South African Airways has launched SAA Holidays, an integrated holiday package product for  holidaymakers who wish to explore  destinations that SAA serves through its extensive route network in South Africa, the rest of Africa and internationally.

“SAA Holidays was created out of the idea that South African Airways, as the South African national carrier, can assist in stimulating cost-effective tourism to and from South Africa. SAA Holidays will further support our route network and offer added value to our customers with comprehensive holiday packages,” said Theunis Potgieter, SAA General Manager Commercial.

The packages includes air travel across SAA’s route network, hotel accommodation and car rental. Stop over packages will also be launched to entice overseas visitors flying East and West and into Africa, to do so via South Africa.

The product will be launched in two phases, with the first focusing on sales from South Africa and Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries.

The second phase will be launched later in the year from countries in the rest of SAA’s African and international route network for packages to South Africa and the rest of the world via South Africa.

SAA has partnered with the Cullinan group for  both the inbound and outbound packages.

Linda Pampalis, CEO of Thompson's Africa,  who will work with SAA to develop the inbound packages told Tourism Update that she expected to be able to give an indication soon as to when the inbound packages will be launched. The outbound packages aimed at South African travellers was launched this morning.