Tourism Tattler September 2017

ISSUE 09 | SEPTEMBER 2017

2017 INTERNATIONAL YEAR

OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

NEWS, VIEWS, AND REVIEWS FOR TRAVEL IN, TO AND OUT OF AFRICA

FOR DEVELOPMENT

FEATURE: SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN AFRICA Pages 06 -11

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Special Feature: Sustainable Tourism in Africa • Aviation • Business & Finance • Events • • Hospitality • Legal • Transport •

EVENT PARTNER

#Sanganai2017

OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER

02 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

EDITORIAL

IN THIS ISSUE: CONTENTS

ISSUE 09 SEPTEMBER 2017 PUBLISHER Tourism Tattler (Pty) Ltd. PO Box 891, Umhlanga Rocks, 4320 KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Website: www.tourismtattler.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Des Langkilde Cell: +27 (0)82 374 7260 Fax: +27 (0)86 651 8080 E-mail: editor@tourismtattler.com Skype: tourismtattler

AFRICA’S SUSTAINABLE TOURISM GEMS 06 LUX Resorts & Hotels 07 Asilia Africa AFRICA: SUSTAINABLE TOURISM SOLUTIONS 08 Tour Operators’ Charter 09 How to Tread Lightly in Ecotourism 10 Eco & Sustainable Tourism Icons

MAGAZINE ADVERTISING

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bev Langkilde Cell: +27 (0)71 224 9971 Fax: +27 (0)86 656 3860 E-mail: bev@tourismtattler.com Skype: bevtourismtattler

AVIATION 12 African Airports Project Growth for Remainder of 2017 BUSINESS & FINANCE

SUBSCRIPTIONS

http://eepurl.com/bocldD

13 The Revenue Journey - Part 1: Taking the plunge

BACK ISSUES (Click on the covers below). ▼ AUG 2017

11 Why Join the Fair Trade Tourism?

▼ JUL 2017

▼ JUN 2017

14 South African Tourism Statistics: Jan-Jun 2017 15 Africa Records 18 Million International Arrivals 16 HVS Africa Hotel Valuation Index 2017 EVENTS 24 ITB Asia 2017 Sold Out HOSPITALITY

▼ MAY 2017

▼ APR 2017

▼ MAR 2017

26 Property Review: Cape St. Francis Resort 27 Property Review: City Lodge Hotel Victoria And Alfred Waterfront LEGAL 28 Social Media & Defamation - Part 1 TRANSPORT

▼ FEB 2017

▼ JAN 2017

▼ DEC 2016

29 5 Tips for Long Distance Bus Travel 30 Vehicle Review: Suzuki Ignis 1.2 GLX

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Derek Martin Greg McManus Holly Allison ▼ NOV 2016

▼ OCT 2016

▼ SEP 2016

Holley Tuppen Louis Nel Martin Janse van Vuuren

MAGAZINE SPONSORS 02 Zimbabwe Tourism Board 05 Kenya Tourism Board 06 LUX Resorts & Hotels

07 Asilia Africa 25 City Lodge Hotel Group

SUPPORTED CHARITIES 32 Diabetes South Africa Disclaimer: The Tourism Tattler is published by Tourism Tattler (Pty) Ltd and is the official trade journal of various trade ‘associations’ (see page 02). 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, its ‘Associations’, 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, its ‘Associations’, 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.

SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 03

EDITORIAL

ACCREDITATION Official Travel Trade Journal and Media Partner to: The Africa Travel Association (ATA) Tel: +1 212 447 1357 • Email: info@africatravelassociation.org • Website: www.africatravelassociation.org ATA is a division of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), and a registered non-profit trade association in the USA, with headquarters in Washington, DC and chapters around the world. ATA is dedicated to promoting travel and tourism to Africa and strengthening intra-Africa partnerships. Established in 1975, ATA provides services to both the public and private sectors of the industry.

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: +27 86 186 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: +27 11 315 2420/1 • Fax: +27 11 315 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 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)

International Institute for Peace through Tourism

Website: www.tourismpartners.org ICTP is a travel and tourism coalition of global destinations committed to Quality Services and Green Growth.

Website: www.iipt.org IIPT is dedicated to fostering tourism initiatives that contribute to international understanding and cooperation.

ITB Asia 2017

Tourism, Hotel Investment and Networking Conference 2017

Website: www.itb-asia.com 25 to 27 October 2017 Marina Bay Sands®, Singapore.

ITB Asia is the leading B2B travel trade event for the entire Asia-Pacific region.

Website: www.thincafrica..com THINC Africa 2017 takes place in Cape Town, South Africa from 6-7 September.

The Hotel Show Africa 2017 Website: TheHotelShowAfrica.com Thousands of hospitality professionals from around the world will be at Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg from 25-27 June.

The Safari Awards

SHWTE 2017

World Luxury Hotel Awards

Website: SanganaiTourismExpo.com 27 Sep - 01 Oct at the Zimbabwe International Fair Grounds, Bulawayo.

The 2016 edition attracted: 212 Buyers, 236 Exhibitors, 3116 Meetings, and 5034 Connections.

04 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

Website: www.safariawards.com Safari Award finalists are amongst the top 3% in Africa and the winners are unquestionably the best.

Website: www.luxuryhotelawards.com World Luxury Hotel Awards is an international company that provides award recognition to the best hotels from all over the world.

COME LIVE The

M A G I C Pleasure awaits you on our long stretch of scenic coastline. Just sink your toes in the sand and let the breeze take you to places only you can imagine.

4* Sandies Tropical Village Kenya 5 Nights

5* Diamonds Dream of Africa Kenya 5 Nights

Masai Mara

by Road Kenya 3 Nights

Serena Explorer Safari Kenya 6 Nights

4* Leopard Beach Resort & Spa Mombasa, Kenya 5 Nights

Reference No: PP-TH1622966 PP-TH1664401 PP-TH1677934 PP-TH1678096 PP-TH1716477 Validity Period 1st July - 22nd Dec. 2017 1st July - 22nd Dec. 2017 2nd Oct - 22nd Dec. 2017 6th Nov - 22nd Dec. 2017 1st Sep - 22nd Sep. 2017 Johannesburg

R 16,324

R 20,280

R 26,335

R 31,778

R 16,253

Durban

R 17,720

R 22,021

R 27,731

R 33,174

R 17,649

Cape town

R 18,342

R 22,460

R 28,353

R 33,796

READY, SET, TRAVEL …

R 18,271 Call Thompsons on 0861 84 66 77 E-mail: adverts@thompsons.co.za

Prices are per person sharing. Standard Thompsons T’s & C’s apply. All prices are subject to availability. Peak season surcharges and block out dates may apply.

Visit www.thompsons.co.za for more info and value adds. E&OE

www.magicalkenya.com

SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 05

AFRICA’S SUSTAINABLE TOURISM GEMS

SPECIAL FEATURE

MAURITIUS

ECO-FRIENDLY

HOTELS & & ATTRACTIONS

LUX* Resorts and Hotels LUX* Resorts and Hotels has embarked on a journey towards a carbon-clean future, known as ‘Tread Lightly’ (see page 09).

Working with Ecosur Afrique, LUX* asks for a voluntary donation of €1 per room night – 32.5 per cent of which goes towards carbonoffsetting projects in LUX* regions while 67.5 per cent is invested in reducing the carbon emissions of LUX* properties.

Other earth-friendly measures employed by LUX* include energymanagement systems, in-house water bottling, locally sourced ‘Earth & Dance’ waters, paper-reducing technology such as iPad room and reservation services, low-carbon Scrucap wines, all-organic spa rituals, energy-efficient LED lighting, and kitchen-oil recycling.

Further renewable-energy projects and water-optimisation programmes are in the pipeline.

Travel. Enjoy. Respect. #IY2017 QUICK LINKS: +27 11 770 7821 info@islandlightholidays.co.za www.luxresorts.com LUX* Resorts & Hotels

06 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

@luxresorts

@luxresorts

LUX* Belle Mare

luxresorts

LUX* Resorts & Hotels

SPECIAL FEATURE

TANZANIA

AFRICA’S SUSTAINABLE TOURISM GEMS

ECO-FRIENDLY

HOTELS & & ATTRACTIONS

Sun downers at Roho ya Selous, Tanzania.

Impact investment: making a sustainable difference to the lives of locals.

Roho ya Selous bedroom interior, Tanzania.

Main image: Bird life abounds in the Selous Game Reserve, home to Royo ya Selous camp in Tanzania.

Asilia Africa Roho ya Selous, in the UNESCO world heritage site of Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania, is the latest addition to the Asilia stable of ecotourism camps. As an impact company, Asilia is a leader in the African eco-tourism industry.

So, what is impact investing? It’s a very specific type of investing, which occurs across all types of asset classes. Its basic premise is to have a positive impact on society and the environment.

It can also be thought of as sustainable philanthropy. Operating 18 camps in East Africa, Asilia’s vision is to turn vulnerable ecosystems into viable conservation economies.

Village visits benefit local communities.

A number of turnaround stories bear testament to Asilia’s vision. The establishment of Sayari as a semi-permanent camp in an area that was overrun by bushmeat poachers, and as a result was devoid of tourists, was pivotal to the northern Serengeti’s turnaround.

In 2010 Rekero Camp in the Masai Mara Game Reserve joined the growing Asilia tribe. Since then Naboisho Camp in the all-important Naboisho Conservancy (itself nurtured into being

by Asilia and other stakeholders) showcases the benefits that local people can derive from nature if the will and know-how exist. For its innovative and exemplary governance model, the Naboisho Conservancy won the prestigious African Responsible Tourism Award in 2016.

Naboisho Conservancy, Kenya.

Asilia’s model of tourism employs large numbers of rural dwellers where few other opportunities exist. With over 800 continental citizens on its payroll, it is a growing employer generating sizeable revenues to national governments in the form of fees, levies and taxes – approximately US$7.8 million in 2016/17. In addition, Asilia raised a further $236,000 for conservation and social development projects in the areas where it operates. Direct contributions from the company to the same projects amounted to $137,000, over and above this.

The extra $370,000 was donated to effective and vetted partners in East Africa. For more information on Asilia’s partners and their projects please go to: Asiliagiving.org.

This sense of making a difference to real people and places is an attraction to international tourists. It also helps ensure the sustainability of the wild areas where Asilia operates.

Travel. Enjoy. Respect. #IY2017 +27 21 418 0468

Roho ya Selous room exterior, Tanzania.

@AsiliaAfrica

QUICK LINKS: reservations@asiliaafrica.com

@AsiliaAfrica

asiliaafrica

www.asiliaafrica.com Asilia Africa

Asilia

SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 07

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM SOLUTIONS

SPECIAL FEATURE

AFRICA’S SUSTAINABLE TOURISM GEMS

TOUR OPERATORS’ CHARTER FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

By Greg McManus.

The important role that Tour Operators play in lowering the impact of mass tourism on local communities, economies and natural attractions is underestimated, and, indeed, under recognised. Most often it is left to the product owners themselves to communicate their initiatives to guests rather than the Tour Operator actively including and selling these attributes in their marketing collateral and tour itineraries.

The Tour Operators’ Charter – a unique initiative by The Heritage Environmental Management Company – aims to change this. It is designed to recognise tour operators who commit themselves and their companies to sustainable tourism practices by make use of independently certified, environmentally friendly and sustainable products and services.

The Charter measures the extent to which operators consider the impact that their operations have on chosen destinations by considering the products supported, the transport needs of clients, and the efforts taken to protect the environment, communities and cultures in general.

Membership to The Charter is awarded in two categories: 1. Tour Operator Membership This category is awarded to operators who offer transport, accommodation and other tourism or travel related services for sale, either directly or through an agent, travel services or activities that include transport, accommodation and other tourism services in association with independently monitored or certified responsible tourism product owners.

2. Associate Membership Associate membership recognises individuals who through their own actions and practices support businesses or tourism-related products/ services that are independently verified as environmentally or socially responsible by a recognised label, rating, mark or initiative in this field.

