Local isn’t just lekker, it’s valuable
SOUTH Africans are
recognised worldwide
as a patriotic bunch.
One of our mottos, ‘local is
lekker’, is a declaration of
being the best Africa has
to offer, but are we walking
the talk when it comes to
supporting local tourism?
In a drive to revitalise the
domestic travel industry,
the Flight Centre Travel
Group (FCTG) is targeting
the country’s youth with
an innovative approach
in partnership with SA
Tourism. In an effort to
give added exposure to
the reality of travel in
SA, FCTG has launched
a documentary-style
travel web series (TNW
September 25, 2019).
“The Hamba Nathi web
series is a travel contentdriven show,” says Lance
Nkwe, business leader
of emerging markets at
FCTG. “It showcases
the experience of young
first-time travellers going
through the experience of
travel and the travel hacks
they use.”
While it is still too soon
to confirm how well this
is translating into client
expenditure, Lance says
the web series is being
well received.
“The targeted audience
seems eager to see
the development of the
series and to accompany
the micro-influencers on
their local travel journeys.
Views and subscribers are
increasing daily.”
Lance says FCTG
continues to work with SA
Tourism to target domestic
travel sales and took part
in the recent Travel Week
sale for Tourism Month.
SA Tourism embarked on
this large-scale promotion
using its Sho’t Left
initiative as an all-in-one
platform. Hub head for
SA, Mashoto Mokgethi,
says they engaged with
around 500 partners to
provide discounts of up
to 50% to South Africans
purchasing domestic
travel.
Mashoto definitely
sees the value in selling
South Africa to South
Africans. “If we are a
brand that is proud of
what the country has to
offer, it will develop a
sense of patriotism in our
travellers. Our campaign,
‘It’s your country, enjoy it’,
has encouraged people to
appreciate their country
more and we’re seeing the
results of that.”
Domestic numbers have
grown, adds Mashoto.
“Domestic holiday trips
for January to July 2019
are up 19% compared with
last year’s figures.”
Thompsons Holidays PR
and media manager, John
Ridler, says the domestic
market represents the
operator’s largest market
in passenger numbers.
“We work closely with SA
Tourism to promote local
travel and we are currently
promoting local stays
where families can travel
a short distance to a fun
destination.”
Setting foundations for SA tourism growth
TOURISM, narrowly defined,
currently contributes 2,9% to GDP
and supports 726 000 jobs in
this country, says independent
tourism and hospitality consultant,
Gillian Saunders.
“When the impact of the industry’s
supply chain linkages and total value
creation in the economy are taken
into account, this increases to
8,6% of GDP and 1,5m jobs, or
9,2% of all employment in the
South African economy.”
Some 10,5m international tourists
visited South Africa in 2018 and
Stats SA indicates that 6,5m South
African adults travelled for leisure
purposes as domestic tourists in
2017, she says.
Gillian says the Public-Private
Growth Initiative and Tourism
Business Council’s Tourism Growth
Strategy developed in late 2018
indicates that, given the right
enabling environment, these numbers
can grow to 21m international tourist
arrivals (double the current number)
and 3,5m more domestic leisure
travellers (more than double the
current number with growth of 54%).
This would also mean 1,7m direct
jobs (132% growth in tourism jobs)
and 3,5m jobs in total throughout
the economy (also 132% growth
in the labour force dependent
on tourism).
She says, based on her
involvement in research and strategic
development plans for the tourism
sector through many years, it is
important to drive inclusive growth
of a sustainable and responsible
tourism industry and, in so doing,
address transformation and ensure
benefits flow to communities.
In addition to driving growth
in higher-spending international
markets to SA from traditional
markets and from important new
high-growth markets, including those
on our continent, she says it is also
important to drive the growth of
domestic leisure tourism and other
key tourism sub-sectors, particularly
business event tourism.
