6 incentive ideas for Réunion
RÉUNION Island is a popular
destination for exotic
incentives and teambuilding.
A volcanic hot spot, Réunion’s
temperate climate, nature
reserves, blue lagoon, rocky
cliffs and coastline make
it an ideal adventure-filled
incentive destination. Incentive
travellers can enjoy water
sports such as swimming,
deep-sea diving, fishing or
simply relaxing on the beach.
And with more than 40%
of the island being nature
reserve, it’s a hiker’s paradise.
European, African, Indian
and Chinese cultural
influences have inspired a
variety of festivals, food and
architecture, with Creole
culture particularly fascinating
to visitors.
Hélène Bezuidenhoudt, Atout
France’s regional manager,
says Réunion guarantees the
same levels of comfort and
standard of living as Europe’s
cities. “It’s malaria free, has
high-tech communication
technology and is a safe and
secure environment. South
Africans can also visit Réunion
visa-free, which is a great
advantage for incentives and
meetings.”
The island’s 54 hotels vary
in style and can be found
in charming towns, tourist
hotspots and on the coast.
Air Austral operates two flights
weekly from Johannesburg
to Réunion, with seamless
connections from Cape Town
and Durban.
Six great incentive activities
in Réunion:
1. Tour the island by helicopter
2. Take a trip to the Maïdo,
Réunion’s most isolated
volcanic cirque
3. Enjoy the floral wonders of
the Cirque de Salazie
4. Climb the island’s volcano
5. Enjoy a dolphin and whale
safari
6. Explore a lava tunnel.
Looking for unique
experiences?.
ABU Dhabi’s diverse
options will thrill incentive
travellers, whether it’s a
ride on the world’s fastest
roller coaster at Ferrari
World Abu Dhabi, a visit
to Al Ain – one of the
world’s oldest inhabited
settlements – or a visit
to Liwa Desert, gateway
to the famed Empty
Quarter, the world’s largest
uninterrupted sand mass.
Among the must see and
do excursions in Abu Dhabi
are a visit to the Sheikh
Zayed Grand Mosque,
which can accommodate
41 000 worshippers, the
falcon displays at Abu
Dhabi Falcon Hospital
and Heritage Village – a
traditional oasis village
showing the desert way
of life. Guests can also
explore Yas Island from
behind the wheel of a
Ferrari as part of an
excursion to Ferrari World
Abu Dhabi theme park.
At Al Ain they can visit the
camel market, historic forts
and go white-water rafting,
kayaking and surfing.
Visitors can also enjoy a
desert safari, play golf and
drive off-road.
Other specialised
incentives include
complimentary welcome
dinners, city tours,
evening functions, desert
safaris and dune dinners,
golf rounds, VIP tours of
the Yas Marina Circuit
and more.
Did you know?
Crystal Cruises’ new 62-guest six-star yacht, Crystal Esprit, will undertake
its maiden voyage in the Seychelles on December 23. According to
Dalene Oroni the voyage is fantastic for small group charters and
incentive travellers seeking an ultra-luxurious, truly exclusive experience.
“Its shallow draught enables it to sail into secluded harbours, coves and
islands not accessible to larger cruise ships. Guests can snorkel, swim,
water ski, jet ski, paddle and go kayaking,” she says.
For the adventurous at heart
DESTINATION Africa Tours
(DAT) offers specialised
adventure travel in East
Africa, perfect for incentive
travellers who love the
outdoors and out-ofthe-ordinary
adventure
experiences.
Incentive travellers can
hike Kilimanjaro and
Mount Meru in Tanzania,
Mount Kenya in Kenya, and
Mount Rwenzori in Uganda;
explore Zanzibar; track
gorillas and chimpanzees in
Rwanda and Uganda; see
the wildebeest migration in
Tanzania and Kenya; and
enjoy wildlife safaris in
Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania
and Kenya.
Nikki van Veelen says
DAT is able to customise
packages for any
requirement, whether for
individual incentives, small
or large group incentives,
or team building. “However,
agents must be aware that
our tours require a certain
level of fitness,” she
cautions.
For East African incentive
trips, Nikki recommends
the Masai Mara Game
Reserve in Kenya, the
Kilimanjaro and Serengeti
national parks in Tanzania;
Volcanoes National Park in
Rwanda and the Bwindi and
Kibale National Parks in
Uganda.
THE recent acquisition by
Premier Hotels & Resorts
of the Sani Pass Hotel,
the historic Himeville Arms
Hotel in the southern
Drakensberg and Premier
Hotel The Richards in
Richards Bay, means there
are now 15 hotels in its
portfolio that cater for
small and large incentives,
says Grant Sandham,
the group’s sales and
marketing manager.
“Our hotels in Cape Town,
Knysna, East London, Port
Edward, Richards Bay, and
the Drakensberg are ideally
located for the incentives
market,” says Grant, adding
that Mpongo Private Game
Reserve in East London
offers a fantastic bush
experience for individuals
and small groups.
