Longer lead times for high-end travel
WHEN it comes to local
trips, South African
luxury travellers are
booking further in advance,
with suppliers reporting
longer lead times than in
previous years.
Nic Griffin, chief executive
of The Thornybush Collection,
says at the moment the
safari industry has a space
challenge, and when this
happens, the booking period
gets longer. “Having said
that, there is still last-minute
business, which suits us and
we’re sitting with occupancies
of 85% across our lodges.”
When it comes to
destinations a bit further
from home, Joanne Visagie,
sales and marketing manager
of Beachcomber, says
booking patterns continue to
be late, although some are
booking earlier for peak travel
periods like school holidays.
“Our hotels are popular and
fill up quickly, so it’s best to
secure bookings quickly.”
She also says that allinclusive
travel is becoming
increasingly popular, even in
the luxury segment. “It helps
travellers to correctly budget
for their holiday and brings
great peace of mind knowing
they won’t have to dig deep
into their pockets all the time
during their stay.”
She adds, though, that
there are still some very
wealthy clients who seek
“top drawer” hotels for their
holiday and do not request
all-inclusive as they are
used to ordering their first
choice of meal or drink and
would not want to conform
to a pre-established list of
options.
Luxury travel gets personal
PERSONALISATION has been
one of the big buzzwords
for luxury travel over the
last few years – and
it’s a trend that doesn’t
seem to be going away
as travellers increasingly
seek experiences that are
tailor-made to their specific
interests and tastes. But
what does this actually
mean for agents – and how
are suppliers adapting their
offerings to cater to this
demand?
Amy Reynolds, luxury
brand manager of Cruises
International, says
personalisation has become
extremely important as
luxury travellers seek out
unique experiences over
luxury goods. “Experiences
are flexible and can be
tailored to meet the needs
of any guest,” she says. “In
the cruising industry, this is
evident in the added benefits
that cruise lines offer such
as additional beverage
packages, excursions, spa
packages or ship credit.”
Luxury means totally
different things to different
people, points out Joanne
Visagie of Beachcomber. “It
may be thread count, butlers
or Michelin stars,” she says,
“or perhaps its high service
levels, the location of the
resort, high standards of
accommodation, proximity of
the beach or the variety of
hotel facilities.
“This requires high-level
thinking, confidence and
skill in the consultation
process by the travel
agent,” says Joanne. “Any
personal requests or needs
are shared with us by the
travel agent, and we ensure
this is carried through at
the hotel during their stay.
One person’s luxury can be
another person’s ordinary,
so it’s this discernment that
is pivotal. The overall stay
needs to be special and
catered to their own personal
preferences, combining
enjoyment, enrichment,
appreciation of surroundings
at a price that represents
value for money.”
No gimmicks
But Nic Griffin of The
Thornybush Collection, says
personalisation is less
about the gimmicky extras
and far more about careful
consideration of all the guest
touch points during their
stay. For example, he says,
Thornybush introduced a
butler system, where deck
staff are allocated certain
guests to look after for the
duration of the stay, which he
says has become “pleasantly
competitive” among staff.
He also stresses that it’s
important to encourage
visibility by senior staff,
particularly during meal
times. This ensures
that service levels are
maintained, and also gives
guests the opportunity to
speak to lodge managers
about their experience,
preferences and also the
opportunity to raise any
issues.
How to impart that
luxury feeling
AGENTS have an important
role to play in making sure
that the luxury experience
is extended at every stage
of the process – from pretrip
to post-trip. This can
be achieved in a variety
of ways – but one of the
most important aspects
is providing luxury clients
with as much information
as possible to ensure the
money they are spending is
going towards the right kind
of holiday.
Beachcomber’s Joanne
Visagie says, as a
wholesale tour operator,
they are responsible
for ensuring the retail
travel trade can turn to
them for the best advice,
information, sales tools and
tips. “We have a dedicated
travel agent portal on our
website which allows travel
agents to tap into these
tools.”
She says this includes
not only visual materials,
but also tips for agents
dealing with special types
of travellers, such as
those planning a wedding
at a Beachcomber resort.
“We have the information
pertaining to this, making
it simple and allowing
the agent to be effective
and professional in their
dealings with their clients.
“We also have a highly
trained and experienced
national sales and
reservations team, whose
sole focus is liaising with
the retail travel agents on
our products.
“We are the true
specialists on our resorts,
so our aim is that the
travel agents, our friends
and partners in travel,
are experts too, which is
why we have many tools
for them to use in their
consultation process,”
adds Joanne.
