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Contents Issue 03 (March) 2015
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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
BUSINESS: How to keep itineraries current.
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
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ONLINE ADVERTISING BANNER ADS www.tourismtattler.com/advertising_rates BUSINESS DIRECTORY LISTINGS www.tourismtattler.com/business-directory
MARKETING: Tech Trends that will Influence Travel in South Africa.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
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BACK ISSUES (Click on the covers below). ▼ Feb 2015
▼ Jan 2015
▼ Dec 2014
▼ Nov 2014
▼ Oct 2014
▼ Sep 2014
20
NICHE TOURISM: Accessible Tourism For All . IN THIS ISSUE
04 05 06 ▼ Aug 2014
▼ Jul 2014
▼ Jun 2014
08 11 15 16
▼ May 2014
▼ Apr 2014
▼ Mar 2014
Adv. Louis Nel Des Langkilde 02 06 07 07
▼ Feb 2014
▼ Jan 2014
▼ Dec 2013
EDITORIAL Accreditation Cover Story Article Comments BUSINESS SATSA Market Intelligence Report How to keep itineraries current DESTINATIONS Through a Tourist’s Eyes HOSPITALITY The next frontier in revenue mgmt
LEGAL 17 Risk in Tourism - Part 8 MARKETING 18 Tech trends in South African travel NICHE TOURISM 20 Accessible Tourism For All 22 Manual on Accessible Tourism TRADE NEWS Visit our website for daily travel news
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Jean Francois Mourier Martin Jansen van Vuuren Justin Mackrory Rian Bornman
MAGAZINE About Branding World Travel Market Africa SATIB Insurance Brokers Southen Africa Tourism Services Assoc.
SPONSORS 09 10 11 14
Comair / kulula.com City Lodge Travelogic Campaign Against Canned Hunting
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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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.
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. RETOSA Member States are Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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. SATSA represents: Transport providers, Tour Operators, DMC's, Accommodation Suppliers, Tour Brokers, Adventure Tourism Providers, Business Tourism Providers and Allied Tourism Services providers.
Southern African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (SAVRALA) Contact: manager@savrala.co.za • Website: www.savrala.co.za Founded in the 1970's, SAVRALA is the representative voice of Southern Africa’s vehicle rental, leasing and fleet management sector. Our members have a combined national footprint with more than 600 branches countrywide. SAVRALA are instrumental in steering industry standards and continuously strive to protect both their members’ interests, and those of the public, and are therefore widely respected within corporate and government sectors.
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 tourism 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.
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.
International Institute for Peace through Tourism Tel: +1-802-253-8671 • Website: www.iipt.org The International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) is dedicated to fostering and facilitating tourism initiatives that contribute to international understanding and cooperation, an improved quality of environment, the preservation of heritage, poverty reduction, and the resolution of conflict - and through these initiatives, help bring about a more peaceful and sustainable world.
OTM India 2015 Tel: +9133 4028 4028 • Fax: +9133 2479 0019 • Website: www.otm.co.in OTM is India’s biggest travel trade show, in the largest travel market in India – Mumbai. OTM Mumbai takes place from 4 to 6 February 2015, with an attractive add on option in New Delhi from 10 to 12 February 2015. OTM is the most effective platform to market to the Indian travel industry catering to over 15 million Outbound travellers spending over US$ 10 billion and over 500 million domestic tourists – at least 10% of them with an immediate potential to also travel abroad.
World Travel Market - WTM Africa 2015 - WTM Latin America 2015 - WTM London 20145 WTM Africa takes place in Cape Town, South Africa from 15 to 17 April 2015, WTM Latin America will take place in São Paulo from 22 to 24 April 2015, and WTM - London will take place from 02 to 05 November 2015 in London, England. WTM is the place to do business. 04
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cover story
Our business section provides information on how to keep itineraries and inventory current (pages 11 to 13), while our DMO contributor looks at holiday likes and dislikes through a tourist's eyes.
Operating a successful tourism enterprise is like fitting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together without a reference – you only get to see part of the bigger picture as each of the pieces fall into place. As an analogy, imagine each jigsaw piece to be knowledge on a specific subject. The first corner piece would be knowledge gained through your own experience and primary, secondary and tertiary education, followed with quaternary, quinary, senary, septenary, octonary, nonary, and even denary education. Other pieces would represent latent talent, ambition and entrepreneurship, while yet others would be blank pieces – waiting to be filled. In the March edition of Tourism Tattler, we provide a few pieces of knowledge, that we hope will help fill the blank pieces in your puzzle. But remember the wise words of Confucius: "He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger." In this edition we provide the latest South African Hotel Stats for the full 2014 year, which shows that hotel occupancies stabilised and room rates continued to improve, resulting in Average Room Occupancy (ARO) of 62.5%, with an Average Room Rate (ARR) of R1,019 and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) at R637 across all hotels (page 08).
EDITORIAL
The hospitality section explores the next frontier in revenue management: Big Data for Hoteliers (page 16). Our legal beagle, Louis the Lawyer continues his series on the law and contracts with Part 8 in this series (page 17). In the marketing section, we look at trends that will influence travel in South Africa (page 18). And finally, our Niche Tourism section looks at Accessible Tourism by providing recommendations from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and a review on their latest publication, the UNWTO Manual on Accessible Tourism for All (pages 20 to 23). As usual, our content is free to distribute and I encourage you to share and comment on articles published on our website – you may just win a Dietz Monarch Hurricane Lantern for taking the time to do so (see page 6 for more info). Yours in Tourism, Des Langkilde. editor@tourismtattler.com
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Article Comments Article comments, 'Likes' and 'Shares' received on the Tourism Tattler website and Social Media pages.
Wi n
The winning comment, 'Like' or 'Share' posted on the Tattler website or Social Media pages during the month of March 2015 will receive a Dietz Monarch D10 Hurricane Lantern with the compliments of Livingstones Supply Co – Suppliers of the Finest Products to the Hospitality Industry.
