12
south africa
they need to sell the products and have a really strong sense of the country and everything it offers. Our online training programme will also help us to create an SA Ambassador initiative, which we’ll be rolling out later this year.” Tolene van der Merwe, UK Country Manager, South African Tourism
Where to book it
What’s new Airlines: Several carriers are responding to the rising demand by increasing capacity. British Airways (batraveltrade.com) is generating plenty of excitement over its announcement it will launch three flights a week from Gatwick to Cape Town from November 24. Initially at least, it will operate to March 24 2017. Thomas Cook Airlines (thomascookairlines.com) is also starting direct flights to Cape Town in December, running through to March next year. Iberia (iberia.com) will fly from London to Johannesburg, via Madrid, from August and Norwegian (norwegian.com) is also planning to launch a route from London. Accommodation: Leeu Estates (leeucollection. com), a five-star property, will open on the fringes of Franschhoek in the Cape Winelands on June 15. On 68 hectares of vineyards, landscaped gardens and fynbos (indigenous vegetation), it will feature 17 rooms, suites and cottages. Le Quartier Français, a top boutique hotel, became part of the Leeu Collection on September 1 2015. Gondwana (gondwanagr.co.za), a private game reserve along the Garden Route in the Western Cape, has added a new luxury lodge to its portfolio: Ulubisi House. It sleeps either six adults or four adults and four children and comes with a full complement of staff, including its own butler, chef and field guide. Gondwana is a ‘Big Five reserve’. andBeyond’s Ngala Safari Lodge (andbeyond. com), which shares unfenced borders with Kruger National Park, is undergoing a $2million rebuild. It will reopen to guests on June 15. The revamped thatch suites will be larger and floorto-ceiling glass windows are being installed. Operators: New for 2016/2017, Travel 2 (travel2.com) will offer the Radisson Blu Le Vendome, which is close to Cape Town’s city centre as well as the Three Cities Le Franschhoek
NATURAL WORLD SAFARIS – 01273 691642 The operator has several new ‘adventures’ for 2016, including an 11-day Family Safari in South Africa and Mozambique. Aimed at ‘multigenerational families and groups of friends’, activities include horse riding, quad biking, rock climbing and a stay at Leobo Private Reserve, in the Cape Winelands and the Radisson Blu a five-star lodge in South Africa’s Waterberg Port Elizabeth located on the beachfront. region. Each location includes the service Great Rail Journeys (greatrail.com) has two new of a personal chef and hospitality team. The tours to South Africa, both of which currently have package leads in at £5,95pp, based on a family special offers: there are savings of up to £150pp of six (four adults, two children) excluding on 2017 holidays booked on or before June 3. international flights. Naturalworldsafaris.com ON THE GO TOURS – 020 7371 1113 Tourism talk The 20-day World in One Country tour leads in “The travel at £1,929pp (valid for trade is travel in 2016). The “With its fantastic blend of extremely deal includes 19 nights nature, culture, wildlife and important to South staying in mid-range history there’s nowhere quite lodges, chalets and African Tourism, not least as the UK remains our like Cape Town. Its coastline, tented lodges, two biggest international views from Table Mountain and dinners, games drives tourist market to South in Kruger National Park, vineyards make it one of Africa. Between January Hluhluwe Umfolozi Africa’s most popular places” game reserve, a and December 2015 there LYNNE EMBLETON, BRITISH AIRWAYS’ were 40,748 UK tourist game drive in Addo MANAGING DIRECTOR AT GATWICK AIRPORT arrivals – a 1.4% increase Elephant National from 2014 – which shows Park, a Cape Point how buoyant the market is. tour, a wine tasting and cellar tour in “We continue to invest in the trade. We are Stellenbosch, Lesotho pony trekking and a St hosting a mega-fam trip in September. Twenty Lucia Estuary boat cruise. onthegotours.com GOLD MEDAL – 0800 014 7777 four agents will be split into three groups to A seven-night deal staying at Kariega Game experience one of the following areas: the Garden Reserve, full board in a chalet in a standard Route, Panorama Route and North West province. room, starts from £1,459pp for bookings made “We’re also investing heavily in agent training. by September 30. Flights from Heathrow Our online SA Specialist is a big focus for us this with British Airways. sgoldmedal.co.uk year, as we want to provide agents with the tools
Above, from left: spectacular Cape Town; Sabi Sabi’s luxurious Little Bush Camp. Right: andBeyond’s Ngala Safari Lodge; Rovos Rail recaptures the romance of a bygone era
sellingtravel.co.uk