Page 2 Page 6 Page 7 New child passports – trade says ...€¦ · of the new South African passport for minors. When released, the new passport will eliminate the need for underage

TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY

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SOUTHERN AFRICA’S TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLYJanuary 25 2017 I No. 2430

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FEATUREMICE

A lucrative add-on for agencies

ASK AN EXPERTUse tech to your advantage

NEWSSAA MERGERMore news in March

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Travel Vision is offering packages to Scandinavia from R11 555pps, including a four-day cruise between Copenhagen and Oslo. The package includes a two-night return cruise in a standard cabin with breakfast, one night at the three-star Comfort Hotel Vesterbro in Copenhagen with breakfast, a port arrival transfer and guided panoramic city tour. The offer is valid until June 17. Taking in the fabulous sights of Copenhagen is sales and marketing manager, Annemarie Lexow. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

New child passports – trade says ‘wait and see’DESPITE the Department

of Home Affairs’ (DHA) announcement on

December 7 that it will be possible for South African passport holders who are minors to have parents’ details printed in their passports, effective February 1, industry experts say they have adopted a ‘wait and see’ attitude before informing their clients.

In a stakeholder briefing document distributed to airlines, the DHA announced it had developed a prototype of the new South African passport for minors.

When released, the new

passport will eliminate the need for underage travellers to carry an Unabridged Birth Certificate as the parents’ details will be included in the passport.

Although the passport is expected to be rolled out next month, the DHA warned that the new passport would first need to be aligned to the operating requirements of the new ‘Live Capture System’. “The Department is working closely with its IT Service Provider to ensure that the required software releases are scheduled in support of the urgency of complying with the

Inter-Ministerial Committee’s recommendation,” the briefing document reads.

“As a TMC, we will not advise clients on the new passports or process, until it actually happens,” says Rachael Penaluna, business manager of Sure Maritime Travel.

Rachael says updating clients on every bit of information released on the UBC causes unnecessary confusion.

Deolinda da Silva, finance and operations manager of kulula holidays, says the main concern with the UBC is that the goalposts keep changing.

Both Deolinda and Rachael agree that not having to travel with supplementary documentation (like the UBC) would ease the burden on South African travellers. But, for John Ridler, spokesperson for Thompsons Holidays, the new passport is merely a “belated concession in a badly executed set of rules”.

Monica Horn, product manager of Harvey World Travel Franchise Support Team, remains sceptical on how beneficial the new passport will be to South Africans. “If a family is travelling together, it will ease the issue. However, if only one parent or no parent is travelling, necessary letters will still be required.”

DHA prototype of new SA child passport.

Don’t give advice on NZ visas!Leigh hermon

TRAVEL agents are not allowed to issue advice on New Zealand visas. This is according to the country’s Immigration Advisers Licensing Act, which prohibits unlicensed individuals from offering advice on visas.

New Zealand’s spokesperson

for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), told TNW the ruling applied to anyone giving advice to clients who were planning to visit short-term, move to New Zealand permanently or extend their stay in New Zealand. NZ introduced visas for SA travellers in November

To page 2

Visit AgentConnect.biz your dedicated website.

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Come see Copenhagen

2 n Wednesday January 25 2017 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

NEWS

Rubes® By Leigh Rubin

Phone: (011) 327-4062 Fax: (011) 327-4094 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.nowmedia.co.za Address: Now Media Centre, 32 Fricker Road, Illovo Boulevard, Illovo, Johannesburg. PO Box 55251, Northlands, 2116, South Africa.

TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY

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EDITORIAL Editor: Taryn Nightingale [email protected] Deputy Editor: Debbie Badham [email protected] Publisher: Anton Marsh [email protected] Deputy Publisher: Natasha Schmidt [email protected] Journalists: Dorine Reinstein Leigh Hermon Hilka Birns Max Marx Michelle Colman

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Top web stories

Do not give visa advice – NZ Immigration NZ visa update: Know your clients’ options Clients to stay vigilant in Mauritius TNW pick: The travel agent is back! SAA adds more new aircraft to fleet

Helen Johnston selects the top specials from Travelinfo

Ethiopian Airlines. Shopping Festival – Offer includes economy-class flights from Johannesburg to Dubai from R6 237, taxes, and three pieces of baggage weighing 23kg each. Valid for travel until March 30. The Maslow. Sandton Sushi Spoil from R2 622 per room per night. Offer includes

accommodation, breakfast and a sushi platter to the value of R500 per room per stay. Late check-out subject to availability. Valid until February 5 (all days) and from February 10-March 31 (weekends only). Selborne Golf Estate, Hotel and Spa. KwaZulu Natal. Last-minute offer from

R1 170 per room per night. Offer includes accommodation and breakfast. Valid from February 23-28. Qantas Airways. Up to 30% discount on flights from South Africa to

Australia and New Zealand from R8 610 return. Offer includes base fare in economy only. Valid for travel until November 30. World Stays and Events. New York – Stay at the five-star Carlyle hotel,

from R7 340 per person sharing.Offer includes three nights’ accommodation in a superior double room. Valid until March 31, 2018.

