Packaging for different traveller types
EUROPE is a vast
continent that holds
appeal for travellers
from all walks of life: from
young to old, newlyweds and
singles, big spenders and
penny savers. While this
presents agents with endless
packaging opportunities, it
can equally be a daunting
prospect, particularly when
it comes to identifying the
perfect options to suit your
clients’ specific tastes and
preferences.
Solo travellers
Solo travel is a growing
trend, with many travel
companies introducing
options that make them
more attractive to single
travellers. In some cases,
this includes scrapping single
supplements or providing
female-only groups to make
solo travel less expensive
and intimidating.
Annemarie Lexow, sales
and marketing manager of
Travel Vision, says coach
travel and river cruising are
two of the best options for
single travellers. “If your
client is a solo traveller who
sees travel as an opportunity
to connect with other people
from different parts of the
world, then coach and river
cruising are ideal. They will
spend quite a bit of time
sharing common space and
people then tend to strike
up a conversation.”
Thaybz Khan, manager:
Contemporary Brands of
Cruises International, says
regardless of destination,
cruising is great for singles.
“It all depends on the
experience the solo traveller
is looking for. Defining the
on-board experience will help
solo travellers choose the
cruise line that is best suited
to their lifestyle.”
Families
Europe’s cultural offering
is a huge drawcard for
family travel, with many
parents wishing to expose
their children to different
ways of life, while learning
about world history and
sometimes even their own
family’s background and
heritage. Added to this,
sophisticated medical
facilities and infrastructure
make it a good choice
for families with young
children.
Annemarie says rail and
self-drive are the best
ways for families to explore
Europe. “In a train they
can get up and stretch and
walk around a bit, while
on a self-drive trip they will
be in charge of when they
stop and what they want to
see,” she adds.
Inge Dobihal, owner of
Austria Connection, agrees
that rail is a great option
for families. “Children are
usually excited by train
travel where they can move
around.” She adds, though,
that instead of travelling
around all the time,
families should consider
staying in one place
strategically located in an
area with a range of short
day trips.
“In Austria, for instance,
you can spend a lovely
holiday for one week
staying in a picturesque
village in the Alps,
somewhere in the province
of Tyrol or Salzburg. One
can do walks and hikes,
mountain biking or other
sporting activities, or for
some sightseeing, one can
do a short day trip to either
Innsbruck or Salzburg.”
Another option is a cycling
holiday in Austria along
the River Danube, which
is suitable for all ages,
from young children to
grandparents.
She also recommends
Croatia for families, as
it combines the beach
experience with interesting
historical options. “Talking
about Croatia, a small-ship
island-hopping cruise is
another very popular and
ideal holiday. As you don’t
spend the full day cruising,
it would not be boring for
the children. You would
cruise for a while, then
stop in a bay for a swim
or snorkelling, then land
on an island and spend
time there exploring before
carrying on with the cruise.
The boat docks overnight
in a different harbour every
evening,” adds Inge.
Other cruising options
include Royal Caribbean
and Celebrity Cruises,
which Thaybz says have
multigenerational appeal.
Romantic getaways
France, Italy and the
Greek islands continue
to be popular choices
for honeymooners, or
couples on a romantic
getaway.
Clients seeking
romance should
consider either selfdrive
or cruising, says
Annemarie. “Again, selfdrive
is just the two of
them spending quality
time together, while river
cruising is romantic. They
can view sunsets from
the deck, or if they want
to be by themselves,
they can just stay in
their cabin and still have
an amazing view of the
beautiful scenery drifting
past.”
Thaybz says for
something laid-back,
luxurious and off the
beaten track, the yacht
experience would be
best, including Windstar,
Seabourn, SeaDream
or Crystal Esprit. “If
adventure is key, then
Royal Caribbean or
Celebrity would be
great,” she adds.
Did you know?
EgyptAir allows passengers one
piece of additional baggage at
50% of the usual price (up to
23kg). Connections via Cairo to
Europe are quick via EgyptAir’s
Terminal 3, and the airline has
introduced a mobile check-in
facility for easier and more
convenient departures.
Budget travellers
While the euro-rand
exchange rate may make
Europe seem like a difficult
destination to package for
budget travellers, the huge
selection of affordable
accommodation in the form
of backpackers, apartments
and hotels, can make it a
good option for those on a
tight budget.
