Outbound travel can still be affordable
TRAVELLING abroad as a
family has undoubtedly
become a daunting
thought for many South
Africans this year, with the
rapidly depreciating rand
leading to a strong preference
for local destinations over last
year’s festive travel season,
according to Cape Town
Tourism.
What’s more, concessions
made to the controversial
immigration regulations did not
include specific provision for
outbound travellers – meaning
that the unabridged birth
certificate is still required for
minors leaving South Africa.
But it is still possible
for families travelling on a
budget to go abroad – travel
agents just need to do some
homework to find the best
solutions for their clients.
“At a time like this when
there are various challenges
hampering outbound travel –
especially in the case of family
travel – travel agents have
to let their clients know that
there are still destinations that
South Africans can travel to
and packages available that
are affordable,” says Cathie
Bester, World Leisure Holidays
national sales manager.
Cathie says the poor
rand exchange rate is the
biggest cause for concern
at the moment, which is why
destinations such as Mauritius
that are a short flight away and
do not require visas (which
would have been an additional
cost) are still viable options.
“These sorts of destinations
should thus be an agent’s first
suggestion to their clients,”
Cathie says.
“There are still a host of
affordable destinations that
families can travel to despite
the stronger dollar,” agrees
Noorjehan Vadachia, sales
and marketing director at
Avoca Travels. China, Malaysia
and Turkey readily come to
mind, she adds.
Noorjehan says some
families may reduce the
extravagance of their vacations
or reduce their length of stay
to compensate for the weaker
exchange rate. “Those who are
committed to travelling will still
be able to do so within their
budget,” she says.
Guaranteed rates
Agents should also remember
that tour operators such as
World Leisure Holidays have
negotiated the rates of a
number of resorts in rands
in order to offer protection to
passengers and guarantee the
rates, Cathie points out.
Similarly, Trafalgar has a
Rand Price Guarantee to
ensure its guests are not
affected by the fluctuating
currency. “Our brochures
were priced in August 2015
and since then the rand has
depreciated by over 30% to the
euro,” comments Trafalgar md,
Theresa Szejwallo. “Despite
this, we’ve held our brochure
prices and honoured our Rand
Price Guarantee.”
Agents should, however,
advise potential travellers to
make their reservations as
soon as possible, says Cathie.
We are not certain of what
will happen to airfares and, of
course, the dreaded airport
tax.”
Constant communication
between travel agents and
tourism offices will ensure
agents are always kept up
with the best options for their
clients, adds Jean Martins,
country manager for the
Tourism and Culture Authority
Abu Dhabi.
When it comes to the
unabridged birth certificate
requirement, travel agents
should go above and beyond
in assisting their clients with
travel arrangements and
requirements by providing
their clients with as much
information as possible,
says, Cruises International’s
contemporary brand manager,
Thaybz Khan.
Joanne Visagie, sales
and marketing manager at
Beachcomber Tours agrees:
“Ensuring that clients are well
informed as far ahead of time
about the new legislation and
requirements is vital.”
Trafalgar, for instance, did not
see any drop in sales numbers
to any of its specialised Family
Experiences during 2015
because it was quick off the
mark to advise clients about
the new requirements, says
Theresa.
Thaybz says value is going
to be an important element of
selling travel this year. “The
more ‘challenges’ agents take
away from their clients, the
more inclined their clients will
be to travel,” she says.
All-inclusive packages offer peace of mind
ALL-INCLUSIVE packages are
the key to offering a family
holiday that is true value for
money in the midst of socioeconomic
challenges, the
experts agree.
“Families will choose allinclusive
holidays to ensure
the cost of their holiday is
fixed,” comments Avoca
Travels’ Noorjehan Vadachia.
Travellers will definitely
consider the all-inclusive
option to give them peace
of mind when booking their
holidays because they can
relax knowing that the bulk of
their holiday has been paid for,
agrees World Leisure Holidays’
Cathie Bester.
