Tiếng Anh Chuyên Ngành Du Lịch

AIRBNB

Changing corporate travel

LEISURE TRAVEL

A different beast

GAUTRAIN

For people on the move
ISSUE 110: December 2016

www.businesstravellerafrica.co.za


Travel Far | Stay Close

Simple and affordable roaming
rates with MTN HelloWorld.
• Contract customers, you can dial 808 to have your roaming service activated.
• PayAsYouGo customers, you can check and change your roaming service by dialling *111*1#
• For rates and available services visit: www.mtn.co.za/travel

MetropolitanRepublic/19562/1

Roam from as little as R1 per MB with MTN HelloWorld.

Terms and Conditions Apply

22

Contents

48

43

42

36

20 Gautrain
Gautrain is an 80-kilometre mass rapid transit railway
system in South Africa, which links Johannesburg,
Pretoria, Ekhuruleni and O. R. Tambo International
Airport. It was built to relieve the traffic congestion in
the Johannesburg–Pretoria traffic corridor and offer
commuters a viable alternative to road transport. The
project was completed with the opening in June 2010,
and there are big plans to extend the Gautrain service to
other parts of the province over the next 20 years or so.

FEATURES

22 Leisure Travel

The times have changed travellers and

their attitude towards travel, with a host
of different needs now dominating the
landscape and determining travel plans.
Dylan Rogers investigates who the
modern day traveller is, what’s important
to them, and what they want from service
providers in the travel space.

36 Airbnb

The sharing economy is starting to play a
bigger role in the business travel space,
with the likes of Airbnb and Uber already
eating into hotel and car rental market
share, respectively. Jenny Southan
takes a closer look at what Airbnb is
doing in this space.

Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za

REGULARS

04 Message from the Team 42 Tried and Tested
What’s the editor ranting about now?

06 News

Airline, hotel and other travel news
from Africa and beyond

16 ASATA Column

The latest from Chief Executive Officer
Otto de Vries

17 Amadeus Column

A word from Amadeus Vice-President
for Africa Paul de Villiers

19 W Hospitality Column

Hotel Check
• Avani Lesotho
Flight Check
• Singapore Airlines

44 Q & A Interviews

• Tshipi Alexander – Amex
• Neil Bald – aha

46 People on the Move
The movers and shakers –
what they’re up to now

48 Bite with the Editor

Richard Branson – Virgin Atlantic

Managing Director Trevor Ward gives
us his take on the West African hotel
industry

DECEMBER2016 | 3


ED’S LETTER

T

here’s an interesting piece in this issue
on Airbnb (see page 36) and what they
are doing in the business travel space,
courtesy of our stable mates at Business Traveller
UK. But you’ll also find them popping up in the
leisure feature, as well as, obviously, this page.
The reason for this is that sharing economy players
such as Airbnb and Uber are touching a number
of points along the travel spectrum and have
already become important participants in both the
business and leisure travel markets. There’s no doubt
that their influence and role in the overall travel
experience appears to be growing, and it’s also
apparent that they are not content to sit on their
laurels and continue to roll out the initial offering.
Airbnb has now launched ‘Trips’, which it believes
is “the most significant development in its eight
year history”. In this way, Airbnb is moving beyond
providing just accommodation and instead is looking

at the overall travel ‘experience’. In fact, it describes
Trips as “a people-powered platform designed to
make travel both easy and magical. Trips has three
key areas – Experiences, Places and Homes, with
Flights and Services to be added in the future.”
That last point – Flights and Services – is an
interesting one, as the addition of this to the
Airbnb platform will move it significantly closer
to ‘full service’ status and allow Airbnb to pick
up customers all along the travel value chain.
Further to this, their timing couldn’t be better, as
the world’s newest entrants to the travel market
– Millennials and Centennials – have shown a
propensity for and interest in a more ‘meaningful’
travel experience, that takes the form of something
more than just getting from A to B and either
successfully negotiating a corporate travel trip or
ticking a bunch of tourist attractions off a list.
These groups of travellers have a desire for
something more substantial and meaningful, and
Airbnb looks primed to take advantage of this.
Once again, a reminder that the sharing economy
is here to stay, and those who fight it or refuse to
find a way to work it into their policies – yes, you in
the corporate travel space – may just find themselves
left behind, as the world moves towards services
that meet the needs of the modern day traveller.