Inge says travellers looking
for value should carefully
consider the timing of their
trip. “Contrary to general
belief, prices in cities like
Vienna, Prague, Budapest,
Krakow, Warsaw, Ljubljana,
Zagreb and Bucharest are
low in July and August.” Inge
explains that the school and
business holidays mean
that European families
head to the countryside
and beaches, leaving the
cities empty, with hardly any
business travel or trade fairs
taking place.
Annemarie says one of
the best ways to make
sure your clients don’t end
up overspending on their
Europe trip is by booking
them on a coach tour. “Our
supplier tries to include as
many value-adds into their
itineraries as possible –
more meals, entrance fees
on sightseeing excursions
and handling fees.” The
more inclusive the package
is, the more value the
budget traveller is likely to
feel they are getting.
Seniors
Travellers aged 50 years
and over have been
highlighted as one of the
main demographic groups
for travel brands to target.
Research published by Skift,
says this consumer group
has the technology savvy
of the millennials, with a
lifestyle that gives them
more freedom to travel.
“The Fifties don’t need
a brand to introduce them
to experiences, they just
want the fastest way from
the theme park to the local
restaurant and on to their
boutique independent hotel
or Airbnb. And, yes, they’ll
most likely be taking an
Uber XL rather than a Hertz
rent-a-car (or even airport
shuttle) to get there. They
won’t be caught dead on a
packaged tour, but at a pinch
they respect the efficiencies
of a fast, casual restaurant,”
says the report by Skift.
It goes on to say: “For
Fifties, a short-term rental or
a hostel isn’t a budget-first
necessity, it’s an option. So
yes to that Airbnb apartment
booking in Madrid or
Amsterdam. And yes, too, to
a traditional hotel booking.”
As those aged 50 and
over tend to be experienced
travellers, they are usually
looking for something
new, says Inge, “but they
still want to have a bit
more comfort than the
youngsters.”
Inge recommends Eastern
Europe. “Hotels are good,
and English is spoken
widely amongst the younger
generation and the tourism
industry. Slovenia is an
extremely beautiful country
with good infrastructure and
is an ideal combination with
either Austria or Croatia.
Travel can be done by coach,
rail or self-drive.
“Another very interesting
country is Romania, which is
best experienced by private
car with a driver or guide
at reasonable costs,” she
adds.
Annemarie says all forms
of European travel are suited
to senior travellers. “If they
are fit, then coach and rail
are fine as you have to
handle your luggage quite a
bit in and out of vehicles.”
She says that self-drive is
also a good option, as it
will allow them to explore
Europe at their own pace.
“If a customer does not like
the packing and unpacking
of luggage and in-and-out
of trains and buses, then I
would definitely recommend
river cruising.
Europe and Britan confirmed as hotsport for 2017
TRAFALGAR reports that it
has an unprecedented 86%
of confirmed departures for
its Europe and UK tours in
2017 due to huge demand
for travel to the region.
Gavin Tollman, ceo of
Trafalgar, said: “There is
no doubt that Britain is
back and Europe remains
ever-enchanting. Demand
for these destinations in
2017 has been enormously
encouraging and it’s
tremendous to see solid
growth across the entire
portfolio. Scandinavia,
Russia and Iceland are all
performing well, in addition
to our perennially popular
Britain and Ireland, Italy and
Central Europe itineraries.”
Additional incentives for
agents to book Trafalgar
include the Trafalgar
Frequent Traveller discount
of 5%.”
Book it!
Travel Vision is offering a ‘Taste of Ireland’ package with rates from R21 300pps. The tour stops over in
Dublin, Killarney and Bunratty. The package includes return airfare and taxes (ex-JNB); sightseeing by
luxury coach with a professional driver and guide; five nights’ accommodation in four-star hotels; three
dinners including a pub dinner and traditional show, Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet and one table
d’hôte dinner in Killarney; one lunch, all breakfasts; welcome drink; tour of Dublin with a local guide;
sheepdog trials on the Ring of Kerry; ferry ride across the River Shannon and tour of Galway. Tour departs
on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays and is valid from February 27 to March 27.
