Photocap: The Naked Agent
Scenario: A family of six are getting ready to celebrate their Dad’s
60th in style and plan to escape to the bush for a big party. They do
not have a specific destination in mind but want somewhere within
driving distance.
Know your product
Pentravel, Rosebank
After feeling a bit lost when I
entered the office, I chose to sit
with a consultant who seemed
hesitant to help me at first. The
consultant proceeded to ask
me the usual questions around
dates, double or single rooms,
etc. The agent recommended
that Pilanesberg would be best
for game watching but could not
recommend any specific game
lodges, adding that the agency
was closing soon and would only
be able to assist me on Monday.
The agent did not make eye
contact and seemed eager to get
my request over and done with,
giving me a card only after I asked
for it. The consultant took down
my details and promised to email
me options to choose from, which
they did the following Monday.
STA Travel, Morningside
I was assisted by a friendly
agent who asked the basic
questions (how many people,
when etc.) but did not ask which
region we would like to visit or
how far we wanted to travel,
nor did they recommend any
particular place. The consultant
assured me that they would get
back to me and took my details.
They followed up with two
options, which were limited to
the Pilanesberg region, but the
quote did not contain enticing
information. Although the agent
was welcoming they did not
appear to know much about
game lodges.
Flight Centre, Hyde Park
Tiffany-Jade Rae was
friendly and welcoming. I
told her my requirements
and straight away she
set off by asking me
loads of questions,
even if we had special
requests, such as a
special birthday bash
dinner or extra game
drives. She showed
me a brochure of two
of the places she
recommended and, drawing from
first-hand experience, suggested
that one particular lodge would
be a perfect fit for us. Not leaving
things there, she promised
to email more options.
She also promoted the
Flight Centre voucher cards
very well. The book of
vouchers includes activity
and restaurant options in
Johannesburg, Cape Town
and Durban. She said each
guest would get one to use
at golf courses, restaurants
and spas. Not only was
Tiffany-Jade helpful, she
was also funny, cracking jokes
throughout the consultation.
Tiffany-Jade’s top tips
1.Travellers are normally looking
for something specific from a
game lodge experience and, with
such a wide range of options on
our doorsteps, it is important
to ask for details, such as what
occasion it is and do they have
a preferred location.
2.Add value wherever possible.
Introduce the client to properties
that include free game drives
or are on a half-board basis or
offer a private dinner in a boma
for a special occasion. Explain
the rate difference between a
standard and a deluxe room,
or a higher rated property. Give
them the choice to upgrade and
embellish their bush break to
their liking.
3.Knowing your product is vital.
It’s imperative to be able to link
the client to the right property
that will make their breakaway
to the bush exactly what they
imagined, if not more.
Take note!
The purpose of the Naked Agent in this series is to access the experience from
only a sales skills perspective and not the effectiveness of the travel agency. TNW
believes that sales skills are increasingly important to travel agents and, in many
cases, improvement in selling skills is the easiest way to increase the prosperity of
the agency and its consultants. The Naked Agent is designed to raise awareness of
the opportunity and build awareness of the need.
Customers want attractive rates
THE Kruger National Park remains
the top safari destination for
South Africans, with game lodges
in the Pilanesberg, the Waterberg
and Madikwe also well frequented by
Gauteng residents, who enjoy their
proximity to Johannesburg, attractive
rates and malaria-free status, which is
important for families with children.
Cost-conscious South Africans
frequent four-star lodges rather than
five-star options, says Marcha Lourens,
leisure consultant at Reynolds Travel
Centre. They also prefer fully inclusive
packages, which offer better value.
Attractive rates are the primary
reason Gautengers enjoy visiting
Bakubung and Kwa Maritane in the
Pilanesberg Game Reserve, says Mary
Goslin, co-owner of Sure Penzance
Travel in Alberton. The Big Five game
viewing and proximity to Johannesburg
are further pluses. Mary says many
private game lodges are priced out of
reach of most South Africans, and that
the different rate structures offered to
overseas visitors are often difficult to
explain to customers.
In the Eastern Cape, Kwantu Private
Game Reserve and Amakhala Game
Reserve are good options for costconscious
South Africans, says Marius
Breytenbach, Club Travel Algoa Bay’s
branch manager. “These lodges offer
all-inclusive packages, good rates,
great weekend specials and a ‘wow’
experience.” For a five-star experience
he recommends Pumba Private Game
Reserve & Spa and Shamwari Game
Reserve.
Another popular Eastern Cape
option is Premier Hotels & Resorts’
Mpongo Private Game Reserve, which
offers good value and a wide range
of fun activities, team building and
conferencing.
Combo tours to Zambia’s Victoria
Falls and Botswana’s Chobe National
Park are in demand, says Allan
Wolman, owner of XL Rosebank Travel.
