Cathay to fly seasonal CPT-HKG service

TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLY

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SOUTHERN AFRICA’S TRAVEL NEWS WEEKLYNovember 21 2018 I No. 2521

NEWSTGCSA

New grading categories introduced

FEATURESHOPPING DESTINATIONSAffordable emerging destinations

Page 8Page 6Page 2

NEWSPACONF 2018

Monthly BSP remittance to end

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All aboard!Aboard the MSC Musica before the ship’s first sailing in South African waters are (from left): Angelo Capurro, MSC Cruises commercial executive director for Emerging Markets, South Africa, Australia, Portugal, Mexico and Japan; Ciro Pinto, MSC Musica captain, and Ross Volk, md MSC Cruises SA. Read more on page 12. Photo: Savannah Freemantle

Cathay to fly seasonal CPT-HKG servicehilka BirnS

CAPE Town has clinched its first direct air link to Asia with the November 14 launch of Cathay

Pacific’s first non-stop seasonal service between Cape Town and Hong Kong.

The new service will add 11 760 seats in each direction on the route during the season, complementing the airline’s 27-year-old daily JNB-HKG flight.

Speaking at a Cape Town media briefing, Cathay Pacific’s country manager SA & Indian Ocean, Ashish Kapur, said the early-morning HKG

arrivals were well timed for onward connections to 200 destinations on Cathay Pacific’s network, in addition to 120 other airlines connecting at Hong Kong. Regional gm for South Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Mark Sutch, added that the new service provided excellent connections to popular destinations like Bangkok, Bali, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo and the Philippines.

Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris, said the new service signified an unprecedented connection between Asia and the Western Cape, with both Hong Kong and Cape Town being

To page 2

Opinion: Learn from GigabaDave marSh

AT THE TNW party celebrating the last day in office of Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba, the consensus was that it was hard to believe that someone so inept had got so far.

Despite what the President said, what the Minister of Tourism said and what Gigaba said, October has come and gone and the regulation governing minors travelling is still in full force.

The real problem, though,

lies deeper. Forty-eight years ago, the first edition of TNW carried a story, ‘Tourism report disappoints’. The article by John H Marsh (my father) was disbelieving that the then Minister of Tourism could report

back to Parliament that the paltry budget he had been

allocated was sufficient: Why did we want to encourage foreigners to come to South Africa to tell us how to run the country? said Frank Waring, great rugby

player and the token English speaker in the

To page 12

SQ makes supplementary Joburg flights permanentSarah roBertSon

EFFECTIVE March 31 next year, Singapore Airlines will add three weekly flights between Johannesburg and Singapore, bringing its total flights on the route to 10 per week.

The airline’s daily flights will continue as usual, operating Singapore-Johannesburg-Cape Town-Johannesburg-Singapore.

Initially, the carrier introduced three supplementary flights a week during July and August this year and market development manager, Sally George, said the strong loads during this period had motivated the airline to permanently increase capacity.

“Since the supplementary flights

stopped operating in August our existing loads have been extremely busy. It is clear that additional capacity is needed on the route.”

She added that the later 22h30 departure was a less congested boarding time at OR Tambo International Airport and that the onward connections from Singapore were excellent at that time.

"We have listened to our customers and travel trade partners’ feedback to increase capacity on this route," said Kian Hwa Chua, gm Central and Southern Africa for Singapore Airlines.

Andrew Stark, md of Flight Centre Travel Group, said any increase in capacity was good news for the South

To page 12

2 n Wednesday November 21 2018 QUICK READ FOR DECISION-MAKERS

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

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

www.etnw.co.za

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

EDITORIAL Editor: Tessa Reed [email protected] Features Editor: Sue van Winsen [email protected] Journalists: Savannah Freemantle Sarah Robertson

Photographer: Shannon Van Zyl Production Editor: Ann Braun

PUBLISHER Natasha Schmidt [email protected]

GROUP PUBLISHER David Marsh [email protected]

ADVERTISING Sales: Natasha Schmidt [email protected] Sales Director: Kate Nathan [email protected] Ad Co-ordinator: Anthea Harris [email protected]