Safety: Top tip to reassure your clients
WHILE Europe was once
considered one of the safest
continents to travel around,
the spate of 2016 terror
attacks throughout the region
has shaken the confidence
of tourists and those
responsible for organising
their travel.
At the end of last year,
Flight Centre advised South
Africans travelling to Europe
over the festive season to
remain vigilant and take extra
care following a US State
Department travel advisory.
Kim Taylor, customer care
manager of Flight Centre,
said South Africans should
be careful when attending
events, visiting tourist spots,
using public transport, walking
around in large crowds and
visiting places of worship.
“Travellers to Europe should
also pay attention to the news
and specific travel alerts to
ensure that they are well
informed of the safety risks in
the country or countries they
intend to visit,” she said.
Duty of care
Perceptions around risk have
also caused many corporates
to re-examine their duty-ofcare
policies, especially as
many were guilty of ignoring
this essential aspect of
business travel for far too
long.
Collin Austen, business
development executive of
Club Travel, says
while duty of care
is now gaining
more attention
from smaller
enterprises,
until recently it
was only larger
corporates
that gave it
due diligence –
especially those
with international
head offices.
“This trend
is changing,
however, and
more companies are now
taking their duty-of-care
responsibilities more
seriously,” says Collin.
However, he doesn’t believe
this increased focus on
travellers’ safety has anything
to do with political tensions
in Europe. “This is not due
to any events happening
internationally, but can be
attributed to companies
taking their responsibilities to
their staff more seriously.” He
admits, however, that some
corporates are more cautious
about which airlines and
routes are used for European
business travel.
Client concerns
When dealing with customers
face to face, there are various
tools and technology that can
provide reassurance and the
traveller with peace of mind.
Collin says:
“Club Travel
Corporate
offers traveller
tracking and
direct messaging
services to our
clients. This
gives HR and
procurement
departments
peace of mind
that we are
able to monitor
their staff whilst
overseas. We
are also
constantly watching multiple
news sources and send our
clients security alerts and
news of other world events
that may influence their
travel.” He adds, though, that
South Africans tend to be
rather hardy and not “overly
concerned” when it comes to
world events.
Providing travellers with
information on the various
options available in terms of
travel insurance can also help
allay fears. Simmy Micheli,
sales and marketing manager
of TIC, says the “hard to
ignore” importance of travel
insurance has been presented
by both travel agents and
brokers positively and
proactively. “When it comes to
insuring business travel and
the types of risk that need
insuring, most corporates
have a policy in the bag.”
Terror attack cover- check the small print
assume that their travel
insurance means they are
completely covered in the
case of a terrorist attack.
Simmy Micheli of TIC
says there are products
that exclude cover or
limit cover – but this
depends on the type of
losses experienced by the
traveller.
She explains that the
first is cancellation or
curtailment
cover. “If an
airline cancels
a flight to a
destination due to
a terrorist attack,
you could claim
your losses from
your insurance.
You could also
cancel your trip due
to a terrorist attack at
a destination on your
itinerary. It is important
to observe terms of cover
such as how long prior
to your departure the
incident occurs to qualify
for cover and whether this
incident follows another
recent one in the same
city.” TIC’s terms stipulate
that the travellers will be
covered if they have to
cancel their international
journey as a result of
hijack, riot, strike or civil
commotion, causing
direct cancellation and/
or delayed departure of
transport. In addition,
travellers are covered if
there has been a terrorist
incident within 14 days
of departure, in the same
city noted on a prepaid
itinerary. However, they
will not be covered if the
terrorist incident occurs
within the same city
within 60 days.
Another product to
consider is cover for
medical expenses.
“Any medical expenses
as a result of a
terrorist incident will
be covered on a good
insurance policy.
Look out for terrorism
exclusion or limits as
some products will limit
cover related to terrorist
incidents,” Simmy says.
Finally, travellers may
want to consider cover
for accidental death or
permanent disability.
“This is a lump-sum
compensation payable
to the beneficiary in the
event of death or to the
insured in the event of a
permanent disability.” She
says this will be included
in most comprehensive
travel insurance products.
Book it!
Cruises International is offering a ‘buy one get the second guest 60%’
special for Royal Caribbean International, along with 30% savings
for third and fourth guests. This is applicable for all sailings on or
after March 2, 2017 (excluding China departures). Bookings must be
made before February 28.