The agency also sends people to
lodges in Botswana’s Okavango Delta,
Kenya and Tanzania.
The problem with booking lodges
in Africa, says Marcha, is that rates
are quoted in US dollars, impacting
the rand amount due to the rate of
exchange. “As a result, South Africans
often opt to stay in hotels rather than
lodges in places like Zambia.”
The absence of exchange rate
benefits means that South African
visitors to Thornybush are generally
more price sensitive than their
overseas counterparts, says Nic Griffin,
ce of the Thornybush Luxury Game
Lodge Collection. “Most South Africans
travel to our lodges by car, although
there are several daily flights offered
to Hoedspruit and Skukuza from Cape
Town and Johannesburg.”
The most popular way for South
Africans to have a wildlife experience is
a self-drive, self-catering holiday in the
Kruger, where night drives and walking
safaris can be enjoyed, says Marcha.
The market for private game reserves
is growing, particularly in Limpopo,
says Rina Cilliers, Legend Hospitality
Group’s gm: Sales, Marketing and
Reservations. “Guests to these
reserves appreciate the intimacy and
better game-viewing opportunities they
provide.” An emerging trend, she says,
sees guests opting for direct online
bookings, specifically through mobile
devices, and they tend to shop around
for the best possible prices. “They
are also making use of operators
specialising in last-minute deals, such
as mtbeds.” And booking lead times,
she says, are much shorter for South
Africans than overseas guests.
Book it!
Premier Hotels & Resorts is offering
a fully inclusive, full board package
at Mpongo Private Game Reserve
for R4 530 for two people per night,
with an additional 20% discount for
pensioners. It includes two activities
and return airport transfers and is
valid for travel until September 30.
Cresta Mowana Safari Resort & Spa
in Botswana is offering a three-night
package from US$360pps
(R4 405) or single supplement
US$450 (R5 506), valid from
December 1, 2015 to January 15,
2016 for SA residents only. The
package includes three nights’
accommodation, three breakfasts,
one signature massage, a boat
cruise and game drive. Bed levies
and park entry fees are excluded.
Legend Hospitality Group is offering
South Africans a winter special at
its lodges in the Entabeni Safari
Conservancy, valid until August
31. Guests can spend the night at
Lakeside Lodge or Ravineside Lodge
for R1 095pppn sharing, at Hanglip
Mountain Lodge or Kingfisher Lodge
for R1 695pppns, and at Wildside
Safari Camp for R945pppns.
How to upsell!
KEEPING abreast of safari trends
can help agents looking to upsell
a safari holiday. For instance,
combination holidays, where visitors
can enjoy different game experiences,
are becoming very popular, says
Thornybush’s Nic Griffin.
An example is a stay at Simbambili in
the Sabi Sand where leopard sightings
are abundant, combined with a stay at
one of Thornybush’s 11 lodges.
Combine a bush and beach
experience, says Legend’s Rina Cilliers.
“Agents can also upsell by offering a
tour of a cultural village, or booking a
traditional African dinner for them.”
Agents should also consider
packaging game lodges with events
and other activities happening near
the game lodge, suggests Henk
Bredenoord, Premier Hotels & Resorts
business development manager.
XL Rosebank Travel’s Allan Wolman
points out that agents can upsell
Botswana over the Kruger National
Park.
“It takes as long to fly to Maun
and go to the Okavango Delta as it
does to fly to Kruger. And the private
concessions in Botswana are mostly
tented camps; all unfenced and very
luxurious.”
“Give clients options,” says Marcha
Lourens of Reynolds Travel Centre. “If
they ask for four-star, add in a five-star
too and point out the value of the fivestar
lodge.”
Agents should highlight special
features available, like getting up later
for game drives, or going on late-night
drives when something has been
spotted, says Mary Goslin of Sure
Penzance Travel.
“Where guests are staying in
Pilanesberg lodges, agents can upsell a
night or two in Sun City, or if they’re in
the Kruger, sell them a night or two on
the Panorama Route.”
More selling tips
Profile your clients correctly. Find
out their budget and what they
want out of the experience.
Know the various packages
available so that you can
recommend the best experience
at the best price.
Go on educational trips so
you can sell with first-hand
knowledge.
Check whether lodges allow
children – some lodges have
no-child policies.
Book a game lodge through an
operator. They’re familiar with the
properties and pay commission.
When requesting a quote, specify
whether it’s a South African
resident or visitor from abroad as
rates may differ.
Lodge Link set to boost safari travel
AIRLINK’S Lodge Link System is now
available for sale via GDS, online,
travel agents and tour operators’
computerised reservation systems.
