Over-tourism creates new opportunities
ACROSS South East Asia,
tourism is booming
due the destination’s
popularity and relatively low
cost, with a number of the
countries falling victim to
over-tourism as a result, says
Rene Swart, manager Wendy
Wu Tours South Africa. “Some
countries are closing their
beaches and national parks
for a few months at a time
to allow them to recover. It’s
important for the trade to
be aware of these ‘recovery
months’ in order to advise
their travellers on how to travel
as a ‘responsible tourist’.”
All top-selling South East
Asia agents contacted
by TNW say over-tourism
regulations have not impacted
them negatively but have
rather created opportunities
to think outside the box
to provide both first-time
and repeat travellers with
more personalised travel
experiences. Rene shares
this view: “Encourage clients
to travel out of season and
venture out into towns, villages
or not-so-busy beaches.
They will leave with a better
understanding of daily life
in South East Asia and their
experience will be more
memorable.”
Stuart Goodall, an ITC based
in Johannesburg, cautions
against viewing countries
in South East Asia as onedimensional
when looking for
alternatives to the mainstream
attractions. “All the countries
offer rich cultural, culinary
and historical experiences,
and many offer quality beach
experiences. Take the time to
do your homework. You can
often find exciting alternatives
right on the doorstep of
the main attractions and
clients will reap the benefits
that come with avoiding the
crowds.”
He recommends northern
Thailand and the islands
in the South China Sea
that aren’t commercialised.
“These offer pristine natural
environments that are great for
hiking, visiting waterfalls and
engaging with local villages
whose economy will actually
benefit from an increase in
tourists, unlike their overly
commercialised neighbours.”
Chantelle Smuts, a Travel
Counsellor, agrees: “Finding
alternatives can be as simple
as recommending that clients
stay nearby, such as at The
Village Coconut Island Beach
Resort in Phuket, a short ferry
ride away from the main Thai
attractions.” When avoiding
crowds in Bali, Seminyak and
Nusa Dua beaches are a great
alternative.
She adds that agents
can also provide alternative
itineraries by capitalising on
the trend of travellers visiting
more than one country at a
time. “With current economic
circumstances, a number
of clients are travelling less
frequently and for shorter
periods. Some of these
clients aim to get value for
money by having as many
different experiences as they
can in one trip, within budget.
Avoiding areas impacted
by over-tourism is easier if
you are building an itinerary
that includes more than one
country.”
More demand for immersive experiences
TERESA Richardson, The
Travel Corporation’s head of
marketing, tells TNW that
the demand for immersive
travel experiences is growing
among South African
travellers. “This growth
can be attributed to South
East Asia providing valuefor-money
options where
travellers can ‘connect with
locals’, ‘dive into culture’
and ‘make a difference’ to
the local people and places
they visit.”
Teresa says, of the South
East Asian destinations
offered by Trafalgar,
Vietnam, Thailand and
Cambodia are among the
most popular with South
African travellers. “A key
strategy when selling these
destinations is to delve
deeper and find experiences
that travellers would
certainly not have if they
were visiting the destination
alone.”
Adrian Peters, key account
manager at Peak Incentives,
agrees and says his
corporate incentive clients
are as drawn to immersive
experiences as traditional
leisure travellers.
Top tips
Teresa suggests
looking for itineraries
that incorporate activities
focused on culture, such
as learning the secrets of
traditional Thai recipes in a
cooking class with a local
specialist in a colonialstyle
house. “The use of
local specialists is critical
as it ensures that clients
get an insider perspective
from someone who lives
in the destination and
understands its nuances
intimately.”
Teresa says guests enjoy
sharing a meal with a local
family or community so they
can learn about life as a
local and savour authentic
local cuisine, usually in
traditional surroundings like
a family home.
She also suggests being
on the lookout for activities
that allow the traveller to
help preserve a traditional
craft, or contribute to
a charity initiative that
supports local children.
Anneri Papenfus, a
Pentravel Menlyn consultant,
suggests boarding a cruise
and visiting the small
villages dotted along the
banks of the Mekong River
in Cambodia.
Travel Counsellor
Chantelle Smuts
recommends encouraging
clients to sample food from
the street stalls: “Many
people are concerned
about the hygiene factor
but – while you don’t want
your clients to fall ill – these
stalls provide a far more
authentic experience than
the fine-dining restaurants.
I encourage my clients to
pay attention to the way
the food is being prepared
and served before making a
hygiene call. There are safe
options.
