The Mpumalanga department of Tourism and Travel SA endorsed an initiative for the Info centre roll out at Indaba 2003. Along with Proudly Dullstroom a central reservation technology with a real time booking solution provides the information centre with the self-sustaining financial model.

Travel SA is the first, verified by Visa Merchant, to put a financial communications and travel product on the same technical platform. This was done in order for Galileo to provide the travel agent (of which Galileo has a 95% market share) with real time room availability. Travel SA is now making this platform available to Info centres free of charge in order to generate monies in an administration and maintenance free environment so as to stimulate leisure travel within South Africa. (Promoting South Africa to South Africans).

Creating, thus, a win-win situation for the tourism industry as a whole, whereby the accommodation provider receives the same adminration and maintenance free environment, marketed and integrated into Galileo, Info centres, Internet portals as well as distributed through a call centre that can be booked via cell phone GSM technology, with low cost SMS functionality.

This platform initiative was put together by Travel SA in association with FNB, Beterview (Traderoot), Unisys, Galileo and Datagate.
Dullstroom Info Office will be using this system with the preferred stock supplied by Travel SA.

(Bronwyn Harries-Jones)

IT is time the tourism door opened to all people across the Western Cape, says Joyce Witbooi, the newly appointed Western Cape Minister of Tourism and Gambling. Working together with organisations in the Cape such as the DMO (Destination Marketing Organisation) she intends to pursue a number of initiatives to promote community participation in the industry.

She says initiatives will include workshops and educational programmes such as tourism education in schools. To help local communities break into tourism, consultants will be sent to rural areas to advise them on how best to use what they have. Special travel fares and access passes at certain times of the year will be investigated to provide the means for these communities to be tourists themselves.

The Minister sees a rise in cultural tourism, instigated by these smaller communities, as a part-solution to the problem of seasonality. Explaining how the DMO marketing strategy will help travel agents to market the Western Cape, Witbooi says Cape Town will provide the international hook, while marketing to specific target markets such as the leisure, events and conferences markets will make inroads in the domestic market. “In the eyes of our potential visitors, this approach will make for greater understanding of where to visit and greater consistency, meaning that Cape Town products and Western Cape products will now be marketed as a whole and will not compete any more”.

According to her, airline capacity is an issue that will be tackled by the government in conjunction with the DMO. Opportunities to build direct connections with other international cities, minimising the need to travel via London, are being examined.

(Ezrom Moromo wa Sekgobela)

Media from the Western Cape and Free State were treated to the splendour and hospitality of Mpumalanga during the Tourism Month Media Tours conducted by the MTA on 6-8 August 2003.

The objective of the tours, was to show case products and attractions in Mpumalanga for coverage in other provincial media as a bid to encourage domestic tourism which is unequivocally a pillar in the sustainability of the industry.

Participants were Andy Galloway (Free State Express), Khaya Matsansta (Free State News), Ursula Brown (Cape Info SA) and Glenda Peterson (Cape SA Info).

The itinerary covered parts of the Cultural Heartland with focus in the vicinity of Marble Hall, as well as the Panorama and Highlands Meander.

The MTA would like to thank Sun Valley Tourism, Cilabi Ostrich Range, Bush Fellows Private Game Reserve, Flag Boshielo Eco-Tourism, Kloppenheim Country Estate and Dunkeld Country Estate for their support and generosity. It is through such strides and partnerships that we can position our province as the number one tourist destination in SA.

(Miguel de Sousa)

Supported by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mohammed Valli Moosa, the new Board of South African Tourism (SAT) has set specific 2003/4 targets, aimed at maintaining and leveraging the successes enjoyed in increased tourism growth to South Africa during 2002. This according to SAT’s newsletter.

In the four portfolios identified as its focus markets – Africa & the Middle East; Asia & Australasia; Europe and The Americas – emphasis will be placed upon delivering on South African Tourism’s key objectives that underlie all of its marketing activities. These are to increase tourist volume and spend, length of stay, improve seasonality and geographic spread and encourage transformation.
Moosa said the development of the Tourism Growth Strategy had given clear direction to the organisation’s marketing efforts and would ensure that South Africa maintained its status as a preferred tourist destination.

