met by Councilor Logi Naidoo and members of the Inkatha Freedom Party who also joined the protest march. Director of the Tourism Tattler, Bev Langkilde, led the Durban March to the beat of African drums by DrumShack Jon playing alongside the participating supporters. Chief Mangosuthu Buthulezi's daughter also stood in support with their own specially made banner: "Save our Environment - Ban Canned Hunting". Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

An estimated 3,000 marchers were witnessed by masses of local and overseas press. Agence France Presse and Associated Press ran it as their lead story. All the TV stations has coverage on Saturday night news bulletins. The Memorandum of Protest was handed over to John Moodey, Gauteng Provincial Leader of the Democratic Party (DA), with Anthony Mitchell of the Inkhata Freedom Party (IFP) supporting our cause.

Africa - Senegal

Cape Town

Organisers: Stephanie Blair, Linda Park (photo below), Drew Abrahamson, Chris Voets, Smaragda Louw, Daniella Lupini.

APRIL 2014

Hong Kong had about 180 people , which included drummers, musicians, celebrities and children. We delivered our memorandum of protest to the South African Consulate. Hunting is not a popular game in Asia, yet. We must make sure that this so-called sport does not become popular here. However petting zoos are in many parts of China and Asia. Asia - India

Hyderabad Organiser: Visala. India is not very used to seeing much agitation for animals, so it must have been a sight to see us walking 5km with our big banner and plaques.

CONSERVATION

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Global March for Lions protestors gather in Spain Asia - Israel

Israel Organisers: Boaz Fyler, Lee Reshef, Sharren Haskel, Anat Umansky. 100 Marchers showed up, despite the hard rain storms. The central protest was staged under the South African embassy where we roared at them to ban canned hunting immediately. Asia - United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi Organiser: Ronel Barcellos. Abu Shubai had an attendance of 174 people.The article and photos in Gulf News was well received by everyone the next day. Our Lions received a lot of exposure and hopefully a few people left more aware. Europe - Belgium

Brussels Organiser: Ingrid Ser. While we were with only 60 people standing outside the South African Embassy we made noise for at least 120. The speech in English was given by Sonja De Meyere, and the speech in French was given by Christian Michel project coordinator and Board member from the Jane Goodall Institute Belgium.

Europe - Spain

Madrid Organiser: ? This topic of "canned hunting" is one that not many here in Spain are aware of at all and I was so pleased to see their very positive reaction to the whole presentation. Great music, great bongos. Our priest, Father Ron, summarized everything for us by reading Albert Schweitzer´s "Prayer for The Animals." North America - USA

Austin, Texas Organiser: Kalli Doubleday.

Europe - Netherlands

A little over 50 marchers from Austin, Dallas, Louisiana, and places all in between, gathered in front of the Texas State Capital. We marched down Congress Ave, making our way through the crowds of the SXSW Festival. We certainly got lots of exposure with the amount of people in town for this event!

Amsterdam

Chicago

Organisers: Stichting SPOTS, VIER VOETERS (Four Paws Netherlands), WAR International. Spokesperson: Simone Eckhardt.

Organisers: Louis Salas

Thank you all for the efforts done, pictures taken and shared and all of your very good energy. We hope you keep on spreading the news, we can't loose this magnificent animal! And hope you stay in touch, through our websites, newsletters and/or social media.

From the get go the Chicago march hit road blocks. The vastness of the St. Patricks day parade, (over 500,000) which paraded on our exact route past the consulate, and finished in Chicago's famous millennium park near the South African consulate and the equally famous lion statues outside of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Europe - Romania

New York City

Buhusi Bacau Organiser: Babi Sava. Around 150 children of all ages, from 6 year-olds to 19-year-olds, took part in the March for Lions organized by the high school students of the local college - "Ion Borcea" Technical College in Buhusi, Romania. Europe - United Kingdom

London Organiser: Paul Tully. As the Westminster council failed to close roads, the organizers held six smaller separate marches, fanned around the city to converge on Trafalgar Square. Almost 900 people had signed up, with many estimating 1000+ on the day.

Birmingham Organiser: Kerry Partridge. Around 100 lion lovers of all ages came to roar against canned hunting. With support from the Born Free Foundation and the Global White Lion Protection Trust, we raised a lot of awareness and opened a lot of eyes to the realities of canned hunting.

Edinburgh - Scotland Organiser: Malena Persson. Over a 100 marchers gathered in Edinburgh Old Town with placards, plush lion toys and colourful face paint. A function was held after the march at the ‘The Arcade Haggis and Whisky House’ and the organizer agreed to launch a 'Don't Pet Cubs' campaign, with its slogan "The only cub I'll ever pet is a toy one".

Organiser: Sarah La Rocca The New York City protest was held in Washington Square Park. About 200 protesters attended. Two information tables had flyers about canned lion hunting and The petition to the US Fish and Wildlife Service to list the African lion as endangered was available. We collected over 300 signatures.

Phoenix, Arizona Organizers: Dr. Renee Behinfar, Hannah Brisso and Adrienne Xagoraris. Principal organizer: Dr. Renee Behinfar. The march took place at the State Capitol. We defined trophy hunting, provided an update on local and international contributors and addressed one of the hubs of the industry located in Tucson, Arizona – Safari Club International.

