page 2 travelstart joins top 4yeehaw, it’s quick...

TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY

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SOUTHERN AFRICA’S TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLYJune 19 2019 I No. 2548

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NEWSMALDIVES

Charter flights suspended

REPORTCITY LODGE

Building the brand in East Africa

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& SAFARIS

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Yeehaw, it’s quick check-in!

FlySafair will speed up the check-in process with its new Check-in Rangers, who will be located at all airports to assist pax checking in. The Rangers can print boarding passes and luggage tags so that passengers can drop luggage and go. Pictured: Marise Banks, sales and distribution manager, FlySafair. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

Travelstart joins top 4saRah RobeRtson anD natasha schmiDt

TRAVELSTART’S acquisition of Club Travel will launch it into the top three or

four largest travel consortiums in the country, commanding market share of an estimated 20% of the retail travel trade, industry experts say.

The OTA giant has signed a deal to secure a 100% stake in the Club Travel Group. Club Travel will continue to operate as a standalone company within the Travelstart portfolio with md and founder, Wally Gaynor, retaining a seat on the board. No structural changes are on the cards for either of the organisations, says Travelstart ceo, Stephan Ekbergh.

The acquisition is a sign of the times, industry authorities say. “We see this in various markets around the world. When times are tough, you see consolidation. This is not unique to travel. It’s a business trend. And we expect to see more of this in times ahead,” says Morné du Preez, ceo of Tourvest Travel services.

It’s good to see leisure brands consolidating and dominating in Cape Town, says Sean Hough, who heads up the travel division at Investec. The acquisition will give Travelstart a leg up with regard to volume in the market and that it will be beneficial for Club Travel to take on a travel

and techology partner to help future-proof its business, he says.

“It makes perfect sense,” says one industry expert who prefers to remain anonymous. “Travelstart currently operates in a highly commoditised space. It’s very difficult to keep achieving growth when 99% of your business is selling cheap flights with low margins.”

The acquisition gives Travelstart a foothold in the corporate travel space where Club Travel already has a strong presence. Travelstart has been trying to break into the market, with the launch of Travelstart.Biz in 2017, which was discontinued, and then Travelstart for Business earlier this year.

The deal is expected to boost Travelstart’s offering by adding complementary corporate and franchise divisions “to create a formidable full-service African travel group,” says Stephan.

“Our company cultures have a lot in common. Like us, Club Travel has always been a bit of a maverick in the industry

and we both have a long history of supplying discounted travel offerings. Travelstart is strong in the consumer segment and we want to bring consumerisation to the corporate and government sectors where Club Travel is an emerging star,” says Stephan.

While the deal is still subject to approval by the Competition Commission and no operational strategies have been put in place, the aim is for Travelstart to purchase 100% of the shares for the Club Travel Group. Thebe Tourism will then reinvest in Club Travel Corporate as the majority shareholder with Travelstart holding 46% of this division’s shares. This means that Club Travel Corporate will retain its BBBEE Level One status and TravelLinck will retain its BBBEE Level Two status. The rest of the Club Travel Group will need to have its BBBEE status rerated. Kananelo Makhetha will continue as the ceo of Club Travel Corporate. A response from the Competition Commission is expected within 60 working days.

What are the benefits to Club Travel franchisees and ITCs? They will be able to make more money and save time with access to new techology, says Wally. “In order to compete, agencies are spending a fortune to become technology companies specialising in selling travel.

Travelbags to tackle deficit at next AGMtessa ReeD

TRAVELBAGS has reported a R185 000 deficit for the 2017 financial year, attributed to a decline in membership, increased spending and ‘administration problems’.

This was revealed in the minutes from the association’s

July 10, 2018 AGM, circulated to members on June 3, 2019.

The minutes read: “Deficit of R185 000 for the year – this is due to administration problems (no access to information) and less membership and more spending on Travelbags’ side.”TNW contacted president,

To page 2

“When times are tough, you see consolidation. This is not unique to travel. It’s a business trend. And we expect to see more of this in

times ahead.”

2 n Wednesday June 19 2019 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

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

Published by Travel & Trade Publishing (Pty) Ltd Printed by Juka Printing (Pty) Ltd

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Founding Editors: John H Marsh (1914-1996) Leona Marsh (1923-2003)

EDITORIAL Managing Editor: Natasha Schmidt [email protected] Assistant Editor: Catherine Bower [email protected] Journalists: Sarah Robertson Jason Simpson Deena Robinson

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Rubes® By Leigh Rubin

NEWS

“They’re all a bunch of bozos, but at least this guy speaks our language.”

Charter flights to Maldives delayedSarah robertSon

ATO’s once-weekly, non-stop charter flights to Gan International Airport

in the southern Maldives, have been suspended due to low load factors.

The flights were introduced in December and January and, after a successful launch period, Air Tour Operators (ATO) signed a new charter agreement with SAA to resume the once-weekly flights between April 21 and January 31.

ATO says the service has been suspended and expects flights to resume in September.

“We saw a lot of uncertainty filter through to the industry during the lead-up to elections. As a result, we decided to suspend the flights. The majority of passengers affected moved to later dates and those that decided to cancel their trips were given full refunds, with the travel agents keeping

their commission. “We have seen a strong

upturn for booking requests later in the year with forward bookings looking very positive, particularly for December and January,” says md of ATO, Keith Gow.

Keith adds that the beauty of the charter agreement that ATO has in place with SAA is that it can be adjusted based on market conditions.

Although agents have said that ATO is good at honouring commission commitments, agents say the limited number of hotels in the south has affected their ability to sell the region. Shirani Gaymans, a consultant at Hashtag Holidays, says the majority of the properties that

her clients request are closer to Malé Airport in the north. She says the Maldives has always been an expensive destination, out of reach of many South Africans, and the current exchange rate has not helped the situation this year.

ATO is expanding its product range and can now also assist agents with internal connections on Maldivian Airlines to destinations like Malé and Gaafu Alifu, says Keith. ATO now also sells packages for a number of resorts near Malé and offers 12 additional resorts (including upmarket brands such as the Park Hyatt, Mercure, Amari, Raffles, The Outrigger and Robinson Club) in the Gaafu Alifu atoll near Gan.

“We are continuously expanding our product range and will shortly also announce a number of exciting incentives to reward agents for their support on the route,” says Keith.

Trade still backs SAACatherine bower

THE trade is cautiously supportive of SAA’s future, with the airline’s assurance to the public that it remains on track to meet its goal of breaking even by the financial year 2021/2022 as part of its long-term turnaround strategy.

The recent resignation of Vuyani Jarana as ceo raised questions around the structures of leadership within the organisation. “People in the position of ceo or members of the board put themselves out there with a lot of risk. The airline needs to have a look at leadership with aviation experience because it has lost a lot of good people,” says Vanya Lessing, md of Sure Travel.

The airline, which has had nine acting and permanent ceos since 2009, continues to operate, with agents citing it as a key carrier for travel into Africa. “Overall, access into Africa is lacking and SAA does fill some of that gap,” Vanya says.

