Agents, sell those attractions!

BETWEEN 41% and 50% of
visitors to South Africa’s
attractions are local.
This is according to a survey
of South African attractions
conducted at the Attractions
Management in Southern
Africa 2014 conference, held in
Cape Town from June 4-5.
Sabine Lehmann, md
of Table Mountain Aerial
Cableway, said between
December and January
60-70% of visitors to the
Cableway were locals. “For all
attractions this is an important
market to focus on. All
attractions rely very heavily on
the domestic market. I don’t
think any would survive without
it,” she said.
Travel agents could do more
to get involved in this space.
Flight Centre promotes
local attractions to domestic
travellers, says gm, Andrew
Stark. He says attractions play
a role in selling the destination
to clients. “Cape Town is one
of our top-selling domestic
destinations and this is due
to some of the fantastic
attractions and activities
available in the area.”
Andrew says Flight Centre
contracts with attractions such
as uShaka Marine World to
include them in local packages
the agency puts together. “We
do the same with major local
attractions. It is important for
us to promote local attractions
to local travellers.”
He adds that Flight Centre
ensures that its travel experts
take part in frequent training
sessions on various aspects
of local travel, including local
attractions.
Chris Webster of Wink
Associates in the UK, the
keynote speaker for the
conference, said attractions
should have the confidence to
invest in their businesses to
ensure visitors got the best
experience.
The attractions that attended
the event seem to be on the
right track – 100% of those
who participated in a pre-event
survey said they were planning
to invest in their attraction in
the next two years.
According to Tony Rubin, md
of Maropeng, hiring the right
staff is essential. “Skills can
be taught but attitude comes
from the heart. There’s a
difference between staff who
just come to work and my staff
who are a committed group of
people, all coming to work with
a single focus – to welcome
guests and give them a good
experience.”
Technology was also a
recurring theme among the
speakers. Sabine Lehman,
ceo of the Table Mountain
Aerial Cableway, spoke
about the provision of WiFi
at attractions, noting that it
was an expensive exercise
and didn’t always seem to
be necessary, especially at
natural attractions. She said
in certain instances hotspots
were a better option as they
were more affordable and
manageable. “We can put
them where we want them.
For example, we can have one
at the queues so people can
entertain themselves.”
Jillian Grindley-Ferris of
Scarlet Wing Consulting,
who spoke about creating
family-centric attractions,
said parents didn’t want
their children to sit in front
of another screen while on
an outing and that there was
a trend to return to “oldfashioned”
activities. She said
if it was too sophisticated it
could scare visitors off.
Many speakers highlighted
the change in visitor
interests and requirements
and the need to provide an
experience that appealed to
all the senses rather than just
allowing visitors to observe
and listen. Rooksana Omar of
Iziko Museums said the role
of 21st-century museums in
South Africa had changed as
they now needed to provide
interactivity. “Museums are
no longer untouchable and
static. There is a shift in focus
from collecting to connecting.
Visitors want recreation
and engagement, a story to
tell, hospitality, value and
convenience,” she said.