Nic Griffin of The
Thornybush Collection,
agrees, and says it’s up
to the supplier to give the
trade the necessary tools
to help them to better
inform clients of all the
options available to them.
“This can be through a
brochure or even a
portal where they can
see what they can do and
experience.” He says,
though, that in some ways,
less can be more. “It is
probably better to over
deliver when they arrive,”
says Nic, who thinks that
bombarding travellers with
too much detail may take
away some of the mystery
and surprise that they can
look forward to.
LUX* launches new activities for 2017
LUX* Resorts & Hotels
has launched a number of
new resort features and
experiences as part of
its Reasons To Go LUX*
campaign.
For guests wanting
to learn more about
photography, LUX* has
entered into a partnership
with photographer, Michael
Freeman, to create a
PhotoInspire booklet and
workshops, so that guests
can learn how to create the
perfect holiday shots using
a smartphone, traditional
camera or SLR. At any LUX*
resort in Mauritius, Réunion
or the Maldives, guests can
hire the latest photographic
equipment and transform
their photos into photobooks,
calendars or printed gifts.
In every guest room, LUX*
provides a PhotoFinder – a
guide to locate the best
spots to capture the best
views, unique to each island.
It has also introduced the
new Junkart Studio and
Gallery, where guests can
participate in art classes and
workshops, learning how to
make crafts from up-cycled
materials.
Another new activity
for 2017 is expert-led
workshops, ranging from
yoga retreats to wine tasting
and cooking classes.
Professionals from all over
the world will be hosted by
LUX* to offer their experience
in a variety of exciting
activities for a short period.
The full calendar is available
on the LUX* website.
South Africans want affordable luxury
DESPITE the strengthening of
the rand, many South African
travellers are still feeling
the pinch and are carefully
considering their luxury travel
plans so that they are more
budget friendly.
Joanne Visagie of
Beachcomber, says our
fluctuating exchange rate
may have deepened the
meaning of luxury travel for
many – making it a more
“multi-dimensional” term,
though there are true luxury
clients who are unaffected by
currency fluctuations.
When it comes to bush
experiences, Nic Griffin
says about 20% of The
Thornybush Collection’s
business is South African,
so it’s important to have
an offering that appeals to
the local market. He says
it is difficult to bring down
rates significantly due to
unavoidable running costs,
from increased reserve
security as a result of the
rhino poaching crisis, to
vehicle costs and staff
salaries.
He says Thornybush has a
self-catering camp, Nkelenga,
which sleeps eight guests
and has its own ranger,
tracker and vehicle, and
this is a particularly popular
choice for price-sensitive
South African travellers
who still want a luxury
bush experience.
“The business to this camp
is 90% South African and
10% international, while at
our full-service camps, there
is a far smaller percentage
of locals compared to foreign
guests,” says Nic. He says
this isn’t necessarily due to
more cost-effective pricing; it
is often just the preference
of South African travellers
who enjoy the more flexible
schedule with less routine.
Simplicity is the big trend for 2017
SIMPLICITY is going to be
the big trend for luxury
travel in 2017. According
to Ovation Vacation’s
Luxury Vacations Trends
2017 report: “We’ve been
obsessed with words like
‘experience’, ‘authentic’ and
‘curated’,” says the report,
but the word of 2017 will be
simplicity.
“Travel has become too
complicated. Too many
options, too many channels,
too many inconsistent
prices. At a time when
people are overwhelmed
with apps, blogs,
reviews, aggregator sites,
social media channels,
inconsistent news feeds,
and endless options
therein, people will revert to
simple options,” states the
report.
Hotels say this will mean
stripping away some of the
extravagant aspects
of hotel design, and
returning to more ‘rustic
luxury’, complemented
by excellent food and
wellness experiences.
It is also predicted that
health and wellness will play
a bigger role in luxury travel
in the coming years. Neil
Jacobs, ceo of Thailandbased
Six Senses Hotels
Resorts & Spas, provides
the examples of Six
Senses’ Integrated Wellness
platform, which provides
four different wellness
programme themes: Sleep
and Resilience, Trim and
Fit, Cleanse and Detox, and
an exercise programme
called 100% Full Potential.
Last year, the company
also launched its Sleep
With Six Senses initiative,
focused on improving the
quality of guests’ sleep,
with new beds with in-built
motion detectors, so
hotel staff can develop
customised therapies based
on individual sleep data.
This year, it will launch a
new Eat With Six Senses
programme, emphasising
organic goods and nutrition
education.
Did you know?
As space increasingly
becomes an issue for the
group, Thornybush is looking
at building a new luxury
tented lodge by the end of
2018. This is being carefully
considered to ensure that
guest and vehicle densities
are not increased in order to
protect the sense of privacy
and exclusivity currently
provided by inside the
reserve.