Incentives around East
London can be combined
with conferencing at the
East London International
Convention Centre (ELICC),
which can host conferences
of 1 500 delegates.
Large groups can be
accommodated at the
Premier Hotel Regent and
Premier Hotel ELICC.
Book it!
For those who wish to combine an incentive with a conference element,
Thompsons Holidays is offering a three-night package at the new Park
Hyatt Zanzibar in Stone Town from R7 850 for a twin room and R10 500
for a single room. The rate includes accommodation, transfers, and full
conference facilities with refreshments and a three-course lunch daily.
Destination Africa Tours is offering a seven-day ‘Best of Tanzania’ fiveday
private safari itinerary from R25 567pps based on four pax, which
includes four nights and game drives in three of Tanzania’s most iconic
game parks – Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park
and Ngorongoro Crater. The package includes return flights and taxes,
leaving from JNB (via Dar es Salaam), two nights’ B&B accommodation
at Karama Lodge in Arusha and four nights’ full-board accommodation
in superior lodges and tented camps in the national parks. The price is
valid for travel from November 1-30.
Charter a train to the J&B Met!
AS GROUPS can now tailormake
their own Blue Train
charters and routes to suit
their objectives, incentive
planners have the opportunity
to put together some truly
unique incentives. For
example, they can choose a
golf or safari charter with the
train stopping at or near golf
courses and game lodges
situated on a rail route.
Charters can also include
stops at major events such
as the Vodacom Durban July,
the Nedbank Golf Challenge
in Sun City and the J&B Met
in Cape Town. It can also
be chartered for strategic
meetings, product launches,
VIP cocktail parties, and
lunches and dinners with
a variety of different route
options. The conference
car can accommodate
22 delegates and is fully
equipped with audio-visual
and technical equipment for
high-level business meetings
or small conferences.
Combination stays ideal
for high-end clients
COMBINING stays across
a variety of different
properties can offer high-end
incentive travellers a very
diverse holiday experience,
says Tamarin Transell.
“For example, incentive
travellers can combine a
stay at one of our Mauritius
properties with a stay
at LUX* Saint Gilles on
Réunion Island – with
both destinations offering
very different, yet amazing
experiences,” she says.
And when LUX* opens the
LUX* Al Zorah on the UAE’s
Ajman coastline in late
2016, incentive travellers
will be able to make use of
Emirates’ convenient flight
connections to enjoy threeand
four-night combination
stays at LUX* Al Zorah and
the LUX* South Ari Atoll
Maldives.
At LUX*’s hotels and
resorts, its Reasons to Go
product surprises guests
with pop-up treats such as
Café LUX* roasted coffee,
ICI homemade ice-cream;
Message in a Bottle, which
contains a complimentary
treat, and Phone Home,
which offers free calls to
friends and family around
the world.
Newsflash
World Leisure Holidays recently added RIU Hotels & Resorts, the four-star
Sands Resort & Spa, and the five-star Maradiva Villas, Resort & Spa
in Mauritius to its product portfolio. “We do not own these hotels but
are contracted to sell them in the South African market,” says Michelle
Hunter. Meanwhile, Sun Resorts, which owns World Leisure Holidays,
has bought the five-star deluxe Four Seasons Resort Mauritius. The Four
Seasons group will continue to manage the property.
How to match teambuilding
to objectives
TEAMBUILDING activities are
as varied as the universe
is big. From saving rhinos
to playing an instrument to
jumping over obstacles, the
options available are endless.
Matching activities to goals
and outcomes, however, is
not as simple as choosing
options for a fun day out of
the office.
According to Gerry Skerritt,
director at Dream Team
Catalyst, there are literally
hundreds of distinctive
products in its portfolio.
“But each one has a defined
business benefit built in,
so one size won’t fit all.
Some of the processes are
diametrically opposed,” he
says. “For example, about
half of our activities are
collaborative and the other
half are competitive. Clearly,
if a company wants to drive
home a message of ‘One
team, one company, one goal’
it would be counter-productive
to choose an activity that is
very competitive.”
Cany Bugler, md of Tri Active
Events Management, agrees,
saying it is vital to match
activities to outcome. “The
onus is on the teambuilding
company to match these
outcomes with the focus area
and ensure they are choosing
something that meets their
needs and produces the
intended results.”
Ask the right questions
When advising about
teambuilding trips,
agents should start by
asking some simple,
yet essential questions,
says Cany. The question
of why the corporate is
teambuilding must be
answered first. “And not
only why but why now,
what must be achieved,
who should attend, and
when must it happen?”
she adds. “Only when you
have very clear answers to
these questions can you
look at how to match your
objective to an activity.”
More sophisticated
tools, such as Event
Finder, have also become
available to assist
corporates. Event Finder
is used to filter the most
appropriate activities for
a particular portfolio.