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• China • Tibet • Nepal • Vietnam • Cambodia • Laos • Myanmar • Japan • India • Sri Lanka & beyond

Contact details: Tel: 010 001 9998 | [email protected]

More on SAA merger in March

MORE news on the possible merger of the three state-owned

airlines, SAA, SA Express and Mango, is expected by March.

The government recently appointed consultancy company, Bain & Company, at a price tag of R12,1m to ‘assist government in undertaking a comprehensive assessment of all options before reaching a decision on the optimal ownership and corporate structure for the state-owned airlines’. The corporatisation of Voyager and Cargo, the integration of SAX under the holding company structure; the integration of the technical divisions of SAA, SAX and Denel; the sale of South African Travel Centre (SATC) and the retention of SAA’s

shareholding in SA Airlink are some of the elements regarding the restructuring of state-owned airlines currently being assessed. Treasury says the study is expected to be completed by the end of March.

Industry players say it is too soon to tell whether Bain & Company will advise a merger for the three airlines or whether they will instead suggest that they operate under a common holding company.

Chris Zweigenthal, ceo of Aasa, says: “I believe that Bain will look at many options, one of which could be a holding company, but there are other solutions.

I think it is too early to speculate on what the ultimate implementation

will entail.” In October last year,

Minister of Public Enterprises, Lynne Brown, announced that SAA, SAX and Mango could see the introduction of a private equity partner owning up to a 25% stake in the three airlines. At the time, the Minister could not give details on how the airlines would be combined but said it could either be through a merger or through a common holding company.

Another consulting firm, Seabury, has also been appointed to advise the SAA board on the restructuring process, on growing revenue and on a long-term business plan. The airline previously engaged the services of Seabury in 2007.

Don’t give advice on NZ visas!

last year (see TNW October 12, 2016).

The advisory notice on the IAA website states that only licensed immigration advisers and people who are permitted can offer visa advice. Those who are permitted include New Zealand lawyers, Community Law Centre staff and volunteers, Citizens Advice Bureau staff and volunteers, and Immigration New Zealand.

What agents can’t doAccording to the MBIE’s

spokesperson, agents may not do the following if they are unlicensed:

Advise a person on what visa they qualify for;

Advise how best to answer a question in an application form;

Write a cover letter to accompany certain visa

applications; or Represent a person in any

other immigration matter.

What agents can do Direct clients to the

Immigration New Zealand and Immigration Advisers Authority websites or to a licensed immigration adviser/permitted person;

Print out and provide a client with information that has been made publicly available by the MBIE, for example, resources on the Immigration New Zealand website.“Accepting advice from

a non-exempt person or unlicensed adviser will result in a visa application being returned by Immigration New Zealand or being declined,” says MBIE.

Those who are found in contravention of the Immigration Advisers Licensing

Act, could face a fine of up to NZ$100 000 (R960 000), and/or up to seven years’ imprisonment. At the time of going to print, MBIE could not give any details on how they would prosecute a South African travel agent who failed to comply with the Act.

Applicants who have received advice from an unlicensed adviser can file a complaint on the IAA website.

“People from all countries, including South Africa, are able to become licensed New Zealand immigration advisers, provided they follow the application process,” says MBIE. To find out more about becoming a licensed immigration adviser, agents can visit the IAA website.

A register of licensed advisers is also available on the website, which lists eight licensed advisers in South Africa.

From page 1

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NEWS

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Thompsons has launched a project to support women who’ve fallen on difficult times. The Dignity Bag Project is about collecting items and/or putting together a bag that contains the ten essential items a woman needs. Agents can contact Angela Wood, gm of marketing at Thompsons Holidays, if they wish to either make up a bag or donate items, including a scarf, lip gloss, brush, sanitary pads and hand cream, to Thompsons. Pictured here from Thompsons Holidays reservations are (from left): Nancy Kenene and Caylin Rosslee. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

The Victoria Falls Hotel hosted its year-end function at the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice Johannesburg Melrose Arch on December 12. Guests donned safari hats and animal prints to fit the event’s dress code of Victorian or safari. Pictured here (from left), are Nicole Drake, planning co-ordinator of Abercrombie & Kent; Carol White, sales director of Meikles Hospitality; and Patricia Alexandrou, group planning manager of Abercrombie & Kent. Photo: Leigh Hermon

SAA takes off with arrival of A330-300sLeigh hermon

SAA has taken delivery of three new Airbus A330-300s in the past two months and the trade

sees it as a positive step for the airline.

Lydia Norval, travel operations director of Reynolds Travel Centre, says the new aircraft will do wonders for the airline. She says SAA’s current fleet is old and this puts people off travelling with them.

“From a traveller’s point of view, it is encouraging to see fresh equipment,” says Marco Ciocchetti, ceo of XL Travel group. “Some travellers, especially business-class travellers, were starting to moan.”