The Dietz Monarch was first introduced in 1900, and has been produced in at least seven distinct variations continuously over the past 108 years. The first and oldest style Monarch had a flat top tank, un-reinforced air tubes, and a 9/16" fuel cap.
Connect with Livingstones on:
The global leading event for the African travel industy. Don’t miss out, register now!
Register now wtmafrica.com 06
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www.livingstonessupplyco.co.za
The Mark of Quality Tourism The SATSA logo is your assurance of credible hospitality, transport and affiliated tourism service providers, who comply with a strict code of business practice and ethics. Booking with a SATSA member ensures a top quality holiday and peace of mind. * Subject to Terms & Conditions
To find a member visit www.satsa.com for more information or call +27 (0)11 886 9996 or email memberships@satsa.co.za MARCH 2015
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BUSINESS
BUSINESS & FINANCE
Market Intelligence Report The information below was extracted from data available as at 05 March 2015. By Martin Jansen van Vuuren of Grant Thornton.
ARRIVALS
The latest available data from Statistics South Africa is for January to March 2014: Current period
Change over same period last year
133 455
-2.8%
97 507
6.6%
UK Germany USA
81 419
9.8%
India
24 556
-5.1%
42 292
-0.4%
737 374
3.2%
China Overseas Arrivals (excl same day visitors) African Arrivals
1 842 630
5.8%
Total Foreign Arrivals
2 583 034
4.9%
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
Current period
Average Room Occupancy (ARO)
Average Room Rate (ARR)
Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR)
All Hotels in SA
62.5%
R 1 019
R 637
All 5-star hotels in SA
62.2%
R 1 807
R 1 125
All 4-star hotels in SA
61.3%
R 972
R 596
All 3-star hotels in SA
63.5%
R 823
R 523
Change over same period last year All Hotels in SA
0.4%
6.8%
7.3%
All 5-star hotels in SA
1.7%
6.9%
8.8%
All 4-star hotels in SA
-1.2%
5.8%
4.5%
All 3-star hotels in SA
1.5%
6.7%
8.3%
ACSA DATA
The latest available data from ACSA is for January to December 2014: Change over same period last year Passengers arriving on International Flights
Passengers arriving on Regional Flights
Passengers arriving on Domestic Flights
OR Tambo International
0.6%
4.1%
1.2%
Cape Town International
6.1%
6.4%
2.9%
King Shaka International
9.6%
N/A
-0.7%
CAR RENTAL DATA The latest available data from SAVRALA is for January to November 2014: Current period Industry rental days Industry utilisation Industry Average daily revenue
Change over same period last year
14 608 345
-0.2%
69.8%
-2.1%
N/A
N/A
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR MY BUSINESS
Foreign arrivals data from Statistics South Africa is still not available beyond March 2014. ACSA data is also only available to December 2014 Hotel stats from STR Global for the full 2014 year shows that hotel occupancies are stabilising but that the achieved room rates continue to improve, resulting in improved RevPar. The results from January 2015 shows that all standards of hotels have experienced lower occupancies than the same period in 2014. The achieved room rates continued to improve resulting in slightly improved RevPar. Given the stabilisation of room occupancies and the expected stabilisation of achieved room rates (which cannot keep growing at high levels for long periods), the strong growth in RevPar is expected to stabilise at lower growth levels. 08
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For more information contact Martin at Grant Thornton on +27 (0)21 417 8838 or visit: http://www.gt.co.za
The latest available data from STR Global is for January to December 2014:
KINGJAMES 30444
14 routes 6 cities a whole lot of flying When your customers want to go places, kulula is the airline to take them there. O.R. Tambo |
Lanseria |
Durbs |
Cape Town |
George |
East London
MARCH 2015 30444_Trade_279x216.indd 1
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2014/09/17 10:09 AM
MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME, WHEREVER BUSINESS TAKES YOU IN SOUTHERN AFRICA From Bellville to Bryanston and Port Elizabeth to Gaborone, we have 53 conveniently located hotels that will make you feel right at home (and won’t break the bosses’ budget either)
GCL112
Whether it’s at a Courtyard Hotel, City Lodge Hotel, Town Lodge or Road Lodge, we have a conveniently located hotel to suit all pockets
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How to: Keep itineraries current
BUSINESS
For most tour operators and travel agents, checking inventory rates and booking availability for their clients itineraries is a time consuming and frustrating task. But it doesn't need to be – there are online solutions to integrate the process, writes Des Langkilde. As a tour operator, travel agent or booking agent, you might recognise the problem: If you want to book with independent accommodation or activity suppliers, it requires email ping-pong, phone calls and a tedious invoicing process, all while your client is clamouring to have a quote or booking done as quickly as possible, before they shop elsewhere. Imagine having access to the available inventory and rates of all your suppliers in one place and being able to book them securely online without having to pick up the phone. A supplier who understands how African hospitality establishments work. Someone who
specialises in attracting customers with African experience. Someone who understands how your transfers and extras work, and who can assist you to book your rooms, without you having to do anything! When speaking to the local industry to ask about this problem, I realised that Southern Africa already has home-grown, world-class solutions, with an added benefit: They focus on African suppliers and connect to agents and channels that bring inbound travel to Africa. Three of the most popular online booking management and distribution systems used in Southern Africa are Travelogic, NightsBridge, and ResRequest.
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BUSINESS
There are some distinct differences in terms of travel sector specialisation with these three companies. So, to gain clarity let’s take a look at each of these software purveyors in turn.
