Tourism Update will be running a series of articles based on insights shared by our overseas readers in order to provide a ‘pulse’ on the different overseas markets.
While South Africa has seen a dip out of the Israel market, Terry Kessel, MD at Israel-based Diesenhaus Travel, says the country is coming back into fashion and more and more Israelis are enquiring about travel to SA. Kessel adds that Tanzania is a very popular destination for the Israeli market.
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Indeed, while arrivals from SA dipped just under a percentage when comparing 2015 to 2014, in the last half of the year, SA saw a 15% increase in arrivals out of this market.
According to Kessel, who organises travel for upmarket groups, families and incentive groups, the interest in SA is driven in part by the weakened rand, but also by word of mouth He adds that the level of service and the reasonable pricing are a big attraction. He says 95% of the guests he sends to the country have a great time. “We hardly ever have a complaint. SA is very hospitable,” he says. “The feedback we get is very good. People really love South Africa.”
Israelis are big travellers, with significant travel out of Israel, says Kessel. Currently, travellers out of this market with direct flights out of Tel Aviv to Johannesburg with El Al, or connections through Turkish Airline and Ethiopian Airlines, says Kessel.
Kessel says the Israeli market is a lucrative one for SA and also points out that this market can help address seasonality issues as their seasons are the opposite of SA’s. Israelis tend to travel for 10-21 days and book travel long in advance. Their itineraries take in a lot of the country, including the Kruger National Park, Durban, Cape Town and the Garden Route, with extensions to Swaziland and the Victoria Falls. According to Kessel there is a lot of groups – families as well as groups of friends – travelling out of this market.
This market is also showing interest in alternative safari destinations to the Kruger, such as safaris in the Western and Eastern Cape because they are shying away from areas with malaria. Many Israelis are seeking to combine a city stay with their safari, making South Africa an attractive alternative to Tanzania, while a number of tourists out of this market that have been to Tanzania choose to later do a trip to South Africa.
This market has been affected by the regulations for travelling minors, says Kessel. “When people start hearing about these requirements it puts their back up,” he says. In addition, Kessel says when passports expire in Israel, many citizens opt to have their passports extended for five years. However, these passports are no longer accepted for travel to South Africa under the country’s new immigration regulations.
As a result of this not being communicated to the market, a group of travellers from Israel spent a night in a holding facility because they had passports that had been extended. “Nobody told us about this new ridiculous law.”
Tourism Update is looking for overseas tour operators to contribute their market insights on our platform. To feature in this space, contact editor@tourismupdate.co.za.