According to Rodger Foster, ceo of Airlink, this is the best available outcome the airline could have achieved following SAA’s restructuring of a 2002 Airbus deal that included the purchase of 15 A320s and was subsequently increased to 20 in 2009.

By 2014, SAA had received 10 of the 20 aircraft. Rodger says that, without the restructuring, by the time the remaining A320s would have arrived, the airline would have paid a lot of money for old aircraft.

Instead, SAA entered into an agreement with Airbus to lease five new A330s.

The remaining two are scheduled

for delivery in March and May.The 249-seat A330-300 is

configured with 203 seats in economy class and 46 in business, more business-class seats than the largest aircraft in SAA’s current fleet, the A340-600, which has 42 seats. This comes as great news for agents like Maro Kyprianides of Tour Destinations International, who told TNW that there were sometimes not enough business-class seats available to passengers on SAA’s international routes.

SAA spokesperson, Tlali Tlali, told TNW that an added benefit was that the fuel consumption and operating costs on the A330s were significantly less than on the A340.

Busi Nhlapo, md of Destination Express, says a facelift is great, but SAA’s airfares have gone up too much, putting her off booking with the airline. “The payment for the aircraft is going to be coming from our clients and that’s going to make it difficult for us to make a profit, because the airfare alone is already exorbitant.”

According to Tlali, the three new aircraft will operate on SAA’s Johannesburg-Lagos, Johannesburg- São Paulo, and Johannesburg-Accra-Washington services. Depending on demand, SAA will also deploy an A330 on its Johannesburg-Cape Town route.

Iberia gets new aircraftIBERIA recently took delivery of its latest A330-200, which has been named in honour of the airline’s new destination, Tokyo. It is the 10th of 29 long-haul twin-engine aircraft scheduled for delivery by 2020.

The A330-200 fleet will operate three return flights a week on the airline’s Madrid-Shanghai and Madrid-Tokyo flights, which were launched last year. The aircraft will also

operate to long-haul destinations such as Montevideo, Santo Domingo, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Havana, Rio de Janeiro, Medellin, Panama City, Boston and Miami.

The A330-200 has 19 lie-flat business-class seats, all with access to the aisle, and there are 269 economy-class seats.

Passengers also have access to WiFi in both cabin classes.

Refurb for Namibia Protea Hotel A REFURBISHMENT project is under way at the Protea Hotel by Marriott Walvis Bay, Namibia, to renew the décor in 26 rooms and the restaurant.

The work will take place in two phases, limited to the main building of the hotel. Gm, Grant Januarie, says the first nine rooms are scheduled to be complete by late this month. “Work on the remaining rooms started on January 12 and the target

date for conclusion of the work is the end of February, which means that our end-of-year tourist period in December and January will not be affected at all by construction work.” Work on the rooms will take place between 08h00 and 17h00 daily.

Full services in the rest of the hotel will continue as normal and rooms in the other section of the property will undergo a similar refurbishment in November 2018.

To the point

SAA has increased excess baggage charges on flights from the UK to South Africa, effective on all tickets issued on or after January 4. The price of excess baggage for business-class passengers is now £90 (R1 470) per item, up from £75 (R1 224) previously. Economy-class passengers are charged £50 (R816) instead of the previous fee of £35 (R570) per item.

Safari at Vic Falls Hotel

Pack a bag with Thompsons

QUICK READ FOR BUSIEST PEOPLE Wednesday January 25 2017 n 5

NEWS

Crystal adds six new vesselsCRYSTAL Cruises is to operate six new vessels under its Crystal River Cruises brand. Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler are set to join Crystal’s fleet this year followed by Crystal Debussy and Crystal Ravel in 2018. The four vessels are scheduled to sail along the Danube, Rhine and Main with stops in Austria, Germany, Hungary and Amsterdam. An additional two new-builds are to follow, but a delivery date has not been announced. Due to the expanding river fleet, the company opened a Crystal River Cruises office in Amsterdam at the end of last year.

Regent’s latest addition sets sailREGENT Seven Seas Cruises has launched the Seven Seas Explorer, the latest addition to its fleet. With capacity for 750 guests, the ship features all-suite cabins, theatres, lounges and five restaurants. The ship will spend its inaugural season in Europe after which it moves to the Caribbean for a series of cruises. The launch of Explorer is part of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ $125 million (R1,70bn) investment in upgrading all its ships to the same standard. The company also announced that a sister ship was expected to set sail in 2020.

MSC names its newest shipMSC Cruises has named the latest addition to its fleet the MSC Bellissima. The new vessel will come into service in 2019. The announcement was made during the float-out of the MSC Meraviglia at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire. The MSC Meraviglia is set for its first voyage in June and will be the cruise line’s first next-generation ship.

DreamBoatsSend your cruising news to [email protected]

Cape Town International runway work still on hold

THE long-awaited realignment of Cape Town International

Airport’s runway is still a way off, although Acsa has finally published its Permission for the five-year period from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2020. The realignment will allow the airport to accommodate A380s and is expected to entice more international airlines to fly direct to Cape Town.