Membership of this category does not endorse the organisation or company with which the individual is associated unless the company or organisation has been awarded Tour Operator Membership status.

Performance Criteria Performance criteria that have been established reflect a number of key business practice elements and Global Reporting (GR3) Standards. These include; • The Tour Operator and the Environment • Product Management and Development • Business Associates, Suppliers and Service Providers • Operational Management Systems • Supply Chain Management • Customer Relations • Destination Management • Community Relations.

08 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

Performance Evaluation At the end of each year of membership, members are required to submit a Portfolio of Evidence to support their status (based on the above) and to develop and make available an environmental report for their clients, business associates and Board. The reporting standard is based on the GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines for The Tour Operators’ Sector.

On-site assessment and verification visits are undertaken by the Charter Administrators from time to time to verify the information provided.

Those Tour Operators that make use of coaches, vehicles and other means of transport that can impact negatively on the environment will need to demonstrate a workable carbon offset strategy as part of their annual reporting process. This could include a greening policy for communities affected by their operations; membership of a recognised greening campaign or other offset initiatives.

The Charter aims to achieve four objectives. These are: • To reduce the effect that the operations have on its environment and surrounding communities; • To increase awareness and sound management systems that will ensure the long-term sustainability of the business and its surrounding environment; • To reduce the operating costs and expenses of the operation and thereby improve the profits through sound environmental practices and; • To realise the full potential of sustainable business activities for future generations.

Commitment and Vision No Environmental Management Programme can work without commitment and focus by the business itself. The Tour Operators’ Charter is not about someone else running or directing your business.

It’s all about encouraging and guiding you and your team to ensure your own sustainable management systems.

You hold the key to your own future. You can continue running your business as usual by failing to understand or to mitigate your impacts, or you can choose the moral alternative by committing your business to a more caring and sustainable future today.

After all, don’t future generations have the right to expect nothing less than our commitment today?

For more information visit www.heritagesa.co.za

AFRICA’S SUSTAINABLE TOURISM GEMS

SPECIAL FEATURE

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM SOLUTIONS

How to

TREAD LIGHTY in Ecotravel

As a travel writer, I’ve visited many sustainable tourism destinations and eco-friendly hotels across the world.

They’re doing their bit but how can you, as an eco-conscious traveller, play your part? Here are a few simple tips on how to contribute to eco-friendly escapes, wherever you are in the world.

By Holly Tuppen.

Be a greener guest

Every drop counts

From five-star private villas to thatch-roofed beach huts, my favourite places to stay have one thing in common: they teem with enthusiasm and passion. The food they serve, the experiences they conjure, the people they host and the land they inhabit, are all special. The best hoteliers take matters into their own hands when it comes to ensuring their hospitality benefits rather than inhibits local communities and the environment, leaving their guests to do what they do best – indulge.

That said, everyone can be mindful about what’s best for the world we all live in, and going green is no longer the preserve of hessian-wearing compost-toilet enthusiasts. Considering the environment and treading lightly means appreciating the link between your travel experiences and the people, flora and fauna that not only surround them but make them possible in the first place.

Water scarcity is inching up the chart of serious global problems, with demand projected to exceed supply by a staggering 40 percent by 2030.

Almost a quarter of the world’s population lives in areas of water scarcity, including large parts of Asia and Africa. For example, LUX* Resorts and Hotels (see page 06) does its bit to conserve water behind the scenes, such as watering gardens with grey water and raising awareness about water wastage through in-room information, but it’s also worth personally going the extra mile. This might mean avoiding water in plastic bottles, drinking glasses of your H2O poured from big bottles instead of small servings, and reducing laundry, such as towels, whenever you can, or choosing a shower rather than a bath.

Oceans of plastic Plastic bags are killing sea creatures; discarded bottles and containers are choking island communities; even microscopic polymers in sun creams are killing coral. However much we hear about the problem, convenience remains king. A levy on plastic bags in supermarkets has made an impressive reduction in their use in the UK, so too can a few simple steps on holiday stave off landfill disasters and ocean destruction. Consider removing packaging before travelling; take a reusable shopping bag and reusable water bottle – that tropical island paradise, mountain idyll or nature reserve is great for lots of things, but disposing of excess trash is not one of them.

Offsetting jet-setting Hotels often invite guests to financially enhance their environmental and charitable goals. Although it can grate to feel as though you’ve paid additional cash for no tangible reason, if you’re flying across the world on your holiday, funding carbon reduction is a tiny price to pay for your global freedom. Carbon-offsetting schemes not only help reduce the carbon emissions of a hotel or resort but have additional economic and environmental benefits, such as forest planting and jobs creation.

About the Author: Holly Tuppen is a freelance writer, editor, researcher, sustainable travel expert (with over ten years of experience) and former editor of Green Hotelier.

SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 09

AFRICA’S SUSTAINABLE TOURISM GEMS

SPECIAL FEATURE

PARTNER

Launching Africa’s sustainable tourism gems this month with a selection of South Africa’s eco-friendly hotels and lodges, Tourism Tattler has partnered with Eco Atlas – an award winning eco-travel choice website. Where a featured eco-friendly property is already listed on Eco Atlas, we’ve shown the applicable icons.

RESOURCE USE Water Saving: 3 or more of the following practices in place: a no-leak policy, water audit, flow restrictors on taps and shower heads, dual flush toilet cisterns, harvesting rain water, utilising waste water (grey water), only watering early morning and evening, alien tree removal, planting water wise, drip irrigation system, compost toilet, garden well mulched.

Energy Saving: 3 or more of the following practices in place: energy A- rated appliances, low energy bulbs, geezer blankets and/or timers, established electricity strategy such as switching off appliances and lights when not being used.

Recycling: Established policy to reduce and re-use waste, the recycling of any of the following resources: Paper, Glass, Tin, Plastic and Organic Matter, on-site composting and wormeries.

Renewable Energy: Utilising solar and/or wind energy through solar panels and/or wind turbines.

Green Design: Incorporated into the design of the building: proper insulation, sustainable and renewable building materials, maximising light and energy from the sun, building with recycled materials, non-toxic paints and other building materials, water and energy efficiency.

Carbon Neutral: Planting of trees to off-set the carbon footprint of the establishment and its guests.

EARTH FRIENDLY Eco Cleaning Agents: utilising or selling products that are fully biodegradable, free of harmful chemicals and not tested on animals.

Eco Body Products: Utilising or selling body products that are fully biodegradable, free of harmful chemicals and not tested on animals.

Eco Packaging: Utilising or selling fully biodegradable packaging and take-away containers made from renewable resources. Accepting returns on product packaging for re-use.

PEOPLE AND EARTH Biodiversity: no use of pesticides or poisons, planting only indigenous, conservation of indigenous flora and fauna on your property, alien vegetation removal and rehabilitation of indigenous.

10 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

Local Products: utilising products grown or manufactured within a 100km radius, the producing or selling of local products.

Organic Food: Utilising or selling food that is produced using a system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people without the use of inputs with adverse effects for biodiversity.

Fair Trade: selling products or implementing policies which contribute to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers. Registered with Fair Trade Tourism or Fair Trade Label SA. Empowerment: Skills development, training and profit share programmes which empower staff and enable better working conditions and work opportunities.

ANIMAL FRIENDLY Free Range Chicken: raised in a humane manner with freedom to roam and constant access to vegetation , fresh air and fresh water.

Chickens free of hormones and antibiotics (check with your supplier if they meet all these requirements) Free Range Eggs: chickens raised in a humane manner with freedom to roam and constant access to vegetation, fresh air and fresh water.

Chickens free of hormones and antibiotics (check with your supplier if they meet all these requirements) Badger Friendly Honey: utilising or selling honey accredited with the Endangered Wildlife Trust certificate to ensure no honey badgers are harmed in the production of the honey.

Ethically Farmed Products: utilising or selling free range meat and/ or wool products that are have wildlife friendly management strategies which do not include the trapping, hunting, poisoning and killing of predators. Fair Game endorsed products.

Sustainable Fishing: utilising, promoting or selling sustainable seafood from well managed fisheries as listed in the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI).

Free Range Pork: Raised in a humane manner with freedom to roam outdoors and constant access to vegetation, fresh air and fresh water.

Pigs free of hormones and antibiotics and their feed free of animal byproducts (check with your supplier if they meet all these requirements) Veg Or Vegan: Serving purely vegetarian or vegan food, thereby providing healthy eating alternatives and decreasing the amount of natural resources used in the production of food.

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SUPPORTING THE

2017 INTERNATIONAL YEAR

OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

FOR DEVELOPMENT

Why Join Fair Trade Tourism?

In an industry regarded as being critical to economic growth and development and one that offers such potential for the empowerment and upliftment of impoverished communities and the protection of sensitive ecosystems, it is essential that we have some way of measuring how committed a tourism business is to make a real and lasting difference.

Sustainability is a somewhat overused and much-misunderstood word. Usually associated with being environmentally friendly, there is, in fact, a lot more to sustainability than just green issues. Most importantly, sustainability means that whatever it is you are doing now you will be able to do tomorrow, next week, next month, next year and for the foreseeable future, without detriment to the planet and with positive beneficiation for people. This goes to the very heart of Fair Trade Tourism as the organisation’s DNA has been customdesigned to help people help people.

Through Fair Trade Tourism’s Business Development Services offering, a tourism company has the opportunity to unpack its business model and examine it in minutiae, ensuring that every single aspect of the business is optimised to offer real sustainability with demonstrable benefits for communities and the environment.

When a tourism company undergoes the Fair Trade Tourism audit – a gruelling litmus test which comes after the BDS process has been completed – it knows that every part of its business model has been scrutinised and improved upon, using globally accepted measures of best practice in sustainable tourism. It also understands implicitly that it is now ready to build upon the solid pillars Fair Trade Tourism provides it with, which, if adhered to and regularly monitored, will be truly sustainable.

The real testament to Fair Trade Tourism’s success is the continued success of the tourism businesses that choose the Fair Trade Tourism route. Their achievements speak louder than we ever could.

So let’s hear from some of them why Fair Trade Tourism matters:

Umlani Bush Camp “When I first heard of Fair Trade Tourism in 2003 I was excited by the prospects of such an organisation and wanted to be part of it. The

ideals and principles that Fair Trade Tourism stand for were exactly what Umlani aspired to be. The certification process gave us new stretches and goals to work towards it also gave us recognition and support for what we were already doing right . This opened many doors for us and put us in contact with many like-minded organisations and people. It has been a magical journey all round and I can recommend joining the Fair Trade Tourism ‘tide’. “ Marco Schiess, CEO and owner of Umlani Bush Camp.

Three Trees at Spioenkop “We decided to join Fair Trade Tourism because we wanted to show our commitment for long term sustainability to our community. We wanted to show that commitment to our guests, so they could be confident in their choice of accommodation and travel experiences and for them to know that the choice they have made has a positive impact on the area they visit. And because we personally believe in Fair Trade Tourism’s objectives and principles. We have benefited immensely through various marketing opportunities and networking with like-minded people.”

Simon & Cheryl Blackburn, owners of Three Trees at Spioenkop.

Sani Lodge Backpackers “Fair Trade in Tourism’s values reflect the way Sani Lodge Backpackers strives to operate. Having battled with other grading systems, we were delighted to find a certification which recognises factors which we believe are of critical importance in how a tourism business is run. Fair Trade Tourism’s criteria recognise our values and reward us for the way we operate. In addition, the rigorous certification and audit process meant that we learnt a tremendous amount about ways to improve and implementing these has led to better performance from staff, more input into our local communities and better environmental practices. We are extremely proud of being Fair Trade Tourism certified and our whole team feels the value.”

Russell & Simone Suchet, owners of Sani Lodge Backpackers.

For more information, contact Thiofhi Ravele, Business Development Services Manager at thiofhi@fairtrade.travel or apply online on at www.fairtrade.travel.

SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 11

AVIATION

AFRICAN AIRPORTS Project Growth for Remainder of 2017

An analysis of seat capacity for travel to the top ten international airports in Africa, produced by ForwardKeys, shows double digit growth in flight arrivals for the first half of this year with little indication that the pace of growth will slow down soon. The wider report makes encouraging reading for airlines, governments and hoteliers planning to discuss possible new aviation routes at AviaDev in Kigali in October.

International Arrivals in Africa by origin regions (Jan-Jul 2017) The report reveals that in the first seven months of the year, 01 Jan – 31 July 2017, total international flight arrivals grew by 14.0% over the same period in 2016. Most significantly, growth was stronger for travel to and from the continent than within the continent. Arrivals from Europe, which make up 46% of the market, were up 13.2%. From the Americas, arrivals were up 17.6%; from the Middle East, they were up 14.0% and from Asia Pacific, they were up 18.4%. By comparison, intra-African air travel, which makes up 26% of the market, was up 12.6%.

Arrivals in Africa on the book by Origin Regions (Aug-Jul 2017)

Top 10 African Destination Countries (Jan-Jul 2017)

A specific look at East Africa shows very similar trends in year to date performance and outlook to the end of the year. However, it has stronger forward bookings from Europe, 22.9% ahead and less strong forward bookings from elsewhere; the Americas are 15.5% ahead and intraAfrican air travel 7.6% ahead. However, bookings from the Middle East and Asia Pacific are 6.0% and 3.8% behind respectively.

Looking at Africa’s top ten destination countries, there have been stand-out performances from Tunisia and Egypt, which are recovering from notorious terrorist attacks two years ago, up 33.5% and 24.8% respectively. In addition, Morocco and Tunisia received a huge boost in arrivals from China, up 450% and 250% respectively, after they relaxed visa restrictions. The one disappointment is Nigeria, which has seen a 0.8% drop, in the wake of recession in 2016.

Looking forward to the end of the calendar year, bookings for flights to Africa are currently 16.8% ahead of where they were on July 31st, 2016.

Bookings from Europe are currently 17.5% ahead, from the Americas 26.6% ahead, from Asia Pacific 11.5% ahead, from the Middle East 8.2% ahead and bookings for intra-African air travel are 11.0% ahead.

12 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

On an individual airport level, the most significant capacity increase in East Africa is at Kigali, with new routes to Brussels, London and Mumbai.

Other notable new capacity includes Kilimanjaro to Dubai and Nairobi to Muscat and to Yemen.

Commenting on the ForwardKeys report, Jon Howell, Aviation and Tourism Development Manager at Bench Events, who is responsible for AviaDev, says: “As an international executive who has travelled around Africa for many years, I am longing for the day when it is easier to fly directly between African cities, as is possible on other continents. I am sure I’m not alone in that desire and I’m equally sure, it will happen eventually. That’s why I’m determined that the discussions that will take place at AviaDev will help bring that vision closer.”

Graphs © Forward Data SL, 2017, All Rights Reserved.

BUSINESS & FINANCE

The

REVENUE Journey Part 1

Taking the Plunge We all know that revenue management has been around for a while. When we book our airline tickets, prices change based on the time, demand, class of booking, routing and other factors. Then, about 25 years ago, hotels started to come on board and apply the basic principles of revenue management. It was generally understood that yield management (as it was called at the time) could add significantly to a hotel’s top line.

By Derek Martin.

And after hotels came car rental companies and car parks; however, subsequent application of revenue management to other businesses has been slow. Many industries are reluctant to apply revenue management principles, mistakenly thinking that it cannot apply to them or will not be accepted by their customers.

History has shown, though, that revenue management can be implemented in ways to drive revenue and be accepted by customers.

What is revenue management?

The discipline of revenue management is the structured approach to: 1. Create a detailed demand forecast, and 2. Interpret this forecast and make pricing and inventory decisions.

Pricing of your products is one of the key aspects in getting the maximum revenue out of your product. In addition, if there is limited availability of what you are selling, you can make strategic decisions to optimize that inventory.

So getting the price right is key?

Yes, pricing is the key to begin optimizing your revenues. By basing your pricing decisions on a detailed demand forecast, you can optimize both your volume of business, as well as avoid leaving money on the table over busy days. This is the first step of your revenue management approach to driving revenue.

Does revenue management apply to your business?

Revenue management can be applied in any business, provided there is fluctuating demand, the customer can buy the product ahead of consumption, and there is a perishable, capacity-constrained inventory that loses revenue opportunity if unsold today.

Some airlines, hotels and car park companies are prime examples of this. One of the next logical sets of businesses that could apply revenue management principles would be theme parks and attraction parks.

There is an opportunity to price differently on low, shoulder and high

demand days and customers can buy admission tickets ahead of time.

Additionally, the number of people allowed into the parks due to safety regulations may be restricted to a certain maximum capacity.

What other businesses can revenue management be applied to?

Another good example would be recreation parks and campsites. There are a limited number of spaces available for customers to book – and bookings can also be made ahead of time. Bowling Alleys are another good example since there are a restricted number of lanes available at the property, with people booking in advance to secure available space for them to play. I could continue mentioning things like bungee jumping, bridge climbs, glass-bottom boat excursions, movie theatres, water parks and many more.

The areas where revenue management concepts can be applied are numerous, the question is whether you believe it can work for you.

Curious but not convinced?

Answer these few easy questions for your company: • Does demand for your product fluctuate?

• Can customers book your product ahead of consumption?

• Do you have a limited capacity perishable product available for sale?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to two or all three of these questions, you can safely conclude that revenue management principles can be applied to your business, with revenue management being a strategic approach to increasing your company’s revenue.

Start your revenue management journey today! Driving topline revenues is important, and it is the single most important component in driving profits for your company.

About the Author: Derek Martin is the founder and CEO of TrevPAR World – a hospitality data analytics company that specialises in total revenue management as well as hotel distribution including sales, marketing and social media.

For more information visit www.trevparworld.com SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 13

BUSINESS & FINANCE

The information below was extracted from data available as at 05 September 2017. By Martin Jansen van Vuuren of Grant Thornton.

ARRIVALS

The latest available data from Statistics South Africa is for January to June 2017*:

Current period

Change over same period last year

228 963

2.7%

Germany

163 909

15.4%

USA

179 002

9.6%

UK

India

51 842

1.6%

China (incl Hong Kong)

49 285

-15.3%

1 295 824

10.7%

Overseas Arrivals African Arrivals

3 715 681

-2.1

Total Foreign Arrivals

5 017 336

1.0%

HOTEL STATS

Current period

Average Room Occupancy (ARO)

Average Room Rate (ARR)

Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR)

All Hotels in SA

63.1%

R 1 244

R 785

All 5-star hotels in SA

64.9%

R 2 312

R 1 502

All 4-star hotels in SA

64.4%

R 1 149

R 740

All 3-star hotels in SA

62.6%

R 942

R 590

Change over same period last year All Hotels in SA

-0.7%

5.7%

5.0%

All 5-star hotels in SA

-1.0%

6.2%

5.2%

All 4-star hotels in SA

1.5%

5.8%

7.4%

All 3-star hotels in SA

0.1%

3.3%

3.4%

ACSA DATA

The latest available data from ACSA is for January to July 2017: Change over same period last year

Passengers arriving on International Flights

Passengers arriving on Regional Flights

Passengers arriving on Domestic Flights

OR Tambo International

3.5%

-1.9%

1.5%

Cape Town International

25.2%

3.0%

2.8%

King Shaka International

8.1%

N/A

6.4%

CAR RENTAL DATA The latest available data from SAVRALA is for January to December 2016:

Current period Industry Rental Days Industry Utilisation Industry Revenue

Change over same period last year

16 936 276

7%

71.6%

1.5%

5 294 680 207

12%

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR MY BUSINESS Overseas tourism to South Africa continues to grow (see StatsSA data) but tempered demand from domestic tourism (see ACSA data) is resulting in stabilised hotel occupancies. *Note that African Arrivals plus Overseas Arrivals do not add to Total Foreign Arrivals due to the exclusion of unspecified arrivals, which could not be allocated to either African or Overseas.

14 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

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 June 2017:

BUSINESS & FINANCE

AFRICA

Records 18 Million + International Arrivals According to Euromonitor International’s new data, international arrivals to Africa grew by 6.5 percent in 2017, to reach 18,550 million, up from 16,351 million in 2012. Key markets such as South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, Cameroon, Mauritius and Tanzania accounted for 70 percent of international trips to the Sub-Saharan African region.

This growth can be attributed to increasing interaction between various travel industry players and digital integration, using platforms such as social media, meta-search engines and the penetration of online travel agents. Other drivers include a growing short-term rental market, luxury travel, niche tourism, Meetings Incentives Conferences Exhibitions (MICE) and an increasing focus on domestic tourism.

Euromonitor predicts that growth in international arrivals to SubSaharan Africa will reach 25, 000 million trips by 2022. Arrivals to Africa are expected to see continued growth, driven by increased interest from overseas visitors due to competitive rates in comparison to other destinations with a similar offer. Aggressive brand marketing campaigns and the introduction of new and increased direct air connectivity to and from major overseas markets, is also expected to boost inbound arrivals to the region. Key economies such as South Africa and Nigeria can expect strong growth in inbound trips.

Key trends in Africa tourism include; Domestic Tourism: The number of domestic trips in Africa increased by 8% to reach over 40 million in 2017, although many citizens do not have a travelling culture as it is generally perceived to be non-essential or not affordable. Foreign visitors are perceived to have more spending power than locals and therefore travel is not affordable in the eyes of locals.

Multi-Channel Marketing: Airline online sales lead overall online travel sales, accounting for 67% of total value sales. Digital migration is transforming the tourism landscape in terms of bookings, customer service and consumer behaviour. Hotels, airlines and car rental companies are making use of a variety of platforms to engage consumers and increase traffic to their sites by using social media, affiliate programmes, and Meta search engines, etc.

Short-term Rental Boom: Short-term rentals are estimated to have recorded a 12% increase in online value for 2017. Hotels are seeing a steady performance globally with annual growth rates of just over 3% predicted to continue until 2020.

Sharing Economy Gaining Traction: The entry of peer-to-peer brands such as Uber and Airbnb is changing the competitive landscape of categories such as car rental and lodging. South Africa is the largest market in Africa for brands such as Airbnb with many South Africans

joining as hosts and listing their outlets. This trend is expected to intensify competition as many travellers are increasingly seeking cheaper options.

Growing Airline Competition: Airlines led travel sales, generating sales of over US$7 billion in 2017. In an effort to remain competitive, many scheduled flights in South Africa are increasing capacity on popular routes such as Cape Town and Johannesburg due to growing demand.

This trend has resulted in intensified price competition for local flights. As a consequence of these factors, competition between low cost and stateowned airlines continued to intensify during the review period.

Luxury Hotel Expansion And Development: Hotels led value sales, accounting for 45% of overall lodging value sales. West Africa has represented more than half of the total, and is still the largest single region today, Southern Africa has increased in importance. The largest city on the continent, Lagos in Nigeria continues to lead the top 10 by number of planned rooms, with over 4,000. Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, has the second highest number of planned rooms in the African pipeline, and together with Lagos accounts for 32 % of the rooms in the top 10.

Luxury Travel: The travel market continues to introduce products that suit luxury travellers’ specific requirements and needs by offering chartered airline services, private yachts, luxury spas, safari camps and lodges, whose facilities are the equal of world-class cities. Luxury shopping is another major driver for many wealthy tourists to visit countries such as South Africa. South Africa is also one of the leading destinations for shopping in Africa due to its well-developed retail landscape. Luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Prada and Burberry have a presence in South Africa with stand-alone stores.