According to Gerry, this
tool simply assists
in ticking boxes. “By
entering data such as
group size, time available
and required outcomes –
simply checking boxes – a
list of suitable activities
are displayed and clients
can click through to get
a more in-depth idea of
what the activity is all
about,” he explains.
Put the objective first
Too much choice
(sometimes mind-boggling
choice) can be a challenge,
say both Gerry and Cany.
“This becomes a barrier
when a client doesn’t have
a very clear idea of the
purpose of the teambuild
or the desired outcomes,”
says Gerry.
“Another challenge
arises when a theme is
decided upon and then
it’s a scramble to make
everything else fit. It’s
definitely a case of putting
the cart before the horse
when the ad agency decides
that a space theme with
a pay-off line ‘To Infinity
& Beyond’ should be the
central driving force for
the entire conference from
invitations to décor, to
gala dinner, presentations
and the teambuilding. The
‘silver bullet’ solution that
we have for the client’s
current realities is not even
considered as there is no
way of squeezing a space
ship or some light sabres
into the programme!”
Top tips
1. Know the reason why your
client is teambuilding,
says Cany, and then brief
the suppliers as well as
possible.
2.Cany suggests making
the activity as inclusive
as possible, taking into
account physical and
intellectual abilities,
cultural mix and the levels
of hierarchy attending.
3. Attention should be given
to the time allocated for
the activity and whether
the objectives can be met
in the time allocated.
“Be realistic about this
and don’t expect miracles
in a three-hour session
– it is a progression
over a longer time
period,” says Cany.
4. Gerry notes the
importance of
demonstrating that all
team members are
valued. “Not considering
the entire team’s
preferences results in an
activity being chosen that
only appeals to the boss
or the organiser.”
Cruises in Croatia popular
with small groups
CROATIA is rapidly
increasing in popularity as
an incentive destination,
says Inge Dobihal, with
island-hopping cruises
ideal for smaller groups of
a maximum of 40 people.
“These cruises are great
because they can sail
into small harbours and
inlets that the larger ships
cannot reach. For larger
groups, more than one
ship can be chartered,”
she says.
When dealing with
multigenerational groups,
says Inge, Austria
Connection offers optional
programmes on certain
days, with some group
members attending a
Johann Strauss concert, for
example, while others go
clubbing for the evening.
“And in most
places, different meal
requirements such as
kosher or halaal can be
catered for.”
5 of nature’s best meeting spots
Golden Gate Hotel and Chalets
The Golden Gate Hotel and
Chalets in the Golden Gate
Highlands National Park in
the Free State offers a wide
range of first-class services
and conference facilities
along with full-board and
self-catering accommodation.
The newly renovated property
was previously known as
the Brandwag Hotel. “The
mountainous Golden Gate
National Park is great for
hiking and there is plenty to
do for the rest of the family.
The park is equidistant from
Durban and Johannesburg and
can be reached with an easy
three to four hours’ drive from
both cities,” Ross says.
Mopani Rest Camp
Approximately seven hours’
drive from Johannesburg, the
Mopani Rest Camp provides
delegates with a true bush
experience in the heart of
the Kruger National Park. The
property offers designated
conference facilities, an ATM,
a bar, restaurant and selfcatering
accommodation.
“There is also a variety
of activities on offer, from
guided game drives and
walks to self-drive safaris,”
comments Ross.
Mountain Zebra National Park Rest Camp
“Invigorating crystal-clear air,
beautiful scenery, tranquil
ambience and an abundance
of wildlife combine to provide
delegates with a true African
wilderness experience in the
Mountain Zebra National
Park,” says Ross. Spread over
28 000 hectares, the park is
home to over 700 endangered
Cape Mountain zebra as well
as Black rhino, cheetah and
recently re-introduced lions.
The park offers self-catering
accommodation, conference
facilities and cellphone
reception. Delegates can also
take part in the guided walks
offered by the property.
Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge
Situated on the gentle
slopes of an ancient
volcano on the periphery
of the Pilanesberg
National Park and just
under two hours’ drive
from Johannesburg and
Pretoria, Kwa Maritane
Bush Lodge is a popular
venue for large-scale
conferencing. Literally
meaning ‘The Place of
the Rock’, this venue
offers full-board and selfcatering
accommodation
and offers guests
all the amenities of
an exclusive resort.
“Because the lodge
is a mere 10km from
Sun City, conference
delegates will not only
enjoy being able to break
away on ‘Big 5’ game
drives but can also enjoy
the facilities of Sun
City,” Ross adds.
Karoo Main Rest Camp
“The Karoo is a fantastic
destination for executive
breakaways and small
group conferencing as
it enables delegates to
focus with utmost clarity
on the topic at hand
without any modern-day
distractions,” says Ross.
Able to accommodate a
maximum of 120 guests,
the Karoo Main Rest Camp
provides breakfast as part
of the accommodation cost.
Guests can enjoy guided
game drives when they are
not resting in fully equipped
Dutch-style family units.