Arrival targets for the upcoming year have been set at a 6,7% net foreign arrivals’ increase; direct spend per trip to increase by 10%; maintain an average length of stay at 14 days in line with global trends, and to increase distribution to the six least-visited provinces by 10%.

Sometimes the greatest interventions start with only one person. Trucking company owner Andre Snyman does not believe in waiting for others to take action. Instead, since stepping to the fore two years ago, he has played a major role in rallying community support to fight crime.

“I started eBlockwatch after hearing about a missing child on the radio. The announcer commented that there should be some way of mobilising the community in the area to find the child”, recalls Snyman.

Even though he was not a technology expert he knew that there were some things South Africans had in common: Ubuntu (meaning a person is a person through other persons), a need to confront the issue of crime and, quite often, a cell phone. Snyman’s dream was to harness technology to fight crime. And so eBlockwatch was launched. “The network has been in existence for more than two years now is still growing and attracting high level attention and endorsement.”

eBlockwatch links a total of 11 000 members - consisting of police, neighbourhood watches, industries and the general public - to each other via short messaging services (SMS) on cell phones and e-mail. What started out as one man’s idea has grown into communities taking back their streets. Since the launch of eBlockwatch, the system has led to the arrest of hijackers, rapists and murderers, helped recover hundreds of thousands of Rand of stolen goods; helped find missing people, exposed scams, helped prevent crime and created community spirit. Concerned that the only stories about tourists in South Africa were negative ones, Snyman decided to take his initiative further. Travel Buddy is being launched to give the thousands of tourists pouring into the country the same peace of mind eBlockwatch communities was experiencing.

Commenting on the example Andre Snyman had set, Yvonne Johnston, CEO of the International Marketing Council which is responsible for Brand South Africa, said: “Every little effort made by ordinary South Africans will help build a better nation.”

And the response from the community is overwhelming. “I feel as though this system has empowered the average person because we are no longer in the dark about crime in our areas”, Bloubosrand resident Birgit Urban told the Sunday Times Metro.

“We have been waiting for years for eBlockwatch. Communication was always the biggest hurdle in community policing – eBlockwatch solved this problem and it works like a bomb,” Alexandra Police Station Commander Director Joe Moethiba told Beeld newspaper.

“eBlockwatch is not technology,” says Snyman, “it is ubuntu.”
A man of action, not words - and certainly not whining – Snyman’s favourite stories are of helping tourists: Like the Canadian student on holiday in Cape Town who needed to return home urgently following the death of her brother. It was a Friday night, offices were closed and her passport was with a Pretoria University Professor. Call in Travel Buddy.

“By noon on Saturday she was on a flight to Canada via Johannesburg. Her passport was on the way from Pretoria to Johannesburg International and customs had already cleared her in Cape Town. When her plane landed at Johannesburg International, the South African customer official handed over her travel documents to her on board the plane - stamped and cleared,” recalls Snyman.
“That’s what I call a Travel Buddy and Ubuntu working as a team.”

For more information, go to www.eblockwatch.co.za or www.satravelbuddy.co.za or call Andre Snyman at 082 561 1065

In celebration of Mr. Hein Raath’s birthday a cricket match was played in Dullstroom on the 9th of August 2003. His team with several ex-provincial players, (the likes of Allan Jordaan, Hein himself, Johan Van Rensburg, Sollie Barnard) clashed with the team from Dullstroom.

The match was played over 25 over's a side and the Dullstroom side batted first. Allan O’Grady and Piet Viljoen each made good fifties after which they were pulled off. A few youngsters in the side were also given the opportunity to bat and they showed their worth against the much acclaimed opposition. The Dullstroom side eventually got 138 runs on the board.