Travelogic Travelogic focuses on tour operators by providing software that streamlines the booking process, thus allowing for efficiency and accuracy while quoting. Travelogic’s Managing Director, Lindsay De Heer explains; “The development of Travelogic™ started in 2003 in collaboration with five top African tour operators, and was created to address specific industry challenges and to encourage the automation of essential tourism processes. "Our product streamlines the booking process by allowing for efficiency and accuracy while quoting. With a detailed database of all suppliers, an efficient quoting system, excellent itinerary templates, invoicing functionality and vouchers, our software is available for businesses of all sizes around the world. "We have a development team who are constantly working on and improving our product. We pride ourselves in customer support which means that we continue to listen to our clients requirements allowing the product to evolve to suit their specific needs. Our management team have a wealth of experience in both tour operating and software development, which means that we are able to provide real solutions to our clients. We assist with implementation, training and database management and have 3rd party relationships that allow for live availability and rates,” says De Heer.
A screenshot of Travelogic's tour operator itinerary feature. 12
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NightsBridge NightsBridge is an aggregator. This means they connect to over 4000 independent Guest Houses, B&Bs, lodges and boutique hotels, and have the available inventory and rates for all of these, in real-time. This inventory is available for instant online booking to tour operators, traditional travel agents, online travel agents (like Booking.com and Expedia), as well as regional tourism organisations and even small marketing groups that want an easy online interface. The real story of how NightsBridge started eleven years ago was as a result of a frustrating last minute search for a honeymoon booking. “After discovering that searching for accommodation in South Africa meant sending an endless number of email enquiries to which few replied in time, my partner Neil and I knew that there had to be a better way to book online. And so, NightsBridge was born. From the start in 2005, we expanded into many different countries in Africa and have an ever increasing list of online partners,” says NightsBridge Director, Theresa Emerick. “We’re proud to have built an effective “bridge” between suppliers and marketing channels to solve the availability problem on both sides of the equation.” So, what makes NightsBridge different? If you own a guesthouse or hotel, the main benefits are: • Easy to use and install. It can connect to over 21 different frontoffice systems (property management systems) to in turn connect your inventory to channels. Or: use the nightsbridge front-office system — which 80% of their clients do. • No commission. NightsBridge does not charge commission for
Nightbridge's software aggregator works on all device platforms.
BUSINESS
bookings from your own web site. All your marketing efforts are aimed at getting guests to your site, so why give the money away when they book directly with you?; • Increase web visibility. NightsBridge have loads of marketing partners who will showcase your property to thousands of online accommodation seekers. Guests see you in their availability searches on these sites and contact you or book directly; As an agent or operator: • Get access to thousands of suppliers with real-time inventory and booking capabilities. • Integrate into your own systems, or use an easy plug-and-play online solution to get going quickly. • Solve the fulfilment problem with one of NightsBridge’s payment solutions to settle with your small suppliers.
ResRequest ResRequest focuses on Safari Lodges and Boutique Hotels by providing a software suite comprised of central reservations, property management, customer relationship management, online reservations, business analysis and accounting. Within ResRequest's product offering is a FREE business to business interface called ResConnect, which enables remote lodges to have a greater online presence and increase their sales by having real time inventory available for their agents. According to their website, ResConnect is a safe and hassle-free way to streamline agent business whilst having full control of the shared information. The word 'Free' invariably comes with strings attached, so to check
out the sincerity of this claim, I spoke to one of ResRequest’s founders, Jill Bennett-Howes. "Yes, ResConnect is a free interface designed specifically for tour operators and travel agents. It became apparent that many of our ResRequest Enterprise safari lodge and boutique hotel clients work with agents and need to share their inventory in real-time, 24/7. We developed ResConnect to electronically communicate our clients room availability and rates data live to other products and websites – including tour operating systems, travel agents with their own internal systems, websites and booking channels. Bookings created from third-party systems are then automatically recorded in ResRequest," says Bennett-Howes. The three companies also work together: Travelogic uses inventory from NightsBridge to provide efficient booking and quoting within their tour operator system. And NightsBridge integrates properties using ResRequest to online channels to increase their distribution and online reach. So, to recap; If you are still using a diary or Excel spreadsheet to keep your bookings up-to-date, these are the main suppliers of tried and tested automated software systems that have been designed to keep your itineraries and inventory bookings current, and the process a lot easier. In addition, a big value-add is that Travelogic, NightsBridge and ResRequest can interconnect with each other, which enables even more establishments to distribute their availability to an extensive network of local and international marketing channels, such as Expedia, Wetu and TripAdvisor.
For more information visit: NightsBridge www.nightsbridge.com Travelogic www.travelogic.co.za ResRequest www.resrequest.com A screenshot of ResConnect-Nova. A front-end of ResConnect currently being piloted.
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Advertisement sponsored in the interests of conservation.
