While the tourism trade channel appears is threatened by suppliers that go direct to travellers as well as online booking platforms, a number of suppliers continue to focus on trade partners. Tourism Update profiles some of these businesses. 

Airlink

Airlink is the largest independent regional airline in Southern Africa, linking passengers to the smaller towns, cities and regional centres and servicing 35 destinations in nine African countries.

Airlink operates as a franchisee of South African Airways, using its own visible brand and is a member of South African Airways’ frequent flyer programme, Voyager.

Through this alliance, customers can enjoy convenient connections with SAA, its Star Alliance partner airlines and other carriers throughout Southern Africa and the world. 

The airline currently carries more than 1.3 million passengers annually on 38 000 flights. Airlink is a member of Iata and obtained its fourth consecutive Iata Operational Safety Certificate (IOSA) after successful audits from 2012.

The airline has over 21 years of customer-focused experience.

Airlink communicates with the travel trade through Travelinfo, online workshops and surveys as well as advertising in trade publications. The marketing customer relations officers service the trade and work closely with the consultants and also address all customer service enquiries.  The travel trade is a key part of Airlink’s business.

Wilderness Safaris

Wilderness Safaris has over 30 years’ experience as a leading authentic and sustainable ecotourism company in Africa, working hand in hand with valued trade partners to create life-changing journeys to Africa’s most exclusive and remote wilderness areas. These journeys allow Wilderness Safaris’ guests to not only experience the incredible wild places of Africa but to positively contribute towards its ongoing biodiversity.

With exclusive access to almost three million hectares of Africa’s best wildlife areas, Wilderness Safaris offers its guests a unique sense of seclusion, privacy, space and incredible wildlife encounters led by expert guides. The company’s private concessions allow guests to experience eight of Africa’s 11 biomes, with a range of exclusive camps on offer.

Wilderness Safaris’ bush airline, Wilderness Air, helps to further streamline the tour operator’s offerings from start to finish. “As all of our operations are underpinned by our 4Cs sustainability ethic: conservation, community, culture and commerce, many of our trade partners share our vision to build further sustainable conservation economies in Africa and to inspire positive action. We therefore remain committed to pioneering sustainable ecotourism in Africa and to operate at the highest standards of service excellence,” says Dave Bennett, Wilderness Safaris Chief Sales Officer.

aha

aha Hotels & Lodges is the property management company of Tourvest’s Accommodation and Activities division that represents and operates a portfolio of properties in South Africa, including Gauteng, Western Cape, North West, KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo; as well as outside South Africa, including Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

The main goal of aha is to re-imagine the world of hospitality by crafting immersive experiences that are unique, exciting and that give guests something out of the ordinary to look forward to every time they visit one of aha’s properties.

 

Return Africa

Return Africa focuses on partnering with local communities to develop, brand and manage its eco-tourism products. The company’s origins lie at Pafuri in the north of the Kruger National Park, which is the ancestral home of the Makuleke people. Return Africa is committed to conserving this area and ensuring the community benefits in the long term.

Return Africa took over the Pafuri product from Wilderness Safaris in 2014, and began actively marketing the Pafuri Walking Trails from the beginning of 2015. The company currently operates three experiences in Pafuri: the Pafuri Walking Trails from April to October; the luxury Pafuri Tented Camp; and the self-catering Baobab Hill Bush House.

What sets Return Africa apart is the location in which it operates. Guests can experience the abundance of wildlife and biodiversity and enjoy Fever Tree Forest, Crooks Corner and Lanner Gorge.

The company works with the trade by focusing on building personal relationships with local and international operators, agents and specialist guides. Return Africa currently has representation in the UK and will look to grow this market over the coming year.

Sam Dalais, Marketing Manager at Return Africa said: “Return Africa is all about partnerships. Partnerships with the community and partnerships with the trade in order to put our products out there so that more and more visitors can come and experience the authenticity and magic that is Pafuri.”

Ashtons

In 2010, Ashtons launched the Kruger Shuttle, which to date has transferred over 33 000 clients between Johannesburg and the game lodges of the greater Hoedspruit area. The company’s focus is international tourists who seeks comfort, safety, reliability, and affordability.

The Kruger Shuttle offers guaranteed daily departures from both Johannesburg (06h45) and the greater Hoedspruit area (10h45-12h00). It also offers 11h00 departures from OR Tambo every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. There are no minimum passenger requirements and no single supplements.