Demand for domestic travel insurance on the rise
LOCAL travel insurance sales are
up 113%. This is according to
Simmy Micheli, sales and marketing
manager of Travel Insurance
Consultants (TIC). “We have seen an
increase, however we do not believe
this is due to increased local travel,
but rather an increased awareness of
the benefits of local travel insurance.”
She says clients need to know that
travel insurance isn’t only reserved
for big overseas trips. “Travel always
involves risk and this applies equally
to local trips.”
Travel insurance cover is not
specific to particular cities or
destinations in SA, she says. Rather,
cover is available to people travelling
more than 200km from their place of
residence.
According to Simmy, local travel
insurance is a young product in SA.
“It has only been around in recent
years, so most South Africans
don’t even know about it or give
it any thought. Travel-related risks
are covered on personal insurance
products such as medical aid
– medical costs – or household
insurance – loss of personal effects.”
Local travel insurance cover is
unique because it is tailored to more
specific travel needs, she adds.
“TIC’s local travel insurance policy
incorporates cancellation cover,
travel delay costs, daily hospital cash
benefits and car-rental excess waiver,
from only R100 for a week.”
South Africans need to know that
cover is all-inclusive, inexpensive and
necessary for their domestic travel
requirements.
Thompsons to run domestic Mini Universities for trade
SOUTH Africans can
sometimes find domestic travel
complicated and a challenge in
terms of getting locals excited
about travelling in their own
country.
This is according to
Thompsons Holidays’
John Ridler, who also believes
that it is not enough for there
to be a demand for domestic
travel. Travel agents have
to create and sell the right
products for this demand.
To help bridge the gap in
domestic tourism industry
awareness, Thompsons
Holidays continues to invest
in educating agents about
packaging domestic tourism.
“We host numerous domestic
travel educationals throughout
the year, but the more exciting
venture is our domestic ‘Mini
Universities’. There will be four
departures under the banner of
our ‘Live love local’ campaign
and they should be on the wish
list of all agents who want to
learn more about our lovely
country,” says John.
The objective is to supply
unique and creative package
offerings to the trade and
educate them on how to sell
these correctly to promote the
country domestically.
Marketing manager,
Celeste Muir, says while
the successful Thompsons
University concept has been
around for many years to bring
the travel trade closer to the
products they sell, the South
Africa Mini Universities are a
unique concept.
“Thompsons Holidays and
SA Tourism will run four mini
South African Universities that
will include an intimate group
of agents to provide them
with an up-close-and-personal
experience of SA as a tourist
destination,” says Celeste.
“The focus will be on what
the Midlands, Mpumalanga,
North West and the Garden
Route have to offer tourists.
The aim is to give participants
a memorable experience that
they in turn can pass on to
their clients.”
The first ‘Mini University
Midlands’ will kick off on
November 25 and includes
activities such as visiting the
Abingdon Wine Estate for
lunch and wine tasting as well
as Drakensberg Chocolate
Memories tastings, a canopy
tour and many other exciting
activities showcasing the
region, she says.
John says the aim is also
to offer South Africans the
full package in a bid to make
domestic travel more appealing
and accessible.
“We try to promote not only
the hotel, but the destination
and all the activities it has to
offer.”
Offerings include family
stays, glamping, boutique
hotels, game lodges and
national parks to ensure there
is an affordable holiday for all
budgets, he says.
“By providing people with
a fuller picture of what a trip
in your own country could
look like, it makes it seem an
easier option.”
Book it!
The Summer Promotion at aha Simon’s Town Quayside
Hotel is available for booking until March 31, 2020, for
stays from December 1, 2019 until March 31, 2020.
Rates per room per night start from R1 530 (single)
and R1 750 (sharing) for Mountain Rooms ranging to
R2 320 for a Family Room. The promotion is not available
during the block-out period between December 23
and January 4, 2020. Aha Hotels & Lodges marketing
manager, Ruzandri Stoltz, says the group has monthly
flash sales that run over a seven-day period, marketing
its properties to South African residents. “The booking
period is only valid for seven days. Furthermore we are
working on pre-festive season rates that will go out to
market in the next week or so.”
