New flight puts destination in the spotlight
SOUTH America is
expected to re-emerge as
a destination of choice
for South Africans, when the
second air service between
Johannesburg and São Paulo
in Brazil gets under way on
October 3.
LATAM Airlines, represented
locally by Border Air, will join
SAA on the JohannesburgSão
Paulo route. Initially it will
operate three weekly return
flights between the two cities,
using a Boeing 767 with 191
seats in economy class and
30 in Premium Business. The
airline expects to carry 50 000
passengers a year between the
two destinations.
In its first month of operation,
flight JJ8163 will depart OR
Tambo on Mondays, Thursdays
and Saturdays at 23h10 to
reach São Paulo at 04h45
the next day. Return flight
JJ8162 will depart São Paulo
at 23h55 on Wednesdays,
Fridays and Sundays to land in
Johannesburg at 14h10.
From November, flight JJ8163
will operate on Tuesdays,
Fridays and Sundays, leaving
Johannesburg at 22h10
arriving in São Paulo at
04h45. Return flight JJ8162
will depart São Paulo on
Mondays, Thursdays and
Saturdays at 23h55, arriving in
Johannesburg at 14h10. Ticket
sales have been open since
early May. For the travel trade,
LATAM is running an online
training course (latamtraining.
co.za) and consultants who
complete it will be entered
into a draw for a seat on the
inaugural flight.
SAA expects that the new
service will stimulate air travel
demand for South America, but
says only time will tell as to
whether the market will be able
to support both airlines at the
same time. For the time being,
the national carrier proposes
no changes to its South
American schedule.
SAA spokesperson, Tlali
Tlali, says: “The introduction
of LATAM services between
São Paulo and Johannesburg
will, without a doubt, have
an impact on SAA’s current
performance and measures
have been put in place to
mitigate any potential erosion
of earnings on the route.”
Theresa Szejwallo, md
of Trafalgar, believes South
America will prove a serious
contender in the future travel
choices of South Africans.
“We’re very excited about
LATAM’s new direct flight into
South America as we know
it will open the door to travel
in South America like never
before.”
She points out that interest
will be spurred by the fact that
many South American countries
offer visa-free entry for South
African passport holders, and
are relatively affordable.
With the rand more or less on
par with the Argentinian peso,
and with R1 worth
4,58 Brazilian real, the region
is more attractive from a
foreign exchange point of view
than North America or Europe.
“Travel agencies are key
partners in the South African
market and we value working
with the trade, who play a
critical role in packaging
Latin America for travellers,”
says Martin Modarelli,
commercial director UK, Nordic
Countries and Africa for LATAM
Airlines.
Tips from the travel guru
IN HER office at Travel
Vision, reservations
manager, Venice Barris,
is known as the South
American encyclopaedia.
TNW asked her for some
tips on selling travel in
the region.
Clients should book
the very popular Inca
Trail early to avoid the
disappointment of lack
of space. An alternative
is the Lares Trek, a
two- to three-day hike
in Cusco, Peru, starting
from the village of Lares
and ending at Machu
Picchu. There are many
traditional weavers and
farmers in the Lares
Valley. It’s a shorter
route than the Inca
Trail, but the altitude is
higher.
When visiting the
Amazon, suggest
an overnight stay in
Manaus beforehand, as
the trips start early in
the morning.
Similarly if you have
clients doing the
Andean crossing (lake
crossing) from Bariloche
in Argentina to Puerto
Montt/Puerto Varas
in Chile, or vice versa,
have them stay a night
afterwards at either
point, as the crossing
arrives in both cities late
and flights would have
already left for the day.
When visiting the
Galapagos, advise
clients to bear in mind
that this is an eco trip,
more about nature than
luxury.
Warn clients that Rio
de Janeiro hotels are
not right on the beaches
(such as Copacabana,
Ipanema and Leblon).
They will have to cross
the road to access the
beaches.
Venice’s colleague,
sales and marketing
manager, Annemarie
Lexow, advises that
connecting times from
a number of South
American destinations
for flights returning to
Johannesburg from São
Paulo can be tight and
many necessitate an extra
night in São Paulo.
Top attractions to recommend to your clients
TO SUPPORT travel
professionals and share
insights about South America,
LATAM has conducted
research into the perceptions
and behaviours of South
African business and leisure
travellers.
A survey of South African
leisure travellers undertaken
by the airline in May found
that 85% of respondents
were interested in visiting
Brazil; 78% wanted to travel to
Argentina; 54% to Peru
and 42% to Chile.