“Family discounts and
special offers will prove to
be valuable selling points
this year as the challenges
affecting outbound travel (the
immigration regulations and
the weak rand) are ironed
out,” says Thaybz Khan from
Cruises International.
As such, travel agents’ ability
to renegotiate pricing with
suppliers will prove vital during
these tough economic times,
agrees Noorjehan. “Agents will
need to create more affordable
packages and offer valueadded
services to their clients
who have been discouraged by
the challenges that affected
travel in 2015.”
Family cruising, as a result,
will continue to grow in
popularity, believes Thaybz.
“Cruising is guaranteed to
give you more bang for your
buck,” she says, adding that
the value of a cruise holiday
in terms of inclusions, from
dining to entertainment and
transportation, significantly
outweigh those of a land
package.
She says cruising was very
popular with families last
year. “This is because we
saw cruise lines offering more
incentives for families and
groups – and these incentives
will continue this year,” she
says.
Crystal Cruises, for example,
offers full-fare-paying parents
with children aged 11 and
younger a 50% discount on
their children’s fare throughout
2016. “Also, the luxury cruise
line often offers parents free
sailing specials for children
from time to time, when
parents book a room that is
shared with children,” says
Thaybz.
Similarly, with Beachcomber
Tours, children sharing in
family units do not pay for
accommodation or meals,
says Beachcomber’s Joanne
Visagie.
“We try to ensure that family
travel to Mauritius remains
affordable. Family travel is a
huge segment of the market
for us and we place a massive
focus on families and kids.
Photocap: Adventures in Costa Rico
Trafalgar is offering a special promotion for families
travelling to Costa Rica. The Monkeys, Jungles and
Volcanoes trip to Costa Rica is an eight-day guided
holiday that is fun filled and packed with adventure. For
example, families can find themselves walking along the
Arenal Hanging Bridges within the lush canopy during a
guided trek at Arenal National Park. It is priced from
R23 400pp twin-share with a Young Travellers’ Discount
applicable as well as an Early Payment Discount.
Read your customer!
DESPITE the various factors
discouraging families from
travelling beyond South Africa’s
borders, there is still interest
in international travel – and
where there is interest, there
is room for a potential sale.
John Ridler, media and
public relations manager at
Thompsons Holidays, spoke
to TNW to provide tips for
travel agents daunted by the
prospect of selling outbound
travel to families in the current
economic climate.
John says agents can keep
the customer if they are
creative and proactive in their
selling and customer profiling.
“There will always be people
who can afford to travel
overseas but this year they will
really be looking for good deals
and all-inclusive packages,”
John says.
“You have to read the
customer to make sure you
keep the sale. If you sense you
are losing the deal because of
the cost of the holiday, try and
give them an alternative and
make it attractive.”
For instance, a father will
enquire about a holiday in
Europe for his family, then his
body language will change and
his face will drop when the
prices are discussed, John
says. “It is at this point when
the agent can jump in and
say ‘that is quite a high price
because of the exchange rate,
however we do have much less
expensive holidays in Mauritius
or Thailand’,” he says.
John also suggests that
agents should give clients
hope that the rand will
increase soon. “Agents could
suggest to their clients that,
instead of going to Europe,
the family go to an island like
Mauritius and wait for the rand
to improve before booking that
Europe holiday,” he says.
Offering something free will
also prove vital, says John.
“The ‘free’ word is going to
be the key word. Even in a
struggling economy, a good
special can still go a long way.”
For as long as the rand
is weak, selling travel is
going to be about showing
potential clients how much
value you have brought to the
transaction, says John. “Tell
your clients that you have
negotiated good rates and
present the package to them
by showing them the value
first. Offering a basic package
and saying ‘take it or leave it’
is not going to work.”
Travelling closer to home
will also prove to be a good
option for travellers this year,
says John. “Remember as
well that the SADC countries
traditionally give South Africans
better rates than they will give
foreigners.”
Local suppliers need to step up
IT’S still a reality, however,
that outbound family travel
is out of the question
for a lot of South African
families. “There will always
be affordable destinations
and good deals but the rand
will continue to depreciate
and even a good deal may
well be out of reach for a lot
of families in our country,”
points out Alan Campbell,
group brand manager at
Premier Hotels and Resorts.
