Agents – don’t be intimidated!
Agents – don’t be intimidated! F
RESHLY back from
a familiaristion trip
to Peru, Annemarie
Lexow, sales and marketing
manager of Travel Vision,
sums up the destination
in three words: “Vibrant,
festive, diverse!”
South America has
become far more accessible
to South African travellers
since Latam launched
direct flights between
Johannesburg and São
Paulo last year. According to
tour operators TNW spoke
to, this has led to a rise in
South Africans travelling to
the continent.
Cultural similarities
A huge attraction for SA
travellers is the similarities
between the two Southern
hemisphere regions’
cultures, lifestyle and
seasons. Theresa Szejwallo,
md of The Travel Corporation
in SA, says, for example,
both SA and Brazil are
multicultural hubs. “Brazil
has several ethnic groups,
including Portuguese,
German, Italian, Arab,
Japanese and African. South
Africa, the ‘rainbow nation’,
is also a melting pot of
different cultures.”
Annemarie adds: “The
South American people are
exceptionally friendly. Just
like us, they love dancing,
eating, spending time
together, going to festivals
and being outdoors. This
makes South America
very appealing to South
Africans.”
But the differences
between SA and South
America also attract
travellers. “What you’ll
experience there is so
different to what you’ll
find in SA. The Spanish
and Portuguese influences
on the continent’s
indigenous groups make
for a fascinating mix,” adds
Annemarie.
Return travel
Once SA travellers have
had a taste of South
America’s exotic offering,
they often opt to return
to explore more parts of
the continent – partly also
due to its vastness. “The
more travellers visit South
America, the more the
interest increases,” says
Jo Goyen, global purpose
specialist – Southern Africa
of G Adventures.
“An added advantage for
SA travellers is that no
costly visas are required,”
says Chantal Kliche, retail
manager – Cape Region,
Thompsons Travel. SA
passport holders don’t
need visas for most
South American countries,
although inoculation
against yellow fever is
recommended.
When to go
With matching seasons,
South America offers SA
travellers year-round holiday
possibilities. “For a summer
experience, October to
March/April is the best time
to go. If travellers prefer
skiing, then mid-June to
September is the best,”
says Chantal. For trips to
Patagonia and the End of
the World, December and
January are recommended.
Theresa adds: “From
October to November is
the Amazon’s dry season,
making for the most
amazing wildlife watching.
Travellers can expect fewer
crowds, making this a
great time to visit Buenos
Aires, Rio de Janeiro and
other coastal destinations.”
Tourists wanting a taste of
the continent’s flamboyant
festivals and carnivals
should head there from
December to March.
Budget-friendly options
Jo says: “With the right
amount of advance
planning, South America
is still affordable for
SA travellers.” While
internal flights can push
up holiday budgets, the
continent offers value-formoney
three- and fourstar
accommodation and
especially good prices
during shoulder season,
adds Annemarie. Small
group tours also keep costs
down, whereas tailor-made
packages offer exceptional
value for money.
Although South America
is relatively safe, regular
precautions should be
taken. Says Chantal:
“Travellers should always
be aware and alert, avoid
wearing too much jewellery
or carrying large amounts
of cash, and watch out for
pickpockets. They should
avoid dark and deserted
areas the same way as
they would at home and
everywhere else in the
world.”
Tour operators agree that
travellers shouldn’t be
deterred by the fact that
most of South America
is Spanish speaking,
with Brazil being mainly
Portuguese speaking. They
do, however, recommend
using knowledgeable tour
guides. “The benefit of a
guided tour is that your
expert travel director is sure
to speak your language
as well as the country’s,
fluently,” explains Theresa.
Janine Pienaar, sales
and marketing manager of
Globus Family of Brands,
says the beauty of doing a
coach tour or cruise in the
company of local experts is
that all the elements of the
trip have been taken care
of. “This assists in bridging
any language barriers.”
Annemarie suggests
learning a couple of Spanish
and Portuguese words
beforehand. “Gestures also
work like a dream, and a
smile will get you far.
Get to know the destination!
The South American
experience is nearly impossible
to distil into a travel brochure.
That is why it is crucial for
SA travel agents to either go
and experience the continent
first-hand, or have one-on-one
conversations with those
whose passports already sport
South American stamps, and
share in their knowledge.
Annemarie says: “Having
seen why it’s such a
captivating destination is
difficult to convey to a travel
agent, who then needs
to convey it to a potential
traveller.”
“It’s all about self-education
and being proactive,” says
Jo. “Ask your preferred South
America tour operators for
destination training, take
advantage of agent discounts
and travel to the destination
yourself. Use tour-operator
websites and itineraries to
familiarise yourself with the
main highlights and activities
in each destination.” She
encourages agents to call on
operators for suggestions and
recommendations when they
receive enquiries.
Chantal agrees: “Product
training and educationals are
key. The more experience
consultants have, the better
they can sell the product or
destination with knowledge
and ease.”
One way for agents to ensure
their clients cover all the top
attractions and activities,
is to consider a coach tour
or cruise, recommends
Janine. “It’s always a great
idea, as the favourite
tourist destinations will be
included. Travellers can truly
immerse themselves in the
destination and not have the
stress of trying to plan it all
themselves.”
Annemarie says selling South
America requires a different
approach. “Because it’s so
massive and there are so
many options, you cannot sell
it in the same way that you
sell other destinations. You’ll
need to spend more time with
your client beforehand. Just
chat. Find out what they’d like
to do, are interested in, would
like to see and experience in
South America, and what their
expectations are.” Then plan
around that.
