‘Teach us about domestic travel’

DESPITE the recent focus on
domestic travel during Tourism
Month in September, agents
say tourism authorities are not
doing enough to equip them
with the tools they need to sell
local travel.
“Tourism Month applies
more to us than the general
public, but there are no
major initiatives launched
for agents,” says Karabo
Kwenane, travel consultant for
AYS Travels. “We are seeing
agents from other countries
like India being taught about
South Africa, but we are not
being taught about our own
country.”
Agents say that, although
there are workshops geared
to inbound travel they are
often expensive; focus on the
overseas market; and promote
the popular destinations
like the Kruger Park, Durban
and Cape Town. “This
encourages people to rather
go overseas than explore
their own country,” says Tracy
Teichmann, manager of Sure
Adcocks Travel.
“Once they have been to all
the popular spots, they think
there is nothing left to see
in South Africa and that they
might as well travel abroad,”
says Yumna Kharodia, md of
Sweet Life Travel.
Thompsons Holidays is
very good about offering and
marketing local packages,
but they are the only one
that does that, says Lezane
Willemse, travel consultant of
XL Bay Travel. “We never hear
from SA Tourism.”
SA Tourism says it is involved
in trade educationals and is
also active on Travelinfo. “In
addition, South African Tourism
consistently markets its online
course, SA Specialist, which
aims to empower the trade
with information on travel
and tourism opportunities
around the country,” says
Mpho Mfenyana, internal and
corporate communications
manager: office of the ceo.
In a joint agreement with
Asata, the tourism authority
also piloted the Local
Leisure at its Best campaign,
which gave business
travellers access to special
local holidays deals and
destinations. “Our corporate
activations to showcase South
Africa have been so successful
that we are assessing the
feasibility of a phase two,”
says Kim Koen, Asata gm.
Lezane believes there could
be an opportunity for agents
to sell more local packages if
they were affordable and made
easily available to agents. “If
SA Tourism offered us a portal
offering weekend getaways to
different parts of the country,
we would sell them.”
Mpho says SA Tourism’s
latest research does highlight
the need for more information
about domestic travel and
frequent short breaks. “We
will definitely also explore
two-week packages with the
trade.”