PRODUCTION Design Head: Dirk Voorneveld

SUBSCRIPTIONS Circulation: [email protected]

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Win with TravelinfoTravelinfo will be hosting a ‘12 Days of Christmas’ competition from November 26 to December 11. It will take the form of daily questions on the Travelinfo Plus product, which agents will answer on the website. Participants could win an all-inclusive holiday, shopping vouchers, weekend stays and cash prizes. Winners will be announced daily on Agents Only. Getting into the festive spirit are Travelinfo account executives (from left): Helen Johnston, Nikita Tavlet, and Gina Richter. Photo: Shannon van Zyl

Monthly BSP remittance to come to an endSarah robertSon

IATA will discontinue monthly BSP remittance frequencies before December 31, 2019.

This is one of the outcomes from the annual Passenger Agency Conference (PAConf), where major changes to Iata rules were adopted, despite strong opposition from the agent community.

Dinesh Naidoo, group operations director of Serendipity Worldwide Group, said that, locally, agencies had a choice of weekly, fortnightly or monthly remittances but that most large agencies used the monthly option for 30-day account cash-flow management.

In contrast, Tammy Hunt, md of eTravel, said she believed Iata’s decision was right for the industry as agents should not operate as banks for travellers.

Iata will now be able to

appoint third parties to review Local Financial Criteria (LFC) when Iata deems them insufficient. LFC have always been determined by a 50/50 airline-agent Agency Programme Joint Council (APJC). Appointed third parties will now make LFC recommendations to the APJC before they make a decision.

According to Otto de Vries, chairman of WTAAA Air Committee and ceo of Asata, this could potentially render APJCs irrelevant and would curtail an agent’s ability to determine their LFC.

A spokesperson for Iata said the changes had been made in light of significant agency defaults and would address a minority of markets with weak LFCs or where LFCs had not been reviewed in a long time.

A number of changes across resolutions 820d, 820e and 850m also affect the Travel Agency Commission

(TAC) process. The TAC is an independent mediator that agents can call on if they seek a review on an Iata decision.

Otto said agents highlighted 18 concerns about how these changes would limit an agent’s ability to seek independent mediation but said they were passed anyway. The Iata spokesperson denied that the changes would affect the TAC process in this way.

“Despite agent associations raising their concerns about the proposed policy changes during PAConf, they were unilaterally adopted by Iata members during a closed session. We are extremely disappointed by this outcome,” said Otto.

“Iata is committed to the Passenger Agency Programme and to working with our travel agent partners. Agents are essential partners to the airline industry,” said the spokesperson.

Cathay to fly seasonal CPT-HKG service

gateways to their respective continents.

Cathay Pacific has expanded its long-haul network significantly in recent years. In 2018, the airline launched new services to Brussels, Dublin and Washington DC, while its regional subsidiary, Cathay Dragon, commenced

flights to the Philippines, China and Indonesia.

Operating three times a week until February 18, flight CX794 departs Cape Town at 11h05 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to arrive in Hong Kong at 06h55. Flight CX795 departs Hong Kong 00h10 on the same days to arrive in Cape

Town at 08h30. Flights are operated with a new 280-seat Airbus A350-900 in a three-class layout with 38 business-class seats, 28 in premium economy and 214 in economy class. The aircraft is equipped with Cathay Pacific’s latest products, including new seats, a new in-flight entertainment system and in-flight WiFi.

From page 1

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Hollard Insurance SA was cool and stylish when it hosted its first golf day at the Irene Country Club recently. The course, which has somehow managed to retain its unusual country atmosphere despite widespread development surrounding it, was a fitting venue for Hollard to debut its innovative golfing competition. Before teams were allowed to compete against one another, they first had to beat Hollard’s own stylish team, The Purple Swingers. A feat made all the more difficult by facilities like this cooling gin station. Pictured: Master gin creator Cecelia Pheiffer from Hollard, mixes up some of her specialities for Lina da Costa of Budget-Rent-a-Car; Juan van Rensburg of Bag Portr and Anton Marsh of Now Media. Photo: Dave Marsh

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More coming on FlySafair’s agent portalSavannah Freemantle

FLYSAFAIR will roll out new features on its agent portal over the next eight months.