The Hein Raath 11 started well but the required rate could not be kept up ( 50+ legs just don’t move that fast anymore) and the wickets kept falling with regular intervals. In the end the Dullstroom side came of the field victorious.

It was a great day and a great match where a lot of new acquaintances were made and the Dullstroom Cricket Club would like to invite Mr. Raath to make this an annual event. A word of thanks must also go out to Mr. Jonathan Boulton and Greame Davidson for the help they provided in getting this event organised.

Following consistently good performance over a number of years, RCI shareholders in the US, recently announced their decision to give management control of RCI in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji to RCI Southern Africa, with immediate effect.

This move is expected to boost the annual turnover of the newly merged RCI Southern Africa/Oceania region to almost R200 million and will bring the total member base tally of these combined regions to 280 000 families.

RCI SA/Oceania’s Chief Executive, Ivor Clucas, said his team would first aim to win the hearts and minds of the Australian and New Zealand consumer and industry client before expecting to match the year-on-year growth of 20-25%, as achieved by his region over the last decade.

“A highly regulated industry makes it a little more difficult to sell holiday ownership. This, coupled with the poor image of timeshare in the Oceania region has contributed to relatively low market share for RCI amongst a population of close-on 23 million people (Australia and New Zealand combined),” said Clucas.

Another factor to consider is the strong competition posed by other exchange companies in New Zealand and Australia compared to the leisure giant’s position in South Africa where it enjoys a 95% market share.

However Clucas remains positive. He said that in the 80’s, RCI SA had faced similar bottlenecks of perception and regulatory issues. He said much of the turnaround for the South African market could be attributed to the significant degree of co-operation between industry stakeholders - notably developers, marketers and RCI.

He said utilisation of RCI Oceania members’ holiday ownership via the RCI exchange system was as high as 95% indicating that there is significant room for new developments within the region.

He said however there had to be willingness amongst developers to invest in new properties and such growth would be dependant on an effective, credible sales environment.

“Whilst the Rand hedge benefit of holiday ownership is a particular, added benefit for the South African market, the recession proof value of timeshare coupled with RCI exchange, is a standard benefit around the globe,” added Clucas.

Forging the first initiatives in Oceania is Chris Dodd, currently RCI SA’s Timeshare Services Director who will relocate to assume the position of Vice President - Business Development at the RCI office on Australia’s Gold Coast. His main task will be that of rebuilding the image of the industry and RCI’s relationship with the key industry players.

Dodd said that he would mostly be drawing on the skills and talents of the people currently employed in that office and in the industry.

For further information, please contact Peter Pienaar on 011 258 0061.

(Miguel de Sousa)

Close on 200 entries have already been received in the 2004 AA Travel Guides Accommodation Awards programme.
This programme, now running for the 11th year, is known as a reliable quality indicator that is used by tourists when choosing a place to stay.

Convener Vanessa Sand says it is open to any type of accommodation establishment that is a member of the AA Quality Assured Programme, the National Star Grading System, or the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association - or undertakes to join one of these by February next year when the semi-finalists are chosen.

Awards are made in 33 categories, including different types of guesthouses, bed & breakfasts, hotels, resorts and lodges, and even tented, traditional and township accommodation.

Sand says participation in the programme holds huge benefits. "Being an achiever gives an establishment a definite marketing advantage as it receives widespread publicity and appears in the annual South Africa's Best publication." She says more than 180 000 copies of South Africa's Best are printed, the majority of which are inserted into Getaway Magazine. The rest are distributed at travel trade and consumer shows, by the establishments appearing in it and through the missions of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Accommodation establishments have until November 30, 2003 to enter the programme.
The awards programme is supported by the Industrial Development Corporation, Visit SA and Europcar.
The 2004 awards will be made during the Tourism Indaba in May next year.
For more information, or to enter the programme, contact Helen de Coster or Tersia de Villiers on (011) 483 3044.