MICE: The MICE sector is boosted by increasing number of business travels; a total number of over 30,000 million business trips were taken in 2017. Conference facilities are being built across the region in major cities such as Nairobi, and Abuja, Lagos, Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Niche Tourism: Countries such as South Africa are a major medical tourist market, owing to the state-of-art medical facilities that country offers; many international tourists are flocking to the country for procedures such as cosmetic surgery. Tailored packages for solo travellers are also predicted to become dynamic niche products.

For more information visit www.euromonitor.com SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 15

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Hotel Valuation Index Africa

HVS, the global hospitality consulting firm and host of the THINC Africa conference, launched their 2017 African Hotel Valuation Index (HVI) at the conference. This year sees the fourth edition of the African HVI, which includes more markets and increasing progress for Africa.

“The number of markets included in the study continues to grow each year, exemplifying the ever-increasing interest in the African hotel market.

In the first edition, we had 14 cities. That grew to 18 in the second edition, the third edition featured 21 cities, and we are now delighted to include 23 cities with the addition of Abidjan, Dakar, Kampala, and Maputo in the fourth edition of the 2017 HVI,” says Tim Smith, managing partner at HVS South Africa.

The HVI provides reliable, accurate data to hotel investors, enabling them to assess risk and reward for future developments. Data is not easily available across Africa; it simply does not exist, or it is old or inconsistent.

HVS has access to data through its extensive network and database, which allows in-depth extensive research and data gathering in order to provide accurate data and objective insights on each of the African markets.

Smith says that in spite of the challenges of Ebola, the Zika Virus, presidential elections slowing down economies, low oil prices and the threat of terrorism, 17 out of the 23 markets covered increased value in 2016.

In 2015, 10 markets out of 21 cities were growing; in 2016, 14 markets were on the rise and Maputo, Windhoek and Casablanca, among others, have shown an impressive recovery.

The HVI reports that most African countries now have a steady but realistic growth that investors can rely on when making investment decisions. Despite a more conservative outlook, GDP is much higher than many global economies.

“The future of hotel demand in Africa will follow a positive trend in the long-term. Signs of recovery and improvement on 2016’s relatively tough numbers are already up and most of these markets are continuing to grow, so we are expecting 2017 to be even better,” said Smith.

On South Africa, Smith said hotel values are booming in Cape Town in Rand but the return looks far less exciting when converted back in US$ terms. “That all comes down to currency; the Rand weakened by 15% in 2016 vs. 2015 and is now up by 10% against the US$ 2016.”

The HVI reports that the future of South Africa’s tourism is looking promising as the Rand has recently strengthened again and more than 2500 rooms are expected to be added over the next five years, including the new Radisson Blu, Radisson RED, Sun International, Marriott, Tsogo Sun and Ibis brands.

The HVI is a hotel valuation benchmark developed by HVS. It monitors annual percentage changes in the values of typically four-star and fivestar hotels in 23 major African cities. Additionally, the index allows ranking of each market relative to an African average. The HVI also reports the average value per room, in US dollars, for each market. All data presented is in US dollars.

But restrictive visa conditions have broad economic consequences for the tourism sector. The African Union (AU) launched the Africa Visa Openness Index acknowledging the importance of the movement of people within Africa, marking an encouraging step forward for African economies. Many countries such as Mozambique, Senegal, Ethiopia and Uganda now offer visa on arrival opening their borders to a broader range of tourists.

The African hotel industry will continue to face challenges in the shortterm. However, the positive news is that International and African unions are working together to promote the future of tourism in Africa, connectivity is improving at a fast pace and many countries introduced e-visa and visa on arrivals in 2016/17.

A summary of the Africa Hotel Market by value and country appear on the following pages. The full report can be downloaded here.

Attending the HVS THINC Africa conference in Cape Town were (from left): Stephen Rushmore (Global CEO and President of HVS), James Vos (Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister of Tourism) and Tim Smith (Managing Partner HVS South Africa).

16 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

Africa Hotel Market Value (2017)

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Significant

Cape Verde

Accra

Johannesburg

Casablanca

Marrakech

Windhoek

Moderate

Lagos

Durban

Seychelles

Cape Town

Kampala

Lome

Stable

Nairobi

Mauritius

Abuja

Moderate

Cairo

Abidjan

Lusaka

Significant

Gaborone

Addis Ababa

Sharm el Sheikh

Harare

Maputo

Dar es Salaam

Botswana Cape Verde

Egypt

Ethiopia

Ghana Ivory Coast

Kenya

Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia

Nigeria

Senegal

Seychelles South Africa Tanzania

Togo

Dakar

Uganda

Zambia Zimbabwe

Legend Significant value increase

Greater than +10%

Moderate value increase

Between +3% and +10%

Stable values

Between -3% and +3%

Moderate value decline

Between -3% and -10%

Significant value decline

Less than -10%

Note: Numerous factors influence the value of an individual asset, including the property’s age, condition, location, amenities and services, brand, management expertise, and reputation. These factors must all be considered in the context of the hotel’s specific competitive market, including the nature, strength, and trends in demand generators; the character and competitive posture of the existing hotels; and the potential addition of any new properties. The value of any individual asset can only be concluded after a thorough investigation of all these factors. And that conclusion will invariably differ—often materially—from the index indicated by the HVI. Although the HVI cannot tell you what a particular hotel is worth, it does provide excellent “big picture” data, indicating which market areas are experiencing positive trends for investment opportunities.

HVS Africa Market Summary by Country

Botswana - Gabarone Botswana is home to one of the most exclusive safari destinations. The country’s economy is growing between 5% and 6% a year. Gaborone continues to put measures in place to strengthen the economy, much of the economy is based on diamonds. Real GDP growth was down to 2.9% in 2016 following domestic pressures and the downfall in diamonds demand leading to a drop-in diamond prices. However, the economy is improving and has structures in place to help build a strong sustainable growth. GDP growth for 2017 is estimated at 4.2%, which is a positive sign that the country is recuperating. Gaborone is among the top 10 developing cities in Africa. Botswana has large major game reserves and national parks, which has captured travellers looking for safari and wildlife experiences and gave a reputation for adventure tourism. The country’s tourism industry is flourishing and significantly contributes to the national economy. The Okavango Delta was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, placing Botswana into a more prominent place in the world travel and tours space. The re-opening of Belmond Eagle Island lodge has also seen huge interest in tourists visiting for safari. The government has a focus on the growth of tourism and on promoting the destination to corporate and leisure travelers.

Gaborone offers a good business environment and is a perfect starting point for safaris and road trips through Sub-Saharan Africa. However, occupancy rates in Gaborone for 2016 decreased to 57.5% compared to 2015. Although the government invested in tourism, it aims to keep it exclusive; therefore, the rates are high, making regional travellers and middle class international tourists unable to travel to the country. RevPAR was down 8.6% leading to a decrease in value of -11.1%.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Botswana_-_Gaborone

Cape Verde Cape Verde’s economy is an exemplary example of a stable political environment and a working democracy. A steady economic growth path has been followed by a rising quality of life for its citizens. This is all despite the country not having an abundance of natural resources, occasional drought and a small agricultural base. Given this success and the ability of the islands to attract European guests for leisure breaks, we felt it was an interesting market to include in the HVI. Tourism is one of the main contributors to the economy of Cape Verde. Foreign direct investment is active in the country due to high levels of investor confidence arising from a stable political and economic environment and a growing market. The country attracts tourists from Europe, in particular the United Kingdom, Germany and Portugal due to strong national and cultural ties.

The hotel industry is a beneficiary of the FDI that the country enjoys. A new Resort Group property is being constructed on Sal Island and will be ready in November 2016. Thereafter they have plans for several other hotels in the main islands, all of which will be branded by international hoteliers.

The market is evolving rapidly and as such neither occupancy nor ADR can be seen as stable, yet. However, as both the number of visitors to the islands and hotel supply continue to increase the future for the hotel industry looks positive.

Cape Verde is growing into a mature market, with a stabilized strong occupancy and profitable rate levels. The Resort Group built a strong business model to enhance the tourism growth, while adding more rooms to the market. Additional flights to the islands have been confirmed and this should push the occupancy up at a steady pace. Occupancy will surpass the 75% threshold and rates are expected to grow by 5%, pushing REVPAR and values up by 10.7%.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Cape_Verde SEPTEMBER2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 17

BUSINESS & FINANCE

HVS Africa Market Summary by Country

Egypt Egypt continues to face economic challenges, showing large account deficits due to a lack of foreign reserve and one of the lowest GDP growths in Africa at 2.6% in 2016. The country is currently going through significant structural adjustments supported by the IMF that, although positive, brought the inflation rate to very high levels (up to 30.1%) last year. The good news is the renewal of interest from investors following these adjustments and a new investment law is scheduled in 2017 that should boost foreign inflows. In addition, President Trump gave his full support to President El Sisi during his visit to the United States in April 2017 which brings new hopes for the Egyptian economy.

However, the terror-related incidents in the country in 2016 has strengthened security concerns. Although the government has implemented emergency powers, that has proven to be relatively ineffectual. The result was tourists remained wary of visiting the country and tourism did not enjoy a substantial recovery.

Cairo In Cairo, occupancy raised to above 60% in 2016. The capital successfully attracted new feeder markets such as China and India that are less concerned about the security situation. That offset the drop in ADR to below US$100 although the Egyptian Pound has strengthened against the US Dollar. REVPAR is up by 10.7% boosted by occupancy. Hotel values increased by 5.9% bringing positivity and hope to the country.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Egypt_-_Cairo

Sharm el Sheikh Sharm El Sheikh has endured a tough year in 2016. Occupancy and ADR plunged following the terrorist attacks in the Red Sea destination. Many countries strengthened travel bans, airlines cancelled their flights to the city and most tour-operators called off their bookings. A subsequent 54.1% decrease in REVPAR has brought values down to below US$28,000, a level that the city has never experienced before. However, without any buyers and sellers, this number is not much but a mathematical calculation. It does not reflect the actual real estate values but the current unfortunate situation in Sharm El Sheikh that is hopefully to be short-lived as the government put efforts into anti-terrorism policies.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Egypt_-_Sharm_el_Sheikh

Ethiopia - Addis Ababa Addis Ababa has been one of the most stable economies and safest destinations in Africa since Ethiopia’s independence in 1991. However, the capital has had a tough year in 2016. President Teshome’s governance and human right’s poor management prompted social protests in the capital. Unrest had been building since late 2015 but 2016 brought violence and fear. The insufficient response from the government led to rising social unrest and foreign firms have been targeted by opponents to the regime in October 2016. These events likely deterred corporate travelers and investors to do business in Addis Ababa. As the government is not prone to make compromises, a state of emergency was declared and the risk and concerns about stability in the country persist. However, the picture is not as bad as it looks. The long-term impact of the demonstrations is likely to be modest. The economy is boosted by the government-led infrastructure program and by Chinese investments in many fields, such as water, road infrastructure or telecommunication. Addis Ababa will be one of the main benefiter of this investment. Despite the security situation in 2016, China invested more than US$20 billion in the country overall and is the largest trading partner with Ethiopia. The GDP growth was maintained at 7% in 2016.

While tourism has been affected by the political situation, the impact has been moderate. Indeed, the economic growth enhanced domestic consumption and domestic travelers partly offset the loss in international visitors in the capital. The number of tourist arrivals at Bole International Airport increased by 19% in 2016. Occupancy and average rate slightly decreased in 2016, mainly due to the security situation and the new supply that entered the market, namely the Ramada Hotel and the Marriott Executive Apartments. REVPAR was down by 3.8% leading to a decrease in values of 15.9% owing to the security situation. Although 2017 is challenging and new supply will impact hotels performance in the near future, it is likely to be a short-term situation. The improvement of the infrastructure, the ease of the security situation in mid-2017 and the visit of the Ethiopian Prime Minister to Prime Minister Netanyahu in June 2017 and the agreed cooperation between the two countries bring positivity into the picture.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Ethiopia_-_Addis_Ababa

Ghana - Accra Accra as a city that has a reputation of being one of the safest and friendliest in West Africa, making it ideal for first time visitors to Africa. The Government, developers and Investors are noticing the growing demand in the new hotel investment, and Carlson Rezidor is due to open its Radisson Blu Accra Airport Hotel this year 2017.