MSC Cruises on a growth wave in SA
MSC Cruises SA believes
in the potential offered by
the South African market
and has invested R200m
towards construction of the
new Durban port terminal,
hoped to be operational by
2021 (TNW September 4,
2019).
MSC Cruises has seen
significant growth locally
in cruising tourism over
the past year, with a 25%
increase in guest numbers
over the most recent cruise
season (November 2018 to
April 2019) compared with
the 2017/2018 season,
says Ross Volk, md of
MSC Cruises SA. “We are
expecting another increase
for our upcoming cruise
season, which begins on
November 17.”
This growth in the
cruising sector has led
MSC Cruises to bring two
ships to SA’s shores for the
2020/2021 cruise season,
marking the first time that
two of its ships will be
deployed in the country
simultaneously.
“It means one ship will
be homeported in Durban
for the entire season and
that an additional 50 000
cruise passengers can
discover why cruising in
SA is booming. We will be
offering over 60 cruises
from one of two home
ports (Durban or Cape
Town). Guests will have
eight different itineraries
from which to choose – the
most in SA cruise history.”
MSC Cruises is also
committing to increasing
job opportunities for South
Africans.
In partnership with the
Department of Trade and
Industry, the company is
opening its Shosholoza
Ocean Academy in
November, which will
provide free three-month
training courses for young
South Africans who qualify
through MSC Cruises’
medical requirements.
Those who successfully
complete the course will be
eligible for employment on
MSC Cruises’ ships across
the world.
MSC Cruises plans to
get 3 000 to 5 000 new
placements from SA over
the next five years, which
will bring around R5bn in
salaries back to South
Africa.
TKZN, the poster child pushing domestic tourism agenda
TOURISM KwaZulu-Natal
(TKZN) has amplified its
‘Do KZN’ campaign by
partnering with the travel
trade to put together
specials for consumers.
“We also have an ongoing
above-the-line campaign
that has billboards along
highways in Cape
Town and Durban
as well as in
major airports,”
says TKZN
acting ceo,
Phindile Makwakwa.
Part of the winning
formula contributing to
increasing tourism numbers
is constant exposure and
partnerships, says Phindile.
“We don’t just do generic
marketing, but we partner
with those who will sell
packages, deals and
key experiences.
They are able to seal
the deal or at least
entice consumers to
book their next holiday
in KZN.”
The team has
been on road shows
in Johannesburg
and Bloemfontein,
promoting the
province,
particularly
leading up to
the festive
season to
ensure
KwaZulu
Natal
remains a top-of-mind
destination, she says.
“Digital transformation
and technology play an
important role in growing an
inclusive and sustainable
tourism economy in our
province,” says Phindile,
referencing, as an example,
the KZN Travel Guide app.
The app assists
travellers with information
about their destination
such as activities,
packages, eateries and
accommodation.
There is a wide variety
of experiences being
marketed with discounted
rates, specials and deals
to make it easier for new
travellers.
“Whether a consumer
is looking for adventure,
culture and heritage,
beaches, safari or romance,
KZN offers it all with very
short travel distances
between products.”
To the point
The Kruger to Cape Mobile App system, endorsed by SA Tourism, has been launched as more than just
a mobile application, says Gerhard Brummer, manager and map developer. It is a total tourism safety
travel system that provides travellers with all the tourism route maps across SA, daily road safety reports,
free telephonic legal assistance, a schedule of events happening across the country, news notifications,
discounts at more than 500 facilities across SA for the Kruger to Cape card holder, travel services and
medical emergency services.
Did you know?
Travellers can sign up for a Flight Centre Stokvel travel
savings plan to make their domestic travel dreams a reality.
Flight Centre’s Stokvel provides an alternative savings
solution for everyday South Africans who might not have
travelled before, giving members enough time to plan their
trip and travel debt free.