PUBLISHER
Richard Lendrum

EDITOR
Dylan Rogers

JOURNALIST
Kate Kennedy
CONTRIBUTORS
Kate Kennedy, Gillian McLaren, Jenny Southan
MEDIA SOLUTIONS CONSULTANT
Pierre Grobler
+27 82 900 4026

DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Nadette Voogd
SUBSCRIPTIONS AND PRODUCTION
Mabel Ramafoko

SOUTH AFRICAN OFFICE
Postal Address:
PO Box 1746, Saxonwold, 2132
Physical Address:
247 Jan Smuts Avenue, Randburg
Telephone: +27 11 327 6107
NIGERIAN OFFICE
3rd Floor, EuniBrown House195,
Ikorodu Road, Palmgrove,Lagos, Nigeria
Tel: +234 1 740 3236
Mobile: +234 803 963 0155
PUBLISHER – NORTH & WEST AFRICA
Tope Ogbeni-Awe

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Mohammed Abdullahi

Business Traveller Africa is published under licence from Perry
Publications Limited.
Warwick House, 25 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0PP.
Tel: +44 20 7821 2740
www.businesstraveller.com

Dylan Rogers
Editor


Follow us on:

4 | DECEMBER2016

Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za


A DEMANDING YEAR

Because we know that for you, holidays are hard work.

Landscaping
maintenance

Tasting room
renovated

Discount on wine
glasses secured

Roof repaired
and renewed

New staff uniforms
designed and ordered

Extra sommeliers
hired and trained

As a hospitality establishment, we understand that the phrase “summer holidays” has a very
different meaning for you. Instead of being the season of relaxation, it is the busiest and often
the most stressful time of your year. And that’s why we’re here to help.
The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa offers you a variety of services and benefits that
can help equip you for the peak season. These offerings include funding, exclusive discounts,
legal and labour advice, access to our Market Place as well as a network of quality CVs –
ultimately helping you enjoy the summer as much as your guests will.
Get graded today, and let us be your travel companion on your journey to success.
Visit www.tourismgrading.co.za or contact us on

10021520JB/E


NEWS

Air France Increases Capacity to Cape Town
Air France will serve Cape Town throughout the 2017 summer season from Paris-Charles de Gaulle with three weekly flights
operated by an Airbus A330 (208 seats) and a Boeing 777 (312 seats), offering business, premium economy and economy class.

From 26 March to 2 May and from 7 to 27 October 2017, additional flights will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Flight AF864 will leave Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 10h10 and arrive in Cape Town at 21h30. Return flight AF871 will leave
Cape Town at 23h35 and land at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 11h15. Between 3 May and 6 October, flight times will change
slightly. Flight AF864 will leave Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 09h40 and arrive in Cape Town at 21h20, while flight AF871 will
leave Cape Town at 23h20 and arrive at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 11h20.

Graceland Completes Refurb
Peermont’s Graceland Hotel, Casino and Country Club in Mpumalanga (South Africa) has undergone a $4.5 million
refurbishment programme over the past two years. Graceland has modernised and opened many new facilities to cater
for changing customer demand, including a newly-styled main casino and the new Rockefeller’s Privé. There is now VIP
parking and rooms at the four-star Peermont Walmont hotel have been upgraded, as have the g ym facilities and golf
course. The Blue Bayou received a soft refurbishment as well as new stacker doors that open the restaurant on to the
pool terrace. A new addition to the food and beverage offering is Moo Bar, where patrons can enjoy a drink in a relaxing
atmosphere. The Gary Player-designed 18-hole inland links golf course received an upgraded irrigation system and the
bunkers have been restored to the original Gary Player specification. The current cart paths have been upgraded and the
practice and chipping areas have been rebuilt to tournament standards.

Lufthansa to Welcome First A350 in December
The Lufthansa Group will receive its first A350-900 next month, with the aircraft’s first flight set to take off for Delhi
(India) in February. Once Lufthansa has taken ownership of the aircraft, the A350 will be transferred to Munich during the
week leading up to Christmas. Lufthansa Technik in Munich will then install the cabin interior including the new premium
economy class as well as other features. “We have made further improvements to key components of the A350’s cabin interior.
These include a newly designed self-service area in business class, new seats with ergonomically designed cushions in
economy class, larger screens in all classes and improved broadband internet services”, says Thomas Winkelmann, CEO of
the Munich Hub. From February onwards, Lufthansa will station the first 10 A350s in Munich. The first flight destinations
are Delhi and Boston (USA). The aircraft will have space for 293 passengers – 48 in business class, 21 in premium economy
and 224 in the regular economy class section. The airline has also incorporated virtual reality into its new summer campaign.
Guesstinations is a 360 degree app for travel agents that takes them around the world by combining the use of virtual reality
and Google Street View to show users the possible locations within the Lufthansa Group network.