Kirby Gordon, the airline’s head of sales and distribution, said: “We are developing a dashboard with enhanced reporting features and a live central console that will improve agents’ ability to manage their clients’ travel.”

The dashboard, which is still in development, will allow agents to pull reports on the total revenue generated by the agent, number of flights booked, average flight price achieved, and the most booked flights by individual clients across total bookings as well as per individual client.

The central console will also give agents live access to their clients’ location. “Agents will

be able to see who is travelling on a given day, the time and route of their flight, and whether they are at an airport or on the aircraft. Flight delays and cancellations will also be displayed. This information will all be available in one place and accessible at a glance,” says Kirby.

Another feature allows agents to use the platform to send clients their boarding pass via

SMS after check-in. “The SMS feature can be combined with the central console functionality to ensure that the agent looks after their client at every stage of their journey. The agent can locate the client and send them SMSs with updates, or just confirm that all is on track,” says Kirby.

The new system will also allow agents who have opted for airfare mark-ups to

view ticket prices with their requested mark-up already included.

The enhanced reporting features will be rolled out first, followed by the central console features. “The features will be rolled out bit by bit, so agents can expect to see new additions every other week. We aim to have all new features live by the end of the eight-month period,” Kirby says.

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Date: 22 November 2018 | Time: 9am – 1pm

REGISTER TODAY!www.sabusinesstravel.co.za

To exhibit: Natalie Cumberlege | [email protected] | 011 327 4062

Hard work pays off!Serena Hotels recently hosted members of the trade at an awards evening held at its Sandton offices. The awards were offered in recognition of Serena’s top-selling agencies. Rennies Travel DBSA was awarded Top Inhouse for Multiple Serena Hotels as well as Top Producing Travel Agent for Serena Kigali. From left: Vidisha Reddy, VIP consultant at Rennies Travel DBSA; Michelle Sydney, travel manager Rennies DBSA; and Phakama Nogomba, senior travel consultant at Rennies.

New categories introduced to grading schemeKerry Hayes

THE TOURISM Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) is set to roll out new categories for apartment

hotels and small hotels and also introduce a five-star premium category, along with other changes. These were recently approved by Tourism Minister, Derek Hanekom, and gazetted for implementation from April next year.

Darryl Erasmus, chief quality assurance officer of the TGCSA, describes the five-star premium category as a game-changer. “It will allow properties a new level of factors with which to differentiate themselves. These will range from quality of the product, to furniture and fittings, and level of service.”

Accolades are another addition to the criteria, which give facilities an

opportunity to receive an accolade within a niche market – be it family accommodation (where elements like having a nanny service, play area, children’s menu, etc. would come into play), or other niche markets including covering pet-friendly venues, wine tourism, birding, golfing, 4x4, wellness, or a wedding venue. Venues will be able to achieve multiple accolades, should they meet the respective criteria.

Darryl says the Responsible Tourism accolade is an important amendment to the 2018 grading system, which takes into account the South African National Standards 1162 criteria for responsible tourism.

In the coming weeks, SA Tourism will share marketing collateral detailing the new criteria for the trade on its website.

New staff training platform rolls outsaraH robertson

LINDA Dempster, owner of traveltraining.co.za, is launching a new training platform specifically geared to educate travel administrative staff in areas where knowledge gaps exist.

Courses already loaded on the training website include BSP, Quicktravel, Microsoft and Travel Finance and consist of PowerPoint presentations with recorded audio training.

Linda says there are many courses and platforms to educate travel consultants in the industry, but there are limited offerings for admin personnel who need to understand multiple processes and functions, from debtor and creditor control to how to read and understand financial statements.

She says the website will allow

agencies to pay a small monthly subscription fee that will allow their staff to gain login access to the training courses.