After two years of negotiations, Acsa announced a 35,5% cut in tariffs two weeks ago (see TNW January 11/18).

However, the delay in the publication of the regulatory Permission has meant that Acsa has been unable to set accurate medium-term plans for the improvement of its airports. The company had to postpone all new capacity investments, including the much-awaited re-alignment of the runway at Cape

Town International Airport. Chris Zweigenthal, Aasa ceo,

says the Regulating Committee has already approved the bulk of Acsa’s proposed capital projects. He warns, however, that due to the delay in issuing the Permission, Acsa will need to consider prioritising and re-scheduling many of the projects. “There will no doubt be further consultation on this matter with the airline industry.”

A spokesperson for Acsa told TNW that the company was happy that the process had finally been concluded and that all role players in the industry could have regulatory certainty.

However, no timelines were given as to when the improvements to the airport will be conducted. The company said: “Acsa is assessing the implication of the Final Permission and will determine an appropriate response.”

Deborah Francis, department

head of Communications and Branding for Cape Town International Airport, told TNW that the airport was still undergoing an Environmental Impact Assessment and awaiting all the necessary approvals before the runway construction could commence.

Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, says the planned realignment and extension of the runway at Cape Town Airport is excellent news for tourism to the Western Cape. “This project would enable A380 aircraft, which have greater profit potential, to land at the airport. This would result in increased appetite by international airlines to fly direct into Cape Town.”

While British Airways has not confirmed the speculation, industry sources say the airline is planning to deploy the A380 on the Cape Town route but is awaiting the new runway.

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ASK AN EXPERT

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Harness tech to your advantageTechnology’s already considerable impact on the travel industry is likely to grow. Lisa Witepski asks travel industry experts how agents can adapt to stay relevant.

IN A recent survey conducted on eTNW, 85% of travel agents said

there was a clear need for the agent to provide a professional service that consumers couldn’t source online (see TNW January 11/18). For Lidia Folli, coo of Corporate Travel at BidTravel, the big opportunity for agents lies in knowing details that are almost impossible to source from the Internet. She gives an example. “An agent can tell you how long you, as an SA passport holder, can expect to spend in transit in Frankfurt Airport.”

But consortiums are exploring another way of addressing this challenge: by making sure technology is integrated into the agent’s workday.

Here are their insights:

Get closer:Marco Ciocchetti, ceo of XL Travel group, says its latest conference was themed around helping agents embrace technology to get closer to their clients. For example, agents working with corporates should use technology to analyse data so that they are able to help clients reduce costs. Technology can also help agents create client profiles so that they are better able to tailor travel experiences that suit individual budgets and interests.

“If you have a client in London who is attending a meeting, you can use technology to find the content and duration of the meeting. Once you know the meeting has ended, you can use an app to alert him that there is a new restaurant around the

corner from the meeting venue that he might enjoy, because you know he likes Italian food.”

Embrace content:Wally Gaynor, md of Club Travel, says by using technology, agents can elevate themselves above simple resources if something goes wrong. He says through a partnership with a travel technology company, Club Travel is investing in the creation of a content aggregator especially for Africa-specific content. “This means that agents can access content such as low-cost carriers that aren’t listed on a GDS, or guesthouses in nightsbridge, from a single site, book it and pull it across to back office systems and distribute it on agents’ own websites, if they have one.”

Be mobile:Another key project Club Travel is investing in is to enable clients to use a

single device – whether it’s their laptop, an Apple watch, smart phone or tablet – to manage their itinerary, check in and even receive updates about changes to flights or boarding gates while travelling. Wally says on the strength of an SMS and emailed notification of a recent flight delay from Munich to Johannesburg, he recently organised a later connecting flight to Cape Town – saving himself the hassle of trying to make the same arrangement on arrival at the airport.

According to Yolande Bouwer, gm of Agentivity, mobile is definitely an area to watch; it is here that there is the greatest scope for innovation, particularly for integrated mobile booking tools that fully incorporate a corporate’s travel policy.

“By using technology, agents can elevate themselves above simple resources if something goes

wrong.”Wally Gaynor


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MICE

MICE can be a lucrative addition to an agency’s service but it requires specific expertise, writes Michelle Colman.

More agencies move into events

AS CORPORATE clients continue to trim travel spend, an increasing

number of travel agencies and specialist travel management companies have ventured into the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions space to attract increased business.

The African Business Travel Association’s founder, Monique Swart, says TMCs are recognising the link between travel and events and positioning themselves to cover all services. Many have opened destination management divisions or have partnered with destination management companies. “I think this is a natural progression and TMCs that are offering these services have opened up a nice new income stream for themselves.”

But most industry stakeholders recommend circumspection when moving into MICE, which requires specialist skills.

“There is definitely a gap in the market and understanding that travel is under both exchange rate and economic pressure, we need to diversify to find alternative sources of income,” says Marco Cristofoli, coo of the BidTravel Leisure Cluster. “This is quite a unique market and something Harvey World Travel will be investigating. That being said, it is a specialised area of travel and we

would suggest using the services of a tour operator that has a track record of experience in this area.”