South American destinations
and activities already
hugely popular among SA
travellers are: Machu Picchu
and the Inca Trail; Amazon
Rainforest; Rio and its carnival
extravaganza; Iguazu Falls;
Buenos Aires for tangos and
nearby gaucho experiences;
Patagonia and the Bariloche
lake crossing to Chile; and the
Galápagos Islands.
Operators recommend that
two- to three-week itineraries
should include some of the
above, as well as possibly
gastronomy capital, Lima,
Puno’s floating islands, and
Lake Titicaca, reportedly the
highest navigable lake in the
world.
Did you know?
From July 1, visitors to Machu
Picchu are only being granted
entry for either a morning or
afternoon slot.
Top tips
SINCE my first journey
to Brazil in 2005, and
three subsequent trips to
Argentina, Chile, Bolivia,
Peru and Uruguay, I’ve fallen,
hiking boots and all, for this
continent and its positive,
inquisitive, hardworking
people with their never-fret,
can-do attitude and openarms
hospitality.
While many South Africans
might still think of South
America as a complicated,
expensive destination –
mostly due to flight costs
and extensions from São
Paulo further into the
continent – it really isn’t.
Living costs are similar
to SA, which make for
fairly affordable meals,
entertainment, shopping and
public transport.
Cellphones and ATMs
South America, functions
reasonably well – from
cellphone services, WiFi,
ATMs, to taxis and public
transport. Travellers can
easily obtain a SIM card
from a local service provider
such as Claro and must
ensure their smartphones
are ‘unlocked’ before
leaving home. ATMs are
straightforward too, although
some countries charge a
withdrawal fee of around
R90 per transaction, and in
others, such as Brazil, ATMs
are closed for part of the
night due to safety reasons.
South America is vast.
First-time visitors often want
to squeeze in a list of cities,
attractions and activities
in two weeks, which is not
possible.
Rather, encourage
potential travellers to
cover less in more days.
Air connectivity is
excellent, but travelling to
and from airports takes
time and flights are
sometimes delayed,
gobbling up holiday time.
When visiting areas
such as Machu Picchu
in Peru, Lake Titicaca in
Bolivia/Peru, the Andes
in Chile/Argentina or the
Atacama Desert in Chile,
we’re talking serious altitude
– over 4 000m above sea
level in places. Travellers will
need a few days to adjust –
a good time to try out local
altitude remedies.
Hablas español?
Encourage travellers to
take a beginner’s course in
Spanish and/or Portuguese
before departure, and take
pocket dictionaries or load
language apps on to their
smartphones. In the larger
cities people do speak
English, especially the
younger generation.
Understanding and
speaking a little Spanish
and Portuguese will help
travellers to immerse
themselves more fully in
South American life. Even
allow some time for a short
language course, offered in
larger cities such as Buenos
Aires and Santiago. And
always opt for an English
guide or organised tour.
Argentina’s ‘secrets’
Not many know this, but
Argentina’s long-distance
buses are a great way to
travel! Companies such
as Andesmar offer camatotal
seats, similar to firstclass
airline seats – totally
flatbed, with dinner, wine
and breakfast served. It’s
the ideal way to cover an
overnight journey between
Buenos Aires and wine
capital, Mendoza, or soak
in the Andes mountain
pass between Mendoza and
Santiago.
No early-bird nation
Finally, advise your clients
to take off their watches.
South America has a
proper late-night culture.
For example, in Buenos
Aires you could easily
order a steak until 02h00.
Eating out starts at 22h00,
tango shows at 23h30
and nightclubs only open
at 02h00!
Active honeymoon options abound
SOUTH America’s romantic
appeal makes it the ideal
setting for romantic travel,
but it has a growing list of
active honeymoon options
for newlyweds wanting to add
adventure to the mix.
Tour operators recommend
the Amazon rainforest as
a delightfully remote and
eco-friendly honeymoon
destination. Jo Goyen of
G Adventures, suggests its
seven-day Amazon Riverboat
Adventure in Peru. Flying
from Lima into Iquitos, Peru’s
gateway to the Amazon,
couples first explore the town
of Nauta before starting their
River Amazon cruise. Then
follow days of jungle walks,
learning about medicinal
plants, skiff excursions to
the Pacaya-Samiria National
Reserve for more wildlife
viewing; visiting a village to
meet a local shaman; and
sharing a home-cooked meal
with an indigenous family.
Besides Machu Picchu and
the Inca Trail, Annemarie
Lexow of Travel Vision,
recommends the quaint
hotels of tiny Aguascalientes,
the principal access point to
Machu Picchu; and nearby
Ollantaytambo on the
Urubamba River in the Sacred
Valley, where there is an
enormous Inca fortress on a
hillside.
Another must is the
Galápagos Islands, says Jo.
G Adventures offers a “mindexpanding
cruising adventure
through the archipelago’s
central, southern and eastern
islands”. Or visitors can hike
the dramatic black lava flows
of Bartolomé Island, snorkel
with sea lions, or just chill out
on white sandy beaches.
Janine Pienaar of Globus
Family of Brands, recommends
flying into Pereira in the heart
of Colombia’s coffee triangle.
Couples can wander through
lush coffee plantations,
uncover the secrets of the
production process – from
planting to roasting – and
expand their palate with the
help of local baristas.