In addition to the admin courses already loaded, Linda plans to launch fraud prevention training courses for the industry.

These will be seminar- rather than web-based training courses with strict access control allowing only bona fide financial managers and agency owners to attend. Linda says she doesn’t want potential fraudsters to learn tricks about how to defraud an agency by attending her courses.

Linda adds that, while credit card fraud is a major concern in the industry, a lot of fraud actually takes place through internal agency processes and that many agencies are not aware of the full extent of their openness to risk.

Exodus completes Headwater acquisitionsavannaH Freemantle

EXODUS Travels officially acquired sister company Headwater Holidays in October.

Founded in 1985, Headwater operates self-guided trips, predominantly to European destinations. Itineraries are for all levels of fitness, with walking, cycling, winter cross-country skiing and activity holidays available. These tours are now marketed under the Exodus brand, increasing its self-guided, adventure travel offering.

A local spokesperson for Earth

Wanderer, the local GSA for Exodus in South Africa, commented that self-guided walking and cycling holidays in Europe were top-selling trips from the South African market. “The acquisition of Headwater is great news for us, as it will provide our clients with a greater range of this style of touring.”

Ninety Headwater tours have been incorporated in the Exodus offering as a result of the acquisition, bringing the current Exodus total tours offered to just under 600, subject to future reconciliation. These tours have been rolled out under the Exodus brand.

More flights to Mauritius BRITISH Airways, operated by Comair, has announced additional flights from Johannesburg to Mauritius on Wednesdays and Saturdays from December 19 until January 12.

The flight schedule is the

same for both days.Flight BA6399 will depart

Johannesburg at 09h00 and arrive in Mauritius at 15h10. The return flight BA6398 will depart Mauritius at 16h10 and arrive in Johannesburg at 18h40.

QUICK READ FOR BUSIEST PEOPLE Wednesday November 21 2018 n 7

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New DistributionCelebration

First booking completed in thenew distribution era

For more information visittravelport.com/ndc

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Leading the way in NDC development

Travelport’s NDC Roadmap for the future

The ongoing race for Iata NDC Aggregator Certification

Join the new distribution conversation

TRAVELPORT became the first GDS operator to manage the live booking

of flights using Iata’s NDC technical standard.

The first transaction was made by a British agency, Meon Valley Travel, on Friday October 19. It was for a short-haul, low-cost flight from London to Milan issued by a major European carrier. It was managed on the latest

Travelport Smartpoint agency point of sale. It is the first of a series of products Travelport is developing to accommodate changing airline distribution methods.

Over the next few months, the version of the NDC capability launched in October will be used by a steadily increasing number of agencies and airlines as part of Travelport’s NDC rollout. It will also be followed by a series of product enhancements, including a version for online agents in 2019. Given the complexity of the technology, Travelport has pledged to continue to develop these products in consultation with a wide range of agencies and airlines globally.

“Travelport has a roadmap in place that will allow

travel agencies to connect through Travelport’s platform in a single

workflow, combining traditional and new NDC

content.”

Travelport plans to include NDC content initially via an industrialised connection for airlines that connects via NDC-standard APIs – a Point of Sale companion application for travel agencies that offers NDC-enabled content alongside the GDS workflow. This integrated app will be launched from Travelport Smartpoint for ease of use alongside existing processes.

Travelport already connects to 24 airlines

through APIs and expects to announce the first of many NDC-enabled airline partnerships very soon. Travelport launched its Rich Content and Branding merchandising in 2013. 270 airlines now benefit from it, with more steadily joining them. The distribution of over 322 ancillaries for 87 airlines has given Travelport its leadership position in air retailing. This has been invaluable as the company develops its NDC solutions.

Last year Travelport became the first commerce platform to achieve Iata NDC Level 3 status as an aggregator. Iata have recently announced two further certification levels (four and five), which Travelport is working on achieving. The fourth level of NDC Aggregator Certification will become available at the end of 2018.