6 | DECEMBER2016

For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za


ADVERTORIAL

Swiss International Air Lines

Have a smooth flight
With daily flights from Johannesburg
to Zurich, Swiss International Air
Lines (SWISS) offers convenient
connections to more than 100
destinations worldwide. Zurich
Airport is the largest international
airport in Switzerland and the
principal hub of SWISS.

For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za

Below is a list of destinations to
which travellers can fly to from
Zurich Airport, within and outside
of Europe:

EUROPE
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich

Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

Alicante
Amsterdam
Athens
Barcelona
Bari

Belgrade
Berlin
Bilbao
Birmingham
Brindisi
Brussels
Bucharest
Budapest

Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich

Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–

Copenhagen
Dresden
Dublin
Dusseldorf
Florence
Frankfurt
Geneva
Gothenburg
Graz
Hamburg
Hannover
Istanbul
Izmir
Krakow
Leipzig
Lisbon
Malta
Manchester
Milan Malpensa
Moscow
Munich
Naples
Nice

Nuremberg
Oslo
Palermo
Palma de Mallorca
Paris
Porto
Prague
Rome
Santiago de Compostela
Sarajevo
Sofia
Stockholm
St Petersberg
Stuttgart
Thessaloniki
Valencia
Venice
Vienna
Warsaw
Zagreb

INTERCONTINENTAL
Zurich – Johannesburg
Zurich – Los Angeles
Zurich – Miami
Zurich – Montreal
Zurich – Mumbai
Zurich – Muscat
Zurich – Nairobi
Zurich – New Delhi

Zurich – New York, JKF
Zurich – New York, Newark
Zurich – San Francisco
Zurich – Sao Paulo
Zurich – Shanghai
Zurich – Singapore
Zurich – Tel Aviv
Zurich – Tokyo
DECEMBER2016 | 7


NEWS

Airlink Extends Lodge Link Network
Regional South African airline Airlink has extended its Low veld ‘Lodge Link’ safari lodge network in partnership with
andBeyond. The network will provide daily connections between andBeyond’s Ngala Safari Lodge and Ngala Tented Camp in
the Timbavati, Kirkman’s Kamp in the Sabi Sand and the six lodges in andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve. The lodge
network will also provide direct connections with Airlink’s regional services from Nelspruit to Vilanculos (Mozambique), the
gateway to andBeyond Benguerra Island, and Livingstone (Zambia), which provides access to andBeyond Matetsi Private Game
Reserve. Connections can be made from Cape Town and Johannesburg on Airlink to Nelspruit KMIA or Skukuza Airport, with
a short apron transfer connecting guests onwards to Airlink’s Lodge Link service direct to their safari destination, thereby
minimizing lengthy road transfers. Airlink’s Lodge Link flights are operated with brand new twin pilot Cessna Grand Caravan
208BEX 12 seater turbo-prop aircraft, which are equipped with advanced avionics essential to achieving reliable performance
during the low cloud weather for which the Low veld is renowned.

Air Seychelles Expands European Operations
Air Seychelles has announced a major fleet and network expansion that will see the airline introduce a second Airbus A330
aircraft, commence non-stop services to Düsseldorf (Germany) and Durban (South Africa), and significantly strengthen
its existing regional network in early 2017. The airline plans to establish the air bridge between Seychelles and Germany
on 30 March by launching two weekly services to Düsseldorf. The airline will also upgrade its Paris service from three to

four flights per week, with effect from 28 March. Effective 30 March, Air Seychelles will commence a twice-weekly service
to Durban, complementing its existing five weekly services to Johannesburg. The airline’s second Airbus A330 aircraft is
scheduled to be delivered in the last week of March and will have a two cabin configuration with 18 business class and 236
economy class seats. To maximise aircraft utilisation, Air Seychelles will deploy an A330 on an additional fourth weekly
frequency to Paris, which combined with Düsseldorf will provide 3,048 return seats between Seychelles and Europe each
week. In addition to flying to Europe, the Airbus A330 will be used to increase capacity on the airline’s regional services to
Johannesburg, Mauritius and Mumbai, which are currently operated on a narrow-body A320, freeing up an Airbus A320 to
launch flights to Durban.