DESTINATIONS
Through a Tourist’s Eyes The other evening, a tennis partner asked me what my likes and dislikes are when on holiday. Here's how I answered, writes Justin Mackrory, CEO for UGU South Coast Tourism. To begin with, even if one is in a questionable destination (Buffalo USA springs to mind) it is the people and their attitude to visitors that makes all the difference. It is that accommodation or restaurant proprietor who makes you feel as if you are their most valued customer. Where service staff actually pay attention to one’s needs and deliver in good time, their contribution is immense. It is the local who realises that you are not from their area and shows genuine interest in your stay and offers informed advice on what to do and where to go. I was once in Malawi and during a storm we were outdoors in a popular meeting place and with the rain teeming down a total stranger from Malawi turned to me and said “Welcome to Blantyre- let me buy you a “Green” (local lingo for their favourite beer).” It was the friendliest beer I have ever had. Polite and helpful law enforcement officials who are also well versed on their destination can really add comfort to the experience. Where attractions are busy and crowd control is effortless and efficient, the pain of waiting, barging and rowdy tour groups is averted. My major dislike is the proverbial rip off- when price paid does not meet expectation or if the price is way over the top in the first place. A financially abused visitor will tell the world- hence my conviction
that the South Coast as a reasonably priced destination will sustain its tourism volumes- as long as quality matches the price promise. This brings me to the tourism environment – if it is safe, clean, well managed, aesthetically pleasing and friendly then it gets a big tick from visitors. Sometimes tourist areas that are, or have been, popular fall foul of that scourge called complacency and even here in Paradise we need to be vigilant against this counter-productive scenario. In closing, last week I went to one of our popular beaches and was stunned when a car guard who I had never seen before (and I do not often go to that beach) addressed me by name. I asked him how he knew who I was. “I read The South Coast Fever” he said with a smile. Well if that guard also remembers the names of the regular clients at the nearby restaurant, his gratuity levels must go through the roof! I was not after an ego massage but his attention as to who comes and who goes is worthy of praise – it does make a difference. In tourism the pundits say: “If all the little things are done all the time, with sincere attention to the client then the big rewards come through.” May we all work towards this ideal here in the Paradise of KwaZulu-Natal's South Coast. For more information visit www.tourismsouthcoast.co.za
www.tourismsouthcoast.co.za MARCH 2015
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HOSPITALITY
The Next Frontier in Revenue Management: Big Data for Hoteliers Big Data seems to have been the buzzword in most industries for the last five years. But unlike many other industries that have integrated Big Data as a key component of their operations, the hotel industry is lagging very far behind, writes Jean Francois Mourier. In my opinion, this is a big – and costly – mistake to make! You might be asking yourself: “How can my hotel leverage the power of Big Data?” But before I explain how your property can use Big Data to generate significant increases in occupancy, Average Daily Rate (ADR) and RevPAR, let’s go back to the basics. (Note that underlined terms have been hyper-linked for more information on the subject matter - Editor). What is Big Data? Google defines Big Data as “extremely large data sets that may be analysed computationally to reveal patterns, trends and associations, especially relating to human behaviour and interactions”. Wikipedia defines Big Data as: “a broad term for data sets so large or complex that they are difficult to process using traditional data processing applications. Challenges include [the] analysis, capture, curation, search, sharing, storage, transfer, visualization, and information privacy.” What does all of that mean? Basically, Big Data is a large amount of data (it is not specific to a certain type of data) that is unable to be analysed by traditional
methods – either manual or technological. Because the data is so complex and has so many elements, it needs highly advanced technology to effectively capture and analyse the data, in order to provide a valid conclusion or usable information. The hotel industry is the perfect one for the implementation of Big Data analytics. Due to the huge number of competing hotels in most destinations, the never-ending list of online travel agencies (OTAs), historical rate data and the fact that most properties change rates at least once daily (in fact, rates should be updated in real-time, but unfortunately for most hoteliers, time constraints and limited access to advanced technology don’t allow for it), there is a plethora of data available to hoteliers that can be leveraged to more effectively price their rooms. By taking all of those factors into consideration – as well as observing and analysing regions and each hotel’s patterns, a property’s rates can change as the market conditions do, ensuring that the rate offered (via the online channels) is always the best rate, at the right time, to ensure the highest number of bookings and the highest revenue from each. Only a very, very complex technology can execute this type of analysis and continue to update the rates in real-time. By updating rates in real time, hotels will experience a significant increase in occupancy, ADR and RevPAR. At the end of the day, information is power – but only if you can access it or use it properly. Is your property leveraging Big Data to ensure that you are always offering the best rate, at the best time, updated in real time – and experiencing the huge financial benefits of doing so? If your answer is no, there is are tried and tested solutions out there. For more information visit www.revparguru.com About the author. Jean Francois Mourier is the CEO of REVPAR GURU, a company that provides hotels around the world with an alternative revenue management software solution, designed to deliver maximum bookings and profits.
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Legal
LEGAL
In Part 1 (page 36 - August 2014), I categorised risk into five categories, namely; 1. PEOPLE, 2. MONEY, 3. LAW, 4. SERVICE and 5. ECOLOGY. I will be dealing with the risk profile of each, i.e. broadly speaking the areas of risk that any business is exposed to can been allocated under these five categories. In Part 2, (page 22 - September 2014), I covered the category of 'People' under four sub-categories: Staff (discussed in Part 1); Third party service providers (‘TPSP’); and Business Associates.
RISK
IN TOURISM – PART 8 –
THE LAW: CONTRACTS REQUISITE #2: LEGALLY BINDING OBLIGATION Put differently, the parties (both of them) must have the intention to engage in a commitment that is enforceable in a court of law. They must envisage and appreciate that not keeping their side of the bargain can lead to dire legal consequences. This context clearly excludes the casual comment, jocular observation or so-called gentleman’s “agreement” (really a contradiction in terms). Accordingly when you make an observation to a customer but do not want to be held to it, you should qualify it suitably e.g. “To the best of my knowledge”, “without prejudice", “to the best of my personal knowledge”, “I’ll do my best to get you a window seat”. REQUISITE #3: CONSENSUS AD IDEM Let’s go back to our discussion on Offer and Acceptance i.e. “A” offers a product or service to “B” (the customer). There can be no agreement if the parties ‘are not on the same wavelength’. It must be clear from the offer made by A (verbally, via a brochure or a website) what is being offered. Conversely it must be clear that is what B is accepting. This is an area where the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) has enhanced the protection of the consumer and conversely has placed a greater burden on the supplier: not only must advertising not mislead, but the supplier must also ensure that there is no misapprehension on the part of the consumer. So for example if the brochure is not clear, you may have a problem. Let’s take the example of the keen golfer wanting to go to Mauritius for a (primarily) golfing holiday. The brochure (A’s offer) creates the impression (“nearby”/”in close proximity”) that the golf course is close to the hotel where B is staying. However, when the customer gets there, he discovers that the golf course is 20 kilometres away; and we all know that 20 kilometres on most Mauritian roads is quite a long (bumpy!) way. The situation could have been different if the brochure had been more explicit or if the travel agent had explained it to the customer. Note that if there is no consensus there is no contract, and thus no basis for a contractual action based on breach – however the customer could sue you for misrepresentation (delict or tort) on the basis that the supplier owed him a duty of care and one remedy
Part 3 (page 24 - October 2014), continued with 'PEOPLE' as Customers. Part 4 (page 27 - November 2014), started the discussion on the 2nd category, namely 'MONEY' in terms of CASH and CHEQUES. Part 5 (page 23 - December 2014), looked at CREDIT and CREDIT CARDS. Part 6 (page 25 - January 2015), looked at LAW and CONTRACTS, with an introduction and Requisite #1: Offer & Acceptance. Part 7 (page 18- February 2015), continued with Requisite #1 covering telephone enquiries, e-mails, websites and advertising. In this issue we cover Requisites #2 & 3 in terms of obligations relating to offers and acceptances in contracts.