Did you know?
The Crystal Symphony will
be in SA waters for the first
time this December, as part
of its world cruise. In other
news, Crystal Cruises will be
expanding from the seas to
the skies as it prepares to
launch Crystal Air Cruises.
This will provide guests with
a selection of 15- to 29-day
all-inclusive journeys around
the world by private jet.
Photocap:VIP service at Royal Palm
All clients who book Beachcomber’s Royal Palm automatically have the Saphir VIP meetand-greet
service included in their package. A representative from Beachcomber’s ground
operator will meet the clients with a name board, a cold towel and a bottle of water per
person, and escort them to their awaiting car transfer. Upon arrival, they will be greeted by
a member of the hotel’s executive management team and escorted, together with a public
relations officer, to their suite, at which time the guests are offered a choice of welcome
drink from the bar – a VSOP cognac or a glass of champagne are popular choices. An
unpacking service is then offered on a complimentary basis. Other extras include allocated
sun loungers on the beach, complimentary iced water and sorbet, and the option of
ordering breakfast and dinner in suite each day at no extra charge.
Eight great luxury specials
1.Cruises International is
offering a 25% reduction
on the going exchange
rate for bookings on the
13-day Mauritius to Cape
Town voyage on the Crystal
Symphony, departing on
December 9, 2017. Fares
start from R58 000pps.
Bookings must be made
by October 1. Terms and
conditions apply.
2. Austria Connection is
offering ‘two for the
price of one’ specials on
various Amadeus River
Cruises for 2017. This
includes cruises aboard the
Princess for the Classical
Rhine itinerary, departing
July 13 and arriving on
July 20, and departing
August 10 and arriving
on August 17. This also
applies to the Princess
Danube Rhapsody itinerary,
departing June 1 and
arriving June 8, and
departing June 8, arriving
June 15.
3. World Leisure Holidays is
offering a five-star luxury
special to Maradiva Villas
Resort & Spa in Mauritius,
with rates starting from
R33 390 including return
direct flights on Air
Mauritius, return airport
transfers, all land and nonmotorised
water sports,
daily entertainment and
travel insurance. The halfboard
package includes
breakfast and dinner daily.
It excludes approximate
taxes and levies of R3 900
per adult. The special is
valid between April 22 and
September 28, excluding
June 30 to July 18.
4.Beachcomber’s Royal Palm
is offering a 20% Early
Bird discount on both its
accommodation cost and
the dinner supplement. A
honeymoon special of 30%
is also available along with
exclusive perks such as a
complimentary lunch daily
for the couple.
5. Flame of Africa is offering
a Zimbabwe SADC special,
‘Call of the Wild’, with rates
from R31 380pps. This
includes return flights from
Johannesburg to Buffalo
Range, road transfers, three
nights’ accommodation at
Chilo Gorge in a luxury room
on a fully inclusive basis,
activities, park fees and
departure tax. Valid from
April 3 to September 28
excluding June 22 to
July 6.
6. Travel Vision is offering an
eight-day India honeymoon
special with rates starting
from R26 034pps, valid until
March 31. This includes
return airfare and taxes,
return domestic airfare,
two nights at the five-star
Trident Nariman Point Hotel
in Mumbai and five nights
in Goa at the five-star Zuri
Varca White Sands Beach
Resort, including breakfast,
half-day Mumbai city tour,
sightseeing tour of Goa,
and a complimentary bottle
of Indian wine and flower
bouquet on arrival in Goa.
7.Regent Seven Seas Cruises
is offering discounted
rates on its Monte Carlo to
Barcelona cruise. Deluxe
veranda suites start from
US$3 760pp (R49 000)
for a seven-night cruise,
departing June 11 and
arriving on June 18. Ports
of call include Florence/
Pisa (Livorno), Rome
(Civitavecchia), Sorrento/
Capri, Provence (Marseille)
and Sanary Sur Mer.
8. LUX* is offering a ‘Family
Siesta’ special at Tamassa,
with two children under
the age of 12 sharing with
parents staying free of
charge in a superior room.
Valid for travel until
October 31.
Air France opens new business-class lounge
AIR France
has opened
a new lounge
for Business
and Elite Plus
customers
departing from
Terminal 2G in
Paris-Charles
de Gaulle. The
lounge area
has increased
in size by
five times to
730 sqm and
the space
has been
completely redesigned.
Upon arrival, passengers
can proceed to the
interactive kiosks or
contact one of the
available Air France
agents who are equipped
with tablets to provide
personalised responses to
any questions customers
may have.
