AT LEAST 80% of SAA’s
passengers departing South
Africa for Dar es Salaam are
business travellers, however the
Tanzanian city presents agents with
a range of opportunities to package
the destination into a trip that
incorporates both a business and
a leisure component, says Austin
Nyawara, regional manager for SAA
in East Africa and the Middle East.
“There has not been a lot of
noise made about leisure travel in
Tanzania as a whole because it is
seen as an investment destination
rather than a place to unwind,”
Austin explains. “And it is a
shame because there are beautiful
national parks, a lovely coastline
and the tallest peak in Africa –
Mount Kilimanjaro.”
It can be difficult to sell mainland
Tanzania as a leisure destination
with neighbouring Zanzibar just
off the coast, says Austin, but he
points out that the two could be
packaged into one deal. “Zanzibar
is paradise on earth and offers a
unique product but the mainland
has its own strengths as well – and
it would not make sense to ignore
it. Zanzibar is just 15 minutes from
Dar es Salaam by air, so I think it
would be a good idea to package
the mainland and the island into
one trip.”
He notes that while Zanzibar is
a famous honeymoon destination,
a family travelling together
would appreciate the beauty and
relaxation that it has to offer
combined with the bush product
offered by the mainland. “So, too,
can business travellers take a day
or two to unwind on the island after
concluding their business in the
mainland,” he adds.
A day out in Dar
Several tiny islands surround the
long coastline that outlines Dar es
Salaam, which makes it easy to
take a day out on a catamaran and
unwind, comments Priya Naidoo,
Tsogo Sun gm of communications.
“A two-hour cruise to a private
island under the East African sun
allows for maximum relaxation
when added on to a business trip,”
she says.
There are private catamaran
charters available to any of the
surrounding islands in Tanzania –
including Zanzibar. “You can even
request that they stock it with food
and drinks so that you do not do
any work at all,” she notes.
On arrival at a private island,
travellers can snorkel, braai or take
a look at old shipwrecks. “And once
you’re back on the mainland, you
could eat out at a local restaurant
in the heart of the city before going
to experience Dar’s nightlife,” Priya
says.
Where to stay
The Southern Sun Dar es Salaam
boasts a backbone of South
African-born staff, making local
travellers feel at home. “That is
the main aim of the hotel – to
make travellers feel at home,”
explains gm, Adam Fuller. This was
evident from unique touches, such
as biltong snacks and boerewors,
which were served as part of the
dinner buffet and met with approval
by all members of the South
African group visiting the hotel.
The hotel offers a relaxing
element as well, as it neighbours
the city’s botanical gardens and
features a breakfast deck that
overlooks the swimming pool.
The hotel is undergoing a
refurbishment that will see its
interior adopt a warmer colour
scheme. “We want to change the
atmosphere from formal to relaxing,
so that even business travellers
forget they are here on business,”
Adam comments.
A popular
route...
EVEN with major airlines like Kenya
Airways and Ethiopian Airlines
competing for East Africa-bound
travellers, SAA’s Johannesburg-Dar
es Salaam route is doing well,
reveals Austin Nyawara.
“East Africa is one of the
toughest playgrounds on the
continent because two of the
biggest carriers in Africa have
their hubs here, so we have to
be much smarter when looking
for opportunities in East Africa,
because it is already so well
covered,” he says. Currently SAA
flies to Entebbe, Nairobi, and Dar
es Salaam. It also flies to Addis
Ababa through a codeshare with
Ethiopian Airways. Flights to Juba,
South Sudan, are in the pipeline.
Austin says SAA is evaluating the
commercial viability of the route.
SAA hopes that the East African
tourist visa will stimulate demand
for leisure travel in the region.
Austin says the visa is currently
in effect for leisure tourists and
works similarly to the Schengen
visa – allowing for travel across
Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda.