Travel by Arrangement’s bookings for SAA have remained consistent year on year. Gm, Natalie Swart, says SAA is one of Travel

by Arrangement’s biggest supported airlines purely because of the network it offers, with a number of direct routes.

However, Tammy Hunt, md of eTravel, says the group has seen a significant reduction in SAA bookings. She speculates that this decline could be due to uncertainty about the airline’s future. Natalie agrees that consultants are cautious about their forward bookings. Should

the airline go bust, Vanya says there are regulations in place that would protect and compensate passengers should their travels be disrupted.

The trade is not unsympathetic to SAA’s situation. “As a state-owned enterprise, SAA has a difficult role to fulfil. It needs to service tourism to and around the country, as well as be a carrier to promote trade and industry. And, of course, should do that all to be profitable,” says Vanya.

Operationally, Vanya says, SAA remains competitive. “It has a good safety record and service on board is consistent.”

The airline has also been making moves to develop its network, adding new routes and cementing deals with international carriers. This year, it has added flights to Guangzhou, China, and signed interline agreements with Alaska Airlines and Africa World Airlines. Natalie says the airline has continued to operate with only occasional delays. However, she adds: “The recent domestic route cancellations have had a negative impact on our business-class passengers as they’ve all been re-accommodated on Mango.”

Natalie is also concerned that the airline does not provide TMCs with enough support. “We get little to no support due to the hierarchy of authority.” She thinks that, if SAA empowered its sales people to make decisions, consultants would feel more comfortable selling an airline that they know supports consultants in the same way consultants support the airline.

“Overall, access into Africa is lacking and SAA does fill some

of that gap.”

“We saw a lot of uncertainty filter through to the

industry during the lead-up to elections.”

Travelbags to tackle deficit

Michelle Hinrichsen on June 10 and she confirmed that part of the deficit was unaccounted for. She later retracted the comment and told TNW that the association had subsequently had a discussion with its accountant who confirmed that there was a loss of R185 000, which can all be accounted for via the Travelbags bank accounts.

The matter would be discussed at the association’s AGM on July 3, she said. “Our accountant will be present at the AGM on July 3 and any member who has a question or would like to interrogate the financial report may do so on the day,” said Michelle.

She said Travelbags had spent 63,5% more in 2017 on charity than it had in 2016, adding that the club was philanthropic in nature and its main aim was to support welfare, not to gain profits.

“There was a debtors’ list

amounting to +/- R80 000,” she said for outstanding lunch and event tickets not paid.

According to the 2018 AGM minutes, members and the committee decided that no one would be allowed to a lunch if their tickets were not paid in full.

Michelle told TNW that the club had had a deficit since 2016. She said the deficit for 2018 was roughly R30 000 and there was a revenue loss of R140 000 in 2018. “This is due to lack of support for the Travelbags events, and lunches.”

Membership income declined from R122 308 in 2016 to R44 800 in 2017, but increased to R83 475 in 2018. To drive future revenue, the club will be running membership drives, and offering different events to increase attendance. “This is all to be discussed at the 2019 AGM before sign-off of the financials.”

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Flight Centre restructures leisure team

FLIGHT Centre Travel Group (FCTG) has restructured its leisure land product team following recent staff

movements within the team. Carlos Luis, brand leader of the

leisure land and sea product, says the restructure is to streamline operations and ensure strategic thinking with appropriate support.

The destination owner roles are being replaced with a product manager role, supported by a product merchandiser role.

Claudia Naude has taken over the product manager role for Cruising, Touring and USA and Lisa Randall will

support Claudia as the Cruise, Tour and USA product merchandiser. Claudia will be responsible for driving the product to market strategy, preferred partner sales and being the group’s destination/range expert. Lisa will support Claudia by managing product templates, ensuring that products are ready for marketing on the relevant FCTG platform and assisting promotion of preferred partners.

Sara Park has been appointed Flight Centre brand marketing manager, and Angela Thomas was recently appointed as a dedicated product trainer, who will train staff on FCTG’s products.

KLM is expanding its footprint into the Indian subcontinent with new flights to Bangalore. The route will launch on October 28 and will operate three times a week from its hub in Amsterdam. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, flight KL0879 will depart from Schiphol at 11h05 and arrive in Bangalore at 00h50 the following day. Flight KL0880 will depart from Bangalore at 02h45 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays? and arrive in Amsterdam at 08h25. The route will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with 30 seats in World Business Class, 45 in Economy Comfort, and 219 in Economy. Pictured, enjoying Bangalore, is Pedro Lewis, sales and service agent, Air France KLM. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

Into India with KLM

Easier connections at Heathrow STAR Alliance now offers its Connection Service at Heathrow. Airport staff will use software to monitor passengers’ transfer windows and take steps to ensure customers reach their connecting flight. The software will help staff see when passengers and their bags could miss their onward flight and will let them to consider options

such as escorting them to their next departure gate. Agents can also book delayed customers on to alternative travel options before the inbound flight lands. The new service allows passengers whose flights arrive and depart from Terminal 2 to clear security within the same concourse to save time transferring between services.

With technology and customer expectations evolving at a rapid rate Qantas has established the Qantas Channel.

Which Approved Technology Partners can be used to access the Qantas Channel?Content will be available through the following GDS partners from 1 August 2019^.

PartnerQantas Channel

agreement available

Travelport Yes

Amadeus Yes

Sabre Yes

^ Access to QDP content will be dependent on each technology partners ability to consume such content.

The QDP utilises IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) and allows Qantas to continuously deliver new and innovative offers to our customers.

Qantas ChannelEffective 01 Aug 2019

Benefits

Important InformationAgencies are encouraged to speak to their GDS technology provider to better understand the availability of QDP content and their technical roadmap.

Qantas Channel

• Access to new content and offers from the QDP through Approved Technology Partners.

• Access to a wide range of ATPCO fares • No channel fees

QDP Content

• Over time personalised offers for customers that book through agencies. The QDP will also enhance the booking and servicing experience for consultants by providing additional information at the point of sale.

• Exclusive agencies offers^ including:

° Tailored offers / bonus commissions

° Additional Price Points

° Tailored offers for QF customers including special tier-based offers for members of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program

^Offers may differ by agency and not all agencies may receive tailored offers.

Does my agency need toregister for the Qantas Channel?Yes - If an agency has a contract directly with a GDS which is independent of their head office or global chain then they will need to register for the Qantas channel separately and contact their GDS directly.

No - Individual agencies that are part of a global agency chain or large agency group that has been accepted into the Qantas Channel will not be required to separately register for the Qantas Channel.

Registration Deadline: on/before 30 June 2019

For additional information please go to https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/eu/en/qantas-channel.html or contact your Qantas Key Account Manager or email us [email protected]

How to register for the Qantas ChannelSTEP 1: Register for Qantas Agency Connect (QAC) on https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/eu/en.html Click on Register and add your Agency information, agree to the QAC terms and conditions, and submit your registration request.

STEP 2: Log onto the Qantas Agency Connect (QAC) website by clicking “log in” in the top right-hand corner and selecting the Manager login option. Select the Qantas Channel tab and follow the registration flow.

What is the Qantas Channel?It is a commercial agreement between Qantas and an agency that allows access to certain ATPCO content and content available via the Qantas Distribution Platform (QDP).