Swiss
International
Opens Upscale
Hotel in Kenya
Swiss International Lenana Nairobi is
opening its doors in the heart of the
capital city of Kenya (Nairobi). The newly
built hotel is an upscale property with
133 rooms and suites located on Ralph
Bunche Road, which is known for its
close proximity to the CBD, a number of
government offices and embassies. The
Swiss International Lenana Nairobi will
feature an Inspirations pool and g ym, a
Swiss Select Lounge, and a number of
Eventives meetings and events venues. The
hotel has 11 floors and an underground
parking lot. (Source: Breaking Travel News)

8 | DECEMBER2016

For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za


New Amenity Kits for
Island Carrier
Air Seychelles has launched new business and economy class
amenity kits in collaboration with Galileo Products. The new
business class kits contain a dental pack, eye mask, socks,
earplugs and premium skincare items from Scaramouche
+ Fandango, an exclusive British brand which was chosen
for its luxurious range of amenities, specifically developed
for inflight use. The skincare items include a rich honey lip
balm and moisturising hydrator that are high in natural
ingredients and which are presented in a versatile neoprene
bag that doubles as an iPad mini case. A new economy class
kit, comprising earplugs, an eye mask, dental kit and socks,
has also been introduced and is presented in a soft red
drawstring bag that can be re-used for storing sunglasses.
Not forgetting younger travellers, the newly-designed kids’
packs feature an Air Seychelles mascot in a book filled with
fun games and activities, as well as wax crayons and a puzzle.
They are packed in a large, water-resistant drawstring bag.

ORTIA Implements Smart
Security Checkpoint
O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg has
become the first African airport to implement the Smart
Security checkpoint that will digitise the security check
process, speed up passenger progress through security,
and further enhance security through use of stateof-the-art scanners. The pilot implementation of the

Smart Security system went live on 8 November at the
international departures security point at ORTIA. Security
turnstiles have been installed, where boarding passes will
be verified electronically before passengers are allowed
to proceed to the scanning area. There will also be less
frequent requirements for laptops to be removed from bags
and switched on. The new system is expected to drastically
reduce the need for physical pat-downs of passengers who
set off security alarms, because the scanning technology
is much better at detecting objects that should not be
carried on or around anyone intending to fly. The pilot
of the Smart Security checkpoint will run until the end
of January 2017, when its effectiveness will be assessed
and possible improvements identified. Airports Company
South Africa believes that over time it should be feasible
to introduce the system across all the airports it operates.

Join the Avis Preferred Loyalty Programme
today. Spend less time filling out forms,
and more time enjoying the benefits of priority
service, upgrades, free additional driver and
free weekend rentals*

Apply today
Visit avis.co.za

*Terms and conditions apply. Excludes contracted rates.
Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za

DECEMBER2016 | 9

NEWS

Emirates
Completes Lounge
Makeover
Emirates has completed a major makeover
of its business class lounge at Concourse
B of Dubai International Airport. The $11
million refurbishment project took two
years to complete. Emirates’ premium
customers can now look forward to an
enhanced lounge experience with three
new distinct concept areas within the
Emirates Business Class Lounge. The
latest food and beverage concepts cater
to diverse tastes and include a barista
experience in partnership with Costa
Coffee, a Health hub with Voss water
featuring healthier options, and an
exclusive Moët & Chandon champagne
lounge. The new offering is in addition
to the seven other locations within the
lounge with gourmet cuisine prepared
by on-site chefs and a complimentary
full bar service, which includes premium
wine, spirits and champagne. All the food
and beverages offered within the lounge
are complimentary for Emirates first

and business class customers, as well as
Emirates Skywards Platinum, Gold and
Silver members – the airline’s frequent
flyer programme.

