A new online start-up retail agency, connecting users directly to bookings and cutting out GDSs, has launched in South Africa.
Ndabenhle Ntshangase, Co-Founder and CEO of travel platform, AirStudent, believes that the biggest trend – and the biggest opportunity – in the travel industry today is the rise of the so-called New Age traveller, who is driving change in the travel and tourism space in disrupting traditional ways of searching for, buying and using travel services.
As a result, the industry is seeing a wave of new entrants using smart technology to make tourism more inclusive and travel cheaper, and this is helping more people explore the world in new ways, says Ntshangase.
New Age travellers aren’t just younger travellers, like students, the team at travel booking platform AirStudent believes.
Lwanda Shabalala, Co-Founder and COO of AirStudent, says what sets New Age travellers apart is their savvy use of technology and social connectedness.
“There are a couple of reasons why this is important for the industry. Travellers are not brand loyal – they want the best price. To understand and service this market, we must lean heavily on technology, which will open up access to the tourism industry even more,” says Shabalala.
Ntshangase and Shabalala finalised the concept of AirStudent in a university dorm room with the initial aim of enhancing the student travel experience. By pooling students into larger groups, they found they were able to negotiate preferential deals with airlines to enable more affordable travel and a better overall experience.
They soon partnered with now Chief Business Officer Brian Kitchin, well-known in the industry from his days at kulula.com, British Airways, and Comair.
“I’ve spent my professional career building some of the most successful teams and brands in the South African aviation industry. Now I’m using my skills and experience to build a business that has the ability to change the way millions of South Africans experience and access travel,” says Kitchin.
“The cost of travel is just one of many barriers that South Africans face in their quest for higher education and opportunity. If you live in KZN but study in Cape Town, travel is an expense that takes away from other areas where you could spend. Or worse, it blocks the opportunity to study at all. If we can use technology to break down barriers, we’re creating opportunities and experiences that go way beyond buying the cheapest flight or bus ticket that you can find,” says Ntshangase.
Blacky Komani, Chairman of the TBCSA, says by connecting travellers with service providers, these platforms are making it possible for small businesses and start-ups to reach wider audiences and to compete with larger, more established players.
Since its student days, AirStudent has extended its services to all travellers – a boon for airlines and for travel agents. And the travel tech start-up does not plan to stay limited to domestic travel: ultimately, say Ntshangase and Shabalala, AirStudent aims to give travellers affordable access to a range of travel solutions, including accommodation and car hire.