In addition to Hoedspruit itself, there are six drop-off/pick-up locations in the greater Hoedspruit area, each at or close to the main gates of the major surrounding reserves. Most lodges collect/return clients at those locations free or for a nominal charge. Ashtons also offers affordable shuttle rates for transfer between Johannesburg and each individual game lodge in the greater Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa areas.

The Kruger Shuttle’s fixed pricing for each 12-month season is on average a fraction of the cost of the flexi pricing applicable to the scheduled flights. Significant commission off rack is offered to all registered tour operators and accommodation facilities.

Over 200 different local and international travel trade members booked the Kruger Shuttle for their international clients and agents during 2015. A growing number of those proactively package the Kruger Shuttle with their game lodges of choice to provide quality and affordable safari packages. The Activitar booking system is already used in-house and within the next few weeks it will be opened to the travel trade as an online facility to check Kruger Shuttle availability and place real-time bookings.

Thebe Reed

Thebe Reed Exhibitions is an exhibition organiser and venue management company. With access to global trade and consumer event organising expertise serving 43 industry sectors, it provides the best platform to showcase all industry sectors.

The Thebe Reed Exhibitions Group (Pty) Ltd is structured as: Thebe Reed Exhibitions (Pty) Ltd and Thebe Reed Venue Management (Pty) Ltd, which currently manages the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg and has an African expansion strategy in place.

Reed Exhibitions, an international events organiser and part of the RELX Group, holds the majority stake, 60%, in Thebe Reed Exhibitions. The Thebe Tourism Group, the heritage-based tourism division of the Thebe Investment Corporation, holds a further 30% while Managing Director Carol Weaving retains a 10% stake in the group. 

The company is fully representative of South African business and has a BBBEE level 3 with a procurement level of 110%. Thebe Reed’s portfolio includes 100% Design South Africa, Africa Travel Week – consisting of World Travel Market Africa, International Luxury Travel Market Africa and Incentives, Business Travel & Meetings Africa, the Business Entrepreneurship and Franchise Expo, Decorex Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, the Gauteng Motor Fest, Mediatech Africa and the Sports and Events Tourism Exchange. 

Kim Beyers 

Kim Beyers is the owner of Kim Beyers Representation, a marketing and sales representation company that specialises in developing and implementing

sales strategies that will increase room nights and revenue from tour operators and corporate clients. Beyers represents a selection of four- and five-star privately owned and managed properties in South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Seychelles.

“I am driven, confident, reliable, open-minded and pro-active and I possess a firm set of moral values and beliefs that form the basis of my everyday life. I believe that I can make a positive contribution to any organisation, given the opportunity to reach my potential. I have a strong problem-solving ability, excellent communication and organisational skills, interpersonal and leadership skills. I am self-motivated and am able to work alone or within a team environment,” says Beyers.

SATSA

The Southern Africa Tourism Services Association is a member-driven, non-profit association representing all facets of the region’s inbound travel sector. Members are bound by a code of conduct that promotes professionalism in all areas of operation and are bonded with third-party indemnity.  Membership denotes integrity, credibility and stability and is widely recognised locally and abroad.

SATSA is at the forefront of lobbying government and relevant stakeholders to ensure a legislative and fiscal framework conducive to the prosperity of travel and tourism in the region. In existence since 1969, the association offers its members networking opportunities, value-added benefits and tour operator training through a structure of regional chapters supported by a national office in Johannesburg.

Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa

Established in 1949 as a non-profit organisation, the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa) is an industry trade association, representing and maintaining the interests of South Africa’s hospitality industry role players.

As the lobbying body for the SA hospitality industry, Fedhasa has been at the forefront of issues such as changes to the visa and immigration regulations, the proposed National Liquor Policy, BBB-EE Tourism Charter Codes, and other legislative matters that affect the hospitality sector.             

In addition to being the industry’s watchdog, the association offers tangible benefits and supports its members with compliance workshops and labour matters, among others. While keeping members abreast of industry changes and trends through regular communiqués and social media, Fedhasa frequently hosts events and workshops where members are updated on legislative changes, potential industry threats and policy implementations as well as other industry related matters.

Fedhasa represents the following member segments: hotels, small accommodation, restaurants, industry suppliers and service providers and youth in hospitality.