With technology and customer expectations evolving at a rapid rate Qantas has established the Qantas Channel.

Which Approved Technology Partners can be used to access the Qantas Channel?Content will be available through the following GDS partners from 1 August 2019^.

PartnerQantas Channel

agreement available

Travelport Yes

Amadeus Yes

Sabre Yes

^ Access to QDP content will be dependent on each technology partners ability to consume such content.

The QDP utilises IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) and allows Qantas to continuously deliver new and innovative offers to our customers.

Qantas ChannelEffective 01 Aug 2019

Benefits

Important InformationAgencies are encouraged to speak to their GDS technology provider to better understand the availability of QDP content and their technical roadmap.

Qantas Channel

• Access to new content and offers from the QDP through Approved Technology Partners.

• Access to a wide range of ATPCO fares • No channel fees

QDP Content

• Over time personalised offers for customers that book through agencies. The QDP will also enhance the booking and servicing experience for consultants by providing additional information at the point of sale.

• Exclusive agencies offers^ including:

° Tailored offers / bonus commissions

° Additional Price Points

° Tailored offers for QF customers including special tier-based offers for members of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program

^Offers may differ by agency and not all agencies may receive tailored offers.

Does my agency need toregister for the Qantas Channel?Yes - If an agency has a contract directly with a GDS which is independent of their head office or global chain then they will need to register for the Qantas channel separately and contact their GDS directly.

No - Individual agencies that are part of a global agency chain or large agency group that has been accepted into the Qantas Channel will not be required to separately register for the Qantas Channel.

Registration Deadline: on/before 30 June 2019

For additional information please go to https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/eu/en/qantas-channel.html or contact your Qantas Key Account Manager or email us [email protected]

How to register for the Qantas ChannelSTEP 1: Register for Qantas Agency Connect (QAC) on https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/eu/en.html Click on Register and add your Agency information, agree to the QAC terms and conditions, and submit your registration request.

STEP 2: Log onto the Qantas Agency Connect (QAC) website by clicking “log in” in the top right-hand corner and selecting the Manager login option. Select the Qantas Channel tab and follow the registration flow.

What is the Qantas Channel?It is a commercial agreement between Qantas and an agency that allows access to certain ATPCO content and content available via the Qantas Distribution Platform (QDP).

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Iata amends five more resolutions

IATA passed five resolution amendments at its AGM in Seoul this

month. TNW provides a round-up.

CORSIAA resolution calling on governments to work toward full implementation of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) was overwhelmingly approved. It urges member states to implement CORSIA as the single global market-based mechanism for climate change mitigation and to avoid implementing overlapping or duplicate measures such as unilateral carbon taxes. It also urges entities to volunteer in the CORSIA pilot phase and to align domestic regulations on the monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions with CORSIA’s internationally agreed standards.

One IDThis resolution calls for airline, airport and government authorities to work together to promote and implement One ID, a single paperless passenger identifier using biometric recognition.

“Every traveller will appreciate the convenience of getting from the kerb to the gate without ever having to show a paper passport or boarding pass,” said Alexandre de Juniac, Iata dg and ceo.

Various elements of the One ID concept are currently being trialled at airports around the world including Atlanta, Sydney, London Heathrow, Schiphol Amsterdam, Changi Singapore and Dubai International Airport. The next stage of roll-out will be to implement cross-border trials enabling passengers to be recognised at both the airport of departure and arrival.

Disabled passengersAirlines have committed to ensuring that passengers

with disabilities have access to safe, reliable and dignified travel and called on governments to use Iata’s core principles for accommodating passengers with disabilities.

A recent Iata survey of 48 airlines reported that the requests for wheelchair assistance grew by 30% between 2016 and 2017, putting strain on the quality of service provided. It was also noted that stowage damage was a major concern for passengers with disabilities who travel with their own mobility aids. The resolution commits airlines to work at ways of improving this.

“The number of persons with disabilities travelling by air is set to increase significantly as populations expand and grow older. Airlines were ahead of their time when, 50 years ago, we set out standards to ensure passengers with disabilities had access to air travel. But now we

need to go further,” said Alexandre.

SlotsThe importance of a harmonised global airport slot system was reaffirmed, with Iata calling on governments to urgently address capacity shortages. It also defined Worldwide Slot Guidelines as the global standard for airport slot allocation and management.

RFID baggage tracking The AGM also called for the implementation of modern baggage messaging standards to more accurately track passengers’ baggage in real time across key points in the journey, and resolved to support the global deployment of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for baggage tracking. Airlines are committed to transition to bar-coded bag tags with RFID inlays and to use RFID data alerts.

“Every traveller will appreciate the

convenience of getting from the kerb to the gate without ever having to show a paper passport or

boarding pass.” Alexandre de Juniac

QUICK READ FOR BUSIEST PEOPLE Wednesday June 19 2019 n 7

REPORT CITY LODGE EAST AFRICA

City Lodge Hotel Group recently hosted agents and travel buyers on a fam trip to East Africa. With four properties in the region, the brand is cementing its footprint in East Africa. TNW’s Catherine Bower went on the trip.

Building the brand in East Africa

WITH properties in East Africa, City Lodge is working on creating

brand recognition in the region. But, as Zuki Jantjies, divisional director of Sales and Marketing at CLHG told TNW, unlike in South Africa, the brand is not a household name in that region. “It is a new brand in that part of Africa and it is expected that people will be unsure about us. We must work to build that brand recognition in the region.”

Zuki says the group relies on the travel trade to assist with this recognition. “Our biggest support is from agents and travel buyers. We can’t build our brand without them.” She explained that South African agents funnel clients into City Lodge hotels, and, by marketing these new properties to agents, the South African market will come. “Our challenge is to expose ourselves to the East African market.”

City Lodge is a well-known

name across the South African trade and consumer markets. The company and its City Lodge, Courtyard, Town Lodge and Road Lodge brands deliver consistent service and standards across the country. In 2018, the brand opened its Nairobi City Lodge Two Rivers, followed shortly thereafter by City Lodge Dar es Salaam in neighbouring Tanzania. The property also owns the Fairview by City Lodge in Nairobi, and the adjoining Town Lodge, Upper Hill.

Know what to sell The properties in East Africa deliver the City Lodge experience – with an added East African flavour. City Lodge Two Rivers, for example, is staffed by a group of highly articulate and efficient local Kenyans, a number of whom have been involved in the property since the construction

phase. Miriam Obegi, gm, told TNW: “We were here in our work-boots and hard hats. Reservations staff, front of house, management, cleaning staff – all helping with construction. Having been here since that early, we really feel a sense of ownership of the property.”

The Town Lodge, Upper

Hill in Nairobi is adjacent to the Fairview by City Lodge. Guests at the Town Lodge, while it is marketed as a budget brand, have access to all the facilities at the adjoining four-star Fairview by City Lodge. This includes conferencing facilities, four restaurants, a pool and a wine bar. The challenge raised by agents and travel buyers on the fam trip, on seeing both properties, lies with grading. While City Lodge itself does not use grading as a marketing tool, travel policies for corporates continue to rely on star-grading as a means of determining where corporates stay.

