South Africa Travel

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

IOL: SAA hopes cheap Mango will bear fruit

It's a case of hello to dirt-cheap seats, goodbye to legroom, and hello again to pensioner pilots.Launched on Monday, South African Airways' new low-cost kid on the block, Mango, will cost just R200 to fly between Johannesburg and Cape Town and a little less for flights between Johannesburg and Durban.But while Mango will be offering the cheapest flights in the country, they will also be the tightest.Mango's four Boeing 737-800s, leased from SAA, will see 186 seats packed into planes which, under normal seating configurations including Business Class, have places for 157 people.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

travel.iafrica.com | flights BA flights a boost for Cape Town

British Airways on Friday began operating double-daily flights to Cape Town, providing an additional 14 040 seats between the Mother City and London during the busy summer season.The airline, which first began flying directly to Cape Town in 1984, has long campaigned for more services to meet both burgeoning inbound tourism demand from one of South Africa’s major source markets and to provide sufficient seats for outbound business and leisure travellers.It started operating daily services to Cape Town in 2000 and has steadily increased this schedule whenever it was able to in terms of the inter-government agreement which regulates the number of flights between South Africa and the UK. Last summer it operated 12 services a week.

allAfrica.com: South Africa: JIA Officially Renamed O.R. Tambo

The Johannesburg International Airport is now known as the OR Tambo International Airport, following an official renaming ceremony here on Friday.President Thabo Mbeki joined by among others, former President Nelson Mandela and the Tambo family, attended the ceremony to rename the airport in honour of the late Oliver Reginald Tambo.The former African National Congress (ANC) leader passed away on 23 April 1999. He would have turned 89 today.The renaming is set to immortalise Mr Tambo and pay homage to his contribution to South Africa's liberation struggle.Speakers at the ceremony showered Mr Tambo with praise for his outstanding work in rallying international support for the liberation movement and getting the global community to condemn apartheid.

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Thursday, October 19, 2006

allAfrica.com: South Africa: Gauteng Tourism, Airports Company Sign Agreement

The Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Airport Company of South Africa (ACSA) signed an agreement today, to promote access to information about tourism in the province.Gauteng is pulling out all the stops to ensure it boosts its popularity among foreign visitors, ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.With the tournament set to attract millions of tourists into the country, the hospitality industry is making sure it does not miss great opportunities the event promises.Passenger traffic at the airport is said to be at about 17 million a year currently and is expected to grow to about 24 million a year by 2010.For this reason, the two organizations have agreed to man an information kiosk at the OR Tambo International Airport, to disseminate information about tourism and the airport.The GTA said the kiosk will provide accurate and relevant information and material about Gauteng's key experiences. Some include shopping, business, heritage, wining and dining, advice on travel, sights and sounds of the province, tours and accommodation booking.

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allAfrica.com: South Africa: Gauteng Tourism, Airports Company Sign Agreement

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Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Tourismcapetown - (Travel Daily News)

The local tourism organisation of Stellenbosch is the first of a potential 68 in the Western Cape to be officially accredited by the provincial tourism destination marketing organisation, Cape Town Routes Unlimited, as part of a process to give visitors to Cape Town and the Western Cape an improved, integrated tourism service and enhance their tourism experience of the province. Being accredited will give local tourism organisations access to long-term funding from local municipalities.An official accreditation certificate, valid for three years, will be handed over by Cape Town Routes Unlimited to representatives of the Stellenbosch Tourism Organisation at a ceremony at The House of JC le Roux, Stellenbosch, this afternoon (Friday, 13 October 2006). The event follows an extensive consultative process with local tourism organisations and local municipalities in the Western Cape over the last six months, including 32 workshops and several discussion sessions hosted by Cape Town Routes Unlimited’s Visitor and Membership Services Unit.