Level 1 enables agents to search and book ancillary content post-booking, Level 2 allows agents to search for offers, and Level 3 supports the order management process that includes taking a customer offer and creating the booking as well as carrying

out required settlement activities and managing changes. Level 4 will include servicing messages while NDC@Scale will be awarded to airlines, aggregators and sellers capable of processing volumes of NDC sales against a certain criteria. Travelport will proactively work towards completing this next phase.

Travelport is working with 21 airlines who are committed to having 20% of their indirect sales transacted by an NDC API by 31 December 2020. Iata is also firming up technical standards by making its 17.2 schema the baseline with subsequent releases to be compatible with this.

With roots in seamless distribution spanning decades, Travelport is at the heart of the current evolution in travel retail. Through NDC pilot programmes, Travelport is working with airline and agency partners and other organisations to shape the implementation of this new era in distribution. The global

travel industry is forecast to continue growing. Working together as an industry, Travelport believes that all parties can share in the success of delivering relevant and bookable content to travellers fast, through whichever device they choose to connect from.

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Shopping Destinations

There are various affordable emerging destinations for South Africans with an affinity for shopping. Sue van Winsen reports.

Finding gems off the beaten track

WITH the rand continuing to fluctuate, finding affordable

shopping destinations can be a challenge – but there are still many options for South Africans travelling with the primary purpose of shopping.

According to Marelize Le Roux, operations and reservations manager of Travel Vision, the main destinations that come to mind are India, Turkey, Vietnam and Spain. She says the emerging shopping destinations featuring on South African itineraries include the outdoor bazaars of Istanbul, Madrid for shoe fanatics and Bangkok with its own floating mall.

The most affordable shopping destinations for South Africans are Turkey and India, but Argentina, Italy and the other fashion capitals of London and Paris can also offer excellent value for money, says Teresa Richardson, md of The Travel Corporation.

“Turkey is well known for its carpets and, of course,

delicious Turkish Delight, but its leather goods are also exceptionally good. Another destination that is tops for leather is Argentina. With one of its top exports being beef, it’s no small wonder that its leather goods are exceptional. With over 200 tanneries in operation, Argentina is the place to go for high-quality jackets, shoes and handbags.”

Indian treasuresTeresa says India is a great destination for shopping, with its many winding bazaars, busy markets and shiny new malls. “Haggling is customary in street markets, so you can bargain your price. For a truly Indian souvenir, a sari is a good buy or an embroidered pashmina shawl, which is a great buy and a versatile

travelling accessory.” She adds that India, much like Thailand and Vietnam, is home to highly skilled tailors, so she suggests making time to get a bespoke suit or shirt made while in the country.

“In India, there’s a

beautiful array of jewellery to choose from, and while most is gold, silver is very popular too and is a great purchase if you’re in Rajasthan,” explains Teresa. She advises travellers to also make time to visit a local market or spice emporium. “The smells and colours truly bring the Indian experience to life.”

Finally, Teresa also suggests shopping for homeware while in India.

“You will find beautiful cotton bed throws and cushion covers at a fraction of the price you’d pay at home.”

Shopping the salesEND-of-season sales can provide huge value and choice, even in destinations that are often thought of as too expensive for the South African pocket.

Teresa Richardson of The Travel Corporation says the best thing about taking an overseas shopping trip to the Northern hemisphere is end-of-season sales.

“When we are moving into summer in South Africa, it’s the perfect time to visit Europe to take advantage of the newest fashions at the best prices,” she says.

Examples of packages that allow travellers to make the most of sale season in the Northern hemisphere include Trafalgar’s eight-day London Explorer, which gives shoppers a base in London from which to shop to one’s heart’s

content. “But all shopping and no culture makes for a dull holiday. To this end, Trafalgar includes a three-day London Oyster Card, a scenic cruise on the Thames, plus some wonderful visits to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, Westminster Abbey and Kensington Palace,” says Teresa. This trip is offered during the off-season at R22 800pps. “This is perfect timing to catch the end-of-season sales and perhaps get a glimpse of what fashion-forward items are going to be hot for the next season,” adds Teresa.