Gauging special interests,
85% expressed a desire to
view scenic wonders; 75%
wanted to spend time in cities
like Rio de Janeiro and Buenos
Aires; 62% were attracted to
ancient ruins; the Amazon
appealed to 60%; 47% wanted
to experience Latin culture;
and 46% wanted a tropical
beach holiday.
TNW rounds up the main
attractions of five popular
South American countries.
Vibrant Brazil
LATAM’s departure and
landing point, São Paulo,
is Brazil’s most populous
region. The city is a
business destination for SA
executives and hosts many
business fairs over the
course of a year. Outside
the office, it is known for
its bars and restaurants,
museums and theatres. It
has large Japanese, Italian
and Arab populations which
add their own cultural
flavours to the melting pot.
Rio de Janeiro is famed for
80km of beaches, including
Ipanema and Copacabana;
the 38m-high statue of
Christ the Redeemer atop
Mount Corcovado; the
Sugarloaf Mountain, and its
sprawl of shanty towns, or
favelas, which now welcome
tourists on walking tours. Its
flamboyant five-day annual
carnival, 40 days ahead
of Easter, is a highlight of
the travel year. Next year it
begins on February 24.
The Amazon rainforest
covers a large portion of
north-western Brazil, but
also extends into Colombia,
Peru and other countries.
For many travellers,
convenient entry points are
the Brazilian riverside towns
of Manaus or Belém. Trips
into the forest can vary from
a half day to a few nights’
stay in a forest lodge, or
a five-day boat trip. They
usually involve walks, village
visits and wildlife spotting.
Culturally rich Argentina
Buenos Aires is another
business hub and, with its
favourable exchange rate,
has become something
of a shopping destination
for South Africans. City
landmarks, such as the Casa
Rosado and Plaza de Mayo,
have a colonial architectural
heritage. Tourists love to visit
the colourful LaBoca workingclass
neighbourhood with its
street art and the football
stadium, La Bombonera.
After dark, tango shows are
a must.
The Iguassu Falls on the
border of Argentina and
Brazil are spectacular,
cascading in layers from
82m at their height. The falls
should be seen from both
the Argentinian and Brazilian
sides as the views are
quite different, but equally
impressive.
In southern Argentina on the
Chilean border is Patagonia,
with a diverse landscape
that includes a section of
the Andes, desert, steppes,
grasslands and two coasts –
the Pacific and Atlantic.
Adventures in Peru
The four-day Inca Trail, from
Cusco to Machu Picchu,
is the highlight of Peru
and a multi-country South
American trip. Participants
walk six to nine hours
each day on the trail, which
is dotted with ancient
monuments and Inca sites.
It reaches an altitude
of over 4 000m and
altitude sickness affects
many visitors, so time to
acclimatise and a level of
fitness are recommended.
The 15th century Machu
Picchu fascinates
travellers with the
sophisticated construction
of its buildings along
astronomical lines, and
the many unanswered
questions about their use.
Cusco, once the capital of
the Inca empire, is also
packed with archaeological
interest. Best months to
do the trail are from April
to October. It is closed in
February.
Hidden explorations in Ecuador
One destination that should
be on travellers’ lists is the
Galapagos, says Trafalgar’s
Theresa Szejwallo. “We have
a fantastic Hidden Journey
guided holiday in Secrets of
Ecuador. This nine-day trip can
be extended to include a fiveday
Galapagos Islands cruise,
which is simply spectacular.
“In Ecuador guests will
enjoy all the great Trafalgar
insider experiences such as
the Be My Guest lunch at
the Hacienda La Compania,
a beautiful home and rose
plantation. Guests will also be
treated to a wonderful Cultural
Insight into the ancient weaving
process used in the making of
panama hats. On the optional
cruise to the Galapagos,
our guests get up close and
personal with a wonderful
array of wildlife made famous
by Charles Darwin, such as
the Blue-footed boobies, the
Galapagos penguin, Green sea
turtles, Spotted eagle rays and
iguanas.”
Wild and wonderful Chile
Some distance from
mainland Chile and halfway
to Tahiti, the stone heads
of Easter Island are the
country’s most recognisable
tourist attraction. The
887 sculptures, called
moai, were created by the
Rapanui, centuries ago.
Sculptures of the natural
kind are on view in the
Atacama desert, where
rock formations and sand
dunes are to be admired,
particularly in the Valle de
Luna, not far from the town
of San Pedro de Atacama.
The desert is the filming
location of many sci-fi films
where a setting in space is
required.
