Changing trends
challenge operators
LAST year was a tough
one for coach tours, with
some operators seeing a
drop in demand, but this year
there seems to have been a
turnaround.
“We are experiencing good
growth in the SA market,
most noteworthy being our
At Leisure guided holidays,
which are up 80% on last
year,” says Theresa Szejwallo,
md of Trafalgar. “Sales of our
‘Core’ first-class product are
up 27% on 2014. It’s even
out-performing our budget
Cost Saver products, which is
surprising given the current
state of our economy.”
Sales have also picked
up at Pentravel Direct, the
online division based at its
offices in Durban. Consultant,
Deirdre de Swardt, says
interest has increased since
January, improving on what
was “a terrible year for coach
tours” in 2014. “Last year’s
rates were out of reach for
most South Africans but this
year the rates are slightly
lower, which has made a big
difference.”
Group tours offer customers
better value for money in the
current economic climate,
and travellers also appreciate
the security they offer, says
Alet Steyn, Wendy Wu Tours
business development
manager.
Keith Gow, md of Gateway
Travel, gsa for the Globus
family of brands – Cosmos,
Globus and Avalon Waterways
– reports a significant upswing
in coach tour enquiries this
year, prompted by the launch
of special offers.
A noticeable trend is
travellers opting for shorter
coach tours. Deirdre says
seven-day guided holidays
are more popular than 14-day
tours. Annemarie Lexow,
Travel Vision’s sales and
marketing manager, says:
“Groups are getting smaller
and many operators offer midsized
and small tours instead
of the larger coach tours that
used to be the trend.”
Austria Connection owner,
Inge Dobihal, says travellers
who prefer the advantages
of guided tours over rail
or self-drive itineraries are
seeking tours that cater for a
maximum of 20 passengers.
Other trends
There is a trend towards
shorter lead times, with
travellers booking within four
to six weeks of departure.
Last-minute bookings are
also on the increase.
Clients are seeking more
authentic experiences on
tours, such as interaction
with locals in less-travelled
destinations that explore
unknown cultures.
South African travellers
visiting friends and relatives
in Europe are booking lastminute
tours while abroad.
Book it!
Austria Connection’s new 10-day ‘Croatia & Adriatic Cruise’ – a
coach/cruise combination tour by Kompas Tours – visits Zagreb,
Plitvice Lakes, Zadar, Trogir, Split, Hvar, Korcula, Mljet and Dubrovnik.
The tour, priced from R26 887pps, includes first-class hotel rooms,
a seven-night yacht cruise departing from Dubrovnik, airport
transfers, touring, daily breakfast, six lunches and two dinners.
Book it!
Travel Vision’s 10-day Taste of Turkey itinerary, from R14 817pps, visits
Istanbul, Gallipoli, the Dardanelles, Canakkale, Troy, Pergamum, Kusadasi,
Ephesus, and Marmaris and includes a two-day Mediterranean yacht
cruise off the Lycian coast. The package includes accommodation, meals,
transport, guide, luggage handling, local taxes and service changes, and
is valid for departures from April 9 until October 30.
Top destinations
FRANCE, Britain, Spain,
Portugal and Morocco are
popular destinations for
guided holidays.
Theresa Szejwallo says
Trafalgar’s Treasures of France
trip is one of the company’s
most sought-after offerings,
taking in the vineyards of
the Loire Valley, Paris and
the D-Day landing beaches
at Omaha in Normandy.
Also popular are Trafalgar’s
tours of Spain, Morocco and
Portugal, which showcase the
Moorish influence on each
culture.
Pentravel’s Deirdre de
Swardt says Europe remains
the most popular coach
tour destination. “Trafalgar’s
seven-day Glimpse of Europe
and Jewels of Italy tours are
flying off the shelves. I’ve
already sold the Jewels of
Italy tour to 14 passengers
this year. It’s very affordable
for South Africans, with
the tour and flights costing
around R20 000.”
China is the most popular
coach tour destination for
Wendy Wu Tours, with the
top sellers being the 11-day
China Experience, 15-day
Majestic Yangtze, and 17-day
Wonders of China. Also
popular is the 10-day Vietnam
Impressions tour.
