HOW do you write R11,1m
in business over one
weekend?
Ask Flight Centre. The retailer
recorded unprecedented
sales – an increase of 226%
from the previous year – at
its annual Travel Expo, which
was held on February 8 and
9 at the Coca-Cola Dome in
Johannesburg.
The event was hailed a
massive success by not only
the organiser but exhibitors
too, with 13 000 people
coming through the doors, with
the intention not to browse but
to buy travel. What was the
secret of success?
Flight Centre retail gm,
Andrew Stark, believes that
in an industry with ercely
competitive pricing, travellers
were actively seeking out the
best prices in the marketplace.
“When money is tight, that’s
the best time to hold a travel
expo.”
Flight Centre experienced
a record month of sales
for January, though Andrew
maintains it was based on the
demand for the right travel
products at the right price and
not necessarily an increasing
demand for travel in general.
Exhibitors agree, saying
expo visitors were looking for
good deals. Both regional and
international destinations were
in demand, despite the weak
exchange rate, says Cullinan
Outbound Toursim ceo, Joanne
Adolphe. She attributes this to
the fact that visitors knew they
could access great deals and
savings at the expo.
“This was more than just an
expo displaying product and
destination – it was a call to
action, offering once-off deals
that could only be purchased
on the day,” adds The Holiday
Factory’s sales director,
Matthew Fubbs.
Md of The Travel Corporation,
Theresa Szejwallo, says the
audience varied widely, from
students to retirees. “It was
very much a cultural mix.”
Assistant sales manager of
Beachcomber Tours, Christo
Cronje, says the majority
of people who visited the
Beachcomber stand were
families with children, making
the primary buyer between the
ages of 30 and 40 years old.
But what is most interesting
about those attending the
expo is that they were there
to purchase travel. “Travellers
were far more decisive about
their travelling plans and
came prepared with specic
questions and enquiries,”
says commercial manager of
Cruises International, Tracey
Krog. “They were well informed
about travelling and clear
about the type of offers they
were interested in.”
“We noticed that a number
of visitors from the Saturday
returned on the Sunday
to conclude their holiday
purchase,” Joanne adds.
Also, interestingly,
visitors chose to book with
consultants and exhibitors
directly, opting not to use the
available online terminals
in the exhibition hall. While
eight different terminals were
specically set up for online
bookings, not a single booking
was placed through these,
Andrew says. “Our internal
analysis shows that 85% of
people search and compare
travel deals online but they
aren’t necessarily going to
book there because people
want to deal with people.”
Expo’s exhibitors said the
weekend’s success also had
a lot to do with Travel Expo
2014’s effective marketing
strategy. Tracey says not only
did advertising for the event
reach the right audience of
interested buyers but the
timing was ideal as it linked
in with Cruises International’s
booking months between
February and May.
Andrew is positive about
what 2014 holds for the travel
industry, noting that while a
highly competitive environment
makes things challenging,
South Africans still have a
healthy appetite for travel.
“Initiatives such as Travel Expo
really help to stimulate the
travel market,” he says, calling
for more retailers within the
sector to take up the baton
and carry out projects of their
own.
