Know your shopper!
FROM New York to Paris,
Milan to Thailand,
travellers are spoilt for
choice when it comes to
world-renowned shopping
destinations. Agents need
to be able to assist clients
in narrowing down these
choices to deliver a shopping
experience that meets their
expectations.
Asking as many qualifying
questions as possible is
the best way to gauge which
shopping destination would
best suit a particular client,
says owner of Club Corporate
Travel in Cape Town, Lynn
Morris.
“Although experienced
agents can determine certain
things about a client from
the way they are dressed,
it is important to ask
questions and not to make an
immediate judgement,” agrees
Flight Centre Greenstone
travel expert, Janine Venter.
Booking a particular
shopping destination depends
a great deal on what the
client wants to buy, maintains
XL Sandown Travel leisure
manager, Maria Pereira.
Besides observing the client
for subtle clues, relevant
questions to ask a client
include personal preference
and budget.
Questions such as whether
the client is travelling for
personal interest or for
business purposes (buying
in bulk for the purposes of
resale) are also particularly
important, she highlights.
“Places like India and the Far
East are known as good value
for money,” she says.
“While Asian countries offer
variety at good prices, the
more sophisticated traveller
would enjoy New York, Paris
and Milan,” agrees Lynn.
Maria says while it is
important to inform clients
about any specials, it is
also important to keep them
abreast of the exchange rates.
Senior travel consultant at
Lusoglobo in Bruma, Sonia
Da Rocha, says she not only
considers a client’s budget
but also their personal visa
requirements. “Despite Dubai
being a very popular shopping
destination with locals,
we inform travellers that
they need a visa if they are
travelling on a South African
passport,” says Sonia. She
adds that this is sometimes
a determining factor for
travellers, as some would
prefer to travel somewhere
where they do not require a
visa, such as Thailand.
However, Maria points out
that, in her experience, the
majority of the time clients
will walk into the agency
having some idea of where
they want to go. “There is the
occasional client who has
no idea, but this is where
agents need to ask particular
questions.
Top selling tips ”
While shopping is often an
attractive enough reason
on its own for many South
Africans to travel, there are
a number of ways agents
can take advantage of
this easy sell. “There are
a few countries that have
an annual shopping fair.
Dubai and Singapore are
two examples of this,”
says Maria. Agents should
familiarise themselves
with the global shopping
calendar and help clients
book around events such
as these.
“The Dubai Shopping
Festival, which takes place
in February, is very popular
among South Africans,”
notes Pentravel ceo, Sean
Hough.
Other popular events
include fashion weeks
that take place in major
cities around the world at
various times during the
year. Fashion capital cities
include Milan, London, New
York and Tokyo.
Agents should take a
close look at the exchange
rates, as some shopping
experiences may be more
affordable than travellers
might expect,” says
Trafalgar md, Theresa
Szejwallo. “Often local
currencies are not nearly
as prohibitive as the euro,”
she says.
It is also advisable for
agents to include a travel
card of sorts for shopping
travellers, says Sean. “The
Oyster Card in London,
for example, offers great
transport services for
travellers, while the MTB
skytrain in Bangkok is
another cost-effective
way of getting around the
city.” Ease of access to
transport is a must for
travellers who might be
carrying a lot of shopping
bags.
Newsflash
The Trafalgar Europe & Britain brochure is now available
along with Trafalgar’s Early Payment Discount. Clients can
save up to 10% off the brochure price when booking and
paying by January 29. Additional discounts are available
that can be combined with the EPD, such as the Family &
Group, Solo Travellers, Multiple Trip, Trip Room Share and
Newsflash
Past Guest savings discounts.
Top spots for South Africans...
THERE are a number of
places across the world that
have earned a reputation
as favourite shopping spots
for South African travellers.
The most popular, says Sean
Hough, are Thailand, Dubai,
India, China, Hong Kong, Bali,
New York, London and some
places in South America.
The top three shopping
destinations for South Africans
according to Maria Pereira,
are Dubai, Thailand and
China. “Places like Beijing and
Shanghai are popular, however
Hong Kong has increased in
price over the years and is not
as popular any more.”