Sacramento Organiser: Jody Hanson. We were able to reach out to many people and had a great day raising awareness. Our printing costs were paid for by CAPE (Center for Animal Protection and Education) in Grass Valley.

Washington DC Organiser: Lisa Ann Tekancic, WildCat Conservation Legal Aid Society. Seventy devoted marchers convened to deliver one global message to the South African Ambassador. A representative from the SA Embassy was sent by the Ambassador to accept CACH’s Memorandum of Protest on his behalf. Our mission accomplished! For more Global Lion March city events and pictures, visit: www.cannedlion.org/organisers-and-marches.html APRIL 2014

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

DESTINATIONS

Seychelles Leads the Way in Private Sector Relations Government tourism departments traditionally convene travel trade conferences to gather information from private sector stakeholders. The problem though, is that delegates at these events rarely contribute meaningful debate for fear of public speaking or perhaps because the person is not a decision maker in the company being represented. The Seychelles has a unique solution to this dilemma. By Des Langkilde The Seychelles Ministry of Tourism and Culture is leading the way in how it interacts with the private sector of tourism, by embarking on a series of 'door to door' hotel visits to ensure that its senior management team understand the economic and infrastructure challenges that these establishments are faced with. The first in this series of 'door to door' visits started in March 2014 on the island of Praslin, with twenty seven establishments ranging from five stars to small hotels. Alain St.Ange, the Minister for Tourism and Culture, Anne Lafortune, the Principal Secretary for Tourism, Sherin Naiken, the Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Rose Mary Hoareau, the Director of Marketing at the Tourism Board and Sinha Levkovic and the Director Standards and Regulations at the Department of Tourism first stopped at the Constance Lemuria Resort where they were welcomed by the Management team of the hotel. Minister St.Ange explained to Constance Lemuria Resort's Management team that it was important for his Ministry to embark on this innovative 'door to door' approach as this ensured more dedicated time with each hotel manager to better understand the challenges and constraints faced by each and every hotel of the island. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was time for us to break away from our traditional approach of holding meetings with big groups of hotels. Normally we rallied every-one in a room to listen to the trade, but few spoke and we often left the meetings unsure if we had heard the views and opinions of everyone. We knew that we needed to hear of successes, but to also hear first-hand of challenges. We felt it was time to dedicate more time than ever before to the industry and to meet on a more personal basis. Seeing properties is one thing, knowing properties is as important for everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Minister St.Ange said. Tourism establishments are a booming industry on Praslin, with an estimated of 113 hotels currently licensed on the island. The growth of hotels on Praslin Island is undoubtedly putting a strain on these properties to recruit staff. From five stars to small properties, the difficulties to recruit suitable workforce in the tourism industry remains a major challenge. Although Constance Lemuria Resort boasts a workforce of four hundred employees, of whom fifty three percent are locals, Bruno Le Gac, the resort's new General Manager said that shortage of staff is a persistent problem at the hotel. 18

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

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On his first day of 'door to door' visits, Minister Alain St.Ange and his delegation visited numerous hospitality properties on the island. During each meeting with the different hotel and guesthouse Managers, it was pointed out that the ongoing shortage of local workers was pushing the establishment to recruit foreign workers. Many small hotels also complained that they found Government Operational Procedures (GOP) for the recruitment of foreign workers to be complicated. They also said that they have to bear the cost of medical fees for their foreign workers even if they had paid insurances to local agents. The majority of Hotels, large and small, visited on the first 'door to door' visits on Praslin, said that they were satisfied with their occupancy levels, while the few who were experiencing difficulties with their occupancy levels, Minister St.Ange encouraged them to work closely with Seychelles Tourism Board to better market their products. Perhaps it's time that other destinations learn from the 'door to door' example set by the Seychelles Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

DESTINATIONS

Destination Review

KENYA

Maasai Mara The Maasai Mara Ecosystem is home to the Big Five, among other species of wildlife, and has one of the highest lion population habitats in the world. This is where over two million Wildebeest, Zebra and Thomsons Gazelle migrate annually. The Mara hosts over 95 species of mammals and 570 recorded species of birds. The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) hosted Tourism Tattler to experience the magic that this region has to offer tourists. By Des Langkilde. The lyrics of the late Syd Kitchen's hit single 'Africa's not for Sissies' played through my mind as the SAA Airbus A320-200 gently kissed the tarmac at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya. At East Africa's busiest airport, it seemed as if all 19,000 daily passengers from Africa, Europe and Asia had all arrived at the same time. Passport control queues are an experience that would try the patience of even a Durbanite's famed patience, although hopefully this state of affairs will be sorted out when the new airport upgrade is completed. Thankfully, South Africans don't need an entry visa for stays up to 30 days (Tattler correspondent Brent Willie rates Kenya as one of his top 5 most hassle-free countries to visit). Syd's chorus line 'I'm a wandering man' slowly changed to 'wondering man' as the tune adjusted to my visual perception, taking in the chaotic bustle of the Embakasi district's traffic congestion, where the airport is located some 15 Kilometers to the south-east of the Nairobi Business District. Thankfully, our airport transfer driver successfully evaded pedestrians, cyclists, taxis and trucks to deposit us safely at our destination, the Hemingways Nairobi hotel, some 40 minutes later.

