Five places where the rand goes further
Bali
Bali still offers value for South Africans
wanting to go shopping. “It caters
for a wide range of shoppers and is
where designer brands can be found
beside local and handmade curios.
It is a treasure island of fine art and
handicrafts, antique and semi-antique
furniture, paintings, carved jewellery,
wood and stone carvings, masks,
fabrics, silk scarves, shirts, bags and
many other hand-crafted goods and
also mega-brand names,” says Genine
de Witt, ITC of the Club Travel Group.
She recommends that travellers
visit Ubud’s open-air market, as well
as the Bali Collection, a high-end
department store, Kuta beachwalk,
Mall Bali Galeria, Sukawait Art Market,
Seminyak, Petitenget and Kerobokan,
all good shopping areas.
Thailand
Thailand is another firm favourite.
“Especially when you consider just
how far your baht will take you and
how many interesting purchases
can be bought and bartered for,”
says Theresa Szejwallo, md of The
Travel Corporation and Trafalgar
South Africa. She says while visiting
Bangkok’s Chinatown may be
considered a little “kitsch”, it is a
charming experience. “The night-time
shopping in Khao San Road shouldn’t
be missed, where a wide selection of
sports and travel wear can be found.”
Theresa says Thailand’s afterdark
shopping goes way beyond a
walk in a mall or a stroll through
a market, but lets travellers
immerse themselves in the cultural
uniqueness of Asia.
Dubai
If shopping is the primary
purpose, then agents
should look no further
than Dubai, says Ramesh
Jeenarain, md of World
Leisure Holidays. “Where
else in the world can you
swim with sharks just a
few metres away from
the world’s leading retail
brands? Where else can
you break away from your
shopping spree to have a
quick ski down a snowy
mountain? In what other
city can you spend the morning
bartering for spices in a historic
souq?”
Ramesh says, with over 95
shopping malls, virtually
every global brand is on
sale alongside homegrown
boutiques and labels.
Thaybz Khan, manager:
contemporary brands of
Cruises International,
says if a client’s primary
purpose is shopping,
then Dubai comes top
of the list. “The rate of
exchange is reasonably
low compared with the
UK, Europe and the US,
which allows the rand to
stretch a little further. Getting there
is also a lot more favourable for
South Africans in terms of flights
and visas.”
Turkey
Istanbul, with its avenues filled
with bazaars, open-air markets,
chic boutiques and shopping
malls is another mecca for
shopaholics, particularly those on
a modest budget, says Genine.
“One needs to be an expert in
the art of bargaining and then
hunt for carpets and kilims,
fabrics and linens, jewellery,
art, antiques, handmade shoes,
leather apparel and ceramics.”
Hayley Walls, marketing
manager of Thompsons Travel,
says Istanbul has always been a
firm favourite with South Africans.
“Travel agents can suggest a twoday
stop in Istanbul, continuing on
Turkish Airlines to one of its many
other destinations.”
Vietnam
Vietnam also offers good quality at
affordable prices, says Hayley. “The
country features some fantastic
boutiques where travellers can have
clothes or leather boots and shoes
made,” she says. The destination
is also suited to high-end shoppers,
she says, with Dong Khoi Street
in Ho Chi Minh City offering brand
name stores. “Vietnam offers great
upselling opportunities for travel
agents, who can suggest trips
combining cooking, wellness and
shopping.”
New on the radar...
Eastern Europe is still considered a
cheap destination for South Africans,
making shopping there very cost
effective, particularly in cities such as
Budapest and Prague.
Bronwyn Strydom, marketing
manager of Trafalgar South Africa,
says Prague is well known for
Bohemian handmade glassware, while
Budapest is known for paprika and
pálinka (a traditional fruit brandy).
She says in Budapest, travellers can
combine a shopping experience with
a food holiday.
The best value buys
Careful planning will let shoppers
make the most of their travel
budgets. Annemarie Lexow,
sales and marketing manager of
Travel Vision, provides her top
suggestions:
India: Fabric, textiles, carpets
and pottery.
Thailand, Bangkok: Clothing,
handbags and accessories.
New Mexico, Santa Fe:
Handmade jewellery and pottery.
Peru: Woven clothing, bags and
winter accessories.
Turkey: Glassware, jewellery and
carpets.
Top shopping on yuor doorstep
MANY South Africans are currently
following in the footsteps of their
fellow travellers from elsewhere on
the continent and heading to Gauteng
when they feel the urge to splurge.
Spokesperson for the Gauteng
Tourism Authority, Barba
Gaonganediwe, says there has been
a dramatic decline in the number of
African travellers, including locals, who
head to London, Paris and New York
to shop. “This is because the quality
of goods available locally is so good
and reasonably priced.
“The newly refurbished Diamond
Walk in Sandton City houses the
biggest shopping zone in Africa and
is a huge drawcard.” Barba says this
combines well with travel to the inner
city precinct which is undergoing a
total regeneration. “Many of South
Africa’s top designers are based
here and travellers can arrange
personal consultations with them and
add on visits to some of the trendy
restaurants and rooftop bars.”
Cruising through costoms
NAVIGATING destinations’ customs
laws can be daunting, but this is
even more the case with cruising,
where the client is moving through
multiple countries, each with different
customs legislation. Thaybz Khan
of Cruises International says cruise
lines generally have strict guidelines
when it comes to bringing alcohol
and food items on board that have
been purchased at the destination.
“If they are suitable to take on
board, the cruise line will store the
purchase for the guest until the day of
disembarkation,” she says. “Obviously
items that are considered dangerous
will not be allowed, irrespective of
where or when these were purchased.”
How to upsell
INDUSTRY experts share their tips
on how agents can add activities
to their clients’ shopping basket to
make their shopping holiday more
memorable.
Shopping tends to combine
easily with a range of experiences,
whether they are cultural, adventure,
sightseeing or beach experiences,
says ITC, Genine de Witt. “In the
major cities, offering a city tour
before the client starts to shop would
be a great way of allowing them to
orientate themselves.” Genine says
relaxation and shopping are also a
good match. For example, shopping
in Bali could be combined with a
yoga or spa retreat.
Aside from adding complementary
experiences to a shopping holiday,
Annemarie Lexow of Travel Vision,
says there are many other creative
ways for agents to add value while at
the same time earning extra revenue.
For example, agents should find
out what time of year is best for
shopping in a particular destination,
which is normally when it holds
shopping festivals, and then check
whether this is in winter or summer.
“Winter apparel will take up more
space and the client could end up
paying for excess luggage.” She
says agents can offer insurance to
cover this. On the other hand, if the
traveller is going to a humid country
like Singapore, Annemarie suggests
advising time out for clients to have
some ‘TLC’ like a spa treatment or
foot massage.
In Gauteng, Barba Gaonganediwe
of Gauteng Tourism, says golfing is a
popular add-on to shopping holidays,
along with various other leisure
activities such as riding on the City
Sightseeing Red Tour Bus, which
takes travellers into Soweto where
they can enjoy lunch and drinks.