Popular shopping spots
also depend greatly on what
the client is looking for, she
comments. “While Dubai
is popular for quality name
brands, for example, places
like Thailand provide South
Africans with more affordable
options.”
Thailand and Dubai are very
popular shopping destinations
for South Africans, agrees
Sonia Da Rocha. “Dubai is
definitely the most popular,
with other popular options
including India and specifically
Bangkok because of the
favourable prices in relation to
the rand.”
Indeed, Thailand has long
been a popular and affordable
destination for South Africans,
comments Lesley Simpson,
spokesperson for the Tourism
Authority of Thailand (TAT)
in South Africa. “From the
boutiques of Bangkok’s
interconnected mega-malls
to the bustling Thai night
markets, shopping in Thailand
is an experience as well as a
bargain.”
When it comes to shopping
in Europe, Theresa Szejwallo,
says some options are more
attractive to budget shoppers,
while other destinations offer
more premium shopping
experiences. “Eastern Europe
still offers great value for
money when it comes to
spend. Prague and Budapest
have many markets and great
value-for-money clothing,
embroidered tablecloths and
locally made goods,” she says,
adding that agents should tell
their clients that they shouldn’t
leave Budapest without buying
local paprika.
“Italy is a popular choice for
handbags and South Africans
seem to have a great love for
these. Burano, on the Venetian
lagoon, offers wonderful
handmade lace items and the
well-known Venetian Carnival
masks, while Murano in Venice
is popular for hand-blown glass
objects,” notes Theresa, who
adds that, in and around the
Italian Lake District, travellers
will also find boutique shops
with excellent Italian-made
handbags and shoes.
Another popular shopping
destination for international
travellers is Paris. Known
around the world for its
impressive list of luxury
brand names, the Champs-
Élysées is a popular must-visit
for travellers who have the
budget. It is the second most
expensive strip of real estate
in Europe, with London’s Bond
Street being the first.
The village of La Vallée,
35 minutes east of Paris,
also offers travellers a luxury
shopping experience with
95 prestigious brands on
offer.
Suggest a more authentic option
AN INCREASING number
of travellers are seeking
authentic experiences when
travelling. This is according
to a report titled, Future
Traveller Tribes 2030,
compiled by Frost & Sullivan
in conjunction with Amadeus.
When it comes to authentic
shopping experiences,
there are a number of
good options for agents to
suggest.
Turkey’s Grand Bazaar and
Spice Market offer authentic
shopping experiences where
bargaining is the order
of the day, and authentic
souvenirs can be bought at
great prices, says Theresa
Szejwallo.
“The same goes for the
souks and bazaars in
Morocco, and at Djemaa
el Fna Square for example,
where guests will be
enthralled by palm-readers,
acrobats, camels and snake
charmers and can also take
advantage of the bargains
that can be found in the
souk,” she adds.
Places such as Thailand,
Bali and Vietnam also
offer a uniquely authentic
experience, says Sean
Hough. At the same time,
they also cater for the South
African traveller who is on a
budget.
Thailand offers floating
markets where hundreds of
boats sell everything from
food to fabric and handcrafts
at bargain prices.
“The most famous floating
markets are Amphawa, which
is easily the most popular
market with the locals;
Damnoen Saduak, which is
the most popular floating
market in Thailand; Taling
Chan, which is famous for its
selection of fresh seafood,
and Khlong Lat Mayom,”
says Lesley Simpson.
Various night markets are
another highlight in Thailand.
“These affordable markets
operate at night in the city
areas and tourists can enjoy
a night out for some fresh
food,” Lesley comments.
There is also the weekend
Chatachuk market, which is a
very popular shopping centre
with Thais and has become
a popular place for tourists
and foreigners who stay in
Bangkok.
“It has over 200 000
visitors each day, a third of
whom are foreign,” notes
Lesley, who says almost
anything can be found at
these markets.
She adds that agents
should inform clients
that negotiating skills are
important when visiting
markets in Thailand.
On the other hand, the
country also boasts large
shopping malls that are
easily accessible, and
include MBK, Terminal 21,
and Central World.