I Say, I Say Although Hemingways Nairobi is a new hotel in the Hemingways collection, and was built a mere three years ago, its plantation-style architecture is reminiscent of Kenya's bygone colonial era, and the image is reinforced through the decor, soft furnishings and sepia tone prints depicting historical events. One can almost hear the British aristocracy "I say, I say"ing in the background. With 45, spacious 80 square-metre rooms, each with a private balcony overlooking sweeping lawns with the Ngong Hills visible beyond, this boutique hotel sets the standard in luxury accommodation for business travellers and safari tour groups visiting the region. For carnivorous guests, Hemingwaysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Brasserie serves the most succulent beef steaks, which are prepared in their Josper oven this indoor barbecue is the only one of its kind in Kenya, specially imported by Hemingways to produce the best steaks sizzling at 800F. The special blend of charcoal used to fire the Josper oven creates a distinct char-grilled flavour to the meat. Their beef is sourced from Mordendat Ranch, Naivasha; the meat is grain fed for 180

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Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

DESTINATIONS

days especially for Hemingways, and hung for 21 days. Lamb also comes from this farm. The chef focuses on simply cooked free-range products sourced directly from Kenyan farms. With its personalized butler service, rejuvenating spa, corporate and conferencing facilities, Hemingways Nairobi provides the perfect over-night setting for pre-safari tour groups or business incentive packages. During the one night stay I found the staff to be friendly and professional. As this is equatorial Africa mosquitoes can be a problem, especially during dusk, however closing the doors with the air conditioner and mosquito pads on whilst not in the room, ensures a bite-free night's rest.

HEMINGWAYS NAIROBI HOTEL FACT SHEET AT A GLANCE Address:

Mbagathi Ridge, Nairobi, Kenya

Coordinates: Latitude = 1°17’S : Longitude = 36°49’E Type: Boutique Hotel Rooms: Presidential Suites, Deluxe Double Rooms, Junior Suites, and Executive Double Rooms Capacity: 45 rooms STO Rates: Available on application Facilities: Outdoor pool (all year), Garden, Terrace, Sun terrace Services: Airport shuttle (surcharge), 24-hour front desk, Express check-in/check-out, Luggage storage, Private check-in/ check-out, Laundry, Dry cleaning, Ironing service Activities: Hemingways Nairobi is located only 2 km from the Karen Blixen Museum and 10 km from the Langata Giraffe Sanctuary. The Elephant and Rhino Nursery is 15 km away and Nairobi National Park is 25 km away. Spa: Yes Gym: No Parking: Free private parking on site WiFi: WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge. Restaurants / Bars: Bar, Restaurant (à la carte) Conference facilities: Meeting/banquet facilities Website:

www.hemingways-nairobi.com

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

APRIL 2014

Safari Hopping Getting to Kenya's best safari destinations is taken care of by Safarilink, who have a network of connecting domestic scheduled services within Kenya and across the border into northern Tanzania. The airline's base at Wilson Airport, is a short 20 minute drive from the Hemingways Nairobi Hotel, and they provide daily scheduled flights to Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Tsavo West, Naivasha, Nanyuki, Lewa Downs, Samburu, Lamu, Kilimanjaro, Loisaba, Migori and Diani Beach. The airline can also provide private charter flights on request. Safarilink was formed in 2004 by a management team who together have over 35 year's experience in providing tourist related air services in East Africa. The airline operates 12 aircraft ranging in size from 13 to 37 seats, and carries over 14,000 passengers per month during the busiest periods of the year. Insurance for the Safarilink aircraft is placed through Willis of London and passenger liability indemnity limits per incident vary with the size of aircraft; from 75 million USD for the Dash 8 to 20 million USD for the Twin Otter and Caravan aircraft. Tour Operators who specialize in 'Eco-tourism' can add value to their itineraries by using Safarilink, as their flights are "carbon-neutral". This is achieved through an indigenous tree-planting exercise on the foothills of Mount Kenya within the Mount Kenya National Reserve. The number of trees necessary to achieve their carbon-neutral target is based on a calculation linking the hours flown by the Safarilink fleet, their fuel consumption rate, a documented conversion rate for Jet A1 fuel to carbon dioxide and the "lock up" factor for the trees. The practical aspects of growing the saplings, their planting, and subsequent care until well established is carried out by women's groups under the supervision of the Bill Woodley Mount Kenya Trust. This organisation has been involved in similar projects since 2003 and has already planted out over 120,000 saplings. Our media group's destination was the Naboisho Conservancy, which lies adjacent to the Maasai Mara National Reserve After departing from Wilson Airport, and two brief stops at bush air-stips to drop-off