Five Pointer Dog Clubs in South Africa compete with their top dogs annually on a national level to determine the national champion and dog of the year title. It was a great honour for Mpumalanga Parks Board that Verloren Nature Reserve was chosen to host both the title SAFTC field trails and the national field trail events. For the first time since 1908 the SAFTC hosted this event in Dullstroom and in particular in the Verloren Valei. The national committee mentioned that Verloren Valei was chosen because of it’s scenic beauty, rolling grasslands interior fences and abundance of Red and Greywing Franklin. This event took place on the 8th and 9th of August. The weather was ideal and birds were found during 95% of the breaches.

The results were:
1St place: Gordon Howard from Kwa Zulu
Natal with Pointer Jack.
2nd place: Luke Bell from Border with Pointer dog Ruff.
3rd place Johnny Miller from Border with bitch Floss.

A merit award was awarded to Carl Aadnes gaard ( President of NFTC.) from Kwa Zulu Natal with his bitch Sassy.

The most sought after trophy the “Dog of the year” title was won by Northwell Wyoming (Ming). This pointer bitch won both the 1st places at SAFTC and KZN field trail events and was trained and handled by Ian Hoffman (President of SAFTC) and supported by his wife Rose. It was an enjoyable day and a day to remember.

For a second time in a row the Verloren Valei nature reserve had the honour to host the field events of the South African Field Trail Club during the week of 23 to 28 June 2003. The club,s president, Mr. Ian Hoffman, stated that the field trails were moved last year from Bela-Bela in the Limpopo Province to Dullstroom with great success. He mentioned that it is a great privilege to use Verloren Valei, a section of Mr. Tom Prinsloo’s farm and the farm of the Combrinks for the annual field trails.

The Derby and Maiden Stakes took place from Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 June and the Championship Stakes from Thursday afternoon to the finals on Saturday 28 June 2003. The conditions were not always favourable with day maximum temperatures of 3 C and clouds of mists that drifted past on cold winds. Fortunately the competitors and their dogs are of tough breed and their spirits were high and the competition fierce. Plenty of Redwing and Greywing francolins were flushed with a jackal and an Oribi in between causing trouble now and then. It must be noted that these trails are run and judged in terms of the National Field Trails Association’s Rules and Regulations and that the standards are very high.

The winners of this competition goes through to the National Field Trails and takes place 8–9 August this year. Competitors as far as Zimbabwe entered the SAFTC trails. Chief Conservator, Frans Krige, said that he was very impressed with all the participants in this year’s competition. The success of this year’s field trails could be contributed again to the fact that the committee, club members and their dogs made it a pleasurable event for everybody. People like Bruce Welgemoed, Frank and Golio Poretti, Rose Hoffman, Yvette, Mario Prando, Paolo Coter, Dr. Slang Viljoen, Jaco Moolman, Neil Scott, Tom Prinsloo and Rudi Combrink, to mention a few, contributed to this year’s event.

The spin-off of these trails is that Officials of Mpumalanga Parks Board gets very useful information on the status and distribution of the game birds on the reserve. Krige says he looks forward to next year’s field trails that will take place at Verloren Valei and that spectators will be welcome. The prize giving dinner was held at Milly’s Restaurant on Saturday evening.

The winners were: Derby and Maiden Stakes: Deon Jordaan’ Pointer bitch, Tikka; Champion Stakes: Mrs. Meryl Comyn’s Pointer bitch, Northwell Wyoming (Ming) handled by Mr. Ian Hoffman.

(Miguel de Sousa)

SPECIALIST operator, BirdLife South Africa, recently launched two new initiatives, BirdLife Travel and Birder Friendly Establishments.
The main objective is to increase the economic value of birding for commercial enterprises by promoting avitourism in South Africa.

“Avitourism is becoming an extremely popular pastime around the world and South Africa has an enormous amount to offer by way of good birding opportunities,” says the company’s Sue Anderson.