Selling Thailand to the repeat visitor
THE repeat visitor isn’t
coming to Thailand in
pursuit of a cheap holiday,
says Lesley Simpson,
spokesperson for The
Tourism Authority of
Thailand (TAT).
“These travellers
may have travelled to
Thailand because it has
the perception of being
a ‘cheap destination’
the first time they came,
but during that trip they
realised the true value
Thailand has to offer.
They’re now after the
authentic Thai experience.”
She adds that a firsttime
traveller will quickly
realise that while flights
and hotel packages are
cost effective in Phuket,
the daily food and
entertainment experiences
are not that cheap.
“When compared with
the northern parts of the
country, such as Chiang
Mai and Chiang Rai, where
food, Thai artefacts and
clothing can be half the
price of Phuket, travellers
quickly realise that they
can get better value for
money on their next trip
to Thailand by exploring
regions outside the typical
tourist attractions.”
Destinations
Lesley recommends
the following alternative
destinations for return
travellers.
“Khao Lak is easily
accessible from Phuket
International Airport;
popular for diving and
being closely located to the
famous Similan Islands, it
is also close to Khao Sok
National Park, which is a
great draw card for repeat
visitors who are looking to
experience Thailand in a
unique way,” said Lesley.
She added that the east
coast and central areas
of the country feature
interesting alternatives
for tourists, such as
the Sukhothai Historical
Park, which contains the
partially restored 13th- and
14th-century palaces and
temples of the Kingdom of
Siam’s first capital.
Lesley identifies Pattaya
as the perfect base to
launch family expeditions
to culturally rich sites such
as The Sanctuary of Truth,
the Floating Market, Khao
Chi Chan Buddha and the
Cartoon Network Amazone
Waterpark, adding that it is
a mere two-hour drive from
Bangkok.
If your client is interested
in learning more about the
history of Thailand, Lesley
recommends showcasing
the northern regions, such
as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai
and The Golden Triangle.
“Chiang Mai can trace
its history back more
than 700 years, making it
probably the most historic
city in Thailand. This
region is also renowned for
its export of Khao Soi (a
coconut curry noodle soup)
– a foodie’s dream!”
Visiting Wang Nam
Khiao in Thailand’s
largest province, Nakhon
Ratchasima.
“Located in north-eastern
Thailand about two and a
half hours from Bangkok,
this peaceful mountain
town is known as the
Switzerland of Thailand,”
said Lesley.
Agent experience: Spotlight on Cambodia
PENTRAVEL consultant, Anneri
Papenfus recently went on
an educational to Cambodia
hosted by China Experience.
“We went off season when
the temperatures are hotter
and the tourists were scarce.
It was fantastic not to have
to stand in lines or miss out
on the opportunity to see
attractions such as the Angkor
temples because they had
reached full capacity. Cambodia
is a great destination for
travellers who have already
experienced Thailand and Bali
and are looking for something
different.”
She said she hadn’t
realised how little she knew
about Cambodia before she
experienced it in person.
“The country offers excellent
secluded beach getaways and
has a rich culture and history.
It has so much more to offer
than just the temples and food
it’s known for and it’s very cost
effective.”
Anneri experienced ox-cart
rides, guided historical tours,
highlights of the country’s
natural beauty, a cruise with
a focus on traditional cuisine,
and the nightlife of Siem Reap.
“I would encourage clients
to make use of the private
tours, they are affordable
when compared with those
available in Europe and can be
tailor made to suit the client’s
interests.”
Anneri recommends the
following activities:
Siem Reap
“Do not forget the amazing
night life in Pub Street and the
Angkor temple tours that you
can stretch over three days
in order to see as many as
possible,” says Anneri.
Monk blessing at a pagoda
Exploring the hidden
countryside on horseback
Khmer ceramic workshops
Phnom Penh
Sunset cruise on the Mekong
Visit Vann Molyvann’s
Building and take the Khmer
architecture tour.
Van Molyvann was a
Cambodian architect, who
contributed to the style
known as New Khmer
Architecture.
Khmer art and dancing
classes
Explore Mekong Island by
bicycle
Explore the bars on the
waterfront
Killing Fields tour
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
Koh Rong Island
“This is the place where there
are amazing beaches! You
would, however, have to travel
to either Siem Reap or
Phnom Penh and get a
connecting flight and, from
there, a bus or ferry transfer
of approximately one and a
half hours. Koh Rong is great
for honeymooners, or clients
who would like to get away
from the crowds and city life,”
says Anneri.
Contiki offers Cambodia and Sri Lanka tours
FOR the first time, Contiki is
offering tours into Cambodia
and Sri Lanka in 2019.