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Business Report - V&A Waterfront to get R7bn pizazz boost

Cape Town - The V&A Waterfront, one of Cape Town's top tourist attractions, is set to get a cash injection of R7 billion that will place the already swanky centre firmly in the upper-class bracket.Nakheel Hotels & Resorts chief executive James Wilson said the money would be in addition to the R7 billion that the new owners had paid to Transnet and its pension funds.In September Nakheel sibling company Istithmar, UK property company London & Regional Properties and local black empowerment partners bought the V&A, announcing that they would bring an element of "pizazz" to the property. Only about half of the 603 000m2 property had been developed by Transnet.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Tourismcapetown - (Travel Daily News)

Most international visitors to the Western Cape this winter were British and they spent more than their American and German counterparts, even though they didn’t stay as long. But somewhat surprisingly more Americans than Germans visited the province and, on average, spent more.This according to the results of research commissioned by Cape Town Routes Unlimited and released to its members in a new weekly newsletter, Let’s Talk Tourism. The study was carried out in June and July by a consortium comprising the University of Stellenbosch, University of the Western Cape, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and African Equation.

Friday, September 29, 2006

Tourism boom hits SA shores

A record 2,7 million tourists visited South Africa between January and April, reflecting a 16 percent increase over the first quarter of last year, Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said.

"With just over 2,7 million arrivals from January to April, this is the first time we have broken through the 2,5 million mark in the first four months of the year," he said. "This figure compares very favourably with our first quarter arrivals of 1998, which stood at just over 1,8 million. We have seen a 16 percent increase in arrivals across all territories compared to the same period last year."

"The largest component of this growth comes from the Africa and the Middle East region, which was 21,9 percent higher confirming the importance of this sector to our continued success," he said.

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Tuesday, September 26, 2006

IOL: Cape Town scoops triple win at World awards

Cape Town has received three awards at the prestigious 13th annual World Travel Awards.The Mother City clinched the "Africa's Leading Destination" award, while the stately "Pink Lady", Mount Nelson Hotel, was named Africa's leading hotel.Cape Town International Airport was voted Africa's leading airport.More than 160 000 travel industry professionals from 120 countries were asked to vote for their leading conference centres, travel destinations, airlines, hotels and companies around the world.Dubbed the travel industry's equivalent of the Oscars, the awards celebrate service excellence.

Monday, September 25, 2006

7DAYS » South Africa roars for business travel

South Africa, riding the wave of a tourism boom, is touting Survivor-style business meetings with the aim of turning it into one of the world’s top ten conference venues by the end of the decade. The brand new Business Unusual unveiled at roadshows across the US, Europe and Asia, offered executives a chance to swap their stuffy pinstripe suits for shorts in the bush while chalking out strategy or ironing out problems.“What we’re saying is we can go beyond the usual business conferences and meetings,” Angeline Lue from South African Tourism said.

Friday, September 22, 2006

Travel Video Television News

Tourism Africa has great potential as an annual event to promote international tourism to the continent and to make its vast range of natural attractions better known to the world. It could be a regular date in the travel trade calendar for African suppliers to meet European and world buyers. It could be the greatest opportunity for traders in the field of African tourism to network, to exchange views and meet the press and media.The inaugural Tourism Africa conference was accompanied by an exhibition of tourism and travel operators in the vast space of the Palexpo congress center beside Geneva's international airport. It was wonderful to step off a plane from London and walk through the terminal directly into the event. This seemed a master-stroke of conference organization.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

SAT - (Travel Daily News)

In line with its strategy to position South Africa as a leading destination for the global film industry, South African Tourism and Cape Town Routes Unlimited, together with the Cape Film Commission, have facilitated the shooting of a glamorous multi-million rand Bollywood movie, Cash, in The Mother City. The project was officially launched at a media conference at the Radisson Hotel in Cape Town.Produced by Bollywood great Sohail Maklai and distributed by Metro-Adlabs, Cash is the first Bollywood film whose script / story-line is set in Cape Town. This has given the producers and directors a unique opportunity to truly showcase the icons, the hot spots and the dramatic scenery that make Cape Town and the Western Cape one of the most popular tourism destination cities on the planet.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Eric Nathan: Highlights of South Africa - AfricaNews EN

South African photographer Eric Nathan made a selection of his highlights of the most southern country of Africa. His selection contains images from the lush green hills of the Transkei in the Eatern Cape, the wine lands in the Western Cape, the skyline of South Africa's economic hub, Johannesburg, and the mothercity of Cape Town, were people usually take it a bit more easy. Eric is a self-taught photographer and specialises in travel and landscape photography. He has travelled to over fifty countries worldwide.