DESTINATIONS

and collect passengers, we arrived at the conservancy to be welcomed by our bush camp guides with cocktails in hand and suitably attired in traditional red checked shuka blankets and beadwork. Ol Seki Mara The Ol Seki Hemingways Mara is a luxury private tented camp situated in the 200 sq.km. of Naboisho Conservancy, which borders the Maasai Mara. It has 10 tented suites built on wooden slat platforms to minimize human impact on the environment. Two self contained penthouse suites cater for families, and incorporate a fully equipped kitchen, dining room and living area which connects two enormous double bedrooms, both ensuite. Each suite is equipped with a bronze telescope for game viewing over the escarpment from the privacy of your own private room deck, while the communal library, dining room and 'boma' deck provide comfortable venues for social interaction with other guests, and the shy but ever present rock hyrax that scamper over the rocky elevation upon which these structures have been built. James Maina is the camp manager, and he is a walking encyclopedia for information on the region, Maasai tribal customs, wildlife and birdlife in particular. "This area of the Mara is without doubt the best locality for game and bird viewing - there are no fences to inhibit the migration of animals which means you should see the big five and all the other indigenous species on your check list, sometimes right here in the camp. Only vehicles from the conservancy, on which there are four camp concessions, are allowed to traverse the property, so you see wildlife, not minibuses." The majority of the camp staff were brought up within a 15km radius of the camp. "They know the land intimately and they clearly care about it. Everyone has an excellent knowledge of the area, not only the guides, who are trained in our own guiding school", says Maina. Social Responsibility As a concession holder within the Naboisho Conservancy, Hemingways contributes a percentage of the camp's revenue for social upliftment

of local communities. One such initiative is the Koyaki Guiding School, which trains local Masai in the skills of conservation and wildlife management, teaching them how to benefit from tourism opportunities. It also teaches local people why conservation is beneficial to the community as well as showing them how to protect wildlife and its habitat, and develop harmony between wildlife and agriculture. "Our camping and conservancy fees, along with direct donations to the school, have generated an income for the community. We often host donors and lecturers at Ol Seki at no charge, and we’ve contributed to a botanical garden at the school and planted succulents (water-storing plants). We also support the school by offering work experience to students during their holidays, and our

OL SEKI HEMINGWAYS MARA FACT SHEET AT A GLANCE Address: Maasai Mara National Reserve, Narok, Kenya Coordinates: Latitude = 1°15'01.48"S : Longitude = 35°00’36.89E Type: Eco Tented Camp Rooms: 2x Family Tents, 8x Couple Tents Capacity: 14 beds in 10 Tents STO Rates: Available on application Facilities: Library & Boma game viewing deck Services: Laundry & Ironing service Activities: Game drives & walks, Bush picnics & sundowners, Star gazing, Visits to Maasai villages & Koiyaki Guiding School Spa: No Gym: No Parking: Onsite parking & airstrip WiFi: WiFi is available and is free of charge. Restaurants / Bars: Bar, Restaurant (à la carte) Conference facilities: No Website:

www.hemingways-mara.com

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Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

guides give them additional advice and practical training as part of their attachment at Ol Seki. The first female graduate of Koyaki Guiding School, Betty Maitai, now works in our team of wildlife guides", Maina proudly confides. Maasai Village Of course, a safari in the Mara is not complete without a visit to one of the traditional Maasai tribal villages and our media group's guide, who is also a graduate of the Koyaki Guiding School, enthusiastically took us for a guided tour of his own village, located within the Maasai Mara National Reserve, where he was raised from childhood. For a discretionary donation, which is used to fund the building of a nearby community school project, our guide's family and brethren provided an awesome display of traditional Maasai song and dance, where visitors are encouraged to pit their jump height against that of trained warriors. The tour includes a demonstration of fire-making, using a stick and tinder which certainly takes some practice, a tour inside one of their Inkajijik (Maasai word for a house), which are loaf-shaped dwellings made of mud, sticks and dung; a visit to the village blacksmith who demonstrates the making of spear heads, and culminates with a shopping spree in the village's craft centre. Be forewarned though that the Maasai are as crafty in their price negotiating, which appears to be a matter of some pride. Mara Conservancy The Naboisho Conservancy falls within the greater Mara Conservancy, established in the year 2000, when some of the local leaders became concerned about levels of mismanagement in the Mara Triangle. As a result the Mara Conservancy, a not-for-profit management company, was established to manage the Triangle on behalf of Trans-

Mara County Council. A five-year management agreement was signed on the 25th May 2001 and the Mara Conservancy started operations in the Mara Triangle on the 12th June. This created the first public/private sector partnership of its kind in the region and has led to an active and cooperative partnership between conservation professionals and the local Maasai community. It has also introduced an initiative to improve the conservation and overall management of one of the most visited and well known protected areas in the world. Public Sector Support Kenya is a country that has come through some tough political times in recent years, but Muriithi Ndegwa, Managing Director of the Kenya Tourism Board is determined to ensure that tourism retains its leading edge in contributing to Kenya’s GDP (13% in 2011 - Kenya ranked 8th in Africa at 1.7 million international tourist arrivals. Read our analysis at www.tourismtattler.com/africas-tourism-arrivals) and the Kenyan Government is going out of its way to streamline legislation, policies and infrastructure, aimed at making the country an easy destination to visit. (Read more at www.tourismtattler.com/cover-story-3). Last year, Tourism Tattler asked Mr Ndegwa for a couple of bullet points on the country's prospects as a tourist destination. We got more than we expected. (Read more at www.tourismtattler.com/ destination-update-kenya). Conference tourism is also emerging as Kenya’s new growth frontier, earning the country second position after South Africa last year in the number of conferences held on the continent. (Read more on this story at www.tourismtattler.com/kenyaranks-second-in-africa-in-mice-tourism). Getting There South African Airways (SAA) have introduced wide body aircraft on the Johannesburg – Nairobi route, effectively increasing capacity into Kenya by 582 seats per week. “Kenya is a key destination in our East Africa operation and the introduction of a larger aircraft type on this route is an important step towards increasing the flying options and enhancing our loyal travellers’ comfort levels,” says Aaron Munetsi, SAA Regional General Manager for Africa and the Middle East. SAA previously operated the Airbus A319 and the Boeing 737800 into Kenya. These aircraft are now replaced by the Airbus A340-200 and the A340-300. The introduction of these wide body aircraft means additional seat capacity on the route, lie-flat seats in Business class, as well as a wider cabin and touch screen in-flight entertainment for both Business and Economy class.