As a result, more
families will travel locally
as challenges affecting
outbound travel take time
to stabilise, says Noorjehan
Vadachia of Avoca Travels.
“We have already started a
huge focus on local travel,”
agrees Thompsons Holidays’
John Ridler.
According to Alan, tourism
service providers in South
Africa will need to step up
to the plate. “Prices have
already begun to increase
here and there, but we need
to try and stimulate local
travel at this time and focus
on getting South Africans
travelling domestically.”
It is for this reason that
Premier Hotels and Resorts,
like several other tourism
service providers, has placed
a large focus on family travel
this year, to encourage
South Africans to travel
locally and bring the family
along.
“We noticed an increase
in families visiting our
resorts over the festive
season already,” Alan says,
suggesting it was because
many of Premier’s resorts
are coastal based.
Many of the resorts are
child-friendly and offer
activities for parents and
kids alike, Alan says. “In
Knysna, for instance, we
launched a new play area for
kids last year which comes
complete with a giant chess
set,” he says. “Our resorts
also offer golf and volleyball
for the adults.
Go off the beaten track
in Malawi
ALTHOUGH perhaps not
the first place to come to
mind for South Africans
looking to book a holiday,
Malawi is a good choice for
family travellers because of
its diverse range of family
activities on offer.
A trip to Malawi will
see travellers welcomed
to a safe and friendly
environment that is perfect
for families who enjoy offthe-beaten-track
adventures
in the bush, at the lake and
in the highlands, says Vice
Consul of Tourism for the
Malawi Consulate General
in Johannesburg, Salad
Nthenda.
Malawi Tourism says the
destination is one of the
safest places to visit in
Africa. “This, together with
the various wildlife-sighting
opportunities, beautiful
landscapes, and beachfringed
lake, makes the
country a top attraction for
families,” Malawi Tourism
said on its website.
The majority of the
country’s lodges and
hotels in Malawi cater
especially for families, Salad
comments. The country
also offers beaches and
exotic islands where kids
can enjoy kayaking, scuba
diving, snorkelling, sailing as
well as other water sporting
activities.
“For instance, a perfect
family trip to Malawi
usually commences with an
experience with a safari in
one of the national parks,
spending time with the local
community and finally to the
lake where the family can
rest and relax,” says Salad.
Trips to Malawi are also
tailored to include the
interests of the family in
question and there is always
a lot of interaction with the
local communities, says
Salad.
“Malawi offers a perfect
mix for family travel in the
form of cultural interaction,”
he adds.
Take note!
Royal Caribbean Cruises is offering 30% off its standard
cruise fare for all guests in a stateroom across all
stateroom categories. The offer is applicable to all
destinations, excluding China for departures on or after
March 16. Booking Window: Feb 16 – April 3.
New ride opens
at Sun City
AS PART of an ongoing
upgrade, Sun City’s Valley of
Waves has launched a new
155-metre-long slide.
The one- or two-person
raft slide starts 18m above
the pool. Riders are taken
through a dark and twisting
portion that leads to a
section that propels riders
12m above the pool.
Maximum total weight
allowed for a two-rider raft
is 185kg and 136kg for
a single rider. There is no
minimum age requirement
for the ride, but riders must
weigh at least 45kg and be
1,22m in height.
“Thrill seekers will love the
sharp summits, high-banking
turns and heart pounding
plunges,” says Sun City’s
managing executive, Mike
van Vuuren.
Later this year another
slide will be installed,
bringing the number of
slides at the Valley of Waves
to seven.
Photocap: Discounts in Abu Dhabi
Accommodation and attractions in Abu Dhabi are offered to families at discounted prices between June and September. Yas Island, for example, has a range of accommodation from three- to five-star as well as reduced dual-park combo tickets to let travellers enjoy Ferrari World and Yas Waterworld (pictured here) at a reduced cost. There is also a free shuttle on Yas Island to make getting around easy.