e-Travel Blackboard: Australia's Number One Industry Newsletter

As South African Tourism continues to consolidate its mandate to market South Africa as a world-class destination of choice, the organisation is pleased to announce a number of strategic new appointments to its team in Australia.Janaya Birse, who was formerly Trade Relations Manager, has been appointed Marketing and Communications Manager with effect from 1 August. Her new responsibilities will include being the point of contact for public relations / advertising agencies, trade and media in Australia. She will also be required to ensure the accuracy and consistency of South African Tourism’s brand positioning across all messaging and communications.In yet another move, Eric Baravilala has joined the South African Tourism team as International Business Tourism Manager. His principal duty will be to implement South African Tourism’s Strategy to drive incremental and exponential growth for the tourism industry.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

travel.iafrica.com | explore sa | eastern cape | sightseeing hotspots Beaches and beauties

THE SANDS @ ST FRANCIS Beaches and beauties - Richard HolmesSt. Francis Bay is easy to spot from a distance. As you leave the N2 and the dusty streets of Humansdorp behind, the trademark black-and-white roofs of this popular holiday town pop out of the horizon like a giant seaside chessboard along the stunning Eastern Cape coastline.While the town’s calm bays are a popular spot in the summer holidays, the protected beaches exist only in the shelter of the rocky points that are exposed to the full force of the Indian Ocean.Named for the Patron saint of sailors, one of the town’s main attractions is the wind-swept light house out at Seal Point, a rocky outcrop of land which has brought many a ship to grief.

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Guardian Unlimited Football | Breaking News | Homeless World Cup gives players new hope

By Olesya Dmitracova

LONDON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - There was not much to link former Liberian child soldiers with a destitute Scot, the editor of a Russian street paper and a Manchester United coach -- until the Homeless World Cup.After months of team trials, travel and training, homeless men and women from around the globe will battle it out in Cape Town from Sept. 23-30 in an annual tournament which for many could become a gateway to a job, a home and new friends.The United Nations estimates there are more than 100 million homeless people worldwide and more than one billion live in inadequate housing in shanty towns or without basic utilities.

Monday, September 11, 2006

IOL: Knysna reels as tour operators cancel visits

Knysna is reeling under the impact of the closure of Kaaiman's Pass, claiming 40 percent of tour companies have cancelled trips, and that, overall, tourism is down by 10 percent.Now tourism and business in Knysna and Plettenberg Bay have called on the government to send out a clear message about road access to the region as its crucial peak tourism season approaches.The region is pulling out all the stops to stave off an economicmeltdown.There was some respite over the weekend when the N2 over the pass was opened to vehicles up to 25 tons, thereby allowing tour buses through until tomorrow at 6am.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

SaRugby

One millionth ticket sold for Rugby World Cup 2007 The International Rugby Board is pleased to announce that the France 2007 Organising Committee has sold the one millionth public ticket for Rugby World Cup 2007. The ticket was sold as part of a Saint Etienne city package to a rugby club member from the Loire region.The achievement is a strong endorsement of the Committee’s ticket sales programme that to date has offered affordable city and team packages to the public worldwide via the Internet.“One year from the kick-off of Rugby World Cup 2007 the International Rugby Board is confident the Tournament will be the most successful in its colourful and exciting 20-year history,” said IRB Chairman, Dr Syd Millar. “This belief is backed by the fact that one year out from the Tournament the Organising Committee has already sold its one millionth public ticket which is fantastic news.”“Operational planning, venue logistics, and the commercial and ticketing programmes are all on target as the world of Rugby looks forward to September 7, 2007 when the host nation France plays Argentina at Stade de France, Paris in the opening match of the Tournament.”

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

allAfrica.com: South Africa: SA Tourism Sets Sights On 10-Million Foreigners

South Africa: SA Tourism Sets Sights On 10-Million Foreigners Business Day (Johannesburg)THE local industry had set its sights on attracting 10-million foreign tourists by 2010, after breaking through the 7-million "psychological barrier" last year, says SA Tourism.SA Tourism's forecast comes as global attention increasingly shifts to SA ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.SA Tourism CEO Moeketsi Mosola said last week in the organisation's annual report that the soccer tournament was an opportunity for the local industry to meet and exceed expectations of tourists "and develop a firm platform for tourism growth".Mosola said tourism acc-ounted for 8% of the country's gross domestic product "with the potential to soar to 12% by 2014".He said foreign tourist arrivals last year broke the 7-million "psychological barrier" as a record-breaking total of 7,4-million foreign tourists came to SA.

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