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

APRIL 2014

Get a whole new perspective

Make a stand and insist on doing things differently. Our beautiful country has such an amazing variety of things to see and do. But before you go anywhere, visit www.magicalkenya.com to find out more. www.MagicalKenya.com

MagicalKenya

@MagicalKenya

www.MagicalKenya.com

APRIL 2014

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

HOSPITALITY

Property Review

Mdumbi Backpackers on the Wild Coast is quickly becoming a badly kept secret. Unobtrusive on a hill with a 180-degree view of one of South Africa’s most beautiful beaches, it’s not the easiest place in the world to get to, but the remoteness is only one aspect of this budget location’s ample charm. By Tourism Tattler correspondent Ingrid Sinclair. “This feels like the only ‘real Africa’ within South Africa,” muses founder Johann Stadler, and he should know, having been born and bred in this part of the Eastern Cape. Starting a business here was the obvious choice: “I’ve always loved the Transkei and I just wanted to stay home. I like this lifestyle, I love the ocean and the people. It’s the homeland, you know? This is where [Nelson] Mandela is from. The people are proud, they will help you, they don’t have the same influences here as there are in the city. They live in peace and still trade with their cattle.” With an intimate connection to the place, Johann – after studying nature conservation and tourism in the Free State – returned here 12 years ago with R8,000 in the bank. The property belonged to a church group – the Dutch Reformed building on-site has been preserved – but everything was broken down. For two years there were no guests, and without outside finance Johann slowly grew from 15 beds to 35, using only income generated by his budding business. It’s called a backpackers, but really it’s a calm, comfortable haven

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

APRIL 2014

for visitors from all walks of life. Private double cottages, dorm-style group accommodation and family-ready abodes – all rondawels built from mud and materials available on-site (ie, with minimal cement) – means Mdumbi attracts a mixed bag of customers from 18 to 40 and beyond, Europeans, South Africans, thrill-seekers, fishermen and families included. Activities When not taking advantage of the wide range of guided and selfguided activities, guests find plenty of satisfaction self-entertaining in the various chill-out spaces scattered across the property. Visitors stay for an average of five days, which might seem like a long time but in reality is barely enough. The outdoor enthusiast has a full itinerary here. Kayaking up the Mdumbi river mouth is easy enough depending on the tides – no white water here – but gratifying, as sightings of fish eagles, fish owls, jellyfish and kingfishers are common. You can do the easy hike to nearby caves and brave a cliff jump, or go for the less strenuous cultural hike through the village with a local tour guide who offers a unique insider’s perspective. Surfing novice or pro? There are lessons and boards at your disposal. Even Johann can’t bear to go a day without hitting the world-class waves. Free-roaming horses are gathered for early-morning rides along the beach. The beach and the warm Indian Ocean are, due to Mdumbi’s limited capacity, almost always exclusively yours. Exhausted and sore after all that adventure? There’s a trained masseuse and a beautifully serene spa at your disposal.

HOSPITALITY

Activities, meals and sundry are seamlessly organised by Johann and his staff, who offer conversation and personal attention without intruding on your privacy. Responsible Tourism There’s the added advantage of knowing that all the proceeds of these activities and services (such as laundry and freshly baked traditional Xhosa bread) go straight to the operators. Johann has nurtured a culture of tourism entrepreneurship in the village, which is part of Mdumbi’s commitment to sustainability that puts the community first, through investment and involvement. You are also guaranteed a green experience here thanks to a carefully planned and executed range of eco-friendly measures (recycled water, solar-powered lights and showers). Not content with making Mdumbi a model responsible tourism property in its own right, in 2004 the non-profit organisation TransCape was formed to extend the influence of Mdumbi in the spheres of village health, social development and education. This is a year-round destination but, says Johann, it is particularly good in winter. Summer rainfall translates to sunny, wind-free winter days. Complement the great weather with a spectacular influx of marine wildlife during this time of year when dolphins, whales and birds follow massive shoals of silver fish up the coast for the Serengeti of the sea – more commonly known as the Natal sardine run – and what you have is a uniquely South African experience set along one of the most pristine and beautiful coastlines in the world. “There is an imagined safety factor when it comes to the Transkei,” says Johann of issues that deter some people from venturing out here.