The number of International tourist in 2016 increased to 1,322,500 from 1,202,200 in 2015. Accra city Kokota International Airport has proceeded with the construction of terminal 3 expanding its capacity to accommodate the increasing number of passengers as well as the number of airlines services. Ghana has reduced the tax on refuelling aircraft at the Kokota International Airport Accra, attracting more flights en-route across the Atlantic.

The country is stable and it is growing at an impressive rate. Tourism in Ghana has long-term potential. The government is investing time, money and energy in the tourism industry, promoting it to international investors who are seeing the potential that Ghana has and are looking at investment opportunities.

Although many expected violence and fear after the presidential elections, Ghana had a peaceful presidential election and transition of power in 2016, showing hope for the future. The government is undertaking various fiscal policy consolidations that will aim to sustain economic growth.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Ghana_-_Accra

18 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

HVS Africa Market Summary by Country

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Ivory Coast - Abidjan Western Africa. International and regional investors are interested in the Cote d’Ivoire due to high economic performance. After a few years of social unrest and uncertainty, the country is experiencing a fast recovery, supported by the oil, financial and tourism industries. The return of the African Development Bank headquarters has brought back investor confidence and an interest from international companies. The economy is boosted by business tourism and conferences that are hosted in Abidjan. Cote d’Ivoire is a prime destination for foreign direct investment and had a strong GDP growth of 8.4% in 2016.

The Ivorian government is promoting regional development as well as tourism to the international markets building a resilient economy. There is potential in the country which benefits from diversified tourism, corporate travellers come in numbers for oil and finance and Abidjan has quality MICE infrastructures such as the Abidjan Conference Centre.

Occupancy rates increased in 2016 to 76.1% thanks to business tourists visiting the country. A significant amount of new supply and refurbishments of existing meeting rooms and conference centres are expected to happen. RevPAR and hotel values decreased by 0.8% in 2016. Internationallybranded properties are now seeing opportunities in Abidjan and are now planning on opening new hotels and African brands such as Mangalis Hotel are expected to open in Abidjan in the near future.

For detailed analysis visit: http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Ivory_Coast_-_Abidjan

Kenya - Nairobi Kenya’s economy remains one of the most vibrant economies in East Africa, and Nairobi is the main commercial centre of the country. In 2016 Kenya had strong GDP growth rising to 6% thanks to the country’s currency stability, low fuel prices and low inflation rates. Being in one of the most stable economies in Africa, Nairobi will offer an increasing number of opportunities for investors which will boost the economy further.

Kenya has made significant structural and economic reforms that have contributed to sustained economic growth, the country has received support of the World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund and other development partners and they have brought positive economic changes to the country. Elections are scheduled for August 2017, government has strengthened security measures ahead of the elections, which may affect hotels’ performance as tourists and investors may see a risk of political unrest, although at the time of writing there were no signs of the threatened violence.

Nairobi’s Hotel market offers significant investment opportunities. International branded hotels are investing in Nairobi as the regional hub of Africa and now also in secondary cities. Tourist arrivals rose to 16.7% boosted by improved security and marketing of tourism to international markets.

Occupancy rates are up to 58.5%, an increase compared to 2015. RevPAR growth of 5.3%. There is an increase of new supply and that can cause value growth to decrease in 2017. The outlook for tourism in Kenya looks bright for 2017 as government is supporting and marketing the country to the international and domestic markets.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Kenya_-_Nairobi

Mauritius Tourism remains the main engine of Mauritius and the Seychelles’ booming economies and that is likely to continue in the near future. The improvement of the economic situation in Europe brought French and German tourists back on the islands and, sadly, the security situation in many other sunny destinations in Africa benefited the Indian ocean atolls. Mauritius is ranked as the most peaceful and safest country in Sub-Saharan Africa.

More than 1,275,000 tourists visited this dream destination in 2016. The increased number of direct flights to Mauritius combined with the sustained promotion of the island by the tourism authorities boosted the demand. Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa and Austrian Airways as well as Euro-wings launched new routes to Port-Louis. The result is a 10.8% increase in tourist arrivals in 2016 vs. 2015.

Occupancy increased significantly, pushed by an increasing number of arrivals from France and Germany but also from new feeder markets such as India (+14.6%), Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Mauritius took advantage of an increasing demand from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Europe and average rates raised by more than 30% although it is still not back to 2014 levels. The future of tourism is positive with the government growing the economy and promoting new forms of tourism such as sports and films’ tourism. Hotel values went up by 39.1%, recovering from a 24.1% drop in 2015.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Mauritius SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 19

BUSINESS & FINANCE

HVS Africa Market Summary by Country

Morocco Morocco had a tough year in 2016 with a severe drought which severely affected agriculture production. According to the Worldbank, the overall GDP growth dropped down to 1.1% in 2016, with a record low of 0.5% in the second quarter of the year. However, Morocco is still an established tourism destination. After a drop in REVPAR in 2016 due to the threat of terrorism in Europe, 2017 shows a regain of interest from international tourists, notably from China and Russia. The decision of King Mohammed VI to exempt Chinese citizens from visa requirements from June 2016 boosted the tourism industry in the country: monthly arrivals from China were multiplied by six from this date. Additionally, the government plans to invest time, money and efforts to promote the tourism industry: new airports are expected to open in 2017 to support domestic accessibility and the Morocco Vision 2020 strategy aims to double the size of the tourism industry by 2020.

Casablanca Casablanca on the other hand experienced a recovery in 2016. Although occupancy decreased by 2 points, ADR increased by 12% back to precrisis level pushing the REVPAR up by 8.4%. The corporate segment fed the tourism growth and the opening of the Four Seasons in 2015 induced demand from high-spending markets (GCC) and pushed the ADR up. Although they are not back to pre-crisis levels, values in Casablanca increased significantly and it is likely to continue in 2017.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Morocco_-_Casablanca

Marrakech After a rough year in 2015, Marrakech continued to suffer from the terrorist attacks in Europe in 2016 that deterred many French high-spending tourists from visiting the country. While occupancy levels increased almost back to pre-crisis level, thanks to the Chinese and Russian tourists that came along, a drop in ADR of 31% lead to a decrease in REVPAR of 23.1%. Values in Marrakech fell significantly in 2016 owing to the drop in ADR. However, the capital is likely to recover as the security situation improves. Indeed, 2017 started on a positive note with an increase in REVPAR of 17.6% proving that Marrakech remains a strong market in Africa.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Morocco_-_Marrakech

Mozambique - Maputo Mozambique’s GDP dropped from 6.6% in 2015 to 3.3% in 2016, as per World Bank and is forecast to reach 4.8% in 2017. A political conflict, hidden debts, low commodity prices and draught contributed to a current economic slowdown in 2016. Despite this a massive offshore natural-gas project and a pick-up in coal and electricity exports are expected to help a recovery in growth to 6.6% by 2018. The hospitality industry is expected to significantly pick up along the oil and gas recovery in 2019/20. Maputo is one of the highest nonpetroleum growth performers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Despite the ongoing debt crisis, a relatively stable growth is forecast at an average of 4.8% between 2016 and 2021. In addition, government has approved a legislation to reform public enterprises, meaning more privatisations and the closure of public companies, which is considered a progressive move for the economy, and it will create great opportunities for businesses to expand. In his opening speech at the International Conference on the Development of Tourism in Beijing in May 2016 President Filipe Nyusi said, that Mozambique gained 193 million US dollars in revenue from tourism in 2015 when 1.552 million tourists visited the country. The president also added in his speech that it is the government’s goal, formulated in its Strategic Plan for the Development of Tourism, to improve Mozamique’s competitiveness and develop access and infrastructures by 2025. Tourism shall be a “direct invitation to all investors and tourists”. A major step towards this goal has been made when the government recently confirmed that citizens of countries who were previously required to obtain a visa beforehand, can now do so upon arrival at 44 border posts, making an entry into the country hassle-free and easy. Catching up with the trend in Maputo: City Lodge Maputo is looking at completing 148 rooms by the first quarter of 2018 and Tsogo Sun Hotel StayEasy Maputo is planning to open with 125 rooms in April 2018. Concluding that the trend is real: Maputo’s hotels saw a massive jump in occupancy rates from 29.6% to 58.2% in 2015 to 2016. The average rate drastically increased by 24 US dollars and rooms sold doubled, leaving 2016 with a RevPAR and hotel room value growth of 133.5%.

For detailed analysis visit: http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Mozambique_-_Maputo

Namibia - Windhoek Namibia remains politically stable with a sustained economic growth. According to the World Bank, the average annual GDP growth rate was 5.6% per year between 2011 and 2015. In 2016, however, the GDP growth rate dropped to only 1% due to a persistent drought that has been lasting for the past three years and a higher decline in diamond mining and the construction sector than expected. But, an improvement in commodity prices and predicted rainfall lead to believe that Namibia’s GDP growth is going to reach 2.9% in 2017. The Bank also states in their latest economic outlook (March 2017) that the hotel and restaurant sub-sector expanded by 5.9% in 2016 and is expected to grow further by 5% in both 2017 and 2018, which shows positive development for the hospitality industry. In addition, Windhoek has an enormous potential when it comes to growth in the tourism industry. Adventure activities along the dunes of the desert and the coastline as well as a large amount of game have attracted a lot of tourists.

Windhoek has seen a growth in tourist arrivals each year and various hotel companies are looking to expand in Namibia: The South African based City Lodge Group is expected to open a Town Lodge in Windhoek with 151 rooms in 2017, the Hilton in Windhoek went through refurbishment, a 180-room mid-market Hilton Garden Inn adjacent to the existing Hilton in Windhoek is supposed to open this year and a multimillion-dollar phased refurbishment of Gustav Voigts shopping centre is also scheduled to happen in the centre of Windhoek.

Hotels in Windhoek had an occupancy over 65% over the last three years and a RevPAR growth as well as a value growth of 9.3% in 2016. This year looks even more promising with an estimated occupancy of almost 70% and even though new hotel openings are adding to the supply of the market, RevPAR is forecast to grow by 16% this year.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Namibia_-_Windhoek

20 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

HVS Africa Market Summary by Country

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Nigeria Although Nigeria is officially in a recession and its economy has experienced a negative growth throughout 2016, the total number of passengers recorded by the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) increased by 6.3% between 2015 and 2016. Low oil prices and fuel shortages due to a militant group destroying oil wells and pipelines in May 2016 have hit Nigeria’s economy hard in 2016. Prior to the wave of violence Nigeria had an energy crisis and gasoline shortage, which formed the start of a decline in economic growth. In addition, the security situation related to Boko Haram violent activities worrisome and international travellers are wary of traveling to. This has resulted in a sharp fall in occupancy and average rate took a significant hit, respectively decreasing by 3.4% and 5.1% in 2016. Unfortunately, the introduction of new hotels in the market and the loss of international travellers to domestic tourists added to this negative picture. by 5.2%.

Abuja Abuja hotels saw an increase in occupancy in 2015 despite the Boko Haram insurgency. Average room rate did not perform as well with a substantial decrease from $325.00 to $275.00. Like Lagos, this is due in large part to the lack of international guests and an increase in local guests. Many new hotels are planned for Abuja over the next five years, which illustrates the confidence in which the market is held for the longer term. Accordingly, both Lagos and Abuja experienced reduced hotel values, however these reductions were less severe than 2014.

Abuja is struggling to regain the confidence of tourists and investors. The fall in prices of gas and oil slowed the economy down in 2016, security is a massive concern for travelers and the accessibility to both cities is not improving. The level of demand and occupancy is expected to be down. Hence, Abuja will see a drop in values of 2.1%, suffering from a massive drop in occupancy. The improvement of the security situation and the economic recovery will partly condition the future of the hotels investment playground in Nigeria.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Nigeria_-_Abuja

Lagos Lagos is the 7th largest economy in Africa and is expected to grow even bigger as it has become an oil-producing state in the first half of 2016 and represent 13% of the revenues generated by the government through its oil. A number of hotels have opened in 2016 and a lot more are scheduled to open over the next 8 years adding over 3,000 rooms all over the country. The companies involved are Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, Rotana and BON Hotels.

