Show your enthusiasm!
SCENARIO: A two-night romantic
getaway with a luxury feel for a couple.
Self-drive budget of R2 500 each for
somewhere close to Johannesburg.
All three agencies were contacted via
email, either from website links or
directly to email addresses listed on
the company website branch listing.
Flight Centre, Centurion
I used the Flight Centre
website to send an enquiry
through and immediately
received the company’s
auto-response confirming
what I had requested.
Although I thought I was
sending the request to
the Eastgate branch I
received a response from
the Centurion branch within
two hours of sending my
request.
Amelia Strydom sent
me two Magaliesburg
options to look at. One was nicely
within the budget and the second
was slightly over.
What I really liked was that
her email was personal and
enthusiastic, with pictures included
to help me get a feel for the options
without having to go into the two
websites for additional information.
Her email and the pictures she
inserted into the email certainly
encouraged me to look further at
both options.
She has only been in the industry
for a year and has
already visited 12
countries. Her passion
for what she does was
very evident.
At no time did I feel
as if I was just another
client that she needed
to churn out a quote for.
What a pleasure to deal
with her. If this had been
a real weekend away
that I was planning,
Amelia’s attitude
would certainly have
contributed to getting me excited
about it.
Pentravel, Bedford Centre
I selected the branch I wanted to
work with from the branch locator
button on the Pentravel website. A
feature I really like on Pentravel’s
site is that you can select an agent
you would like to work with. The
agent I randomly selected was out
of the office on the day I emailed,
but her out-of-office message
confirmed that she would contact
me the next day.
She did, both via email and phone,
using the call to confirm what dates
I was looking at. She promised to
send the quote soon. I followed
up with an email a day later to
ask if she had managed to look
at my quote yet, and a day later
she emailed back, asking me to
reconfirm the dates.
Once I had given her the dates
again she responded in just
over an hour with four options in
Magaliesburg and on the Vaal River.
She mentioned that the choices
she had given me were “not too
commercial and provide a tranquil
environment”. She also made a
point of telling me that it had taken
her a while to find them as “there
aren’t many off-the-beaten-path
places around Johannesburg”. Since
all four options were well known and
three were from very big hotel groups
I questioned this comment and it
felt as if she had forgotten about
my quote and was trying to cover up
that fact. A simple apology if that
was the case would have gone down
much better. She did follow up with a
phone call a little while after sending
the quote to confirm that I’d received
it and to ask whether I had made a
decision yet.
STA Trave
I used the ‘Get an email quote’
option under the Contact tab on
the STA website. There was no
automated response to my email to
let me know that my quote request
had been received. Unfortunately,
there was no response after that
either.
Take note!
he purpose of the Naked Agent in this series is to assess 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.
Indian Ocean islands offer the best value
TAGENTS looking to
maximise their clients’
budget should look
no further than Mauritius.
“Mauritius is always a good
value-for-money holiday,”
says Lesley Smith, sales
manager of World Leisure
Holidays. She says the large
variety of hotels available
means there is something
to suit every client’s budget
and requirements. “Clients
can choose from three- to
five-star luxury options and
opt for a half-board, full-board
or all-inclusive package so
that they know what additional
costs they are in for before
departing South Africa,” says
Lesley.
Alexis Bekker, head of
sales and marketing – South
Africa and Africa of LUX*
Resorts and Hotels, believes
that while the economy has
certainly had an effect on
travellers, there are still
many who are unwilling to
compromise on their annual
holiday or getaway. “Mauritius
remains at the top of most
travellers’ lists,” says Alexis.
She adds that the group
is also seeing interest in
Réunion and the Maldives
as well as its new resort in
Turkey, LUX* Bodrum.
“There is no denying that
Mauritius is a romantic
destination,” says Joanne
Visagie, sales and marketing
manager of Beachcomber.
“The starting point of travel
is emotion. Beachcomber
has long recognised and
responded to human
emotional needs. We have an
amazing Romance Collection
and it’s a big market for us.”
Beachcomber has two
wedding packages as well as
anniversary, honeymoon and
renewal of vow packages.
Joanne says: “We understand
the uniqueness of these
events and that is why our
policy is to only organise
one wedding per day at each
resort.” The packages include .
Did you know?
Travellers en-route to the Seychelles for a romantic getaway are treated to warm Creole hospitality from the time
they board the aircraft with its all-Seychellois cabin crew. Business-class passengers on board ‘Amirantes’, the Air
Seychelles Airbus A320, enjoy upholstered seats with built-in massage and lumbar support. Each of the 16 seats
has its own personal in-flight entertainment system and power sockets for charging electronic devices. Menus
offer a blend of international and traditional Creole cuisine, as well as a selection of fine wines. Economy class
has 120 ergonomic seats in a 3-3 configuration and passengers are offered a choice of three main courses. A
wide selection of the latest movies, TV shows, documentaries and games are available on the individual 23cm
touch screen TVs. Various music channels are also available on the in-flight entertainment system.