“But here we live without burglar bars or locks.” As for the perceived difficulty of getting here, that too is exaggerated. Mdumbi is entirely accessible to self-drivers – Tourism Tattler can confidently report that it’s more than doable in a regular 2X4 low-clearance vehicle such as the Honda Jazz – but should transport be an issue, a reliable shuttle service regularly departs from Mthatha and Coffee Bay. To top it all, this is probably the most affordable way to enjoy all the spoils of the Wild Coast. Accommodation prices start at R130 per person (or R70 per person for camping), adventure activities from R40 to R150, and the healthy, hearty meals cost between R55 and R75*. Enquire about group offers. *Prices from May 2014. For more information contact Johann Stadler on Tel: +27 (0)83 461 1834 or Email: mdumbi@mdumbi.co.za or visit www.mdumbi.co.za. About the Author: Ingrid Sinclair is a freelance travel writer and blogger (www.capetocaracas.com). She holds a BA in English Studies, Media and Writing, and Film Studies, obtained with distinction from the University of Cape Town. Ingrid can be contacted by email: find.ingrid. sinclair@gmail.com

MDUMBI BACKPACKERS FACT SHEET AT A GLANCE Address:

45 Minutes drive North of Coffee Bay, Eastern Cape, SA

Coordinates: Latitude = 31°54’32"S : Longitude = 29°13’78"E Type: Backpackers (Community Resort) Rooms: Traditional Xhosa huts + Camping sites Capacity: 35 beds STO Rates: Available on application Facilities: Hot water showers, flushing toilets, communal kitchen, ablution block for camping sites Services: Community initiatives include: The African Pot, Tata Spargs Place and Mankosi Village Based Accommodation Activities: Surfing, Snorkeling, Fishing, Hiking, Kayaking, Horse Riding Spa: Massages by qalified therapeutic masseuses Gym: No Parking: Free parking on site WiFi: No Restaurants / Bars: Mdumbi Cafe and local 'shebeen' Conference facilities: No Notable: Filmmakers use the site as a production base during shooting. Mdumbi Backpackers is a community driven incentive owned 30% by local employees, 10% of its profits go to a local community legal entity and 9% to the TransCape NGO. APRIL 2014

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

LEGAL

The NEW ‘POPI’ aka PROTECTION

OF PERSONAL INFORMATION ACT

– PART 11 – PRINCIPLE #9

CODES OF CONDUCT

Once issued it will be available for perusal (free) and/or purchase (price to be paid) at the offices of the IPR and on its website – clearly whichever route a business follows (see discussion and suggestions above), the same should apply regarding availability.

The Information Protection Regulator (‘IPR’) may issue a code of conduct (‘COC’) BUT there is also a voluntary option (see below)!

The COC may (but more than likely will) contain provisions to deal with complaints about breaches of the COC and (may) will also deal with spam (see our next insert in the next edition) – it would therefore be extremely practical to combine this complaints procedure with that required for the CPA and kill two birds with one stone! Come to think of it, the industry at large could do exactly the same with the COC as it is required in terms of the CPA as well.

(Sections 60 – 68)

Such COC must inter alia contain the eight principles we have discussed in previous inserts and how they are to be applied – this must be done in plain language (as per the Consumer Protection Act – ‘CPA’ – and in detail) The COC may be issued of by the IPR of his/her own accord or upon request – the latter is allowed in the case of a body that is ‘sufficiently representative of class of bodies, industry or profession’ – this is thus an ideal opportunity for bodies in the travel and tourism industry such as SATSA, ASATA, EXSA, SAACI, SITE and others to self-regulate as opposed to being regulated and prescribed to – it could even be done at an ‘over-arching’ level with industry-wide participation e.g. via the Tourism Business Council (‘TBCSA’) Either way it will be advertised in the Government Gazette (‘GG’) and call for submissions – however who reads the GG: lawyers and insomniacs!? Accordingly I feel it is imperative that the travel,

tourism, incentive travel, event and exhibition industry pool resources and go the ‘voluntary route’ and they must do so ASAP!

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APRIL 2014

Likewise the IPR may issue guidelines for organizations (‘bodies’) to draft their own COC and will keep a register of such ‘approved COC.’ What businesses should do ASAP – it may well be a good idea to review any current COC a business or association may have, and to incorporate (at least!) the above eight principles PLUS spam issues.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide a brief overview of legal matters pertaining to the travel and tourism industry and is not intended as legal advice. © Adv Louis Nel, BENCHMARK, April 2014.

Advertisement sponsored courtesy of Ogilvy & Mather / Tourism Tattler as a service to the travel trade.

APRIL 2014

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

NICHE TOURISM

20 Special Interest Tourism Groups If you thought that Niche Tourism covers just a hand-full of interest groups, think again. In the 5th edition of his book 'Marketing Tourism in South Africa', Richard George identifies 20 distinct Special Interest tourism groups. Avitourists at Caerlaverock, watching Britain's fifth White-tailed Lapwing in 2007. Image: Wikimedia Commons.