Marco Ciocchetti, ceo of the XL Travel consortium, recently told TNW: “Within XL Travel we have members that specialise in the MICE sphere of travel and do it well. We encourage our members to be the best at what they do and not dabble in every sphere of travel. MICE

can be lucrative, however it requires technology and expertise.”

Although diversifying into MICE is a logical progression for retail travel companies, says the Global Business Travel Association’s chair, Howard Stephens, the commodity is not quite the same as booking travel and travel consultants are not the same animal as a professional conference organiser or incentive travel organiser.

And yet, many travel agencies find themselves not only booking the travel element of conferences, exhibitions and meetings, but getting involved in venue hire and other aspects of MICE.

Some do an excellent job, says outgoing SAACI ceo, Adriaan Liebetrau, but others go into it with little knowledge of the scope of work involved. He concedes that they are often pressurised into taking on meetings organisation by clients for whom they want to go the extra mile. He suggests a cautious approach.

First put the correct strategy in place THE drive towards more effective management of spend is alerting corporates to the value of travel principles in a MICE environment.

According to Euan McNeil, gm of FCM and cievents, the move into MICE is being propelled by corporate clients, but for different reasons. “Historically, the management of MICE and traditional corporate travel has been separate. However, trends in the market show that this is changing. The force driving this change is many organisations reporting that they do not have transparency over their MICE spend. This is in stark contrast to the landscape of the corporate travel category, which has become increasingly managed and commoditised in recent years.

“Organisations we work with have realised that there are incredible opportunities and savings to be made by applying the principles used to manage their travel programme on their MICE category.

“By conducting a meetings request for proposal (RFP) at the same time as a travel RFP, procurement, marketing and in-house event managers have a value-added prospect – one that allows them to stick more tightly to their budgets

and improve service efficiency for stakeholders.”

Gill Dewar, md of GCD Consulting, who has much experience in MICE, says the field can be lucrative, but breaking into it is not simple. She says MICE is a competitive space

and the local market is relatively small. “Unless you have good corporate contacts and someone experienced in MICE, I would not suggest that a travel agent breaks into MICE without the correct strategy in place. Corporate procurement departments often ask for three quotes and agents can quote and quote and never get a chance of confirming business, due to the corporate’s existing relationships with other MICE providers.”

Breaking into MICE is possible if certain conditions are in place, says Maria Martins, director: programme management for TMC Carlson Wagonlit Travel. If the corporate client already has a mature travel programme, views MICE as part of its overall travel spend,

and is cognisant of the cost savings and policy optimisation that can be achieved through consolidation, it is relatively easy to obtain full stakeholder alignment to manage MICE effectively, she says.

Marco Ciocchetti

“There are incredible

opportunities and savings to be

made by applying the principles

used to manage organisations'

travel programme on their MICE

category.”Euan McNeil


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MICE

Cost-cutting puts organisers under the whipCONFERENCE organisers are under pressure to deliver more for less.

With corporate cost-cutting, says Kevin Clarence, founder and director of The Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre, conference organisers are having difficulty organising meetings and conferences on tight budgets. In contrast, expectations by corporates are greater – requiring far more than just a decorated venue with good food.

“In order to meet these

budget constraints and facilitate conference organisers in this process, we are trying to offer additional services free,” he says. “For example, free airport shuttles are a huge saving compared with logistical costs to transport delegates to venues outside Johannesburg. We provide free WiFi and believe our fully inclusive package rate is a great value-for-money product.”

Kevin has also noted shorter lead times in PCO requests, making it all the more difficult for the

venue to deliver the same value at a lower price. Conference organisers are having to put more effort into convincing clients that longer lead times are not only better for the event’s outcome but for their budget. Hotels are more willing to negotiate with those who arrange their meetings in advance, he points out.

Grant Sandham, group sales and marketing manager for Premier Hotels & Resorts, says a conference organiser’s ability to add value will

make the difference between survival and failure. It is no longer sufficient to act simply as a booking agent, he believes.

“The role of the conference organiser is more than that of just sourcing a venue. They have become trusted

advisers dedicated to providing the best in planning and hosting conferences. It is only once organisers understand the desired objectives of an event that they are able to recommend a venue that will deliver on

the expected outcomes,” says Grant.

Tips to take your MICE programme into the futureTamarin Transell, head of Groups & Incentives – South Africa & Africa of LUX* Resorts & Hotels offers the following advice: Forward planning is

key to the successful implementation of an incentive campaign and

the qualification period that incentive winners need to follow. Creative consulting

is vital for a unique experience. For example, delve into local cultures and talents for exciting airport welcomes, transfer

options and authentic gifting solutions. Explore new and

untapped destinations; allow the unexplored to be explored. LUX* Saint Gilles on Réunion has proved a very lucrative and exciting hotel for

South Africans looking for something different. If revisiting destinations,

make it your business to understand what has already been offered in the past and ensure that not only the hotel differs, but that the entire

programme offers new and interesting elements. Ask the client’s staff,

prospective incentive winners, to vote for the destination and experiences. They need to be heard and made to feel part of the process.