Harmony of the Seas goes big on family entertainment
ROYAL Caribbean International
is focusing on family fun
on board its newest ship,
Harmony of the Seas.
When Harmony of the Seas
debuts in approximately four
months, it will bring a familiar
cast of DreamWorks Animation
characters, including Po of
Kung Fu Panda; Shrek, Fiona
and Puss in Boots of Shrek;
and from Madagascar, Alex the
Lion, Gloria the Hippo, King
Julien and the Penguins.
The ship will be based in
Port Everglades, Florida.
Guests can enjoy events
and activities based on
DreamWorks Animation’s
popular feature films, including
a DreamWorks character
breakfast in the main dining
room, ‘meet and greet’
experiences throughout
the day, as well as photo
opportunities that can be
immediately shared with family
and friends back home with
VOOM, the fastest Internet
at sea according to Royal
Caribbean.
What’s more, Royal
Caribbean’s complimentary
kids’ programme, Adventure
Ocean, has added Adventure
Ocean Theatre – Away We Go!
– a puppet show created by
Tony-award-nominated actors
and imaginative producers
John Tartaglia and Michael
Shawn Lewis of Gable Grove
Productions.
Book it!
Travel Vision is running a special offer for families visiting India. Travellers can spend five nights
experiencing the Golden Triangle from just R17 575pps. The special is valid until March 16 and
includes return airfare departing Johannesburg (including taxes), two nights each in Delhi and Jaipur
and one night in Agra in four-star hotels with breakfast daily, a traditional welcome upon arrival and
all transfers. An English-speaking local guide, entrance fees to sights, an elephant ride and porterage
at all hotels will also be included.
New 24-hour helpline launched in India
THE INDIAN government has
launched a 24-hour toll-free
tourist infoline, available in
12 international languages.
The infoline will advise
callers on action to be taken
if they encounter problems
while travelling in India. Its
call centre agents will also
alert concerned authorities
on behalf of the travellers,
if need be.
Speaking at the launch of
the infoline, Indian Minister
of State, Dr Mahesh Sharma
said the introduction of the
Infoline had marked the
fulfilment of the promise
made by government to
prioritise safety and security
for tourists.
“Travellers visiting India
can now seek help and
information for a hasslefree
experience much
more easily than before,”
Dr Sharma said in a
statement. The infoline’s
call centre offers assistance
in English, Hindi, Arabic,
French, German, Italian,
Japanese, Korean, Chinese,
Portuguese, Russian and
Spanish.
An Incredible India mobile
app would also be launched
very soon, he said.
Tourists can call
1800111363 once in India
to make use of the service.
Did you know?
Trafalgar offers agents an extra 1% commission for online
bookings. The new Past Guest Discount Policy also extends to any
of Trafalgar’s sister brand clients and is valid for life (Trafalgar
offers a 5% discount on trips if guests have travelled on any of its
brands).
Central Hospitality International Hotels and Resorts offers a family
plan through which children under 12 can stay free, sharing a bed
and using the same meal policy as their parents. Complimentary
activities for children are also on offer in the resorts, including
water slides, kids’ clubs and in-house entertainment teams.
A transit visa is required for travellers flying through India if the
traveller wishes to leave the airport while in transit, or stops over
in India for longer than 24 hours.
To the point
Trafalgar offers agents an extra 1% commission for online
bookings. The new Past Guest Discount Policy also extends to any
of Trafalgar’s sister brand clients and is valid for life (Trafalgar
offers a 5% discount on trips if guests have travelled on any of its
brands).
Central Hospitality International Hotels and Resorts offers a family
plan through which children under 12 can stay free, sharing a bed
and using the same meal policy as their parents. Complimentary
activities for children are also on offer in the resorts, including
water slides, kids’ clubs and in-house entertainment teams.
A transit visa is required for travellers flying through India if the
traveller wishes to leave the airport while in transit, or stops over
in India for longer than 24 hours.