For Travel Vision, Alaska –
The Rockies tour is a good
seller. The tour includes
wildlife viewing opportunities,
dog-sledding and, up north,
the Aurora Borealis between
August and April. Tours of
Italy and Turkey are also
sought after, says Annemarie
Lexow, as are Cambodia and
Vietnam.
Up and coming
Myanmar is an up-andcoming
coach tour
destination, says Wendy
Wu’s Alet Steyn. Highlights
include cruising Inle Lake
and visiting Mahagandayon
Monastery, the temples
around Bagan, Shwedagon
Pagoda (Myanmar’s most
sacred Buddhist site) and
Mandalay Hill. Visitors
can also explore historic
Sri Ksetra by ox-cart and
stroll along U Bein Bridge
(the world’s longest teak
footbridge).
Wendy Wu’s new and fully
inclusive 12-day Essential
Japan tour takes in Tokyo,
Fuji Five Lakes, Kyoto,
Hiroshima, Miyajima, and
Himeji. Its 17-day Vietnam
and Cambodia Unveiled
tour takes in Vientiane,
VangVieng, Luang Prabang,
Siem Reap, Battambang,
and Phnom Penh.
Trafalgar’s new Hidden
Journeys trip style offers
six new itineraries,
from Secrets of Greece
(including Corfu) to the
Secrets of Turkey (including
the Turquoise Coast). In
these itineraries, classic
attractions are combined
with ‘hidden’ sights and
authentic experiences.
How to sell… and upsell!
IF CLIENTS are concerned
about price or wish to
adjust an itinerary, let
them know that some tour
operators allow them to
book a single segment
of a tour, says Austria
Connection’s Inge Dobihal.
“Kompas Tours’ Eastern
European Panorama tour
takes in Vienna, Budapest,
Krakow, Warsaw, Berlin and
Prague. If clients have been
to Vienna, they can start the
tour in Budapest; if they’ve
been to Prague, they can
end their tour in Berlin. For
each unused night on the
tour, US$70 (about R823)
is deducted from the tour
price,” she says.
Listen to your clients’
needs and find out
what their interests are,
says Trafalgar’s Theresa
Szejwallo. “Find out how
they like to travel, where
they went on their last
holiday and what they
enjoyed most. Always sell
the value.” One way to
do this is to show clients
reviews from previous
guests, she says. This will
help close a sale.
Wendy Wu’s Alet Steyn
suggests that agents check
whether the client would
prefer a more relaxed or
busier paced tour and
then help them select an
appropriate package.
Travel Vision’s Annemarie
Lexow says agents should
be aware that not all coach
tour operators offer fully
inclusive packages. “Agents
must check if entrance fees
to museums and places
of interest are included in
the deal and whether the
operator covers city taxes
for overnight stays and
porterage services.”
It’s also worth reminding
clients about the advantages
of booking a guided tour
in non-English-speaking
countries. “I’ve travelled
both solo and as part of
a coach tour; as a solo
traveller it can be difficult to
navigate your way around.
Often the locals don’t speak
English,” says Pentravel’s
Deirdre de Swardt. “Guided
holidays also offer much
better value because
operators have negotiated
rates on group bookings and
more is included on these
tours,”she says.
Agents should offer
clients pre- and post-tour
accommodation, allowing
guests to extend their
trip, says Theresa. Deirdre
agrees, advising against
booking flights that arrive
the same day as the start
of a tour, in case of
unforeseen circumstances
that could result in the
traveller missing the tour’s
departure.
Many tours begin and end
in cruise ports, so agents
can add a cruise before the
start or at the end of a tour,
she says.
Book it!
Wendy Wu’s 17-day fully-inclusive ‘Wonders of China’ tour from R49 350pp twin share ex-Johannesburg, visits
Beijing, Xian, Wuhan, Chongqing, Guilin, Yangshuo and Shanghai and includes a four-night Yangtze River cruise.
The tour includes return economy flights on Cathay Pacific, domestic flights within China, compulsory tipping,
coach transport, accommodation, meals, entrance fees, English-speaking guides, daily tours as per itinerary and
China visa fees.
Trafalgar’s nine-day ‘Best of Israel Country Explorer’ guided holiday visits Jerusalem (Wailing Wall, Tomb of David,
Mount of Olives) the Dead Sea, Masada, Nazareth, Tel Aviv and more. It’s priced from R24 700pp twin share
and includes accommodation with Israeli breakfast daily, three dinners, transport and airport transfers.