The lounge features large
sofas, designer cushions
and new lighting and
furniture while the shower
area features spa products
and services.
The
lounge also
includes a
new Parisian
brasseriestyle
dining
area,
featuring an
open kitchen
where hot and
cold dishes
are freshly
prepared. For
customers
who are in a
hurry, a coffee
bar area, in partnership
with Illy, offers a selection
of fast-food-type snacks.
From May, a baker will
prepare a new range of
pastries and other French
delicacies, baked and
served fresh from the
oven.
“This modern and
efficient lounge offers our
customers fast and easy
access, a generous and
comfortable space and a
selection of fresh dishes,”
says Franck Terner,
ceo of Air France.
“This premium lounge,
reflecting our ‘French
Touch’, is a considerable
asset for Air France
compared with our
competitors.”
In other news, all Air
France’s La Première
customers on long-haul
flights are being provided
with new comfort kits. In
partnership with luxury
beauty brand Carita, the
kit includes essentials
for an “instant beautyenhancing
effect”, such as
moisturising face, eye and
hand creams, a luxury lip
balm, face pack, ear plugs,
comb and pen.
Meet Gomolemo Manche
“I’VE ALWAYS been an avid
traveller, and after several
expensive holidays, inevitably
we’d arrive at our destination
and there would be issues, and
there would be no one available
to sort out our problems,” says
Gomolemo.
Based on these repeated
disappointments, with a sound
business plan and a resolve to
succeed, Gomolemo decided
it was time for her to start her
own travel business.
“Our first client was
government, as this was the
easiest avenue to get into the
business, but once we proved
that we were affordable and
reliable, our business began
to grow and we now also have
corporate and leisure clients.”
Taking pride in offering an
exclusive superior level of
service, Gomolemo says she
seeks the ultimate experience
for her high-nett-worth clients,
who tend to travel extensively
for leisure.
“I really believe that if you’re
going to take someone’s hardearned
money, you have to
deliver. We do this from the
very beginning by making sure
we ask the relevant questions
right at the start. Luxury travel
is about creating a seamless
experience for your clients
– it’s not necessarily about
extravagance. It’s about making
sure they are booked into the
properties that support their
needs at any specific time,”
says Gomolemo.
She adds that an essential
aspect of providing a luxury
service is being available all
the time. “For this reason, we
have an after-hours line and we
are available to take calls and
reply to messages 24 hours
a day. When you travel, things
can go colossally wrong, but
if you communicate effectively
with your clients, you can sort
out problems before they can
snowball out of control,” she
says.
Another way she
differentiates her service is by
extra touches for loyal clients,
which may be a surprise gift
of a pre-travel pack with a
power bank, aircraft pillow and
snacks, or even an album of
photographs from their trip
after they return from their
holiday.
Tapping into the trends
Staying on top of ever-changing
requirements and trends has
also been one of the major
factors behind her success.
“I realised that many of my
clients were moving away from
the typical large luxury hotels
and instead requested ultraluxury
boutique properties,
so we started establishing
relationships with these
establishments,” she explains.
“A lot of my clients don’t
want to feel that they’re just
a number,” which she says
is often the case in the large
luxury hotels.
“They usually have really nice
houses and are well taken care
of at home, and they expect
the same during their travels
– so they tend to go to the
smaller establishments where
every detail is taken care of.”
In response, Gomolemo
focused on building strong
relations with a collection of
hand-picked properties in Africa
and the Indian Ocean Islands.
“This has been a process,
as typically these properties
want to see that you will be
supporting them before they
start supporting you back – but
we’ve managed to establish
these reciprocal relationships
which have gone from strength
to strength over the years.”
She says her clients
are particularly keen on
travelling in Africa at
the moment. “Nairobi,
Kenya, Angola and Ghana
are all popular, along
with the Indian Ocean
island destinations of
Mauritius, Réunion Island
and Zanzibar.” December and
Easter tend to be the busiest
seasons for family travel, as a
result of the school holidays,
while January is a very popular
time for “flexible professionals”
to travel – including artists and
entertainers who tend to be
very busy in December.
She has also had great
success packaging travel
around specific events.
“People are hungry for
these kinds of travel
experiences, and just want
a reliable, one-stop shop that
they can book through,” she
adds. “This is where we fit in
with the lifestyle aspect of our
travel management company –
so they don’t have to worry
about booking their own
tickets, finding places to stay
or arranging transport. We
curate and create memorable
experiences for individual
clients, and in this way are
able to keep bringing them
something fresh and different,”
says Gomolemo.