Thailand – affordable for families
DESTINATIONS that are more
affordable are expected to
continue to attract families.
Thailand was a popular
destination for South African
families in 2015, says Avoca
Travels’ Noorjehan Vadachia
says.
Central Hospitality
International (previously
Centara Hotels) regional sales
and marketing officer, Janine
Pienaar, says the reasonable
rand-Thai baht exchange rate
makes the country affordable
for families. At the time
of going to print, R1 was
equivalent to 2,18 Thai Baht.
Janine notes, however,
that all-inclusive packages
will prove vital, even when
booking travel to affordable
destinations such as
Thailand. “Families will look
for all-inclusive meal plans
in Thailand rather than the
standard bed and breakfast
plans,” she says.
“In terms of addressing
budget constraints, quite
a number of Phuket-based
hotels have introduced
fully inclusive packages for
families, notes spokesperson
for the Tourism Authority
of Thailand in South Africa,
Lesley Simpson.
She says South Africans
visiting Thailand appreciate
not only the value for
money but also the diverse
attractions, which are great for
travellers visiting on a family
holiday or as a part of a family
group. “We have noticed that
this type of holiday is often
paid for by the grandparents
to commemorate a special
occasion and will see the
whole family meet in Thailand
for a special holiday together.”
Something for everyone
Cities across Thailand offer a range of experiences for the whole family to enjoy including snorkelling, lazy rivers and the chance to release turtles and clams back into the sea. Twelve of these hidden-gem cities, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand in South Africa, are Lampang, Phetchabun, Nan, Buri Ram (picured above), Loei, Samut Songkhram, Ratchaburi, Trat, Chanthaburi, Trang, Chumphon and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Kids stay free!
DURING the mid-year
period of April 18 to
October 9, children under
18 share and eat free at
all Beachcomber resorts.
Entertainment is also
included for kids at all
Beachcomber hotels and
special teens programmes,
activities and excursions
are organised at certain
properties as well.
Book it!
Air Seychelles is offering special fares to India. Valid for travel
any time in 2016, travellers can fly to Mumbai from R6 355pp in
economy class, with 30kg baggage allowance, 7kg hand luggage
and 50% Etihad Guest Miles earned. The fare includes taxes
subject to G class.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection offers river cruises
through India. Culturally curious travellers can enjoy spending
13 days cruising from New Delhi to Kolkata, visiting India’s
Golden Triangle and the sacred Ganges. 2016 voyages begin in
September and the cruise package includes 12 buffet breakfasts,
10 lunches, nine dinners, welcome and farewell dinners and
complimentary local beers and soft drinks throughout the cruise.
Malawi Tourism is offering a Malawi Wildlife and Beach Tour,
which includes a six-day guided trip, accommodation and all
meals. Guests can stay at the Majete Game Reserve in Chikwawa
from R13 560pps or at Liwonde National Park from R14 785pps.
Guests can choose two activities each day from the following:
a sunset cruise and a snorkelling trip, two game drives and one
safari boat ride. The offer is valid until May 31 and does not
include flights and taxes.
World Leisure Holidays is offering a holiday package to the
Sugar Beach Resort & Spa in Flic en Flac, Mauritius, from
R15 700pps departing Johannesburg, R16 495pps departing
Durban, or R16 860pps departing Cape Town. The offer is valid
for travel between April 28 and June 24. It includes return flights
departing Johannesburg on Air Mauritius (excluding taxes), return
transfers, breakfast and dinner daily, all land and non-motorised
water sports, and unlimited green fees at the Ile Aux Cerfs Golf
Course. Maximum of two children under the age of 12 fly and
stay free of charge when sharing with adults (they still pay for
transfers and taxes).
Beachcomber Tours is offering a five-night stay at the Royal
Palm Hotel in Grand Baie, Mauritius, from R35 280pps. The offer
includes accommodation, return flights departing Johannesburg
on Air Mauritius (excl. taxes), return airport-hotel transfers,
breakfast and dinner daily, as well as use of land and motorised
water sports. Valid for travel between May 23 and June 24