Special interest tourism (SIT) to South Africa has increased rapidly in the last few years. Special interest tourists are motivated by the desire to go on holiday and take part in a current interest or develop a new interest in a new or familiar location. Special interest tourism is a niche market, similar to adventure tourism, but it differs in that it involves little or no physical exertion. The special interest may be a one-off interest (for example, going on a safari, white-water-rafting or shark-cage-diving) or an ongoing interest (for example, spiritual tourism). Some of the most popular special interest tourism products include the following: 1. Agri-tourism (also known as agro-tourism or farm-based tourism): This involves activities such as fruit-picking. Tourists may go on tours of working farms or on established tourist routes such as brandy or wine routes. They may visit factories that process farm produce (for example, jam) and may stay overnight in farmhouse B&Bs. 2. Ancestry tourism: Tourists travel to destinations with the aim of learning more about and possibly tracing their ancestors. 3. Architourism (or architectural tourism): Tourists are attracted by the design and buildings of a destination. 4. Avitourism (or birding tourism): Birdwatching is a popular hobby all over the world. Southern Africa is one of the richest birding regions, with a network of birding routes. BirdLife South Africa, a membership-based non-profit organisation, represents the birding tourism sector in South Africa. 5. Battlefields tourism: Tours to former battlefields have grown in popularity. Popular battlefields sites in South Africa include Islandwana in KwaZula-Natal and the Western Front (Normandy, the Somme) in Europe. 6. Eco-tourism (or wildlife tourism): Tourists view the flora or the game of an area. This includes whale-watching. 7. Gambling tourism: Tourists visit casino destinations and holiday in gambling cities that have many casinos. 8. Gastronomy tourism (or food tourism): “Foodies” visit a destination in order to experience cuisine and food festivals. Gastronomy tourism is defined as travel that has food as the primary factor of influence in travel behaviour and in the decision-making process. 9. Lighthouse tourism: Tourists visit and sometimes stay in lighthouses that provide accommodation for tourists. 10. Military tourism: Tourists who visit war memorials, battlefields, forts and war museums. 28

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APRIL 2014

11. Nostalgia tourism: Tourists return to a destination for sentimental reasons. For example, they go back to a destination where they had a memorable childhood holiday, or where they lived or studied in their younger years. 12. Photographic tourism: Tourists visit Africa’s natural and cultural attractions in order to take photographs. 13. Property tourism: Tourists travel to holiday destinations to purchase residential property. The property tourism operator who organises the tour may reimburse all or a portion of the cost of the holiday that was taken in order to view the property if the tourist purchases the property. 14. Rural tourism (or Cultural tourism): This includes homestays so that tourists can experience rural life and food. 15. Safari tourism: Tourists participate in art safaris and rail safaris. 16. Spa tourism: Tourists visit mineral or hot springs. This type of niche tourism is not bound to any season. It is a year-round activity. 17. Wedding tourism: This involves honeymooners and couples wishing to have their wedding ceremonies in Africa. Wedding tourists tend to travel in quite large numbers. 18. Wellness or spiritual tourism: Tourists come to a destination in order to unwind and enjoy reflexology and massages, for example. 19. Wildlife tourism: Tourists participate in activities such as safaris, viewing marine wildlife and photographing wildlife. 20. Wine tourism: Tourists visit wine-growing regions and wine routes, vineyards, wineries (cellar tours and tasting rooms), wine festivals and so on, for the purpose of consuming or purchasing wine. South Africa has excellent wine regions and offers a variety of additional benefits to wine tourists, including natural and cultural visitor attractions. The country’s wine routes are ranked as the fourth most popular visitor attraction for international and domestic tourists. The winelands in the Western Cape, Napa Valley in California, the USA and Adelaide in Australia are examples of world-class wine tourism destinations. About the Author: Richard George is an Assocociate Professor and Research Director at the School of Management, University of Cape Town. For more information Telephone: +27 (0)21 650 4245 or Email richard.george@uct.ac.za or visit the Book Website at: www.commerce.uct.ac.za/marketingtourism or www.oxford.co.za

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography

Understanding the Golden Hour The best photographs are usually taken when the light is soft, and besides cloud cover, or smog, you can guarantee that the light will be softer in the first hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset than it would be in the harsh light of midday. By Peter Wickham.

Light conditions become clear when one determines the behaviour of light in relation to conditions in the earth’s atmosphere. The earth’s atmosphere contains dust particles, gasses and water vapour. When light hits these atoms it scatters and therefore will arrive at your subject from differing angles; thereby filling in what should be hard shadowed area lit by a single light source.

"spotlight" sunlight to showcase our focalpoint in the photograph. This also has a benefit, because of hardware limitations in the dynamic range limitations of a camera, that mood is easily created by the background cloud and landscape not directly illuminated, seeming darker than in reality and hence giving a stormy mood to the shot.

It makes sense therefore that the more light travels through the earths atmosphere, the more it will scatter or become diffused and thereby soften the light recorded on a camera.

It is in playing with light conditions and seeing the results that we realise what works and when. One must not be drawn into the idea that the GOLDEN HOUR is only 60 minutes. Depending on the condition of light at the location, this can vary considerably depending on location and also from day to day, even at the same location. Seasonal considerations are also very valid in determining the length of the golden hour. There are times when we can be supplied with excellent diffused light at different times of the day, when photography is usually not at its best and usually occur, for example, when there is cloud cover or smog / fog present. With experience and understanding we learn to use the best conditions for the results required. Landscapes usually require more contrasted light than portraiture and therefore Portraits are best photographed with great diffusion, whereas landscapes require some direct lighting to provide depth to the image, which is provided by shadows. Sometimes when scattered cloud exists, we can wait for partial

Have fun with your camera and don’t be afraid to try different things, but be aware that 90% of the time, diffused light will produce a better photograph, so use the GOLDEN HOUR to your advantage.