Ethiopian Increases Frequency to
Cape Town
Ethiopian Airlines will increase its flight frequency to Cape Town to 10 times per
week from 1 December. Flight ET0847 will leave Addis Ababa at 08h30 on Mondays,
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and land in Cape Town
at 14h15. The return flight, ET0846, will depart Cape Town at 15h05 and arrive in
Ethiopia at 22h30. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, flight ET0849 will
take off from Addis at 23h30 and stop over in Johannesburg between 03h55 and 04h55,
before landing in Cape Town at 07h15. Returning on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays
and Sundays, flight ET0848 will leave Cape Town at 20h45 and stop at O.R. Tambo
International Airport between 22h35 and 23h35. The second leg of the flight will
arrive in Addis Ababa at 06h00. The airline also recently began three weekly one-stop
services to Moroni (Comoros) via Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) on Tuesdays, Thursdays
and Saturdays.

10 | DECEMBER2016

Two More
Airlines Ban The
Note 7
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has
now been banned by two more
South African airlines. Airlink and
kulula have both changed their
policies regarding the unpredictable

cell phone. The device is prohibited
completely and may not be carried by
travellers on their persons, in carryon baggage, in checked-in baggage
or as cargo. Subsequent to the
announcement by the manufacture
to recall the Samsung Galaxy Note 7,
regulators in various countries have
announced a ban on the device in
respect of air transportation.

For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za


Qatar Airways Inks
Codeshare Deal With Air
Botswana
Qatar Airways has signed a codeshare agreement with
Air Botswana. The partnership will provide Qatar
passengers with connections to the Botswana cities of
Gaborone, Francistown and Maun via Johannesburg.
Qatar operates double-daily flights between Johannesburg
and Hamad International Airport in Doha.

Hola
South Africa.
Hola Spain
Fly direct from South Africa to discover
Spain and fall in love with all its charms.
Besides, you’ll be able to connect with
another 58 destinations in Europe.

iberia.com

Hyperloop Developing in
Dubai
It’s been confirmed that the first Hyperloop will be built
in the UAE, allowing passengers to travel the 150km
between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 12 minutes and making
it the fastest form of transportation ever built at 1,200
kilometres per hour (the max speed of a Boeing 747 is
825 kilometres per hour). Hyperloop One, the company
building the transportation system, believes it can have the
system operational by 2021. The Hyperloop would likely
be a bunch of small pods (rather than one large train),
with an on-demand schedule that will take passengers to
their desired stations. The infrastructure will be made up
of large tubes that run between destinations, and the pods
will hover in these (they’d levitate rather than be on tracks).
The environment within the main tube will be controlled
so that there will only be a very small amount of air in the
environment, creating a suction of sorts, so that the pods
move from one end to the other very, very quickly – kind of
like a parcel in a postal shoot. Hyperloop One is working
on plans to run them either underwater or above ground.
(Source: What’s On, Dubai)

For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za

DECEMBER2016 | 11

To

From

Johannesburg

Atlanta

Daily

B777-200LR

Accra

New York - JFK

4 x weekly

B767-300ER

Lagos

Atlanta

Daily
(seasonal
5 x weekly)

B767-300ER

Dakar

New York - JFK

2 x weekly

B757-200ER


COMMENT

Stamp of credibility

A

t ASATA we are often
contacted by travellers
– business and leisure
– who have been the victim of
unscrupulous so-called travel
providers.
There is no better way to guard
yourself against fraudsters by
working with an accredited travel
agency that has the stamp of
credibility from the Association
of Southern African Travel

Agents (ASATA), which has been
championing the cause of travelling
consumers for over 60 years.
ASATA represents over 85% of
the travel industry, including the
market leaders in the travel sector,
who as members have committed
to a stringent code of conduct,
constitution and an ASATA Charter
that guides their business practices
and their dealings with customers.
By working with an ASATAaccredited travel agency, you can
be assured of receiving professional
service, ethical conduct and

trustworthy behaviour, and that you
are working with a market leader
who has signed the ASATA Charter
committing to this so that you can
travel with peace of mind.
This ongoing commitment
ensures ASATA members continue
to meet consumers’ needs of value
and security by maintaining the
highest level of expertise and
professionalism. Members who sign
this charter furthermore commit to
being accountable and responsible
in rectifying any violation of the
ASATA Charter and to strive to

prevent any recurrence.
The ASATA logo is a symbol
of trust and our code of conduct,
constitution and charter outline how
our members conduct themselves
with each other, and the consumer,
requiring them to behave ethically,
comply with the laws of the land
and follow sound business practices
so that the consumer is protected.
ASATA is an association that
sets a high standard for travel

service providers to adhere to and
offers companies credibility in
the travel industry. By booking
through an ASATA accredited travel
agency, consumers are provided
the assurance that the company is
governed, not only by their own
moral principles and ethics, but by
a credible association that selfgoverns the travel industry in South
Africa.
Disclosure, confidentiality and
compliance are all contained in
the ASATA code of conduct. All
ASATA members pledge to conduct
their business in a manner that
promotes the highest standards
of integrity and professionalism.