Not only the biggest players in the hospitality industry are interested in Lago’s future, but also various international figures showed interest in 2016 by visiting the city, the country and its president. Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, came to Nigeria to strengthen the partnership, meet and engage with business leaders, legislators, President Buhari and other senior leaders. King Mohammed VI of Morocco went to the country to strengthen the bilateral cooperation and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, surprised Lagos with a visit in August 2016 to meet with entrepreneurs and developers and to learn about the “start-up ecosystem” in the city.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Nigeria_-_Lagos

Senegal - Dakar Senegal is the third fastest growing African country in 2016 with a GDP growth of 6.6 and it is one of the most politically stable countries on the continent. In March 2016, the government held a vote on measures to strengthen the country’s political system. The tourism industry of Senegal took a big knock in 2013 when the Ebola virus struck West Africa and a lot of hotels had to close, but tourist arrivals have steadily been increasing since 2014 and it is the country’s goal to increase the number of tourists to 2 million by 2019 as part of prioritizing tourism. Dakar has many tourist friendly attributes: beautiful beaches, good weather, a vibrant nightlife and internationally recognised cuisine. The introduction of a visa-free entry for most nations worldwide early 2015 helped to boost tourism in Senegal substantially. In addition, Dakar hosts numerous pan-African or international meetings, congresses, academic symposia and trade fairs each year. There is also a big trend of adventure seekers travelling to Senegal like generation Millennium, who want a more authentic and personalised experience. An increasing number of international brands are expected to open in the capital in the next few years which should improve the overall quality of the hotel supply. InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is going to open a 250room hotel in Dakar with lots of commercial and office space to lease in 2017, Marriott is planning to open a Sheraton in 2018 and an Aloft in 2020 both in Dakar, adding over 350 rooms to the market. Dakar has seen an increase in occupancy by almost 5% in 2016 but rates remained stable, partly due to an increase of supply in the past two years that brought a fierce price competition. RevPAR has been gradually growing since 2014 and the value per room in the same category has been and is expected to increase by the same percentage amounts per year.

For detailed analysis visit: http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Senegal_-_Dakar

Seychelles The Seychelles has been very good at reinventing themselves after a few years of “crisis”. The tourism authorities put in a lot of effort and it is likely to foster the attractiveness and marketability of the archipelago. The Seychelles targeted new feeder markets, such as China, India and the GCC countries. The opening of new air routes increased the accessibility to the island: Air Seychelles opened four flights per week to Johannesburg and one flight to Beijing and Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways also started to fly in. Occupancy increased to above 70%, its highest level since 2009 and rates exceeded US$400, benefiting from the high-spending profile of GCC visitors. It’s worth noting that the Seychelles substantially boost the African Value Average; with values that are double the values of the second highest market in Africa. While the African Average is US$152,431 including the Seychelles market, it drops to US$134,220 when it is excluded. A significant amount of new supply is expected to open in the near future, including a Four Seasons and a Six Senses. However, these are likely to be the last to open in the next few years as the government announced a moratorium on large scale projects to prevent any large-scale property from entering the market in the next few years and keep occupancy level at their highest.

Hotel values increased by 14.8% in 2016 proving the health of the Seychelles tourism market.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Seychelles

SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 21

BUSINESS & FINANCE

HVS Africa Market Summary by Country

South Africa The total amount of tourists arriving in South Africa went up by about 13% in 2016 to 10,044,163 and the trend continues with an all-time high of 1,040,534 tourists (excl. tourists in transit) in January of this year, according to Statistics SA. The number of tourists travelling to South Africa has been increasing since the strict visa restrictions were eased and the devaluation of its currency. However, South Africa still needs to address a few challenges to keep the positive growth of tourist arrivals. A continuing drought, low commodity prices and weak demand from the nation’s main export partners caused South Africa’s economy to experience a GDP growth of 0.3% in 2016 (the lowest GDP growth since 2009 recession), followed by a decline of 0.7% during the first quarter of this year. The removal of deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas and finance minister Pravin Gordhan from the governments’ Cabinet by President Jacob Zuma in March, resulted in the Rand’s exchange rate to drop and Standard & Poor’s to downgrade South Africa’s investment status to “junk”. The future of SA’s tourism is looking promising though as the Rand has recently strengthened again and more than 2500 rooms are expected to be added over the next 5 years, of which a new Radisson Blu, Radisson Red, Sun International, Marriott, Tsogo Sun and Ibis are part of. The World Bank predicts a GDP growth of 1.1% in 2017 and 1.8% for 2018.

Cape Town Cape Town remains South Africa’s most popular destination when it comes to domestic and international visitors – showing a new record: Cape Town International Airport reached 10 million passengers on the 28th Dec 2016 since the beginning of the year for the first time. Numerous planned hotel openings and an increased capacity for international direct flights through Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, SA Airlink and more show that investors think the same. The luxurious and exclusive Silo opened its doors on the 1st March this year and the very first Radisson Red in Africa is planned to be ready for business in September in the newly developed ‘Silo District’ of the V&A Waterfront. The local chain Tsogo Sun caught up to the trend and is currently developing a 504-bedroom hotel complex which is aimed to be completed in September this year as well. This large amount of new supply will cause occupancy levels to drop in 2017 and it will take some time for the supply to be absorbed and the market to pick up again, but growth is expected to look positive for 2019 and 2020 again.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/South_Africa_-_Cape_Town

Durban Durban is a historically stable economy and known as the sleepy third big city of South Africa, but that may change; new supply came in at the end of 2016. Protea Hotel by Marriott® Durban uMhlanga underwent a two-year expansion and a massive development called “Oceans Umhlanga” is on its way, which will include a 207-room Radisson Blu Hotel and a shopping mall. The Hilton Durban just finished their extensive renovations in May this year and a new settlement is under development just outside of Durban called Cornubia, which will change the skyline between Umhlanga and King Shaka Airport over the next 15 years. King Shaka International Airport is expected to become the city centre of Durban and expected to grow from 7.5 Million passengers to 45 Million passengers over the next 40 years.South African Airways announced a new code-share route with Air Seychelles between Seychelles and Durban offering direct flights between Durban and the Seychelles since the end of March this year. Furthermore, Durban’s network was boosted by four new airlines; Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines and Proflight Zambia.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/South_Africa_-_Durban

Johannesburg In Johannesburg, Hotel establishments experienced a decrease RevPAR in 2016 due to oversupply in rooms and an increase in consumer price inflation which means that Revenue Managers cannot push the rates too high. But a predicted increase in average rate and value per room in 2017 show that the market is picking up again and the oversupply will slowly be absorbed over time.The biggest South America airline company, LATAM Airlines, launched a direct flight between São Paulo and Johannesburg in October 2016 offering three flights weekly, tapping into the opportunities that the business hub of South Africa holds. Furthermore, Minor Hotels, the major growing brand in Africa, opened their regional office in Johannesburg and the Hyatt Regency got sold for 36 million US$ in Feb 2017 which shows interest in the country.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/South_Africa_-_Johannesburg

Tanzania - Dar es Salaam Tanzania has a booming economy and was Africa’s second fastest growing country in 2016 with a GDP growth of 6.9%, according to the World Bank, and a forecasted growth of 6.4% over the next five years. Tourist arrivals increased by 12.9% compared to 2015, as indicated by the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania. President John Magufuli, elected in 2015, has been known to be a rigorous politician regarding anticorruption and anti-waste measures. His forceful leadership style became even more visible in 2016: cancellation of major celebrations, ban of overseas travel for civil servants, eviction of corrupt officials and unannounced visits to various government bodies were just a few of his actions. In addition, the government imposed 18% VAT on services such as tour guiding, game driving, water safaris, animal or bird watching, park fees and ground transport services. While this aims to increase the tax base, it will make the Tanzania tourism package more expensive. All of which came at a surprise, explaining a slight drop in amount of rooms sold in Dar es Salaam. However, in 2016 the president was working with the private sector to improve the country’s business environment. In terms of “Ease of Doing Business” (World Bank report 2017) the city has made enormous improvements mainly due to reforms over the last year regarding business licensing, easy registration of businesses, people’s registration and land reforms. Furthermore, Etihad Airways announced that it has entered into a codeshare agreement with Precision Air, Tanzania’s leading domestic airline and the pipeline built

by Uganda to transport crude oil through Tanzania is expected to be completed by June 2020, which shows interest in the country and focus on a prosperous future. Occupancy levels in Dar es Salaam declined by about 6% and RevPAR decreased by 10.5% compared to the year before. Even though numbers are expected to drop even more in 2017, the country’s future looks bright as there are still large gas reserves and a constant low inflation rate. Marriott plans to open a Four Points by Sheraton and an Element by Westin in Dar es Salaam. Other hotels including the brands Rotana and City Lodge are supposed to open between 2017 and 2020 altogether adding about 1,400 keys to the market.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Tanzania_-_Dar_es_Salaam

22 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

HVS Africa Market Summary by Country

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Togo - Lomé Togo’s economy has slowed to a 5% GDP growth in 2016 which is expected to stay the same in 2017 according to the World Bank. Reasons for slowed down growth are lower government investment and a decline in maritime traffic. Although Lomé has the only deep-sea port in Western Africa, a reinforcement of the regulation inhibits the amount of imports and exports to the country and its neighbours directly. However, the government spent aside 150 million US$ to modernise and expand Gnassingbé Eyadema International Airport in Lomé, which was inaugurated by President Faure Gnassingbé in April 2016. The airport is now able to deal with 2.5 million passengers per annum and handle the biggest passenger aircrafts in the world, which is the best condition to attract more airline companies. Although Lomé has a limited supply of quality hotels, International and African brands increasingly show interest in the Togolese market. Carlson Rezidor opened a new Radisson Blu with 320 rooms in 2016 and immediately hosted the African Investment Forum in West Africa in Lomé, creating a lot of publicity in the hospitality industry in West Africa. Onomo Hotels and Olodge also built establishments that opened last year and a Pefaco Hotel is scheduled to open its doors in 2018. The opening of this quality supply had a significant impact on hotels’ performance. While occupancy levels dropped by 3.7% the average rate increased by 5.5% leading to a slight decline in RevPAR of 0.8%. The numbers are expected to improve in 2017 resulting in a RevPAR growth of 5.5% driven by increased corporate activity in the capital. Lomé’s popularity does not end there: A new development, WellCity, in the outskirts of Lomé is developed by Derou and Partners Group, a Togolese based company. The “City of Well-Being” is supposed to include over 1,500 hotel rooms as well as conference, commercial and recreational facilities to cater for the Togolese middle class and the environmentally conscious.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Togo_-_Lome

Uganda - Kampala Uganda is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, with a GDP growth estimated at 6.2% in 2017. Yet a small country, Uganda has nothing to envy to other African countries; it has more of its fair share of beautiful landscapes and wildlife. After two decades of instability, the government has prioritized spending on key sectors and focused on financial liberalization. Uganda is one of the most economically and politically stable countries in Africa. With an urban growth rate estimated at 5.2%, Kampala generates 60% of the GDP of Uganda and the government aims to make sure that the capital will continue to be a key economic driver and a sustainable future city. The business community is very strong in the capital and an increasing number of entrepreneurs chose Kampala to settle. However, Kampala faces many challenges along the way. Infrastructure is a key issue.

Being built on seven hills, the capital has no airport and the road’s network is very poor, with only one road connecting the city to the rest of the country; heavy traffic is a problem. The government is working on multiple roads in order to ease the traffic and improve accessibility, which is key for tourism. Tourism in the capital is driven by corporate and MICE. Apart from a couple of branded hotels, the capital does not offer much quality hotels, limiting the potential growth of tourism in the country. Yet, Carlson Rezidor and Hilton announced the opening of properties in the next few years and the market is thus likely to mature further. REVPAR in Kampala has increased by 6% in 2015 and 2016 mainly boosted by an increase in occupancy.