may be that the supplier is then forced to deliver what the customer thought he was delivering! It is therefore important for consultants to go on educationals and understand the products and services you provide or make it your business to visit the supplier’s website so that you know the product or service ‘inside out’. You should also ensure that brochures you stock, display or provide are detailed enough. It may be useful to have a right of recourse clause in your contract with the supplier and even an indemnity against any CPA claims. An issue that is raised from time to time by a party contesting the validity of a contract is a lack of consensus due to duress. What constitutes duress? Paragon v Du Preez (1994 SE) held that: • Duress requires a threat of some considerable evil which is imminent or inevitable; • However it must also be proved, whereas in fact in this case it would appear that there had been no threat, it was irrationally perceived and was unreasonable. It was held in van den Bergh v Boomprops (1999 – TPD) that economic duress did not void a contract unless the threat amounted to an unlawful action or was against public policy (restated in Medscheme v Bhamjee [2005 – SCA], although the court did say that the ‘threat of economic ruin’ may, in appropriate circumstances amount to duress). The test to determine whether or not there is consensus was addressed as follows regarding a court case where an amateur claimed a prize for a hole in one when the sponsor’s intention was that the competition was only open to professionals: ‘The crucial question is whether a reasonable person in the position of the offeree would have accepted the offer in the belief that it represented the true intention of the offeror’ (Steyn v LSA Motors – 1994 AD). The notice board at the hole in question did not differentiate between amateurs and professionals, but as a rule amateurs only won prizes worth a couple of hundred rand. (a similar decision was reached in Bourbon-Leftley v WPK – 1999 CPD) where the court found inter alia that it was uncertain what the offer entailed. 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, 'Louis The Lawyer', March 2015. MARCH 2015
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MARKETING
Tech Trends that will Influence Travel in SA
There are over 1,000 independent travel consultants (ITCs) in South Africa, and this number will grow significantly in coming years. This article focuses on the top 10 technology trends that are set to influence travel in 2015 and how forward-thinking ITCs can adapt, writes Rian Bornman.
Offering greater flexibility and independence, becoming an ITC is an increasingly attractive career for those new to the travel industry as well as seasoned agents looking for a lifestyle change. But, it’s not without its challenges. Like most sectors, travel is being “disrupted”. In other words technology is creating new demand for its countless products and services by rethinking old business models and behaviours.
01 The Sharing Economy On 2014’s New Year’s Eve 500,000 people stayed in an AirBnB proving the power of peer-to-peer. And while accommodation and taxi services can expect to see these numbers increase as more people become comfortable with the concept, he says it’s unlikely to affect air travel. This is because 80% of the R37bn travel industry in South Africa is still booked through a travel agency. Agents add value to the booking process by servicing government, corporates, and small businesses more effectively than they could do it themselves from a procurement perspective. In the leisure space they add value by giving expert advice to seasoned as well as first-time travellers. The human touch remains important in the South African market.
03 Increased interest in the African market International players like Booking.com see Africa as the last frontier in terms of global expansion. Expect an explosion of international travel sites in the African market this year. As our travel market matures we’ll see the emergence of two types of players survive and then dominate: Large OTA’s that compete successfully for the broader market using their size and scale or specialised vendors who focus on a niche segment. Travel agents who cannot compete on a large scale would do well to take a step back now, see who of their customers they service best, and then focus on doing that well. T
04 The use of data We’re producing tons of data and every business, no matter how big or small, that gets to grips with how to use this information is likely to succeed. ITCs that gather information on how their customers book, where they travel, what they book and when they book can speak to their clients in a personalised way, which increases the chance of converting a sale.
02 05 Rethink the customer experience to succeed A recent survey by E&Y shows only 1 in 4 customers are now brand loyal. This indicates that customers are becoming less influenced by traditional brand building, like billboards and TV advertising, and more value is being placed on the overall customer journey. Companies that focus on delivering experiential customer journeys are more likely to build repeat business because customers now buy experiences and not just products. 18
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The massive influence of User Generated Marketing Thanks to the meteoric rise of social media, advertising your business is now in the hands of your customer. If they like you, they’ll tell everyone about your business for you via Instagram, Tripadvisor, Facebook, Twitter and now Storie – for free! It’s in an ITC’s interest to understand these new marketing channels and use them.
MARKETING
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06 The new walk-in is mobile
Desktop decline
Years ago hotels would try and attract walk-ins with last minute specials. Nothing has changed, except now hoteliers targeting smart phones with same day booking specials will catch them. However, this is not to say that the role of the agent is dead. As a PhocusRight study pointed out recently “Mobile devices will certainly not be replacing agents. True, mobile can be a useful tool for on-the-go product research and some of the more simple booking processes, but many bookings are just more easily and conveniently done with the assistance of an experienced, live human being.”