Jenny Kopsch, gm of travel at Dimension Data, said were she to suggest to corporates at Dimension Data that they stay in a Town Lodge, the lower grading of the Town Lodge

brand would put them off. “When you get here and you see it, it is actually a great property. If I suggested staying in a two-star property to my corporate travellers they would not do it, but this is far more than two stars, especially with the added facilities of the Fairview by City Lodge next door.”

This feeling was echoed

by a number of people on the trip who said the Town Lodge in Nairobi far exceeded their expectations, and that, having seen it themselves, they were prepared to back the brand when booking for clients.

What to exploreExploring East Africa’s cities was top priority on this trip. Bongoyo Island is a 45-minute ferry trip north of Dar es Salaam city centre and features a beachside restaurant and snorkelling equipment for hire. The rest of the island exists as the Bongoyo Island Marine Reserve, complete with lush tropical vegetation. A trip to Dar es Salaam should include a day on the island, sitting on the beach, watching the ferry to Zanzibar glide by,

punctuated only by freshly caught lobster grilled on an open fire and enjoyed with an Ndovo – a locally produced beer.

In Nairobi, the Giraffe Centre is a must-do. About 45 minutes from the City Lodge Two Rivers, the centre was opened in 1979 and offers guests the chance to get up close to the endangered Rothschild giraffe. The centre has contributed to restoring numbers of this animal in the wild through a breeding

programme and research on the species. Guests are given a packet of pellets on arrival which they use to hand feed giraffes on the property. Top tip: if you put a pellet in between your teeth, the giraffe will take it straight out of your mouth – don’t worry, their saliva is antiseptic, and the photos afterwards are worth it.

Khuliso Ndou, a Travel with Flair travel adviser put it simply: “East Africa is a wow! I am excited to tell my clients.”

Travel With Flair’s Khuliso Ndou puckers up with a giraffe.

CLHG’s Zuki

Jantjies (left) and Rennies Travel

online consultant Mabuchi Manda share a smile.

Enjoying time on the beach are Marlene Steenkamp (left), sourcing specialist for Santam/Sanlam and Lizette Basson, CLHG Cape Town-based sales rep.

Primady Reddy (left) team leader at AmEx GBT and Marijke Lombard, consultant at Wings Travel Management, enjoy a refreshing drink on Bongoyo Island. Photos: Catherine Bower


NEWS

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ET grows global networkETHIOPIAN Airlines has launched three weekly flights to New York JFK via Abidjan from June 17.

The new flights, along with the carrier’s four weekly services to Newark via Lomé, bring the New York schedule

to a daily service.Flight ET 0512 operates on

Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, departing Addis Ababa at 09h00 and arriving in Abidjan at 12h15. It departs Abidjan at 13h15 to arrive in New York at 20h00.

Return flight ET 0513 operates on the same days, departing New York at 22h00 and arriving in Abidjan at 12h04 the following day. Flight ET 0513 then departs Abidjan at 13h05 arriving in Addis Ababa at 22h20.

Desert Express train makes a returnNAMIBIAN Reservations has announced that the Desert Express train will be operational again from the end of this month.

Prior to stopping operations, the Desert

Express travelled from Windhoek to Swakopmund, making a number of stops where passengers could enjoy activities and experience Namibia. The tour included on-board

accommodation, elegant dining and an excursion through Namibia’s landscape.

The schedule, details and stops are yet to be finalised.

Alitalia – more US flightsUNTIL October 26, Alitalia will fly to Washington from Rome five times weekly. Operating on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, flights depart Rome at 16h15 and arrive in Washington at 07h00 the following day. The return flight departs Rome at 09h30 and arrives in Washington at 13h30. Agents should note that flight AZ 0619 from Washington to Rome on Saturday, October 26, will depart at 17h15.

SAA, Alaska Airlines sign interline agreementSAA has announced a new interline partnership with Alaska Airlines. Travellers can now purchase a single itinerary on flights of both carriers in a single transaction, with connections via New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Washington-Dulles International Airport between Alaska Airlines’ North American network and over 75 destinations in Africa served by SAA and its regional partners. The two airlines will now offer more options for travel between Africa and the US West Coast, including Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland. Travel is now be possible through a single electronic ticket, with interline baggage transfer upon check-in.

A snapshot of the week's airline news

Gina Richter selects the top specials from Travelinfo

Air Tour Operators. Five-night package in the Maldives from R13 990pp sharing. Offer includes return SAA flights from Johannesburg, taxes, transfers and accommodation with breakfast. Travel date, September 22-28. Rove Africa. Two-night package to Mozambique from R6 425pp sharing. Offer includes

return flights from Johannesburg (incl. taxes), airport and hotel transfers and daily breakfast. Two kids under 18 travelling with two adults stay free. Valid until September 30. Offer is only valid for weekends. Norwegian Cruise Line – Development Promotions. Western Mediterranean

cruise package for R23 500pp sharing. Offer includes flights from Johannesburg (incl. taxes), one night’s pre-cruise accommodation in Rome, seven days’ accommodation on the Norwegian Epic with all meals, on-board entertainment and beverage package. Itinerary: Rome, Florence, Cannes, Majorca, Barcelona, Naples, Rome. Travel on September 24.

UK tackles airline insolvency risksSarah robertSon

THE UK Department of Transport is looking into protecting passengers

against airline insolvency. The department has tabled a recommendation to introduce a levy of up to 50 pence (R9,37) as a Flight Protection Scheme. If introduced, it will finance the repatriation of British travellers if airlines go bust in future.

The scheme would require every airline to come up with a form of insurance that, in the event it goes out of business, would pay the costs of bringing people home. It also recommends the creation of a legal route to allow defunct airlines to keep flying long enough to repatriate passengers. The review recommends appointing the UK Civil Aviation Authority as the co-ordinating body for the scheme, which is not yet in effect. Some airlines have suggested that, instead of a fresh levy, proceeds from Air Passenger Duty could be used.

Ceo of Asata, Otto De Vries, says he is encouraged to see the risks of airline insolvency being taken seriously. He says Asata members feel that Iata’s current agency programme is unbalanced, as all its risk management resolutions focus on travel agency failure, with no systems in place to protect customers from airline failure. Otto is part of an Iata taskforce reviewing the agency programme and says the subject forms part of the taskforce’s agenda.

Otto says, while Asata backs the principle behind the UK’s Flight Protection Scheme, it is unclear if the same recommendations would work effectively in South Africa. “The UK travel industry is more regulated than in South Africa and has far greater volumes of travellers. While a protection scheme of only 50p may be a viable option there, this may not be the case locally.”

UK passengers currently have the option of taking out travel insurance, which would

protect them against airline insolvency in the instance that the supplier they booked with has an Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol) certificate.

The Flight Protection Scheme would provide cover to passengers, irrespective of how, or from whom, the ticket was purchased or paid for.

The Airline Insolvency review was set up in October 2017 after the British government had to pay £40,5m (R585 million) to repatriate 85 000 British holiday-makers stranded abroad after the collapse of Monarch Air.