Similarly, Trafalgar’s Paris Explorer itinerary offers an eight-day experience with visits to the Royal Estate of Versailles and the village of Montmartre, the latter being a great spot to pick up French treats and bohemian jewellery.

Teresa Richardson

Book it!

Trafalgar’s Highlights of Turkey is priced from R19 500pps for an eight-day exploration of the East and West, taking in Istanbul, Canakkale, Troy, Pergamon, Izmir, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Hieropolic and Bursa. The package includes accommodation with breakfast daily, five additional meals and trip highlights such as the ‘Be My Guest’ lunch with the liberated women in Turkey in the village of Demircidere and a visit to the Grand Bazaar.

Montmartre, a great spot for unusual jewellery finds.

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www.airfrance.co.za

ROYAL SHOPPING IN PARISParis-Charles de Gaulle: enjoy a pleasant

stopover while discovering the many luxury shops and relaxing in the comfort of our

lounges.

12964-Air France TNW Shopping Advert (80x180).indd 1 2018/11/07 12:26

The lowdown on VAT refundsTHE assumed complexity of the VAT refund process has turned many travellers off applying for refunds – but, the process is easier than many would think provided they take certain steps along the way.

Firstly, to be eligible for a VAT refund, the traveller needs to be a ‘visitor’ which means they need to permanently live in a country outside the one being visited.

Secondly, an important step is that while in the shop, the traveller needs to enquire as to whether a refund service is available. When paying for

the goods purchased, the shop assistant will ask for proof that the traveller is a visitor – for example a passport or ID document – and in some instances, the return ticket. Afterwards, the merchant will provide the traveller with a form to fill out with personal information.

In some instances, the shop may be able to process the refund right away – but the traveller may be charged an admin fee for this service, so they should be sure to clarify this at the outset.

If the traveller is going to use a third party or claim

a refund at the airport, it’s important for the traveller to keep their invoice, as this will be required, along with the refund form, to claim and also provide as proof when going through customs at the end of the trip. The customs officers must stamp the form as proof of export.

An important detail to note is that most countries have a minimum value in place to ensure the system isn’t bogged down by too many small claims. For example, in Europe, the minimum value is €175 (R2 820) for the total purchase.

‘Tis the season for Christmas marketsWITH the countdown to Christmas starting, British Airways shares its top picks for this year’s must-visit Christmas markets.

PragueChristmas markets in Prague run from December 1 to January 6. Visitors can expect a wonderland of chalet-style stalls, Christmas carols, hearty food and local drinks in the Old Town Square and the Wenceslas Square in the New Town. Traditional handicrafts on sales include ornate glass baubles, embroidered lace and painted pottery.

CologneIn Germany, Cologne’s Christmas markets run from November 26 through to the new year. The Cologne Cathedral market boasts over 160 stalls and sits beneath the largest Christmas tree in Rhineland. Angel’s Christmas Market on the Neumark is decorated with angel figures and stars carved from wood, garlands and Christmas wreaths.

TallinnIn Tallinn, Estonia, the markets start on November 24 and end on January 6.

The cobbled streets lead to the medieval town hall square, complete with 40 000 Christmas lights, reindeers, performers and handcrafted wares.

InnsbruckEvery year from November 23 to January 6, the centre of Innsbruck in Austria features carol singers and huge Christmas trees, and the scent of freshly made stollen and doughnuts fill the air. In the Old Town, visitors can shop for traditional gifts such as ornaments, while watching the Christmas processions.

Trafalgar’s Costsaver has a 10-day Highlights of India trip priced from R22 600, including accommodation with breakfast daily, three lunches and four dinners. Destinations visited include Delhi, Ranthambore, Jaipur and Agra.

SHOPPING DESTINATIONS

Book it!

The fairytale Christmas market in Innsbruck.

JOBSCOMMUNITYNEWSBirths, deaths, marriages, promotions – we want to know! Please fax or e-mail TNW’s Savannah Freemantle, at [email protected] or (011) 214 7324.