Kevin Clarence

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MICE

More intimate cruise ships in demandTHE Mediterranean remains the top choice for cruise ship MICE events with the South African market, according to Dalene Oroni, groups and incentives manager at Cruises International.

But in a departure from normal practice, tenders are

coming in much later and reflect a demand for smaller, luxury ships visiting smaller ports of call.

The Caribbean and Asia hold second and third places in the cruising popularity stakes for the local market.

While South African groups make good

use of ships’ facilities in their programmes, they are increasingly concentrating on the destinations they visit, incorporating tours and activities that include local cuisine and transport. Examples are a unique experience at a winery in France, or a Ferrari drive along the Amalfi Coast. Coupling a cruise to reach exotic destinations with extraordinary excursions in ports makes for a fantastic incentive, says Dalene.

Mauritius continues to top the pollsMAURITIUS is one of the most popular MICE destinations for the South African market. But Enid Maullin, group sales executive for Beachcomber, cautions that MICE organisers must be clear on client requirements, making sure there is a realistic relationship between expectations and budget.

She says the hotel chain offers added services to clients during certain seasons, and these can make quite a difference in terms of value.

To make the trip extraordinary, she suggests adding fun off-site options and excursions, some of which will have particular appeal for the adrenaline junkie. “We offer a truly amazing zipline experience over waterfalls and mountains, with quad-biking on one of the estates.”

Another special treat is a full-day cruise on a catamaran to one of the outlying islands, with snorkelling, swimming and lunch. A cooking experience with locals can also be built into the itinerary, as well as a visit to the Rhumerie de Chamarel for a tour of a rum distillery, rum tasting, and exotic lunch and a spectacular view of Le Morne peninsula.

Recognising Mauritius’s

prominence as a MICE destination, Air Mauritius offers some attractive extras to groups heading for the island for an incentive programme, conference or meeting.

The airline guarantees the best group rates, as well as a free ticket (excluding taxes) for every 50 passengers ticketed. Organisers can also count on dedicated account management.

At check-in, passengers will find an airport counter dedicated to their group, along with an Air Mauritius representative on duty to see to their needs. Dedicated in-cabin seating is arranged at no additional cost. The group can also have business-class lounge access at discounted rates.

There’s a free allowance of two 23kg pieces of luggage for economy-class travellers and two pieces of luggage weighing up to 32kg each for business-class passengers. Golf bags of up to 20kg are also carried free.

On board, the airline will happily place the client’s branded headrests on seats.

Group rates are available on Air Mauritius’s worldwide network.

Avis M.I.C.E provides customised solutions to MICE travellers through the use of one point of contact, as well as on-site group co-ordination at airports and venues. The unique needs of the sector are catered for through Avis Rent a Car, Avis Point 2 Point, Avis Chauffeur Drive and Avis Luxury Cars. For larger groups, Avis Van Rental has a substantial fleet, including 14 seaters, while transportation of structures and equipment is facilitated by Avis Truck Rental, with commercial vehicles up to 12 tons.

Did you know?

Dalene Oroni

A full-day cruise on a catamaran is a fun off-site excursion. Photo: The Westin Turtle Bay Resort and Spa

JOBSCOMMUNITYNEWSBirths, deaths, marriages, promotions – we want to know! Please e-mail TNW’s Taryn Nightingale, at [email protected].


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E mail: [email protected] | [email protected] Web: www.pcs-sa.co.za

011 789 3337

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Senior Travel Consultant – Milnerton, Cape TownSouthern Cross Safaris SALooking for a passionate and motivated person with superb knowledge of South & Southern Africa. At least 2 years’ inbound wholesale experience at senior level required. Email: [email protected]

Intermediate Consultant – Cape Town CBDProfessional Career ServicesCorporate and leisure travel bookings. Flexi hours & required to do afterhours on a rotation basis. Sabre GDS preferred. Quicktrav. Email: [email protected]

Sales Executive - N/Suburbs, Cape TownQuantex Recruitment GroupWell-presented & experienced candidate required! Main focus will be to increase sales, developexisting relationships, grow meaningful partnerships & source new business. Email: [email protected]

Experienced Wholesale ConsultantFlight Centre Travel groupIf you love the world of travel sales and you’re ready for a new opportunity, we have the role for you. Email: [email protected]

Reservations Manager – Cape TownLee Botti & AssociatesSouth. Luxury T/O with African footprint seeks dynamic leader to oversee a team of SA specialists.Management experience essential. Salary R30 000. Email: [email protected]

Lodge Reservations Consultant – JohannesburgEquity Connections ccPrepare tailor-made itineraries and handle full functions of booking from initial request to finalisation. Three years’ in-bound travel experience needed. Email: [email protected] Junior Travel Consultant – Cape TownClub TravelBe part of a large corporate team with phenomenal potential as a leading travel consultant. Looking for a proactive, resourceful junior with great potential. Email: [email protected]