While the Association of British Travel Agents backed the recommendations, airlines have pushed back. Established carriers, with solid financials, have asked why they should increase costs to bail out passengers of less robust airlines. Airlines are also arguing that now, as other costs continue to rise, is not the time to make it more expensive to travel.


Game Lodges & SafarisBush conferencing is on the rise, particularly in areas close to the big cities. Tessa Reed reports.

Conferencing: escape the city

ONE of South Africa’s most accessible parks, Pilanesberg National

Park is near Johannesburg and is gaining popularity for bush conferencing.

“Pilanesberg is just a short drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria, which makes it an ideal break away from the busy city,” says Ruzandri Stoltz, aha marketing manager. “The setting is ideal to enjoy a relaxed conferencing atmosphere, but at the same time get business done.”

Both of aha’s lodges in the Pilanesberg – aha Ivory Tree Game Lodge and aha Shepherd's Tree Game Lodge – offer dedicated conference facilities with a variety of activities. Add-on activities for delegates include game

drives, spa treatments, hot-air ballooning, interactive drumming, archery and boma as well as bush dinners, says Ruzandri.

Legacy Hotels and Resorts is investing in extending and refurbishing its conferencing room at Bakubung and has introduced three different levels of conferencing packages, as a result of the growth in MICE business.

“People are looking for variation and customisation,” says Hara Jackson, group sales manager of Legacy. She says variations can also be built around these packages. “It is important to understand what the customer wants to achieve from their conference so that our offer aligns with that objective.”

Pilanesberg National Park

is in the Bojanala Region in North West Province and, covering 550 sq km, is the fourth-largest in South Africa. It is a two- to three-hour drive from OR Tambo International or Lanseria Airport and is close to Sun City.

It is a Big Five reserve with plains game including waterbuck, wildebeest, zebra and impala. There is a bird hide close to the Mankwe Dam, where fish eagles, kingfishers and cormorants can be spotted. Another highlight is the volcano crater, which is believed to have been left by an eruption 1,3 billion years ago. The crater is a ring dyke complex, where, instead of erupting through the surface, the magma cooled underground, later collapsing in the centre.

Meet at BakubungLegacy’s Mmakubu Conference Room at Bakubung Bush Lodge in Pilanesberg National Park is undergoing expansion, with work expected to be complete at the end of July. The room will be able to accommodate 150 delegates; new tables have been fitted and the AV equipment has been upgraded.

Bakubung Bush Lodge offers four- to five-hour walking safaris led by a qualified field ranger.

Did you know?

Bush experience just outside NairobiMORE than 20 national parks, including the renowned Maasai Mara as well as Amboseli National Park – famed for its elephant population – make Kenya’s safari offering compelling. Plenty of direct flights into Nairobi from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban make this city an appropriate central point for multi-country safaris, taking in Tanzania to see the migration, and Uganda or Rwanda to include gorilla trekking.

Nairobi is also unique for being one of the few cities –

if not the only one – where travellers are likely to spot wildlife while flying into the airport.

Touted as ‘the world’s only wildlife capital’, the city is less than 10km north of Nairobi National Park, which covers more than 100 sq km.

Predators, including lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas, are found in the park, along with other mammals such as buffaloes, giraffes and Black rhinos. Over 400 species of birdlife have been recorded in the park.

Great access Kenya Airways operates 21 weekly flights out of Johannesburg and 10 weekly flights from Cape Town. From its hub in Nairobi, the airline operates five daily flights to Dar es Salaam, 42 weekly flights to Entebbe and double-daily flights to Kigali. Airkenya operates out of Wilson Airport in Nairobi to Amboseli National Park, Kilimanjaro, the Maasai Mara, Meru National Park, Nanyuki, Lewa Downs and Samburu.

Premier Hotels upgrades Eastern Cape lodgesPREMIER Hotels & Resorts has invested over R18m in expanding and upgrading Premier Resort Mpongo Private Game Reserve in East London.

The upgrades include two additional lodges, Indlovu Lodge and Umthombe Bush Villa, both designed with a colonial feel.

Indlovu Lodge is perched on a hilltop overlooking the reserve and comprises one family room, 18 standard rooms as well as two dormitories, which together are capable of catering for up to 16 people.

The lodge also has a swimming pool, communal lounge and dining room.

Umthombe Bush Villa

offers five bedrooms, a boardroom/games room, braai area, swimming pool and a lounge and dining room.

Premier’s investment has also seen renovations to the restaurant, upgrades to the Edu-Centre and the construction of new administration offices at the resort.

The resort is 40km from East London Airport and 30km from East London, on more than 35 sq km of conservation land. It is home to animals such as elephants, lions (including rare white lions), buffaloes, hippos, giraffes, numerous antelope and over 200 bird species.

All lodges are 4 or 5 star.Awarded a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence for consistently outstanding customer Reviews.

The Thornybush Luxury Game Lodge Collection offer guests an intimate and utterly singular bush experience in the heart of Big 5 country. The prestige four- and five-star destinations are located adjacent to the Kruger National Park in the Thornybush Nature Reserve and the north-eastern Sabi Sands.The individually designed lodges are located in stunning natural surroundings and your Thornybush experience offers you unparalleled game viewing opportunities as part of a truly authentic bush beak.

The Thornybush Luxury Game Lodge Collection offers various accommodation options that are perfect for individuals and couples, small groups, special family occasions, bush weddings and business conferences.

Created by Africa-lovers, for lovers of AfricaReservations

+27 (0) 11 253 6500email: [email protected]

www.thornybush.com

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With the BIG 5 nearby, and amazingwildlife sightings just outside, you

won't want to wake up anywhere else. Memories are timeless. Book now!

Are You WildAbout Nature?

www.LegacyHotels.com www.LegacyLifestyle.co.za

+27 11 8066800 | [email protected] | www.legacyhotels.com

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GAME LODGES & SAFARIS

New luxury camp opens in ThornybushSASEKA Tented Camp opened in Thornybush Nature Reserve in March.

The camp is situated along the Monwana River, with the main area on a curve in the river. The elevated tented suites give guests a full view of the riverbed and the accompanying game viewing.

Saseka comprises ten 200-sqm tented suites spaced around two common areas. The smaller common area is designed for exclusive small groups and families, as the Leadwood Tented Villa.

Each tented suite has its own private pool, outdoor

shower and sundeck, and is air-conditioned.

Andy Payne, chairman of Thornybush, explains the motivation for Saseka. “We wanted to offer our guests a completely different experience to what we already have at Thornybush – a luxury tented safari experience with innovative design.

“Saseka Tented Camp has been a year in the making,” he says. “It is such a thrill to see our vision come to life and we are extremely excited to welcome guests and share the Saseka experience with them.”

Thornybush Private Nature Reserve covers 140 sq km.

The reserve forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park Conservation Area now that the fences bordering the Timbavati Reserve and Thornybush have been dropped.

Saseka is the Tsonga word for beautiful and also the name of a female leopard in the area.

Sell more high-end safaris“Once South Africans have stayed at a premium lodge in SA they tend to become repeat guests, in greater percentages to foreign guests,” says Nic Griffin, ceo of Thornybush

Luxury Game Lodge Collection. “Premium game experiences are generally good value and supported by first-timers and are an important part of the guest mix.”