Pure Sri Lanka is a 10-day
tour including nine nights’
accommodation, 12 meals
and in-trip transportation.
Clients visit Negombo,
Kandy, Ella, Udawalawe,
Unawatuna, and Colombo.
The eight-day Cambodian
Magic tour includes seven
nights’ accommodation,
seven meals and in-trip
transportation. Clients visit
Sihanoukville, Kep, Koh
Tonsay, Kampot and Ko
Rong.
Bronwyn Strydom,
marketing manager of
Trafalgar Tours says The
Travel Corporation, of
which Contiki, Trafalgar and
CostSaver are subsidiaries,
is launching new packages
in South East Asia across
its brands in response to
a significant increase in
demand for packages to
this destination.
CostSaver debuts in Asia
BRONWYN Strydom, says
the CostSaver arm of TTC’s
operations recently launched
Asian itineraries for the first
time.
Debuting in 2019 the
tours explore India, China,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand
and Japan.
“These are great for firsttime
travellers to South
East Asia, honeymooners, or
families. They offer three- to
four-star accommodation, the
majority of the client’s meals,
and include immersive cultural
experiences.”
CostSaver currently offers
three Asian packages:
The Vietnam, Cambodia
Adventure is 14 days long and
allows clients to experience
five cities across two
countries. It is inclusive of
21 meals and on-trip
transport.
Highlights of India travels
to three cities in 10 days. It
is inclusive of 16 meals and
on-trip transport.
Japan Discovery does
four cities in 10 days. It is
inclusive of 13 meals and
on-trip transport.
MK increases AfricaAsia connectivity
AIR Mauritius has started
operating weekly flights to
Wuhan, China. The route is
serviced by an Airbus A340
with 34 seats in business
class and 264 in economy
class. Flight MK690 departs
Mauritius on Saturdays at
09h20 and arrives in Wuhan
at 00h10 the next day. Flight
MK691 departs Wuhan
on Sundays. The airline
will offer the service as a
charter where tour operators
can book committed seats.
MK first launched
operations to China in July
2011 with one weekly flight
to Shanghai. The airline now
serves the Chinese market
with flights to Shanghai,
Hong Kong and Singapore.
In addition to Wuhan, it also
operates charter flights to
Chengdu.
MK will also launch a new
service from Mauritius to
Thailand from October 31.
The airline will operate two
weekly flights to Bangkok,
serviced with a mix of A330-
200/-900neo aircraft. A
direct flight to Bangkok will
operate on Saturdays, and
a flight via Singapore to
Bangkok on Wednesdays.
Flight MK642 will depart
Mauritius on Saturdays
at 23h30 and arrive in
Bangkok at 10h25 the next
day. Return flight MK643
departs from Bangkok
on Sundays at 12h25
and arrives in Mauritius
at 17h15. Flight MK642
will depart Mauritius on
Wednesdays at 20h40
and arrive in Singapore
at 07h50 the following
day. It departs Singapore
at 09h00 and arrives in
Bangkok at 10h25. Flight
MK643 will depart Bangkok
on Thursdays at 12h25
and arrives in Singapore at
16h00. It departs Singapore
at 17h00 and arrives in
Mauritius at 20h10.
On the new routes, Carla
da Silva, Air Mauritius
regional manager, Southern
Africa and Latin America,
said: “Our Air Corridor
Strategy of connecting Asia
and Africa, is constantly
being developed through
additional routes and
capacity. China is a
strategic partner to Africa
on many levels. Therefore,
increased routes to the
Asian continent, enables
more capacity and schedule
options, further enhancing
connectivity.
“Thailand is the other
popular destination
for South Africans. Air
Mauritius’s recently
introduced Bangkok route [is
primarily aimed at] the local
SA leisure market
RwandAir plans China flights
RWANDAIR has been granted a
licence to start direct services
to Guangzhou, China. The
flights are likely to start toward
the end of the year, with flight
details still to be finalised.
Thembela Dladla, country
manager of RwandAir,
told TNW: “There are limited
flights connecting the
continent to China.
“Kigali has the midhemisphere
advantage, and
therefore caters for the whole
of Africa for a connecting
flight.”
RWANDAIR has been granted a
licence to start direct services
to Guangzhou, China. The
flights are likely to start toward
the end of the year, with flight
details still to be finalised.
Thembela Dladla, country
manager of RwandAir,
told TNW: “There are limited
flights connecting the
continent to China.
“Kigali has the midhemisphere
advantage, and
therefore caters for the whole
of Africa for a connecting
flight.”