Online players need to invest in the best responsive experience possible as users check a price on mobile, research more on a tablet and perhaps book on a laptop or even still a desktop. The only behavioural certainty is that it could be any device and unlikely to be a PC.
10 The African traveller
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Companies that gain a deeper understanding of how to effectively communicate to the rising black middle class market segment using available technology and data will uncover untapped potential.
Conclusion The rise of meta-search Meta-searches like Kayak and Momondo.com do a better job than Google in searching for the best fare and then sending the customer to book at the airline or travel agent supplier website. These handy sites will grow in prominence this year in South Africa.
There’s no doubt that technology is influencing purchasing behaviour among leisure and business travellers. Against this changing landscape, I think the opportunity for ITCs is to become specialised service providers who use data to truly understand their clients’ behaviours. In so doing they can ask ‘Hi Mr. Smith, last month you booked a FlySafair ticket to Joburg with me for business and they’ve got a special at the moment, do you have plans to travel again this month?’ This is more tailored, more personal and more human. For more information visit www.flightsiteagent.co.za
08 ITC growth in South Africa The fastest growing segment of the travel industry remains the Independent Travel Consultant and this will continue in 2015 as agents value the flexibility of being self employed using great technology to work on the move.
About the author: Rian Bornman is the founder of B2B travel provider FlightSiteAgent - a registered online travel provider that gives its independent agents access to competitive net fares to sell onto others under their own brand. Launched in March 2013, FlightSiteAgent is an extension of FlightSite (PTY) Ltd, an online travel supplier. It is part of Club Travel, and a subsidiary of Thebe Tourism. While FlightSite Agent’s headquarters are in Tygervalley, Cape Town, its network of affiliated agents can work anywhere in South Africa, providing they have an internet connection.
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NICHE TOURISM
Accessible Tourism For All In the spirit of mainstreaming disability issues, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) General Assembly adopted a Resolution entitled “Accessible Tourism for All�. The following article outlines the resolution as adopted in 2005 to serve as a guideline for the travel trade. I. DEFINITION OF THE TERM "Persons with disabilities" For the purpose of this document the term "persons with disabilities" includes all persons who, owing to the environment being encountered, suffer a limitation in their relational ability and have special needs during travel, in accommodations, and other tourism services, particularly individuals with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities or other medical conditions requiring special care, such as elderly persons and others in need of temporary assistance.
4. Staff should be trained to deal with persons with disabilities courteously and expeditiously, to provide complete information on services and facilities available to them, and to offer assistance to facilitate their access to non-accessible services. 5. Safety officers or their equivalents in tourist establishments and vehicles accommodating and carrying persons with disabilities should, as a rule and at all times, have a list of rooms and compartment numbers occupied by such persons, in case of emergencies.
II. TOURISM INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY
IV. COMMON REQUIREMENTS
1. Tourism literature and other promotional material employed in tourism should provide a clear indication of accessible services and facilities, preferably accompanied by easily understandable international symbols. 2. Tourist reception areas (tourist destinations) should provide a listing of support services for tourists with disabilities. Listings of such services should include, as a rule, repair and replacement facilities for prostheses and equipment, veterinary clinics for guide dogs, and suppliers and distributors of specialized medical services. 3. Reservation systems should include unequivocal data on the level of accessibility of facilities and services advertised to persons with disabilities, in order to ensure correct information and facilitate booking procedures. 4. Reservation systems should be accessible so that any tourist can interact with them independently. To this end, websites and other reservation systems should be designed in such a way as to be usable by everyone. 5. Those entrusted with receiving and following up on tourism consumer complaints should register and resolve complaints concerning the failure to provide services and facilities promoted or advertised as accessible, by a clearly designated procedure.
The following should be considered common requirements in tourism facilities and sites:
III. PREPARATION OF STAFF 1. The staff of tourism establishments and tourism-related services should be prepared to understand and deal with the problems facing customers with disabilities. 2. Staff should receive adequate training in the control and provision of services and the operation of facilities designated for customers with disabilities. 3. Among the staff there should be persons familiar with means of communicating with persons with sensory impairments. 20
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1. Parking areas1 (a) Special parking areas should be available for the vehicles of persons with reduced mobility bearing proper identification as near to the entrance/exit of the building or sites as possible. Such areas should be monitored so that they are not used by non-disabled persons. (b) Specially designated set-down and pick-up points should be situated as near as possible to the entrance/exit of the building or site for the arrival and departure of passengers with disabilities. Such points should be monitored so that they are not encumbered by other vehicles or objects. (c) Individual parking spaces should be sufficiently large to enable passengers with disabilities to move comfortably between cars and wheelchairs and be situated so that persons using wheelchairs, crutches or braces are not compelled to move behind cars. To the extent possible, the access route to the site or building should be sheltered. 2. Signage (a) Information, check-in and ticketing desks should be clearly indicated and have an accessible customer-service area reserved for use by persons with reduced mobility and as near as possible to the entrance. (b) Announcements should be both visual (clear-type on electronic notice- boards or large video screens) and acoustic (preceded by a tone). (c) Accessible services and facilities should be clearly indicated easily understood symbols of adequate size and in chromatic contrast with the background. 1
With respect to air transport and related facilities, transport and parking areas at terminal buildings and related facilities, specific and detailed recommendations are included in Chapter 9.11 of ICAO document 9184 Airport Planning Manual and in Chapter 6 (International Airports Facilities and Services for Traffic) of Annex 9 to the Convention on Civil Aviation (Ninth Edition) and the related guidance material in the Attachment thereto.