Airlink offers seamless connections to luxury lodgesAIRLINK reports that its air transfer system connecting travellers between Skukuza, Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport and certain game lodges has seen an increase in uptake.

Airlink’s Lodge Link system flies direct from Nelspruit Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport and Skukuza Airport to the Londolozi, Arathusa, Ulusaba, Ngala and Phinda airstrips. Passengers are then collected from the airstrips and transferred to various surrounding game lodges.

Karin Murray, senior

manager of sales and marketing at Airlink, says the Lodge Link flights are marketed as a city-to-lodge service where clients can connect seamlessly from international and domestic destinations to game lodges using one ticket and allowing them convenient access to various destinations around Southern Africa.

While, locally, guests can connect from Cape Town to Londolozi for instance, international guests can connect seamlessly from New York all the way to Ulusaba.

The services feature the lodge destinations in the GDS, with interline connectivity and single contract ticketing. The transfer system is timed to connect with Airlink’s scheduled flight services from Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Airlink’s Lodge Link flights are operated with a new twin pilot Cessna Grand Caravan 208BEX, 12-seater turbo-prop aircraft. Checked and cabin baggage is limited to 20kg and 8kg respectively and must be in soft bags, which are available to use free on request.

Thompsons Holidays is offering two-night packages to Madikwe Game Reserve, staying at aha Thakadu River Camp. Pricing starts from R6 985pps for self-drive guests, and includes breakfast, lunch and dinner and two game drives daily. Gate entrance fee of R180pp per stay; a conservation levy of R150pp per night; and a bed levy of R10pp per night are excluded. The special is available for bookings until September 30.

Book it!

Thornybush’s Saseka Tented Camp offers a luxury safari experience and innovative design. Photo:Thornybush Collection

Airlink’s Lodge Link network. Image: Airlink


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33 weekly departures from South Africa to Nairobi, Kenya

With 21 weekly flights from Johannesburg and 12 weekly flights from Cape Town, no other airline flies you to Nairobi as often as we do offering more flight options with seamless connectivity to Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States.

Book your flight today.

Visit kenya-airways.com or call us on 010 205 0000 for more information.

#LetKQTakeYouThere

www.kenya-airways.com

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Luxury Accommodation Five Star Conference Facilities Eco-Education & Spa Facilities

Community Development

Central Reservations for Convention & Individual bookings:Tel: +27 (0)27 11 466 8715Fax: +27 (0) 86 685 8816E-mail: [email protected] www.taugamelodge.com


THE 750 sq km Madikwe Game Reserve is famous for its population of wild dogs, which are the second most endangered carnivore in Africa after the Ethiopian wolf. There are fewer than 5 000 wild dogs in the world and the species is threatened by the loss of natural habitat and their susceptibility to disease and human-wildlife conflict.

The reserve is 350km from Johannesburg, in the North West province, where it shares a border with Botswana. In addition to plains game and the Big Five, the reserve also boasts other rare predators such as cheetahs, caracal, brown and spotted hyenas.

Madikwe is considered unique because of its location in a transition zone on the edges of the Kalahari and the bushveld and, as a result, rare species from both ecosystems naturally occur in the reserve. For example, it is one of a few reserves in southern Africa where visitors can see Kalahari gemsbok, springbok, brown hyena and aardwolf.

There are nearly 90 different species of mammals and more than 350 bird species. Animals in the reserve include zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, ostrich,

warthog, and antelope species such as impala, springbok, kudu, waterbuck, eland, blesbok, nyala and sable.

The number of vehicles is limited, as the reserve is closed to outside visitors and is only open to guests overnighting. Guests are not permitted to drive their own vehicles and field rangers manage the number of vehicles on a sighting.

“Madikwe enjoys regular reports of top game sightings,” says John Ridler, PR and media manager of Thompsons Holidays. “The undulating scenery is dotted with rocky hills and expansive plains – excellent terrain for game viewing.

“The reserve is the fifth largest in SA and is malaria free, making it ideal for families with small children.” He says another selling point is that it is easily reached by car from Gauteng, with the eastern border of the reserve reaching to Sun City.

Commenting on the guest experience, Renate Oostmeijer, gm of Tau Game Lodge, says: “The early-morning safaris are spectacular, offering magical light for photography, with a pitstop for Amarula coffee and delicious buttermilk rusks, overlooking the verdant bush, whilst game

rangers always keep a vigilant eye on game and predators.

“Afternoon game drives include dazzling African sunsets with decadent sundowners before returning to the lodge for a convivial dinner, which is hosted in the boma, restaurant or dining deck, depending on the weather.”

Madikwe’s wild dogsEarlier this year, a second clan of wild dogs was introduced into the reserve, thanks to a collaboration between Madikwe Game Reserve, North West Parks, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and Endangered Wildlife Trust.

Four male wild dogs from KZN were placed in a boma

in Madikwe Game Reserve with five females from the reserve so that they could bond and form a second genetically strong pack.

The translocation of wild dogs began in 1994 and today the reserve prides itself on its efforts to

conserve this species.Since the release of the

second pack, the Madikwe Field Guides Association has distributed Madikwe Wild Dog identification kits so that rangers and guests can participate in identifying specific individuals.

Premier Resorts Mpongo Private Game Reserve near East London is offering a 20% discount on its rates until the end of August. To take advantage of this offer, agents must book using the promo code Winter 2019.

Book it!

VoluntourismWildlife ACT – which has programmes in Zululand, KwaZulu Natal – focuses on critically endangered species, including the African wild dog. It is the only African volunteer organisation that works with, and is supported by, WWF. The group’s wildlife

volunteer programme is also Fair Trade Tourism certified. Volunteers are invited to join the programme for periods of two weeks or more, where they will assist researchers track and monitor individuals, documenting behaviour.

Spotlight on Madikwe

Madikwe is famous for its population of wild dogs.



Bush school is coolA SAFARI setting lends itself to activities and educational programmes that outstrip everyday babysitting. Here are some of the programmes on offer:

Legacy has a Junior Ranger Programme at both its lodges in the Pilanesberg – Bakubung and Kwa Maritane – that teach children about animals, birds, spoors, scat, and urban legends about the trees in the park. Other activities include an hour’s guided educational

walk around the lodge; morning game drives where children are given a spoor kit (not suitable for children under six years); and a birding programme that consists of a selection of checklists and activity books for kids. Other than the game drives, these activities are

reserved for children aged between four and 12.

Legacy also offers full-day kiddies’ programmes during the school holidays, with new activities every day, including basketball, balloon painting, and creating pictures out of sand.

At Tau Game Lodge in Madikwe, children aged between three and five, who cannot join adults on game drives, automatically become members of the Tau Cubz Club. It includes a short game drive after breakfast just for the kids, after which they are entertained with treasure hunts and arts and crafts activities. The children are provided with their own Cubz Club backpacks, which are filled with a wildlife activity booklet that includes an

animal sticker checklist, a deputy ranger sticker badge and certificate (which is signed off by their personal ranger), as well as a special Tau T-shirt. The club runs from 09h00 to 16h00, with additional babysitting available afterwards. Children aged between six and 11 can join the adult safaris. They will also be issued with a special Cubz Club activity booklet and are welcome to join their siblings for the Cubz Club activities.