About the Author This series of photography tips are by courtesy of Peter Wickham, who is a professional photographer with in excess of thirty years of experience in photography and teaching small groups and/or individual training. Tel: +27 (0)79 670 7356 Email: info@proimpact.co.za Website: www.proimpact.co.za Facebook: Pro impact productions APRIL 2014

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

RISK

Passenger Liability Replacement Tourism Tattler readers may be aware that the Constitutional Court found the amendments to the Road Accident Fund Act to be constitutional. As a result, Passenger Liability insurance is no longer an effective risk transfer solution for Tour Operators on South Africa's roads. So, what other products are available to protect international tourist passengers? By Gavin Courtenay. Because the Constitutional Court ruling effectively takes away the accident victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s common law right to claim against the wrongdoer (i.e. the negligent driver or his employer), road accident victims can only pursue their claims against the Road Accident Fund (RAF). The legislation which amended the RAF Act was widely criticized for various reasons, one being that an accident victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s claims are limited (or capped) in various respects. In this regard an accident victim can only claim damages for pain and suffering in certain circumstances. The amount a victim can claim for a loss of earning capacity is also limited (or capped). The effect of this is that foreign tourists who are injured in motor vehicle accidents in South Africa may well not recover adequate compensation. It is important to bear in mind that the RAF legislation changes are only applicable to motor vehicle accidents that occur in South Africa. So operators who are based in South Africa and operate outside of South Africa need to be aware that other Southern African countries generally do not have such restricted legislation in place and accident victims can generally claim meaningful compensation from the wrongdoer or his employer making it vital that Passenger Liability cover be kept in place for vehicles travelling outside the RSA. It is also important to note that the new RAF legislation only applies to legal action following a motor vehicle accident. The right to sue the wrongdoer following injury from any other incidents outside of the motor vehicle still stands in South Africa. So the need for General Public Liability is essential. Liability insurance is as important as ever Another unfortunate reality is that it can literally take years for a personal injury claim to be finalised before our courts. Although this is not necessarily different in other countries, it has the effect that accident victims are often left to fend for themselves for long periods of time and can be subjected to immense hardship during this period. Moreover these victims have no guarantees that they will ultimately be successful in recovering any money or damages after the legal process has run its course. Risks International agents may well think twice about recommending South Africa as a tourist destination. As South Africa's core inbound markets emanate from European Union countries who are all subject to compliance with the E.C. Directive on Travel and Trade Act, the Agents will find themselves even more exposed to risk. If an injured 30

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APRIL 2014

guests damages cannot be recovered against the local operator, their client will no doubt seek to hold them responsible in terms of said directive. Clearly, it is in every Tour Operators interest to show international agents as well as guests / tourists that they are taking some form of responsibility. Solution After a liability product, the most appropriate insurance that will make payment following an accident that results in injury is a personal accident policy. It is a very simple cover with a capital benefit or sum insured, which will be paid in full following death or injury, and paid in terms of a sliding scale based on severity of injury in the case of permanent disablement. There is also medical costs insurance cover that is included to be used to cover such costs resulting from the accident. One of the main differences between a personal accident product and a liability product is the fact that the personal accident product is on a no fault basis, which means that it will make payment to an injured person regardless of fault. By comparison, a liability product will only make payment to an injured person where there is proven legally liability as a result of negligence on the part of the insured operator that resulted in injuries to said person. So logically the personal accident policy will be more costly as it will pay regardless of fault on behalf of the operator. Example A classic example of this difference would be a situation where an insured operator with six guests in their vehicle is hit by a third party vehicle and three of the guests are killed. The cause of the accident had nothing to do with the insured operators actions, the third party vehicle was at fault. With a liability product nothing would be paid as there was no fault on behalf of the insured, likewise a legal action against the operator would not have been successful for the same reason. In this same situation a personal accident product would pay out in terms of the three dead individuals, despite the fact that there was no fault by the insured.

About the Author. Gavin Courtenay is the Managing Director of SATIB Insurance Brokers, a registered financial services provider with offices through South Africa and in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. For more information, visit www.satib.com

Get the Tourism Insurance Directive booklet DOWNLOAD (PDF)

www.tourismtattler.co.za/satsa-insurance-directive.pdf

PRINTED COPY

Collect at SATSAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offices: 3rd Floor, Petrob House, 343 Surrey Avenue, Ferndale, Johannesburg or email communications@satsa.co.za (Note that a nominal fee will be charged for admin, postage or courier costs)

* The Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) is the only inbound tourism NGO to have established a Lost Advances Fund whereby members, and clients of members, have access to a measure of financial protection to cover forward booking deposits in case of the involuntary liquidation of a member. We call this SATSA Bonded (Terms and conditions apply - for more information visit www.satsa.com).

APRIL 2014

Tourism Tattler Trade Journal

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