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3. Elevators In multi-storey structures an adequate number of elevators should be large enough for a person using a wheelchair to enter and turn easily. They should be especially designated and equipped for easy operation by such persons and by those who are blind (i.e., placement of controls, indications in Braille, acoustic and written information). 4. Public telephones Public telephones should be designed and laid out for public use in such a way that they can be used by everyone regardless of height, mobility problems, or sensory problems. To this end, height, approach clearances, sound amplification, formats in which information is provided, etc., should be taken into account. 5. Public toilets Accessible toilet stalls and washbasins should be installed at the same location as the standard toilets. Both the dimensional aspects and the technical aids needed to move from the wheelchair to the water closet and vice versa shall be taken into account in such toilet stalls. Consideration should also be given to the approach clearances to the water closet and washbasin, as well as to faucets and flushing mechanisms. 6. Pricing Regardless of additional expenditures which may be necessary to obtain accessible services and facilities, such services and facilities shall not give rise to an increase in rates for customers with disabilities. V. REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING SPECIFIC FACILITIES 3 A. Terminals, stations and related facilities 1. Shuttle services to and from all terminals, stations and related facilities for the various modes of transport should be readily accessible to passengers with reduced mobility, particularly those using wheelchairs. 2. Terminals should, where possible, be on one level and should be equipped with ramps where there is a change in elevation. Accessible ramps, elevators or platform lifts should be provided when necessary. 3. All information provided shall take into account the special needs of persons with sensory problems. Therefore, all information should be in visual and acoustic format. Both formats shall be made available to the public in such a way as to ensure that the information is perceived under the best possible conditions, in terms of ambient noise as well as lighting and figure-background contrast. 4. In order to allow those with sight impairments and those with hearing loss to cross all roads of access safely, these should be provided with traffic lights with acoustic and visual signals. 5. Access to modes of transport should be as simple as possible, with assistance available when requested. 6. Persons in wheelchairs who are required to transfer to special boarding chairs should be able to do so as near to the mode of transport as possible, with their wheelchairs being handled, stowed, and transported so as to be immediately available undamaged on arrival at their destination or transfer point. B. Accommodation facilities 1. A reasonable number of rooms in an accommodation establishment should be fully accessible to a person in a wheelchair without assistance. 2. Such rooms should be designed in such a way as to allow all users to carry out the actions of moving, grasping, locating, and communicating easily and independently. This shall apply also to bathrooms and terraces if the room is so equipped. 3. To this end, the space and technical aids needed to allow any manoeuvre to be carried out easily and safely shall be taken into account. The needs of persons with impaired dexterity, blind persons, and deaf persons shall be taken into account in the design of all devices and actuators.
4. Such rooms in an establishment should be fitted with alarm systems suitable for deaf visitors and a system of communication between the reception desk and the room that is suitable for such persons. 5. Corridors and passageways should be of a width to allow the passage of two wheelchairs so they are not blocked in normal traffic; otherwise, crossing zones should be provided. 6. The foregoing recommendations should also apply to camping facilities, particularly in respect of accessible bathrooms and toilets as well as alarm systems. C. Catering facilities A representative number of restaurants, cafeterias, cafes and bars in the area should provide accessible facilities which take into account ease of exterior access, furniture designed to enable their utilization by users in wheelchairs, bars at different heights, menus in Braille and with easily readable type, accessible bathrooms, etc. Such establishments should be clearly marked to make them easy to find. D. Museums and other buildings of tourist interest 1. Museums and other buildings of historic, cultural and religious interest, which are available for tourist visits, should resolve problems that may be encountered by visitors with reduced mobility in their horizontal or vertical movement, by providing ramps or elevators as the case may be. 2. The information provided shall take into account the needs of deaf or blind visitors. To this end, all information shall be provided in both written and acoustic form. 3. Visitor relations staff shall have the necessary training to attend to visitors with disabilities. They shall also have the necessary training to be able to communicate with deaf persons. 4. There should be a suitable service for loaning out wheelchairs or other devices for visitors with reduced mobility. E. Excursions 1. Sightseeing buses should be able to accommodate tourists with physical disabilities and should provide both audio and visual information and other assistance to blind and deaf people en route. 2. Wherever possible sightseeing companies should employ sign language interpreters for deaf and hearing-impaired tourists and/or printed descriptive material at all visit sites. F. Conference facilities In addition to the other characteristics mentioned earlier and applying to buildings (entrances, telephones, toilets, signing, elevators, parking facilities, etc.), conference facilities should be equipped with adequate seating facilities or reserved areas for persons in wheelchairs as well as special hearing devices and/or magnetic induction loops for persons with hearing impairments. G. Major roads Facilities and installations available to travellers on major through roads, including toll roads, should feature accessible facilities and services for travellers with disabilities. Published with acknowledgement to UNWTO: www.unwto.org Note: Adopted by resolution A/RES/492(XVI)/10 at the sixteen session of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (Dakar, Senegal, 28 November – 2 December 2005), on the recommendation of the Quality Support and Trade Committee. In October 2009, UNWTO again underscored the importance of accessibility with the Declaration on the Facilitation of Tourist Travel, approved by its General Assembly in Astana, Kazakhstan. Of a purely recommendatory nature, it advises that “great efforts should be made to ensure that tourism policies and practices are inclusive of persons with disabilities.� The declaration calls upon states to ensure the accessibility of tourism establishments, the availability of special facilities for persons with disabilities at no additional cost, the publication of detailed information on the availability of such services and the special training of tourism staff. It further endorses the general principles enshrined in Article 3 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and invites all States to implement them. In 2011, UNWTO established an action plan to carry out several activities with external partners in the field of accessibility, including the development of guidelines, indicators, benchmarking and training to make tourism destinations accessible for persons with disabilities (1 billion people worldwide, according to the World Health Organziation, 2011).