Serena Hotels offers a range of children’s activities at its lodges in East Africa. At Serena Mountain Lodge

in Mount Kenya, children can listen to historic tales of Mt Kenya narrated by guides at the kids’ club. At

Lake Manyara Serena Camp in Tanzania, children can participate in a watercolour painting session.

Premier Hotels & Resorts has kids’ holiday activities at all its resorts, including activities such as kiddies’ talent shows, kids’ Olympic Games, treasure hunts, pool

games and marshmallow toasting. At Premier Resort Mpongo, the group’s ‘Bush’ Buddies programme focuses on activities inspired by the

reserve’s conservation goals. Children up to 12 years old are taught about wildlife, survival bush tactics and basic scout training.

Children staying at Thornybush Game Lodge and Thornybush Waterside Lodge have a special programme prepared for them prior to their arrival. Drives and activities can also be tailored to suit children’s interests and attention span. Some of the activities offered include picnics at the pool, educational walks with rangers, treasure hunts, baking and face painting. While the programme is only offered at Thornybush Game Lodge and Thornybush Waterside Lodge, children staying at these two lodges as well as Serondella Game Lodge, Monwana Lodge and Jackalberry Lodge, will all receive ‘Ranger in Training’ backpacks on arrival to keep them entertained during their stay. Contents include a colouring

book with crayons or a game drive book with pencil; a water bottle; glow-in-the-

dark mosquito repellent arm bands; lip ice; and an age-related safari interactive toy.

Maasai Mitzvahs uniquely mark coming-of-age ANGAMA Mara, which is located above the floor of the Great Rift Valley and overlooks Kenya’s Maasai Mara, has created an experience to mark the Jewish coming-of-age ritual of both Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.

Families staying at the lodge celebrate by exposing their children to what young Maasai men and women undertake on their journey into adulthood. Angama Mara also has a kosher kitchen and can cater for their dietary requirements.

“Being in the heart of Maasailand means Angama Mara guests have the opportunity to learn more about how this significant milestone is celebrated in a completely different culture from their own, all the while sharing experiences and learning from one another,” says Angama Mara ceo, Nicky Fitzgerald.

She says, while Angama has accommodated several Jewish guests on this experience, there has also been interest from non-religious family groups who want to give their children the opportunity to learn more about what it means to come of age in an entirely different culture.

The Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah celebrations both start with an early wilderness walk.

The Bar Mitzvah celebrant will be accompanied by a Maasai naturalist who

will share his stories about becoming a Maasai warrior. While exploring Maasailand, he will be taught the traditional skills of spear and rungu (wooden club) throwing.

After breakfast, the young man will spend some contemplative time with a Maasai elder in a manyatta (traditional homestead) where they will discuss what it means to come of age in the Maasai culture. The day’s events come to a celebratory close with the family gathering in the sundowner boma overlooking the Great Rift Valley, where the young man will be taught how to jump like a Maasai warrior. The occasion will be commemorated with a Maasai blessing and the presentation of a yarmulke beaded by local women.

On the Bat Mitzvah celebration, the young woman will be accompanied by a Maasai maiden who will share stories of what it was like to grow up in her culture. Afterwards, the family will gather in the Shamba (lodge kitchen garden) where they will be greeted in song by Maasai women. From here, the Bat Mitzvah girl will be escorted to the manyatta to be adorned with traditional beaded gifts. The group will head back to the deck of the Shamba where the family will witness a ceremony where the young woman will be given a Maasai name.

Bakubung and Kwa Maritane

Serena Mountain Lodge

Tau Game Lodge

Premier Resort Mpongo

Thornybush Game Lodge and Waterside Lodge

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Discover nature in all its splendour at our renowned Game lodges

• aha The David Livingstone Safari Lodge & Spa• aha Makalali Private Game Lodge• Thakadu River Camp• Ivory Tree Game Lodge• Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge

For Bookings: +27 10 442 5888 [email protected] | www.aha.co.za

Kids enjoy educational walks with rangers. Photo: Thornybush Collection

Children join Tau’s CubzClub. Photo: TAU Game Lodge

JOBSCOMMUNITYNEWSBirths, deaths, marriages, promotions – we want to know! Please fax or e-mail TNW’s Deena Robinson, at [email protected]


Appointments

Pick of the week

These adverts were selected from the vacancy section of www.travelinfo.co.za To advertise contact [email protected]

brought to you by

TNW

8130

Leisure Team Leader/Manager – CPT, NorthQuantex Recruitment Group5+ years’ leisure management experience & Amadeus proficiency required. Previous/current experience in the field of selling holiday packages. No retail hours. Email: [email protected] Digital Manager – CPT, NorthQuantex recruitment GroupBachelor degree: marketing, computer sciences, sales, e-business or equivalent experience. Prior digital marketing, web-shop management, CMS, PPC, SEO, display campaigns management experience required. Email: [email protected]

Wholesale Consultant – JNBFlight Centre Travel GroupSell and provide information on preferred travel products, process reservations for holiday packages with focus on becoming an expert. Apply: www.flightcentrecareers.co.za

Cruise Consultant – GautengFlight Centre Travel GroupPlan itineraries, book flights, organise accommodation, car hire and everything in between, specialising in cruises. Apply: www.flightcentrecareers.co.za

Senior FIT Consultant/Team Leader – JNB, NorthProfessional Career ServicesMinimum 5 years’ experience in inbound tour operator. Knowledge of Southern and East Africa. Wetu. Email: [email protected]

Intermediate Travel Consultant – Greenpoint, CPTProfessional Career ServicesMinimum 3 years’ experience. Sabre working knowledge. Corporate travel. Mainly domestic bookings. Refunds and reissues experience. Email: [email protected]

Accounts Assistant – DurbanLee Botti & AssociatesJunior with minimum 2 years’ accounts experience in travel industry sought. Energetic, outgoing person to fit fast-paced, fun environment! Salary to R8,000. Email: [email protected]

Temp Accounts – DurbanLee Botti & AssociatesBuzzing division of large corporate! Assist with accounts & invoicing, utilising your prior industry experience. Own transport essential. Email: [email protected]

Senior Leisure Consultant – CPT, TygervalleyFlightSiteFlightSite, SA’s fastest growing online travel agency (OTA). Minimum requirement is 5-7 years’ leisure consulting experience and worked on Amadeus. Email: [email protected]

Debtors Clerk – CPT, TygervalleyFlightSiteMinimum requirements for this position is 4 years’ experience in a debtors role and knowledge of MS Excel on an intermediate to advanced level. Email: [email protected]

Support Consultant – Gauteng, RosebankClub TravelTravellinck is seeking technically strong individual to offer support and resolve day to day queries from clients and/or suppliers. Perform trouble-shooting functions and testing products and applications. Email: [email protected]

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REWARDIf you can give us the name of any bona fide

travel agency that is not receiving TNW

at its address

R300 is yours

Send the contact details to [email protected]

T&Cs applyTNW8000

Have you been on an educational?