QUICK READ FOR BUSIEST PEOPLE Wednesday November 21 2018 n 11

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Beachcomber Tours recently held its top consultants’ lunch at Longridge Wine Estate & Restaurant in Stellenbosch. The lunch was in honour of its top three individual consultants in South Africa. In first place was Cian De La Pierre, senior travel consultant at Exotic Vacations; followed by Kim Henry, reservations manager at Simply Travel; and Kelly-Maree Lindsay, owner of Happy Travel, who was third. From left: Joanne Visagie, sales and marketing director at Beachcomber Tours; Kelly-Maree, Terry Munro, md of Beachcomber Tours; and Pippa Hackland, sales executive at Beachcomber Tours.

Congratulations!

Thompsons Holidays and LUX* Resorts & Hotels recently took agents on a Mauritius educational. The agents experienced Tamassa Resort, Le Morne Hotel, Merville Beach Hotel, Grand Gaube Resort, Belle Mare Hotel, and Salt of Palmar Resort. From left: Farzana Moola, owner of Harvey World Travel Klerksdorp; Nicolette Coetzee, senior consultant at XL Flight Specials; and Jonathan Butt, director of Travelpal.

Contiki has appointed James Marchant as its global ceo. James joins Contiki from Second Estates: The

Holiday Property Fund, where he was a marketing, loyalty and strategy consultant, and from the board of Black Tomato (a luxury travel agency). Relocating from London to Contiki’s head

office in Geneva, James will be responsible for the company’s global network of teams across Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Life’s a beach

Six Travel Counsellors recently headed to Glasgow, UK, on a three-day educational before attending the 2018 Travel Counsellor Global Conference from November 9-11. From left: Helen Aitchison, Durban-based TC; Karin Livingstone, Johannesburg-based TC; Carolyne Coetzee, Paarl-based TC; Lize Roodt, Johannesburg-based TC; Lynde Opperman, Worcester-based TC, and Ronel Blom, Strand-based TC.

Exploring Glasgow

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VIP Travel Consultant/Travel Agent (Leisure) – JNBProfessional Career ServicesGalileo. Minimum 10 years’ experience handling VIP clients. Concierge/leisure experience. International travel essential. Email: [email protected]

Tourplan Administrator – JNB, NorthProfessional Career ServicesMinimum 3 years’ experience working on Tourplan and loading information into the database. Competent in use of Microsoft Office products. Email: [email protected]

Team Leader – CPT, N/SuburbsQuantex Recruitment Group6+ years’ inbound consulting experience as well as excellent Southern & East Africa Safari knowledge. Tourplan proficiency required. Fluency in French advantageous. Email: [email protected]

Intermediate/Senior German Consultant – CPTQuantex Recruitment GroupMeticulous candidate, 100% fluent in German required. 3+ years’ inbound consulting experience + a fantastic background with FIT’s & adhoc groups. Email: [email protected]

Intermediate Leisure Specialist – JNB, NorthLee Botti & AssociatesBring your 7+ years’ leisure experience to this exciting position in boutique agency surroundings. Amadeus essential. Salary negotiable. Email: [email protected]

Tourplan Expert – JNB, NorthLee Botti & AssociatesIf you are a master user on the Tourplan system and know all aspects of it, look no further! Excellent package. Email: [email protected]

Inbound Travel Specialist – JNBEquity Connections ccImpress with in-depth understanding of in-bound market. Plan/design/cost tailor-made FIT itineraries throughout Africa. Manage complete booking. Minimum four years’ experience needed. Email: [email protected]

Senior Consultant – JNB, North/WestEquity Connections ccJanuary/February 2019 temporary position with possibility of extending. Must be top senior with Galileo/Quicktrav/Smartpoint/ticketing/fares knowledge. Predominantly corporate. Email: [email protected]


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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TNW NEWS

Zanzibar is busy!Is Zanzibar availability significantly harder to secure for the December period than it was last year?

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Sleep like a baby...Do the ADM Workshop

Written by South African travel agents for their colleagues.