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NICHE TOURISM
Manual on Accessible Tourism For All In the context of the trilateral agreement between UNWTO, ONCE and ENAT, an update of the 2005 UNWTO Recommendations on “Accessible Tourism for All” (see page 00 in this edition) was approved by the UNWTO General Assembly at its 20th session in August 2013, and culminated in a 20 page Manual on Accessible Tourism. This article provides an executive summary of the Manual, for which a download link is provided at the end. THE MANUAL ON ACCESSIBLE TOURISM FOR ALL: PRINCIPLES, TOOLS AND GOOD PRACTICES Persons with disabilities are participating more and more frequently in tourism activities as a result of their growing level of economic and social integration. However, there remain many impediments and barriers of all kinds that hinder normalized access to tourism goods and services. Accessibility is not a requirement exclusively for the benefit of persons with disabilities, as they are not its only beneficiaries; tourism destinations that take heed of these requirements and those that understand them as positive measures will see their product and service offerings evolve, thus facilitating the tourism experience and improving the quality of life of all their residents and visitors. The idea of providing tools for the implementation and efficient management of accessibility in tourism destinations was the basis of a collaboration agreement signed between the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the ONCE Foundation for Cooperation and the Social Integration of People with Disabilities, and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) in 2011. One of the results of this collaboration – among other actions – has been the publication of this manual, which provides a series of recommendations for ensuring that all persons can access, use and enjoy tourism environments and services on an equal footing and regardless of their capabilities. The recommendations set out in this manual constitute guidelines of action that were drawn from experience, academic studies and international standards, as well as from technological and scientific advances that have been made in this field. In the creation of this manual, the ONCE Foundation has brought to bear its extensive professional experience of over 25 years in carrying out projects related with the implementation of Universal Accessibility and Design for All in different settings and services. This endeavour also enjoyed the support of ENAT, in which the ONCE Foundation holds the vice-presidency. 22
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This manual offers a reference framework for the actions, tools and resources that are necessary for the provision of services and the management of accessible tourism. Through these instruments, the UNWTO aims to encourage the key stakeholders of the tourism sector to implement measures that will result in greater participation by different groups of people in tourism activity, including persons with disabilities, among others. The publication is divided into five separate sections, each addressing principal issues regarding accessibility in tourism: context, recommendations, main areas of action, indicators for national tourism administrations, and good practices at the international level. The first section establishes theoretical foundations and discusses the barriers to accessibility that can be found in tourism- related activities. It describes the wide range of beneficiaries of accessible tourism, highlighting the emergence of “senior tourists”, whose tourism activity is similar or even greater than that of other population segments, and whose needs and demands require accessibility measures. This first section also provides a breakdown of the economic impact of accessibility in tourism and a set of statistical data backing up the fact that accessibility, in addition to being a right, is also a business opportunity. The second section presents recommendations in accordance with the specifications of Design for All, based on the most current standards including ISO FDIS 21542 on ‘Building Construction – Accessibility & Usability of the Built Environment’. These recommendations constitute the necessary foundation to create accessible tourism destinations and place special emphasis on the value chain of accessibility in tourism, to which end five key points are discussed: planning and information, transport, accessibility to the environment, accessibility to common spaces, and accessibility to specific spaces. Each sub-section responds to the accessibility needs of different tourism environments, ranging from hotels, information offices and sports facilities, to natural environments, beaches, and transport, among others.
NICHE TOURISM
The third section reviews the areas of action that constitute the cornerstone of success in achieving accessible tourism and is directed towards those responsible for the management of tourism destinations. These areas of action concretely involve five key points: (1) legislation, highlighting the need for its existence with regard to equal rights, (2) research, as a starting point for knowing the impact of accessible tourism, (3) awareness- raising and training, in formal and professional education plans, (4) promotion of product offerings through marketing strategies, and (5) management, as an element that is applicable to all tourism sectors, so that it becomes a practice that is maintained over time. The fourth section of the manual discusses a series of indicators, meant for the use of national tourism organizations, so that they can assess the progress of accessibility in tourism destinations. These indicators, accompanied by the corresponding methodology for their application, constitute an unprecedented contribution in the field of the management and evaluation of accessibility in tourism. The last section of the manual presents a selection of good practices that will serve as examples for stakeholders interested in implementing and replicating accessibility improvements in tourism. The ONCE Foundation, together with ENAT, conducted a study based on diverse sources and proven experiences, which made it possible to put together a selection of outstanding examples, categorized by both geographic area and tourism sub-sector. The Manual on Accessible Tourism for All: Principles, Tools and Good Practices was born of the necessity to have a reference document for the tourism sector that offers the indispensable guidelines for achieving accessibility in destinations in the most efficient and best-planned manner possible. It is one of the first manuals of the World Tourism Organization to provide a global overview of accessibility, which is – like tourism – a cross-cutting and international activity.
The ONCE Foundation has applied its professional and real-life experience in accessible tourism to the content of this manual. In this regard, it is worth noting the work the Foundation has done in the organization of four editions of the International Congress of Tourism for All, the creation of more than 700 accessibility plans in municipalities, various actions related with accessibility in transport, including the implementation of assistance services, as well as its support to and collaboration with numerous accessible tourism initiatives in both the public and private spheres. The outcome of this project is a tool that will allow the different stakeholders to understand accessibility needs in the tourism sector, to become aware of the competitive advantage provided by its implementation, and to obtain information to enable them to carry out appropriate measures to promote accessibility as an added value and as a factor of quality. Download the Manual on Accessible Tourism for All: Principles, Tools and Good Practices at http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/ docpdf/exec-summary-accessible-tourism-principles.pdf
Note: For accessible tourism etiquette from a South African perspective, read the Tourism Tattler article on Accessible Tourism at: www.tourismtattler.com/accessibletourism/
Or download the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) ‘Sawubona Disability’ booklet 'Myths, Manners, Do’s & Don’ts about Disability' at: www.issuu.com/tourismtattler/docs/ qasa_disability_booklet-tourism_tattler.
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Advertisement sponsored courtesy of Ogilvy & Mather / Tourism Tattler as a service to the travel trade.
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