ASATA members act with care and
diligence, respect and courtesy, and
comply with all applicable laws. C
Otto de Vries
CEO: ASATA

This time of the year everyone is counting
the days until the annual Christmas holidays
somewhere at the coast, totally forgetting what
it felt like last year to share a small town with
7 zillion other Vaalies. Rather join the migration
North and come chill out a mere 200m from the
Phalaborwa Gate of the Kruger National Park in
cool, contemporary luxury.

4787 Angelcy 2016

015 781 3447

www.bushveldterrace.co.za
B&B rates from R660pp

AVOID THE
STAMPEDE

*Visit our website today for more information about
adventures and activities


COMMENT

Distribution is changing

F

rom driverless cars to virtual
reality, the world is facing
unprecedented technological
change. So, it will not come as a
big surprise that we can also expect
momentous change in the world of
travel distribution.
Consumers want instant
gratification and seamless
experiences. They expect mobile
virtual assistants to know their
personal preferences and highlight
restaurants and shops in their
immediate vicinity they could
potentially like.
So how would this need
for personalisation impact on
distribution?
Airlines have already had to
diversify their offering to tailor
their customer experiences through
merchandising options and ancillary
services. And they have turned to
global distribution systems such
as Amadeus to distribute this

increasingly complex content.
Travel agencies are also turning
to the GDS for innovation and

change. Consumers are expecting
more inspirational and user-friendly
websites and apps backed by
smooth, speedy transactions. They
want online retailers to recall their
profile, have an efficient purchasing
process, provide clear delivery
options and pricing, and have
websites that don’t crash.
GDSs are being called upon to
develop new technologies that
can enhance their client’s travel
experience. This experience may
include more tailored travel packages
or greater flexibility to purchase
additional services during the trip.
All this in the midst of major
disruptions from the online quarters
of Google, Facebook and Apple,
which are expected to lead with
innovations such as virtual assistants
and travel booking integrated into
social media and messaging.
With the continued rise to
power of the gatekeepers – this
is what they call these giants –

traffic acquisition could become
the biggest cost for any business,

according to a recent London School
of Economics report. Online travel
agencies are already spending
millions of dollars every day to be
positioned first in the top pages of
these gatekeepers.
Amadeus works with both the
online travel agencies and the
gatekeepers to increase efficiencies
and provide the most complete
and transparent offer for the end
traveller.
The simple truth is that travel
distribution will change drastically
over the coming decade. Although
we don’t know how fast it will all
change, we are sure that distribution
business models will need to evolve
to encompass shared innovation,
a culture of experimentation and
cross-industry alliances to grasp the
opportunities fully.
Amadeus is already rising to the
challenge and shaping the future of
travel distribution.. C
Paul De Villiers
Amadeus CEO

For
For business
business or
or leisure,
leisure, there’s
there’s always
always
a
a little
little something
something extra.
extra.
Lusaka Grand Hotel
Lusaka Grand Hotel

8018A Great East Road, 10101, Lusaka, Zambia Cell: +260966-101480, +260977632860
8018A Great East Road, 10101, Lusaka, Zambia Cell: +260966-101480, +260977632860
Reservations: +260211-239666/239888 bestwestern.com
Reservations: +260211-239666/239888 bestwestern.com

Wherever Life Takes You, Best Western Is There®
Wherever Life Takes You, Best Western Is There®
Each Best Western® branded hotel is independently owned and operated.
Each Best Western® branded hotel is independently owned and operated.