Romance on a family holiday
A FAMILY holiday doesn’t have
to mean that romance goes
out of the window. Choosing
the correct destination and
hotel means that the whole
family are catered for and
parents get to enjoy some
quality private time while
the rest of the family are
entertained.
Resorts in Mauritius have
successfully been catering for
all members of the family for
many years. Joanne Visagie
of Beachcomber says: “One
of Beachcomber’s strengths
is the family holiday market.
We have refined a recipe to
make all age groups happy.”
All the group’s resorts have
complimentary kids’ clubs
for children from three to 12
years of age. They also have
baby care and babysitting
services and provide kiddies’
menus at restaurants. Some
offer an activities programme
for teenagers during school
holidays.
“The result is that parents
are afforded some child-free
time to relax and catch up
with each other, knowing their
young ones are productively
occupied and well supervised,”
says Joanne. Mauritius is
protected by a coral reef,
meaning the waters are calm
and safe for children to swim
and enjoy water sports. At
the Kids’ Club they can play
games, learn new sporting
skills, participate in treasure
hunts, build sandcastles or
even try their hand at baking.
LUX* Resorts & Hotels
offers Kids and Teens Clubs
at all five of its Mauritius
and two Réunion resorts.
Alexis Bekker of LUX* says,
“We have from three- to fivestar
resorts and all cater for
family – children, teens and
babies. Once you bring our
LUX* Reasons To Go into
the offering, the resorts offer
so much more than just a
babysitting facility. PLAY, the
kids’ clubs, are for three- to
11-year-olds and Studio 17,
the teens’ clubs, are for 12- to
17-year-olds.
“PLAY offers fun activities
such as Cake Boss – children
choose from a variety of prebaked
cakes and cupcakes
and let their creative spirit
run free, with a bit of help
from our pastry chefs. Teddy
Tennis encourages children
to stay healthy by learning to
play tennis using a concept
of rhythm and timing, while
images of teddy bears in
motion show them how
to play.” Treasure hunts,
sandcastle competitions plus
water sports and outdoor
games also keep the children
entertained.
“Beachcomber’s entrylevel
four-star resorts offer
a nursery for children under
three years. Parents are able
to warm milk, grab a yoghurt
or a piece of fruit or order
pureed meals for babies,” says
Joanne. Babysitting is available
at a competitive rate at these
resorts. Five-star Trou Aux
Biches Beachcomber Resort
and Spa offers complimentary
babysitting every afternoon
for parents to enjoy a quiet
afternoon together on the
beach or at the spa.
Sun Resorts’ three
properties in Mauritius are
always ready to welcome
children, says Lesley Smith
of World Leisure Holidays.
“The kids’ clubs at La
Pirogue, Sugar Beach and
Long Beach are well equipped
and supervised with ageappropriate
games daily.” Kids
are kept busy with activities
like crab hunting, kite making,
Sega dance initiation, Creole
lessons and making pizzas.
The kids’ clubs are open to
children aged four to 11 years,
while a teens’ club is available
to children from 12 to 17
years. Children younger than
four must be accompanied by
an adult or babysitter.
David Germain of the
Seychelles Tourism Board
says most of the bigger and
more expensive resorts in the
Seychelles have kids’ clubs
and activities, which include
arts and crafts, cooking
classes and even feeding
turtles at the resorts that have
them. “A brand-new activity
launched recently at the Four
Seasons Resort Seychelles
is Family Zoo Yoga, where
parents join a yoga class with
their little ones, mimicking
various animals in yoga
positions, he says. Another
family activity is the canopy
tours at Constance Ephelia,
operated by SMAC Adventures.
Adult-only options to escape the kids
A ROMANTIC getaway for
a couple travelling without
kids could easily be spoilt if
that quiet time is disrupted
by children enjoying their
holiday in a somewhat
louder fashion. In these
instances, couples may want
to consider an adults-only
resort to escape the chaos.
Lesley Smith of World
Leisure Holidays, says fourstar
Ambre Resort and Spa
in Mauritius is an adults-only
hotel. “It’s an all-inclusive
hotel, so great for knowing
what you are getting before
you go.” Ambre has three
restaurants, loads of
activities and a nightclub.
According to Joanne
Visagie of Beachcomber,
many Mauritius properties
cater very well for adultsonly
travel. “Victoria
Beachcomber Resort and
Spa has an adults-only
wing that will be open for
bookings from December,
and Dinarobin Beachcomber
Resort & Spa’s adults-only
crescent is available to more
upmarket five-star deluxe
clients,” she says.
LUX* Resorts & Hotels
has spaces dedicated to
couples at its properties
in Mauritius and Réunion.
LUX* Grand Gaube is
undergoing a refurb and
will have an adults-only
wing when it reopens
on December 1. Alexis
Bekker of LUX* says: “For
real romance seekers we
recommend LUX* South Ari
Atoll in the Maldives and
LUX* Bodrum in Turkey.
We also offer a Celebration
Corner at each of our
resorts where staff will
help you to plan anything
from a perfect dinner for two
to a surprise celebration.”