Send us the details and pictures of your trip. You could be featured in TNW.

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TCs training for success!Travel Counsellors’ head office hosted a training session with some of its TCs in Cape Town. TCs were given training on airfares and marketing, where they looked at customer insights, customer segmentation, content and communication. Front from left: Lynne du Toit and Mumtaz Samsodien; Back from left: Gail Farmer, Claire Booth and Ronel Blom, all Travel Counsellors and Michelle Bullmore, marketing manager of Travel Counsellors South Africa.

Beachcomber hosts an educational Beachcomber recently hosted an educational to Mauritius. Back (from left): Zaine McMurray (Flight Centre Northgate); Chantel Smuts, TC; Ryna Vogel (Flight Centre Associates); Debra Dovey (XL Glenwood); Jaco van Staden (Flight Centre Brooklyn); Odette Fourie (Flight Centre Kolonade); Joshua Govender (Comair); and Natalie Viljoen (Flight Centre Fourways). Front (from left): Lietha Vellema (Flight Centre Wonderboom); Vladi Wessels (Beachcomber); Liesl Sinclair (Exclusive Leisure & Corporate Travel); and Ansone Conradie ( Pentravel Woodlands).

Rudi van der Vyver has been appointed md of EPH Events. Rudi was previously ceo of SAACI, having joined the association in 2017 and will begin his new position in July. Rudi says: “It has been a privilege to work with a dedicated and skilled team of board executives and colleagues.”

Private Safaris Southern Africa has promoted Lucinda Keefer to head of sales for South Africa. Lucinda joined Private Safaris in 2012 as MICE manager for Southern Africa. She and

her team have played a role in expanding the department and developing a strong independent brand for Private Safaris MICE. Lucinda will continue to work closely with the MICE team, and will now also focus on strategically driving sales efforts for Private Safaris overall, as well as enhancing customer experience and overall brand offering at Private Safaris Southern Africa.

ANEW Hotels has appointed its new operations director, Kevin Burley. With hospitality experience from abroad and in South Africa, Kevin is part of its strategic vision to grow the management team and take the group to the next level.


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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]

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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

No 75% Yes 25%

Are your clients concerned about safety while on a cruise following recent accidents involving cruise ships?

No bruises to cruises

75%

25% Lanseria-Zanzibar flights cementedDeena Robinson

FROM September 1, Mango’s newly launched Lanseria-Zanzibar service will move to Sundays as a permanent scheduled service. The route was introduced at the end of May on a trial basis for the month of June.

AfricaStay pioneered the original Saturday Mango charter flights to Zanzibar.

This new service offers good connections for clients from Cape Town and Durban, as well as good transfer times from the airport to resorts in Zanzibar. Demand for the June service has been very high and is sold out, says Marian Sandu, ceo of Holiday Packages by AfricaStay.

The airline has introduced this service in response

to customer demand and will be working with operators, says Benediction Zubane, hod: marketing & communications at Mango.

Flight JE972 will depart Lanseria at 09h50 and arrive at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in Zanzibar at 14h15. Return flight JE973 will depart Zanzibar at 15h05 and arrive in Lanseria at 18h05.

Mango keeps growingFROM July 11, Mango will also add Lanseria flights to various local destinations as well as additional flights out of Cape Town and OR Tambo.

New routes include Bloemfontein-Cape Town, with four additional flights on weekends. Durban-Lanseria will get 18 additional flights per week.

Mango is adding four flights to its George-OR Tambo route on weekends and 14 additional flights to its Lanseria-Port Elizabeth route.

Virgin Atlantic is joining bluebiz, the corporate loyalty programme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). Mandy Lerena (pictured), Virgin’s commercial manager for South Africa, says: “We are really excited about this partnership. It means more opportunities and destinations for our SME corporate loyalty programme. The programme will offer SME customers more opportunities to earn and burn credits across more airlines and routes.” Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

Virgin joins bluebiz

Tragic ‘destiny’ for holidaymakers saRah RobeRtson

CAPE Town-based travel agency, Destiny Holidays, has allegedly defrauded

31 clients, tallying up to R1,6m over the past few months.

A WhatsApp group has been set up to track the extent of the alleged misappropriated funds. Group members say over 20 cases of fraud have been opened so far and that the Hawks Commercial Investigating Unit is in the process of combining these and transferring the cases to Cape Town where the crimes allegedly took place.

Sunette Swenson told TNW that her parents had booked a R160 000 NCL cruise to Norway with Destiny Holidays. She says her father was up to date on payments but on May 24, the day before the final payment was due to be paid to the agency, a Destiny Holidays consultant told him that she believed the directors were not paying clients’ money to travel suppliers.

Her father contacted the tour operator who confirmed that Destiny Holidays had short paid them for his booking and had also refused to give them the client’s direct contact details when the tour operator explained to her father that the cruise booking would be automatically cancelled if the balance of monies owing was not received within the next 24 hours.

Sunette says her family repeatedly tried to contact the owner/managers of Destiny Holidays to no avail. Sunette got hold of a director who promised to arrange payment that day. Later, she received an SMS from him saying that all further correspondence

relating to Destiny Holidays was to be channelled through O’Reilly Law. The lawyers later said that Destiny Holidays was in the process of filing for liquidation. The agency’s legal counsel has since changed and Sunette says the current lawyers say they have not yet received instructions from their clients regarding how to proceed.

While Sunette’s parents have not yet opened a case of fraud, she says they have paid the operator the outstanding balance to save the booking, but she alleges that Destiny Holidays has run off with R95 000, and says there could have been a further R37 000 lost if the Destiny Holidays consultant had not alerted them to the situation.

Another alleged victim, Paul Peens, paid Destiny Holidays for his honeymoon to Maldives. A week before the wedding he contacted the agency looking for his vouchers. He was told that something had gone wrong with his booking but if he departed three days later it would be okay. Paul and his wife reshuffled their dates

but no vouchers appeared and Destiny Holidays moved his trip dates again. The day before the departure date the director admitted that they could not honour the booking and told Paul he would be refunded within seven days. He did not hear anything more despite issuing the company with a summons. Paul has opened a fraud case against the alleged directors of the company in their personal capacities.

Doing the right thingTNW tracked down the whistle-blower travel consultant who alerted Sunette’s father. The consultant, who wishes to remain anonymous, says she started to suspect that the company was in financial difficulty last September when there were repeated instances of suppliers not being paid timeously. She said while she didn’t know the extent of the alleged problems she started looking for another job and started to suggest that clients pay suppliers directly rather than deposit funds into the Destiny Holidays account. Salaries were delayed and more payment issues came to light over the following months. She has now found another job and left the company at the beginning of May but says she is still assisting defrauded clients to get in touch with suppliers directly.

The Destiny Holidays website has been taken down and the offices have been vacated. Asata confirms that they are not a member. TNW tried to contact the owners, directors and their lawyers but had not received any response at time of going to print.

“Over 20 cases of fraud have been

opened so far and the Hawks Commercial Investigating Unit

is in the process of combining these and transferring the cases to Cape Town where the crimes allegedly

took place.”

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