The network, which was launched
in conjunction with Airlink’s
franchise partner, SAA, boosts
existing connections to Skukuza
and Nelspruit/Kruger Mpumalanga
(KMIA) airports by creating a network
between airstrips at Arathusa,
Londolozi, Sabi Sabi, Singita and
Ulusaba.
The new system makes it possible
to create multi-carrier, multi-sector
itineraries, providing greater choice
for planning a safari holiday. Lodge
Link System supplements the
routes already offered by Airlink,
which concentrate on key leisure
destinations, flying travellers from
Cape Town to KMIA and Skukuza;
Durban to KMIA; Johannesburg to
Skukuza, KMIA, Maun, Kasane and
Vilanculos; KMIA to Livingstone
and Nelspruit to Vilanculos. The
added flexibility makes it possible
for travellers to book flights from
London to Ulusaba, for instance.
The Lodge Link System is being
phased in, having been planned
with an eye to market demand. The
first phase sees services between
the following destinations being
launched on July 1: Londolozi and
Skukuza, Sabi Sabi and KMIA, and
Skukuza and Nelspruit, with onward
connections to Livingstone and
Vilanculos.
The next phase, which will be
active after August 1, focuses on
services between Ulusaba and
Skukuza and also KMIA. Ulusaba
has been identified as a key hub
in the area, as the airstrip provides
connectivity to a number of lodges,
including the Game, Cliff and Safari
Lodges in Ulusaba, &Beyond’s Exeter
River and Leadwood lodges, Inyati,
Leopard Hills, Savanna and Dulini.
The final phase, set to become
active from September, will see
services to Arasutha and Singita
commencing. Again, these are
key regional nodes; Arasutha, in
particular, is of strategic importance
as it provides access to Chitwa
Chitwa, Cheetah Plains, Elephant
Plains, Simbambili, Nkorho and
Djuma Vuyatela.
Photocap: Thornybush upgrades
Thornybush spent R1,7m on soft upgrades to furniture on the main
deck, dining area and reception at Thornybush Game Lodge during
the 2014/15 financial year. A further R2,6m will be spent this year,
renewing the decking at Main Lodge, retiling all suite bathrooms
and refurbishing en-suite bathrooms at Chapungu Luxury Tented
Camp (pictured), and installing pool heaters in Simbambili suites. An
additional suite will be built at Jackalberry Lodge.
Gauteng is rich in safari experiences
GAUTENG presents a wealth of wildlife
experiences.
For those who wish to safari Big Five
style, the Dinokeng Game Reserve is
the place to go. The reserve recently
introduced an 80km self-drive route,
with plans to extend it to 110km. Selfdrivers
can access the reserve via a
dedicated entrance gate. Entrance is
R220 per vehicle, plus a conservation
fee of R30 per adult and R20 per
child. The route is safe for any kind of
vehicle, with areas only accessible by
4x4 clearly marked. A variety of lodges
and restaurants offer activities such as
bush picnics, guided bush walks, bass
fishing, hot-air balloon rides, sunset
cruises, and wine tastings.
Visitors can also combine guided
game drives with township tours.
The Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve
in the Cradle of Humankind has more
than 30 animal species, while the Lion
Park in Honeydew is home to more
than 85 lions, including rare White
lions, cheetah, wild dog and hyena.
Visitors can interact with lions at both
destinations.
Plains game can be viewed at the
Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve and at
Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve south
of Johannesburg. Birding enthusiasts,
meanwhile, should head for the
Marievale Bird Sanctuary near Nigel
or the Abe Bailey Nature Reserve near
Carltonville.
New developments at Legend
IN MAY, Legend Lodges, Hotels &
Resorts rebranded as the Legend
Hospitality Group. As part of the
rebrand, the group will welcome new
products under the Legend banner.
One such property is the Phofu
Eco Safari Lodge in Botswana’s
Central Kalahari Game Park.
The lodge provides luxury tented
accommodation for 18 guests.
News flash
Mpongo Private Game Reserve is extending its restaurant to accommodate 120 diners, up
from 60. The extra space can be used as a separate function/meeting room. Guests can also
use the new Nyala Bush Experience Lapa (100 delegates) or Edu-Centre for conferences.
Did you know?
SAA Voyager and The Thornybush Collection have joined forces to offer exclusive prices to
Voyager Lifetime Platinum and Platinum card members for five- and four-star lodges in
the Collection. Partnered by SA Express, rates include flights to Hoedspruit from JNB and
CPT, with a 20-minute transfer to the Thornybush Private Nature Reserve. Voyager has also
negotiated that the first night of a three-night stay at any of the participating lodges will be
complimentary to Lifetime Platinum and Platinum members, their spouse/partners and up to
two others sharing a suite. For the duration of the trip, guests of Voyager premium members
will be charged at the same rate as the premium members. Valid until July 7 and from
December 1-20.