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Opinion: Learn from Gigaba

Nationalist government.But it was the IFP’s

Mangosuthu Buthelezi who then then further sowed the seeds of our current problem. At the turn of the century, while Minister of Home Affairs, he changed the law to ensure new regulations would in future need to be referred to an Immigration Advisory Board. Problem was it was filled with lawyers and immigration experts. Nobody from the private tourism sector sat on the board.

Gigaba is usually blamed for the unabridged birth certificate fiasco, but in fact it was on Naledi Pandor’s watch that it was promulgated. He arrived at Home Affairs when it was a fait accompli.

What made Gigaba so despised was his failure to engage the tourism industry meaningfully when it became apparent that the regulations were so damaging.

Why has he remained so intransigent? Was it because there was a big IT contract needed to change the passport system to reflect the names of both parents on minors’ passports? (Possible). Was it at the instruction of the security cluster to stop families from neighbouring states from overwhelming our stretched health and education

facilities? (Likely). We can be

sure it had nothing to do with the stated reason – trafficking

of children. Hopefully

one day we will know.

The lesson is that, although travel and tourism is a massive employer, it has few big players and industrialists and its importance has been historically overlooked.

The Department of Tourism is working hard to change this and the industry should be doing everything it can to help get travel and tourism the job creation recognition it should have.

From page 1

SQ Joburg flights

African consumer as it offered them more choice and would stimulate the economy. He said capacity increases on the route were also strategically important for South Africa’s long-term relationships with the east.

The three additional flights

(SQ481) will depart from OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 22h30 and arrive in Singapore the following day at 14h55. The return flights from Singapore (SQ482) will depart at 16h35 and arrive in Johannesburg at 21h10 on the same day.

From page 1

MSC Musica arrives in SA watersSavannah Freemantle

THE MSC Musica, the largest ship MSC Cruises has brought to

SA waters, has replaced the MSC Sinfonia. On November 8 it set sail on its inaugural voyage to Portuguese Island and Pomene.

The ship will spend the Southern hemisphere summer season (November to April) sailing the South African coastline. Itineraries include trips from Durban to either Portuguese Island or Pomene, or both; Durban to Mauritius and Réunion; Durban to Cape Town, Cape Town to Walvis Bay; and Cape Town to Durban, stopping at Port Elizabeth.

The MSC Musica has 13 guest decks (MSC Sinfonia had nine) and 1 275 cabins

(including 17 for guests with disabilities), accommodating 3 223 passengers (554 more than the MSC Sinfonia). The Musica has also been designed to offer more cabins with balcony views.

Dining options include an à la carte Italian seafood and steakhouse restaurant, an authentic Japanese sushi bar, two formal dining rooms, and an all-day world cuisine buffet and pizzeria. There are also five bars and three lounges. The ship caters for families, with a designated children’s play area and swimming pool. On-board entertainment includes the Q32 Disco room, the Sanremo Casino, a theatre that will feature original shows, and a card room. On the activity side, guests can enjoy mini golf, tennis, basketball, virtual

games, bowling lanes, children’s activity clubs, a gym, and a power walking track. There is also a spa and beauty centre.

On April 26, 2019, the MSC Musica will sail from Durban to Venice and will be replaced by its sister ship, the MSC Orchestra, for the Southern hemisphere winter season, commencing in November next year.

Ross Volk, md of MSC Cruises SA, added: “We will also be building a R200m cruise terminal at the Port of Durban as part of the KwaZulu Cruise Terminal (KCT) consortium, and opening a hospitality school in the Durban Harbour, which will train young South Africans who are keen to be part of the hospitality industry.”

Europcar is offering agents the chance to win shopping vouchers to the value of R10 000. The agent with the most invoiced international car rentals will win the grand prize, while the second and third runners-up will win shopping vouchers of R7 000 and R5 000. Bookings must be made between October 8 and December 31, and used by clients during that period. Visit www.europcar.co.za/promo/click4wheels for more info. Pictured: Darren Davids, relationship manager, Europcar SA. Photo: Shannon Van Zyl

Win with Europcar

60%40%

Documents

Cathay to fly seasonal CPT-HKG service