SA Coach Charters & Tours celebrated a decade in the travel and tourism industry in December by becoming the only ground transport company offering a Transport Desk for tour operators, according to company MD, Fanie van Zyl.

The Transport Desk allows any operator to access all the top bus and coach companies in South Africa with the benefit of best rates and professional service supported with quality and reliable vehicles.

Van Zyl told Tourism Update that his highlight of the decade was the launch of its website last year, which was very successful and helped grow a large database of potential clients. “We operate four other successful brands and a fleet of 15 buses and vehicles.

“We have had challenges in the past three years to secure more tours due to the visa requirements and the issue of unabridged birth certificates. These two issues had a profound impact on the industry as a whole, however we survived that period,” said Van Zyl.

He confirmed that the company still offered 2019 prices to assist the market to secure more business. “The exchange rate remains a big obstacle as it makes it very difficult to expand the fleet due to the high import duties on buses as well as the maintenance and repair of vehicles, hence only a few entrepreneurs are able to build their fleet.”

Despite these challenges, SA Coach Charters & Tours remains a top specialist charter management company, serving domestic and international tour operators. Van Zyl remains optimistic on the outlook for the industry and is ready to tackle the next 10 years with quality and reliable transport backed by the right staff.

“With technology playing a huge part in how tour operators are doing business, we have also adapted to include ground-handling services since tour operators can book hotels and activities themselves.”