That resulted in an increase in value of 6.6%. Uganda, led by Kampala, offers huge opportunity for business and tourism in the next few years.

For detailed analysis visit: http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Uganda_-_Kampala

Zambia - Lusaka Zambia’s economy came under strain in 2015 due to external headwinds and domestic pressures intensity. A slower regional growth, low copper prices and regular power outages that intensified in 2015, impacted all sectors of the economy. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew at 2.8% and 3.3% in 2016, much slower than the average 7.4% between 2004 and 2014. However, economic conditions improved in 2016, the hotel market is on the rise government is supporting the hospitality sector tremendously. The World Bank is projecting an improved growth rate of 4% in 2017.

The overall economic situation in Lusaka is positive. Tourism is accelerating at a fast pace, and contributing to the economic growth of the country.

Tourist arrivals increased to 956,332 in 2016 from 931,782 the previous year. Africa, accounted for 77.9% of the total international arrivals followed

by Europe, with 9.2% of arrivals while Americas accounted for 5% of the total arrivals. The government is investing extensively to create awareness and demand of tourism opportunities in Lusaka, it is also determined to make the country a leading tourist destination. Lusaka has experienced an occupancy rate of 57.5% in 2016 compared to 56.5% in 2015, REVPAR was up by 17.0% leading to an increase in values of 17.0% this has brought confidence and a positive outlook to the country.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Zambia_-_Lusaka

Zimbabwe - Harare Recovering from a two-year drought and prevailing political instability, Zimbabwe’s economic growth has slowed down to 0.6% in GDP and is predicted to only grow by 3.8% in 2017 and 3.4% in each 2018 and 2019, as per World Bank. Zimbabwe’s tourist arrivals increased by 9% in 2015 and arrivals in the first quarter of 2016 already went up by 16% compared to the same quarter the year before. Whereas occupancy in Harare stagnated in 2016 and is not predicted to grow in 2017. Furthermore, average rates and RevPAR are declining and continue to do so, because the government demands discounted rates for their civil servants and hotels do not have a chance to increase rates over time. On top of that the reserve bank in Harare started printing bond notes in 2016, known as pseudo-currency, responding to the shortage of US dollars, which has raised fears that the country might be facing another period of inflation. Zimbabwe borders the greatest wildlife and safari regions in Southern Africa and has plentiful National Parks and attractions of its own. In November 2016, the new Victoria Falls International Airport was officially opening its upgraded and new facilities. The airport was funded by China and constructed by a Chinese construction company. It is now equipped to handle 1.5 million passengers per year (three times as much as before) and some of the world’s largest aircrafts. In addition to the massive debt cancellation by China in 2015 and the acceptance of the Yuan as currency in exchange, the new airport is a further sign of growing Chinese influence in Zimbabwe Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways are amongst the major airlines who have voiced their interest in serving the new hub. While Harare may see its performance down, Victoria Falls should be the new go-to destination in Zimbabwe.

For detailed analysis visit http://hvi.hvs.com/market/africa/Zimbabwe_-_Harare SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 23

EVENTS

Celebrating its 10th anniversary as ‘Asia’s Leading Travel Trade Show’, ITB Asia 2017 has completely sold out ahead of its milestone show this October, attributed to a tremendous surge in booth bookings from the global market.

ITB Asia 2017 attributes this years’ demand to strong support from Asian exhibiting companies (60%) and the launch of new features to commemorate its 10th anniversary.

For the first time this year, ITB Asia will host Brazil’s Rio Convention and Visitor Bureau, the Moscow City Government, Promote Iceland, as well as an African Pavilion, among many others.

The strong growth performance at ITB Asia 2017 is led by BRICS economies that show exceeding exhibitor stand booking growth rates, with South Africa (200%), Russia (183%) and Brazil (100%) paving the trend. China is also growing its presence at ITB Asia by 31% this year with Ctrip, Wuzhen Tourism, Hua Min Tourism & Reservation, Shanghai Toptown International Travel Agency and many more set to feature during the show.

In the African Pavilion, Tunisia and Rwanda will make their debut, joining Kenya Tourism Board and other African exhibitors from Tanzania, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Sudan. This comes as no surprise given that the African market has shown an exceptional growth of 25% at this year’s show.

Europe is a close second having recorded a 23% growth which is led by the Greek National Tourism Organisation and Spain Tourism Board. This growth is also substantiated by a growing number of exhibitors from the Balkan Peninsula, including countries such as Romania and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

In addition, Scandinavian markets have marked a 21% growth as leading markets such as Finland and Norway show stronger exhibitor demand.

This is further strengthened by Promote Iceland which joins ITB Asia for the first time.

24 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

While African and European markets appear to dominate the show floor, North Asia will feature prominently during ITB Asia 2017 too.

Delegates can look forward to a strong showing by Japan and Korea at this year’s show as Japan recorded an 89% growth in exhibitor bookings while Korea recorded a staggering 112% growth, thanks to Korea Tourism Organisation, Seoul Tourism Organisation and Jeju Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Earlier this year, ITB Asia had signed a partnership with Korea Tourism Organisation to boost Korea’s appeal as a key destination in Southeast Asia.

“As we celebrate our 10th anniversary this year, the substantial growth in exhibitors underlines how ITB Asia has firmly established itself as the leading industry event in the region. The Asian outbound market continues to attract huge interest and we are delighted to see such levels of growth from various key markets at the show this year. As early as now, we are accepting bookings for the 2018 show,” said Katrina Leung, Executive Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), organiser of ITB Asia.

Exploring “The Future of Travel”, ITB Asia 2017 will feature industry heavyweights from the travel and tourism sector as well as global brand names from the technology sector.

The show will take place from 25 – 27 October 2017 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

ITB Asia 2017 is organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd and is supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau.

For more information visit www.itb-asia.com

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SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 25

PROPERTY REVIEW

HOSPITALITY

Cape St. Francis Resort

There are not that many holiday resorts in South Africa that are both family- and pet-friendly, so discovering that Cape St. Francis Resort is both was a pleasant surprise.

By Des Langkilde.

A surprise to me that is, but not to the hundreds of leisure and corporate guests who have stayed, played, romanced, and strategised at Cape St Francis Resort and its conference facilities over many years - a fact that their review rankings on TripAdvisor and Bookings.com bears ample testimony to.

Getting to the Eastern Cape’s headland at Cape St. Francis from Port Elizabeth Airport is a reasonably short 90-minute drive past the surfing paradise of Jeffrey’s Bay and the giant wind turbines that stand sentinel along the N2 freeway, which is just as well seeing that I had 3 adults, two dogs and tons of luggage crammed into a Suzuki Ignis vehicle that I had collected in PE to review (see page 00).

Cape St. Francis Resort’s reception is conveniently positioned in a separate building off Da Gama road, next to the resort’s main access gate, and doubles as a convenience grocery, clothing and trinket store.

It also doubles as the village’s (unofficial) tourist information bureau and guests can book activities and excursions from the friendly, professional staff. St Francis Tourism is the official tourist information bureau for the Kouga region and is located in the adjacent village of St Francis Bay. There’s certainly a lot to see and do in Cape St Francis, from kite surfing lessons, trail walks, and bicycle hire to bungee jumping and sky diving.

The main attraction though, is the resort’s Social Responsibility Initiative; Betty’s Tour. Named after the resort’s employee and tour leader, Betty Anoster guides guests on a tour of the Cape St Francis SANCCOB marine rehabilitation centre and its penguin colony, followed by a township tour at Sea Vista to meet some very special kids at the Talhado Children’s Haven, and finally a visit at Nomvula (a Xhosa word meaning “she who brings the rain”), which is a knitting group started by Frances Becker in 2008 and now employs 15 full time knitters.

But I digress. After check-in procedures had been completed, and after a quick tour of the onsite Joe Fish Restaurant and Bar, I was given a site map indicating the location of my ‘Falcon’ unit within the resort.

There are actually 3 kinds of accommodation options in the resort; the Family Beach Cottages are three and four bedroom self catering units, the Beach Villas are 5-star graded houses with five en-suite bedrooms and plunge pool, and Club Break, which consists of 3-star graded one and two bedroom apartments located near the resort entrance and close to the pool and restaurant. All of these accommodation options can be booked on a self-catering or a bed and breakfast basis.

26 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

They are also all ideally positioned for easy access to the resort’s main attraction - the beach. And what a beach it is! A pilot Blue Flag beach, the golden sand slopes gently to the Indian Ocean waves and stretch for kilometres along the curve of land between the estuary and Granny’s Pool. This is also where the world famous surfing spot, Bruce’s Beauties lies.

Further along the beach, to the right of the resort beach access, is the Cape Seal Lighthouse, which was built in 1875. The lighthouse apparently has a museum and used to be open for guided tours to the top of the tower but closed for repairs to the stairwell, which, although completed some time ago, never re-opened. A comment from a local implied that the lighthouse and its buildings are currently being used (and abused)

by Portnet officials and their friends as a private venue for fishing and partying.

Cape St. Francis Resort also has a health and beauty studio located within the estate. But what impressed me most is the resort’s conference centre. The centre has four conference and meeting venues; the aptly named ‘The Space’ can accommodate up to 300 delegates in theatre style, the ‘Chapel & Theatre’ up to 160 delegates, the ‘Francolin Room’ up to 35 delegates, and the ‘Beach Break’ for smaller meetings of up to 15 delegates.

Of course, all of these conference venues have state-of-the-art equipment, with breakaway rooms, secretarial services, and catering options. The resort’s conferencing section has also been providing team building programmes for small, medium and large corporate companies, government institutions, universities and schools over the past 15 years.

Add to this the accomplishment of having hosted the 2017 edition of the Expedition Africa World Series Adventure Race in May, and it becomes clear why Cape St. Francis Resort remains busy even during the leisure tourism low season.

Unfortunately, I simply did not have enough time to experience all that the Eastern Cape’s Kouga region, and Cape St. Francis Resort, in particular, has to offer. But, to quote the words of a famous time-traveller; “I’ll be back!”

For more information, contact Cape St. Francis Resort at: Tel: +27 (0) 42 298 0054 | Email: seals@iafrica.com | Website: Capestfrancis.co.za

PROPERTY REVIEW

HOSPITALITY

City Lodge Hotel • CAPE TOWN •

Victoria And Alfred Waterfront Room with a View & Convenience too

If you’re checking into the City Lodge Hotel Victoria And Alfred Waterfront, ask for a room on the 1st floor as these have balconies from which you can truly appreciate the views across the Roggebaai Canal precinct towards the City and Table Mountain massive beyond.

As one of three hotels in the Cape Town City Lodge brand stable (the other two being GrandWest and Pinelands), a big plus to this hotel is its convenient location, being positioned within walking distance to Cape Town’s business hub, to the V&A Waterfront, and to the International Convention Centre (CTICC).

By Des Langkilde.

During my stay, I met with the hotel’s GM, Stefan Janse van Rensburg, who says that most guests take the water saving requests seriously.

If you’re not into walking, you can hop on the City Sightseeing boat (operated by Red Bus Cape Town) from the jetty conveniently located next to the hotel entrance and take a short scenic ride to either the CTICC or to the V&A Waterfront (stops at the Ocean Aquarium).

Other water-saving initiatives applied at the hotel include replacing all garden plants with indigenous succulents that don’t require watering, and Stefan’s team is currently investigating grey water recycling solutions.

As part of the hotel’s contribution to the City Lodge Group’s sustainable tourism programme, Stefan supports the Ikhaya Le Themba Foundation – a faith-based NPO in the heart of Khayelitsha – with linen and toiletry donations, and fresh produce is also purchased from the NPO for the hotel’s kitchen. The hotel also supports the local V&A Waterfront police station, which I think is a great initiative.