Reservations Manager – Johannesburg NorthProfessional Career ServicesTourplan essential. Must have very good product knowledge of inbound operations. Ability to manage staff and take full responsibility for department. Email: [email protected]

Reservations Consultant – Cape TownQuantex Recruitment Group3+ years’ inbound consulting experience, excellent SA product knowledge & good CPT geographical knowledge required by leading professional team. Email: [email protected]

Senior Graphic Designer – JohannesburgFlight Centre Travel GroupWork in a high-pressure environment of creativity and innovation and apply the applicable brand standards and styles to all material produced. Email: [email protected]

New Business Officer – Cape TownLee Botti & AssociatesCBD. Sales development for established national leader! Your proven KAM/sales experience will be rewarded. Salary R30 000. Email: [email protected]

F.I.T Leisure Consultant – Johannesburg NorthEquity Connections ccProduce extraordinary itineraries for travellers into South/Southern/East Africa. In-bound travel experience plus minimum of three years’ relevant know-how essential. Email: [email protected]

Intermediate Travel Consultant – Cape TownClub TravelAre you looking for an opportunity with high earning potential and a guaranteed client base? Look no further! Grab this career. Email: [email protected]

Junior Corporate Consultant – RoodepoortWendy’s Travel PersonnelWork closer to home handling domestic travel bookings. Minimum of 1 years’ consulting experience necessary! Galileo and Quicktrav essential! Email: [email protected]

Club Travel financial director, Gary Mulder, and other golfers affiliated with the JDI Foundation (a non-profit organisation that helps disadvantaged communities) turned out at Westlake Golf Course on December 2 to support Pedestal Paediatric Palliative Care, the beneficiary of the funds raised on the day. Paedspal is a public-private partnership programme that provides care and support for children in the Western Cape living with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses. R115 000 was raised and Turkish Airlines donated two business-class tickets which were auctioned for R53 000.

Golfing for charity

After 18 years with Sure Travel, Sure Travel bids farewell to their contracts and marketing manager, Geraldine Boshoff. Geraldine has decided to retire after working in the travel industry for 48 years. She is a well-known personality in the industry and has brought a wealth of knowledge, expertise and humour to Sure Travel. Sure Travel wish Geraldine the very best on her new exciting journey.

Sean Bradley has been appointed gm of sales at fastjet. Prior to joining the airline in October Sean was global manager of Trade and Product Support and Global Sales Development and Alliances at SAA. He has also worked at Avis, Radisson and Queensgate Leisure. Sean serves on the South African Tourism’s National Convention Bureau board and recently joined the Barsa committee.

Southern Sun Elangeni and Maharani Hotel has welcomed new deputy gm, Farana Moosa. While working through the ranks at Tsogo Sun, Farana held positions of executive housekeeper, front office manager and food and beverage manager.

Julie Botha has been appointed new sales and operations manager at Yacht Charter Options International at the Marina, V&A Waterfront. Julie has previously been a specialised personnel recruiter and worked for Rennies Travel, Forex, Harvey World Travel and TIC.

Wendy Wu Tours has welcomed Rene Swart, who has joined the company as a tour consultant.

Chandreshwar Singh has been appointed gm of Tsogo Sun’s hotel complex in Cape Town. Chandreshwar previously held several positions at The Table Bay, The Westin, Southern Sun Newlands, Southern Sun Waterfront, and The Cullinan hotel. His most recent position was hotel manager at InterContinental Johannesburg Sandton Towers.

Jenman African Safaris has appointed ceo, Katja Quasdorf. Katja joined the Jenman team 12 years ago as an intern and has played an integral part in steering the company.

White Pearl Resorts has appointed Exclusive Serenity as its sales and marketing representation company in South Africa, effective February 1. Exclusive Serenity is a boutique representation

company based in Cape Town under the management of ceo, Melanie Floor. Craig Smart’s contract with White Pearl Resorts comes to an end at the end of January and he plans to focus his sales and marketing endeavours with aviation company, Vanilla Sky.

Rob Kucera has resigned as chairperson of the Fedhasa Cape Board. In the interim and with immediate effect, Jeff Rosenberg, who has served on the board as vice chairperson since June 2012, will step in as acting chairperson until the AGM and elections in June.

Acsa has appointed Dirk Kunz as acting cfo. Dirk is a chartered accountant with over eight years at Acsa, and has led a number of key strategic initiatives as group manager: Corporate Finance. Dirk’s appointment follows the resignation of Maureen Manyama from her position as cfo and executive director of the Board of Acsa.

Appointments


brought to you by eTNW and TRAVELINFO

eTravel is the ITC market leader in South Africa and assists senior Travel Consultants and Travel business owners to realise their dreams. If you have ever dreamt of owning your own travel business or would like to cut costs by doing away with your IATA license and improve your current business efficiencies then you should call eTravel. We run the back office for over 200 Independent Travel Companies and specialise in making your travel business a success by offering the best commissions, overrides & a comprehensive support structure. If you have a client base, 5 years travel consultant experience or already own your own business but want to make more, then contact us! You’ll be amazed at how easy it is!