Thailand has plenty to
offer couples looking for a
romantic getaway. Lesley
Simpson of the Tourism
Authority of Thailand says
she would recommend some
of the smaller, more intimate
hotels in Phi Phi.
“Krabi is another highly
recommended coastline
as it contains several wellknown
beaches and bays
and is well situated to
explore a number of other
offshore tropical islands.
Hua Hin on the east coast
is a relatively unknown area
on the Gulf of Thailand. It is
more laid back than some of
the areas on the Andaman
coastline, where Phuket is
located.”
Phuket itself offers a
choice of many different
beach options; travellers can
choose between the nightlife
of Patong, or the more
relaxed lovely option that
is Nai Yang beach, close
to the airport.
“Most of the bigger
resorts in the Seychelles
have adults-only facilities,”
says David Germain of the
Seychelles Tourism Board.
“These include awardwinning
spas that are offlimits
to children. Facilities
also include fine-dining
restaurants that are not
suited to little ones.
Kenya targets honeymooners
The Kenya Tourism Board has been working in
partnership with SA wholesalers to position the
country as an idyllic honeymoon and wedding spot.
Fatma Bashir, regional marketing manager of KTB,
says new product development has been a key
area of focus and this has gone hand in hand with
the launch of new packages through South African
wholesalers this year. The board has also launched an
integrated consumer campaign called ‘Asambe Kenya’
to encourage travellers to select Kenya for their next
adventure, family holiday or beach getaway”
Eight great deals
Thompsons Holidays’ fournight,
five-star Diamonds
Mequfi Beach Resort special
in Pemba, Mozambique,
starts from R15 799pps.
The package includes return
flights from Johannesburg
to Pemba, including
taxes, return airport-hotel
transfers, breakfast, lunch
and dinner served at
Assinatura Restaurant daily,
drinks served during meals
and at the Bela Baia Bar
from 10h00 to 24h00 and
snacks served at the pool
bar. Value-adds include daily
activities such as beach
soccer, volleyball, water
gym, yoga and stretching,
a 30-minute wind kart
lesson, WiFi and in-room
mini bar service. Valid until
December 23.
Travel Vision’s five-night
‘Explore Mombasa’ special
starts from R9 929pps.
It includes five nights’
accommodation on a halfboard
basis at the four-star
Flamingo Beach Resort and
Spa, return airport transfers,
meet-and-greet services,
taxes and Flying Doctor
membership. Travellers can
add on a half-day Mombasa
city tour for R1 253pp.
This includes a visit to Fort
Jesus, the old town, baobab
forest and Elephant Tusks
and Akamba Woodcraft.
Valid until November 30.
The Holiday Factory
is offering a seven-night
special at the five-star
Cocoon Maldives with
rates starting from
R29 560pps. The package
includes return flights from
Johannesburg to Maldives,
return resort transfers by
seaplane, seven nights’
accommodation in a beach
villa, meals on a half-board
basis and taxes. Valid until
September 30.
Avocatur Wholesale
Tour Operator is offering
a 10-night Phuket and
Bangkok Thailand package
from R9 699pps. The rate
includes three nights’
accommodation at Amari
Watergate and seven nights
at Amari Coral Beach Resort
in a superior ocean room,
buffet breakfast, airport
transfers and two tours.
Valid until October 31.
Beachcomber Tours’
seven-night December
special for the five-star
all-inclusive Shandrani
Beachcomber Resort and
Spa starts from
R34 320pps. Valid from
December 9-13. Rate
includes accommodation
in a superior room
(complimentary upgrade
to deluxe room subject
to availability), return Air
Mauritius flights from
Johannesburg, taxes and
return transfers.
World Leisure Holidays
is offering a seven-night
Mauritius special with rates
from R34 100 at the fivestar
Maradiva Villas Resort
and Spa. It includes return
Air Mauritius flights from
Johannesburg, return private
standard car transfers,
accommodation in a garden
suite pool villa, all land and
non-motorised water sports,
daily entertainment and
breakfast and dinner daily. It
excludes approximate taxes
of R3 900 per adult. Valid
until September 28.
Kulula holidays is offering
a seven-night Thailand
package with rates from
R12 039pps. It includes
return flights from
Johannesburg to Phuket and
taxes, return airport-hotel
transfers, accommodation
in a deluxe room at The
Crest Resort and Pool Villas
in Phuket and breakfast
daily. An extra value-add is a
complimentary one-hour foot
or Thai massage, as well as
a Thai set dinner or lunch
(excluding drinks). Valid until
October 31.
Legacy Hotels & Resorts
is offering a Michelangelo
‘Celebration Package’ with
rates from R4 220 per
double room per night. It
includes one night’s stay
at the Michelangelo Hotel
in Sandton with a romantic
turndown, a selection of
canapés and estate wine
on arrival, a three-course
dinner and breakfast
served at Piccolo Mondo
restaurant and a choice of
either a 30-minute hot
stone or warm candle wax
back and neck massage.
Valid on weekends and
public holidays only until
January 31, 2018.