From a business travel perspective, the hotel’s complimentary WiFi service is another added convenience, as is the renown City Lodge breakfast buffet (served from 6 to 9 am), and the restaurant’s sun deck where smoking is permitted.

Construction work by the V&A Waterfront Company is still underway around the hotel but I did not find the noise to be excessive as the rooms are well sound proofed. And besides, the reflection of water ripples cast onto the room ceiling from the canal at sunset is well worth putting up with a bit of construction clatter.

To assist with Cape Town’s dire water shortage, City Lodge has placed innovative guest request cards in all rooms. Please follow their advice and play your part in alleviating the city’s water crisis.

For more information, contact City Lodge Hotel V&A Waterfront at: Tel: +27 (0)21 419 9450 | Email: clva.resv@clhg.com | Website: www.clhg.com

SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 27

LEGAL

SOCIAL MEDIA & DEFAMATION Part 1

TREAD WARILY! As we are all no doubt quite aware, social media has to a large extent become the medium of choice not only to publicize and disseminate information but also to glean information. Due to the ubiquitous nature of the social media and the fact that any information communicated via this medium is instantaneously shared across the globe, the impact of such content is much greater, whether positive or negative.

The latter is the issue I will be addressing in this and subsequent parts of this series. Before I continue I need to make sure we are ‘on the same page’ so let’s look at what we understand the definition of defamation and social media respectively to actually mean: DEFINITIONS Defamation: Wikipedia: Defamation is the infringement of one’s fama (Reputation or good name) i.e. the unlawful and intentional publication of defamatory matter (by words or by conduct or even a sketch/caricature/depiction) referring to the plaintiff, which causes his reputation to be impaired.

The Law of Delict, McKerron: The publication of defamatory matter concerning another without lawful justification or excuse.

It can even include ‘body language / hand gestures’ (Abrahams & Gross).

The English differentiation between ‘libel’ (written) and ‘slander’ (spoken) forms of defamation is not part of our law – in South African law defamation refers to statements in any format that damage a persons reputation.

Social Media: Whatis.com: Social media is the collective of online communications channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, contentsharing and collaboration. Websites and applications dedicated to forums, microblogging, social networking, social bookmarking, social curation, and wikis are among the different types of social media.

Meriam Webster: forms of electronic communication (as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos).

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Some of the better known and more regularly used social media platforms are Google, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

WHAT GOVERNS THE BEHAVIOUR OF PARTIES PARTICIPATING IN SOCIAL MEDIA? There are the rules/terms and conditions pertaining to each form of social media that users undertake to comply with once they engage that medium and then there are the laws of the country and the common law.

However, before we even consider any of the aforementioned guidelines there is the code of conduct (‘COC’) governing the membership of the association you are a member of. FGASA has a comprehensive COC and the following aspects impact on the use of social media – members undertake the following and the transgression thereof has dire consequences: • Compliance with the constitution and laws • Treat people with respect • Avoid insensitive and irresponsible behaviour • Be tactful.

The South African Constitution enshrines freedom of expression (section 16) but this must be balanced (by the courts) with the right to maintain one’s reputation and dignity unblemished and that of privacy (section 14) (See the case of Dawood and Another v Minister of Home Affairs and Others 2000 (3) SA 936 (CC) – ‘Dignitas concerns the individual’s own sense of self worth, but included in the concept are a variety of personal rights including, for example, privacy’ – see also the case of Herholdt v Wills: “Facebook is fraught with dangers especially in the field of privacy” and therefore the Court agreed that by intervening it may have a positive effect on the use of Facebook. The Court stated that “the tensions between every human being’s constitutionally enshrined rights to freedom of expression and dignitas is all about balance.”

Each form of social media has its own Terms & Conditions (‘T&C’) e.g.

Facebook has a ‘Statement of Rights and Responsibilities’ including a ‘Data Policy’ which includes its ‘Privacy Basics’ (‘You have control over who sees what you share on Facebook‘). It should also be noted that in the USA, Congress (1995) passed the Communications Decency Act which protects Internet Service Providers and website hosts from defamation claims.

More about the T&Cs of other forms of social media in Part 2.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide a brief overview of legal matters pertaining to the tourism industry and is not intended as legal advice. © Adv Louis Nel, 'Louis The Lawyer', September 2017.

TRANSPORT

5 Tips for Long Distance Bus Travel As a student who attends university 11 hours from home, I spend a lot of time travelling long-distance. And being a student means that I have more time than money, so flying is not an option. Bus transport may be slow but it’s affordable, and I’ve learned how to keep my sanity and my luggage from going AWOL. Here are my top 5 tips to surviving long-distance bus journeys.

1. Luggage

By Holly Allison.

A throwback to my first bus trip featured me being asked, “Grahamstown to Durban?” I innocently replied “yes” and placed my bag with all the others. Fast forward to a road two hours outside Port Shepstone where I was summoned by the attendant to go see the bus driver. I was sternly told that I should have put my bag in the compartment allocated for passengers getting off before Durban station. The result? My family and the disgruntled bus passengers waited over 15 minutes for the attendant to rummage around in the trailer for my luggage.

Tip: Understand the difference between your destination and where you place your bag.

2. Motion Sickness I suffer from motion sickness – in the elevator, in the car, and unfortunately, in the bus. During my first few trips, I had no way of dealing with this so I would keep my eyes closed, ensure minimal usage of my phone and try to sleep.

Tip: Chew gum. To my mind, chewing bubble gum keeps pressure from building up in my face and keeps my thoughts off the motion.

On a more scientific note, the gum gets your saliva production going which neutralises stomach acid and keeps nausea at bay. I don’t recommend chewing gum on an empty stomach though because that can have an even worse effect. If you struggle eating on the bus, I find snacking regularly on something light like fruit or an energy bar not too hectic, and will also help fight motion sickness.

3. Entertainment Travelling, especially long distance, means there’s a lot to watch. Besides the passing countryside, if you’re lucky, there will be good movies to watch. If not, you may end up watching Red Bull competitions on repeat with a brief interlude of adverts for each of South Africa’s provincial tourism attractions. Due to overly loud volume settings of bus speakers (if not broken altogether), a headache is bound to ensue.

Tip: Learn to lip read. It will help you keep track of the movie and avoid a headache.

4. Passengers

There’s always some interesting characters on bus journeys. However, being in such close proximity for a long time can get frustrating.

There is often a loud passenger who recounts their trip and lunch choices loudly down the phone. There may also be the unintentionally noisy passenger who receives an assaulting ‘ping’ on Watsapp every few minutes. Travelling by bus also requires a sound ‘chat radar’ for the person next to you. It’s important to strike a good balance between talking and quiet. Then there’s the silent type who only nod as they awkwardly shuffle past your knees to get across to the aisle.

Nevertheless, you’re together for a good few hours so be ready for anything and keep calm.

Tip: There’s always someone on the bus who really wants to talk, so it’s up to you to strike a healthy balance between conversation, sleep and staring out the window.

5. Sleep Sleep is useful for passing the time but rigid bus seats can make this somewhat uncomfortable. Your seat’s location is important so try to choose a window seat and bring along a neck pillow to ensure at least a couple of hours of shut eye. If you’re someone who manages to sleep easily on a bus, the night coach may be your best option but, if not, a day trip can be more interesting for staring out the window.

Tip: Avoid sleeping with your head on the aisle side, it will get hit by one of the following: a leg, a bag or a child.

Travelling long-distance by bus is a cheaper option to flying and although it may take much longer, at least your feet don’t need to leave the ground. I also find it simpler as it saves a lift to the airport (and my parents the bother of a two-hour drive to pick me up). In the end, you will reach your destination.

About the author: Holly Anderson is a Christian third-year student at Rhodes University where she studies Journalism & Media Studies and Drama. Holly is the News Features Editor at The Oppidan Press and has a blog called A Normal Affliction.

SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 29

TRANSPORT VEHICLE REVIEW

SUZUKI Ignis 1.2 GLX

Fiery Like No Other

I’ve always been fascinated by the names that vehicle manufacturers bestow on their cars, and test driving fiery new Suzuki Ignis, this SUV certainly lives up to its chosen epithet.

By Des Langkilde.

The meaning of the Latin noun Ignis is ‘fire’, hence deus ignis (god of fire) or ignis fatuus (wisp), from which the idiom ’will-o-the-wisp’ (elusive or impossible to achieve) arises. With the all new Ignis, Suzuki has achieved the ‘impossible’ and the fiery brand name is reflected in their boastful marketing phrase “Like No Other”.

Presumably, Suzuki set out to appeal to the Generation Z demographic, which is evident by the protruding infotainment system mounted on the dashboard, which besides providing radio and CD music options, has Bluetooth and MP3 capabilities (via a USB Ancillary port) with a good-quality sound system. Being Bluetooth enabled (GLX only) means that Gen Z can sync his or her smartphone to the system to play music and receive or make hands-free calls.

Adding appeal for techno conscious Gen Z’s, the GLX model comes with other techno-features, such as keyless push start button ignition, power steering, power controlled front and rear windows, climate control, reverse parking sensors, and electronically adjustable mirrors.

30 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

Taking the Gen Z appeal further, the Ignis has a range of personalisation options for both the interior and exterior look of the vehicle. In the cockpit, the dashboard (airflow louvre trims, gearshift console, and front door grip bars can be colour coded in red, blue of titanium. On the outside, the front grille, fog lamp bezel, side mirrors, mirror covers, roof edge spoilers, lights and bumpers can also be colour coded, as can the roof colour. A range of accent decals is also available to customise the body sides and wheels. Then there’s a range of add-ons, like roof rack carrier options for bicycles, skis, or just additional luggage storage space.

A big plus for me though is the Ignis’s safety features, which come standard across the range. Besides the built-in alarm and immobiliser, the safety shield includes an impact absorbing body structure, dual front airbags, and front seatbelts with pretension and force limiters. And seeing as most Gen Z’s have kids, Suzuki has included an ISOFIX child seat restraint system for the back seats. Suzuki has even considered the safety of pedestrians outside the vehicle in the event of an accident by including

TRANSPORT

collapsible wipers, impact-absorbing headlamps, and a ’pedestrianfriendly’ bonnet into the design.

setting to determine the remaining fuel to mileage ratio before the tank runs dry and leaves you stranded miles from the next garage.

In terms of utility space, the Ignis has 60-40 split rear seats, so the backrest can be folded forward to make space in the luggage area for larger items like the kid’s bikes. This increases the luggage space from 260ℓ (with rear setback raised) to 469ℓ. The luggage area comes with a removable moulded cover to conceal contents from view but what is missing, I thought, are some hooks or straps in the boot to stop loose items from sliding around.

Road holding is enhanced with all four chunky wheels planted firmly on the extreme corners of the car, which extends the overall width of the vehicle to 1,690 mm (to wheel arch extensions).

What really impressed me about the Ignis GLX, is its power, fuel efficiency, and road holding capability. The 4-cylinder, 16-valve, multipoint fuel injected 1.2ℓ engine delivers 61 kW of power at 6000 rpm and a torque of 113 Nm at 4,200 rpm – certainly enough power to overtake or ascend hills without having to gear down from 5th to 4th or 3rd gear (of course, the automatic transmission option does this all for you).

Overall the Ignis is a fun car to drive with plenty of tech features to satisfy the most discerning of Gen Z drivers, and even fossilised millennials such as myself.

Priced between R169,900 (GL 5MT) to R204,900 (GLX 5AMT), the Ignis costs a bit more than its sister hatchbacks, the Celerio (1.0 GL) starting at R150,900, but is comparable to the Swift (1.2 GL), which starts at the same price as the Ignis.

For more information visit www.suzuki.co.za

Fuel consumption at 5.1ℓ/100 km on the open road is pretty good, as is the emission ratio of 119 g/km. A useful fuel efficiency feature is a

SEPTEMBER 2017 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal 31

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32 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal SEPTEMBER 2017

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