Contact Tammy on 0861eTrave1 or [email protected]

TNW7136

brought to you by eTNW and TRAVELINFO

eTravel is the ITC market leader in South Africa and assists senior Travel Consultants and Travel business owners to realise their dreams. If you have ever dreamt of owning your own travel business or would like to cut costs by doing away with your IATA license and improve your current business efficiencies then you should call eTravel. We run the back office for over 200 Independent Travel Companies and specialise in making your travel business a success by offering the best commissions, overrides & a comprehensive support structure. If you have a client base, 5 years travel consultant experience or already own your own business but want to make more, then contact us! You’ll be amazed at how easy it is!

Contact Tammy on 0861eTrave1 or [email protected]

TNW7136

TNW NEWS

We love to travelWhy did you become a travel agent?

I love to travel

I heard travel was interesting and challenging

I like working with people

I needed a job

I heard the money was good

56%

21%15%

7%1%

How you annoy us!

Leigh hermon and debbie badham

AGENTS say airlines do not care about the trade and their clients. Their

biggest gripe is airlines’ inability to personally answer agents’ queries, while airlines say their number-one annoyance with agents is their inattention to fare rules.

In a survey on eTNW last week, 99% of agents said airlines needed to care more about their passengers and the trade. “Airlines don’t respect travel agents enough. We were their bread and butter before the Internet,” one agent said.

Agents’ top five gripes are:1. Being directed to an

international call centre or website for assistance;

2. Airlines overbooking flights and bumping off passengers;

3. Being kept on-hold for trade support;

4. Not earning commission for all their hard work; and

5. Spending time searching through reams of information on an airline’s website for answers.

Other gripes included understanding complicated fare rules, never-ending ADMs and the lack of communication regarding strikes, policy and schedule changes, and refunds.

The survey asked agents how helpful airlines’ trade support desk was when assisting them

with a query and 47% said sometimes the trade support desk was helpful but they had to call back to get more information. Agents say airlines could improve on training their trade support to be better equipped to handle queries. “Having someone at trade support who is knowledgeable and helpful makes a world of difference,” said one agent.

Airlines’ websites prove inefficient in giving agents the information they need to make bookings. 71% of agents said that although the websites were useful, they spent too much time navigating reams of information for an answer. Only 3% said the sites had all the information they needed and were easy to navigate.

Airlines have their sayMeanwhile airlines have significant gripes about agents. TNW asked five online airlines to rank their top bugbears with agents.1. Agents needed to read

airlines’ fare rules, said 100% of the airlines questioned. Instead they complain about clearly stipulated penalties and ask airline representatives for confirmation on fare rules easily sourced from the GDS.

2. Agents expect waivers and favours, not acknowledging that these come at a cost to the airline. “Often agents book the wrong dates or

names and expect the airline to waive fees. These fees cannot just be waived otherwise agents would be able to do as they please without repercussion.”

3. Agents must remember to check automated messages in their bookings pertaining to ticket time limits (TTLs) said 60% of airlines questioned. “Airlines cannot extend TTLs as they are generated based on booking details. If agents advise passengers of the implications of not paying on time, then they can advise them with ease why there is a difference in price when the time comes.”

4. Agents must ensure they insert their passengers’ correct contact details in reservations to ensure airlines are able to communicate delays, changes to flight status, etc, say airlines.

Tying for fifth place were: agents querying technical problems in a booking with the airline rather than their GDS Helpdesk; agents asking airlines for assistance with tasks such as visa approvals (which are completely out of the airlines’ hands) and seating (which airlines say agents can handle themselves) and agents failing to advise their passengers of the ticket rules, visa requirements, customs’ prohibited items, etc.

Fastjet suspends two JNB servicesFASTJET indefinitely suspended its Johannesburg-Zanzibar and Johannesburg-Dar es Salaam services earlier this month.

“As of January 16, 2017, fastjet will suspend its Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar flights into and outbound from Johannesburg,” a fastjet spokesperson said.

The airline could not provide details as to when the flights would be re-introduced.

According to its spokesperson, the suspension of the two routes is in line with the airline’s stabilisation plan.

Earlier this month the airline announced that Solenta Aviation, a Johannesburg-based commercial aviation

group, would acquire a 28% stake in the LCC.

Fastjet will wet lease three of Solenta’s Embraer 145s and will benefit from other services over the next five years to the value of $19,2m (R260m). This will provide the airline with the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance.

Solenta’s Embraer 145s will replace fastjet’s Airbus A319s on its shorter routes but it has not released details on which routes the new aircraft will operate. Nico Bezuidenhout, ceo of fastjet, told TNW the airline needed to consider matching the aircraft with demand and growing thinner routes into higher volume network points.

TNW7704SD

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TNW has always received many complaints from agents on airlines, but we know there are always two sides to a story…

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