COMMENT

Stamp of

credibility
Darryl Erasmus

Chief Quality Assurance
Officer: Tourism Grading
Council of South Africa

18 | DECEMBER2016

D

oes being graded by
an accredited grading
assessor give you, as a
tourism operator, a competitive
edge over your non-graded
peers? Definitely! Think of it
as a seal of approval that offers
peace of mind and adds value to
your brand.
One of the things that makes
travel so exciting is its wild
unpredictability. A tourist
may have an inkling of what
a destination is like from the
internet or T V, but tasting the
mustard on a hot dog in Central
Park is very different to reading
a review of the experience. That
unpredictability is what makes

travel exciting – but when it
comes to accommodation, it
is comforting for a traveller
to know exactly what they’re
getting.
In a word, it’s about
uniformity. And while that
might not sound like the
most exciting concept, it’s the
bedrock on which an efficient
and prosperous tourism
industry is built. Being graded
by an accredited assessor gives
your establishment or venue
credibility and a competitive
advantage in the marketplace. It
means your bed is a safe bet for
travellers.
That’s why the work of the
Tourism Grading Council
of South Africa’s (TGCSA)
accredited grading assessors is
crucial. Think of it this way: if
a visitor fancies a little luxury

when they’re on holiday – soft
gowns, in-room wi-fi and the
option of a good cup of coffee
from their filter machine
when they wake up – they’d

be disappointed to find that
the upmarket hotel they had
so carefully researched offers
none of these amenities. But
if the hotel carries a TGCSA
star grading, they can rest
assured that it will live up to its
promises.
TGCSA works with a
team of carefully vetted
individuals with extensive
experience in the hospitality
industry to ensure that South
African accommodation and
conferencing establishments’
standards are not only globally
competitive, but also deliver
on their promises. The grading
assessors pay close attention to
detail and know exactly what
to look for during the grading
process.
The TGCSA ensures that
assessors are able to do this
through ad hoc workshops
and the Annual Assessor
Conference, where they
receive refresher training and
accreditation from the TGCSA.
This ensures the consistent

quality of graded establishments
within the tourism industry and
of the assessors themselves.
The TGCSA hosted its
Annual Assessor Conference
at the Riverside Sun Hotel in
Vanderbijlpark from 25 to 27
September 2016, to coincide

with Tourism Month. One
of the themes at this year’s
conference was Universal
Accessibility (which focuses on
making travelling accessible
for all, including people with
disabilities and the elderly),
in line with the South African
Tourism and the National
Department of Tourism’s
#TourismForAll campaigns.
Assessors use the same
principle applied by leading
global brands to ensure
consistency: wherever in the
world you experience the
brand, your experience should
be the same. When applied to
the South African hospitality
landscape, this means your
TGCSA-graded establishment

offers reliable, dependable
quality and guests are therefore
more likely to return – and
spread the word to others.
www.tourismgrading.co.za/getgraded/
www.tourismgrading.co.za/
get-graded/whats-in-it-for-me/
grading-criteria-3/ C
Darryl Erasmus
Chief Quality Assurance
Officer: Tourism Grading
Council of South Africa

Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za


COMMENT

An Eye on
West Africa
Trevor Ward

MD: W Hospitality
Group

A

client recently asked me
what my crystal ball said
about the future of the

Nigerian hospitality industry. A
fair question – after all, I have
spent the last 13-plus years
living and working in Lagos, and
adding the time I was travelling
backwards and forwards from
London, I have 25-plus years’
experience of this market.
They say that you cannot know
where you are, or where you’re
going, if you don’t understand
the past. Well, I remember when
Lagos was really just a two-horse
town, with the Sheraton and the
Eko taking the lion’s share of
hotel demand. With the return to
civilian rule in 1989, GDP growth
reached a high of 10% in 2009,
and even 2014, with the Ebola
crisis and the oil price crash, was
6.3%, well above the SSA average
of 5%. Today, there are 20 branded
hotels in Lagos, several high
quality unbranded properties, and
a huge pipeline, some of which are
under construction.

to come out of this is that it’s
clearing out the ghost workers
from the civil service.

The hospitality industry is
hurting, of course. However, for
travellers carrying dollars, Nigeria
has become good value, after
years of claiming the top slot as
the most expensive destination
globally. Whilst prices have gone
up, as imports become more
expensive, they haven’t gone up
that much. The official inflation
rate is around 17%, but the
squeeze on the local consumer has
tempered the ability to increase
prices. At my local pub, a large
beer is now $1.50 at the BdC
exchange rate.
The crystal ball is no use right
now. Let’s leave it under its cloth.

Wouldn’t it be nice to look back at
the previous 17 years, and input
those growth figures into the
crystal ball, wave the wand, and
create a graph with an upward
trajectory shining out from the
middle of the orb?

People have differing opinions
about when Nigeria will
experience an upturn. Some say

mid-2017, others speculate two,
three, or even four years. There’s
an element of one-upmanship
here (“I can be more negative
than you!”), but to a man they
are all speculating. Like mine,
their crystal balls are of no use.
But note that no-one says never.
Everyone believes that there will
be an upturn, at some time in the
future.

That’s just not going to happen.
That much we know. With
negative growth in the first two
quarters of 2016, Nigeria is in
recession. The Naira is in free
fall – two years ago it was around
160 to the US dollar, today the
‘official rate’ is around 330, and
at the Bureau de Changes, the
‘parallel rate’ is north of 400, with
the probability of reaching 500 by
the end of the year. All of which
is somewhat academic, as there is
very little, and at times no, foreign
exchange to be had.

Because Nigeria is, and always
will be, Nigeria. We’ve been here

before – remember the recession
in the early 1990s and the Abacha
years from 1993 to 1998? Nigeria
has a huge, young population,
many of them tech-sav v y, with
rapid urbanisation into a growing
number of large cities, and a very
positive outlook on life. Despite
negative growth, the economy is
still one of the largest in Africa,
with vast natural resources and
huge potential for agriculture and
manufacturing.

Daily we hear about job losses,
in all sectors. The only positivity

So instead of crystal ball gazing,
I say that we must instead make

Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za

simple assumptions, and build a
case for what might happen. It is,
my client and I agree, reasonable
to assume that there will be a
return to growth.
We then discuss when that might
occur, and we pencil down 2018,
giving time for the government to

get its act together regarding the
economy, the currency to stabilise,
and for the private sector to get
used to the new norm. We agree
that growth is likely to be in the
non-oil sector, and rather slower
than previous growth rates, that
were driven by prices in exported
commodities, not value-added
activities. We might be wrong,
but it gives us a basis on which to
work, to plan new projects which
in themselves will contribute to
growth and recovery.
So there you have it. We are
seriously in the doldrums in
Nigeria right now, and could be
here for some time, but we’ll
pull out if it. Once the currency
stabilises, investors will return.
That’s something else we know. C
www.w-hospitalitygroup.com

DECEMBER2016 | 19


e1

9:41

s4

card

H11

Mon

May

31

10:4

2010
C

M

Pag
Y

CM

MY

Y

CY

K

CM

ur.F

colo

te

posi

Com

*Mango Guests who load value
onto their complimentary Gautrain Card
by 15 January 2017 are eligible to
receive a Mango flight discount voucher
for the equivalent value (up to R250).
Flight vouchers may be redeemed against
future Mango flights. Flights must be
booked on www.flymango.com by
no later than 28 February 2017.

*Fly Mango and receive a
complimentary Gautrain Card
with compliments of the Gautrain.
Lucky Mango Guests may receive
a Gautrain Card loaded with
R174 – that’s the maximum

Gautrain trip value from OR
Tambo International Airport.

‘Tis the season to give

and the more we give, the more you get
Terms and conditions apply. Promotions run separately.

*The Gautrain-Mango promotion is valid from 15 November 2016 to 15 January 2017
**The Gautrain-Mall of Africa promotion is valid from 09 December 2016 to 09 January 2017
***The R1 per day Parking and R1 per bus trip offer is valid from 09 December 2016 to 09 January 2017

For more information visit gautrain.co.za | 0800 GAUTRAIN


**Ride the Gautrain to
Midrand station, where you
can collect a Mall of Africa
voucher booklet. Hop on a
Gautrain bus direct to the
Mall for just R1, activate
your booklet and enjoy
your shopping.

4458 | www.iww.co.za | cp

***Because we’re in the
spirit of giving, we’ll even
throw in R1 bus trips and
R1-a-day parking when

you use the Gautrain.


FEATURE – LEISURE TRAVEL

A different
ball game

22 | DECEMBER2016

Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za


It’s slightly stating the obvious to suggest that leisure travel is not
what it used to be, but the fact remains that travellers are not who
they used to be, destinations have had to re-look their offerings, and
technology is having a huge say in the whole process.

Visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za

DECEMBER2016 | 23