Anderson says that in the USA, the annual spend on all birding-related activities is reported to be $25bn (around R187,5bn) and birding ranks alongside gardening as the most popular leisure activity. The Audubon Society has about 500 000 members.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (United Kingdom) has over a million members. “It must be recognised that avitourism, by promoting the significant socio-economic value of birds and their habitats, is fast becoming a key tool to ensure their long-term conservation. Presently unused areas of wetlands and forests that birders enjoy cannot be expected to be exempt from development if they are not contributing to the local economy. In the longer term, this applies to virtually every bit of under utilised land in South Africa,” said Anderson.

BirdLife Travel offers a brokerage service to clients, providing them with specialist advice on birding in KwaZulu Natal. This service will soon be expanded to cover other provinces.

Birder Friendly Establishments recognise that birders often rise before dawn, require meals at odd hours and require local information about birds and birding and access to the areas in which they occur. BirdLife Travel will advise establishments on becoming "Birder Friendly".

(African Eye News Service)

There's a twinkle in Joseph Mashaka and Joyce Mashego's eyes. It's the twinkle of gold. The two gold panners from Mpumalanga will be one of 11 South Africans representing the country at this year's annual World Gold Panning Championship in Willisau, Switzerland.

They jetted out on Saturday the 23rd of August for the championships, which started on Wednesday and end on Sunday and will also be ambassadors for the province, which has won the bid to host the 2005 World Gold Panning Championships.

The historical gold mining town of Pilgrim's Rest, which experienced a massive gold rush in 1873, will host some 1 000 competitors from 20 different countries, as well as about 3 000 supporters. South African Tourism estimates that Mpumalanga could earn R9,5m during the five-day event, creating new job opportunities in the tourism industry.

(Adéle Mackenzie)

South African Tourism, South Africa Airways (SAA) and CNN International have teamed up in a multimillion dollar television campaign showcasing South Africa’s cultural attractions to over 230 million viewers across the globe.

This was announced on Monday at a media breakfast hosted by CNN Biz News presenter, Richard Quest, which was in fact launched just under 12 months ago, and the contract will be concluded next month.

The ‘Discover South Africa’ campaign, which is expected to run for one year, will be broadcast in 50 second vignettes focusing on South Africa’s wildlife, nightlife, adventure and sports activities.

The choice of vignettes will be constantly reviewed and updated throughout the campaign with an average of 14 vignettes running each week.

The campaign will also be extended with quarterly inserts of advertisements into CNN Traveller magazine as well as an online campaign with banners on CNN.com.

(Natalia Thomson)

THE battle against the sexual exploitation of children must continue despite "short-term preoccupations" like terrorism concerns. So says World Trade Organisation (WTO) secretary general, Francesco Frangialli, who was speaking at the European Conference on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Tourism.

"In-depth actions such as the international campaign, initiated in 1997, should not be sacrificed to short-term preoccupations," he said commenting on the recovery of the tourism sector.

"Tourism has always shown its resilience in the past and we expect that it will soon be back on track," he said, referring to WTO's first attempt in 1993 to address the issue of sexual exploitation of children in tourism (SECT).

According to Frangialli, governments and the tourism industry had initially been reluctant to acknowledge that there were any problems within their respective countries or establishments. Since then a great deal of progress has reportedly been made.

The first of four regional conferences on child sexual exploitation was held in Rome from April 3-4, during which more than 100 delegates discussed common government policies and strategies, legislation and law enforcement and training for tourism professionals.

(Miguel de Sousa)

Construction work on the Gautrain rapid rail link between Johannesburg to Pretoria and Sandton to Johannesburg International Airport, is due to begin next June.

This according to the government online portal, www.safrica.info.

Tenders are expected to close at the end of September and the winning bidder will be announced in January 2004. The train is expected to be operational within five years with the Johannesburg to Pretoria trip taking about 35 minutes. The multi-billion rand project is expected to create 43 000 jobs.

From left to right are Edda Pohlandt-Buttle with daughter Chelsea, Chantel Boshoff with son Connor, and Kate Cloete with son Richard.

All were born in the months of May and June. Makes you wonder if ESCOM power was off about nine months ago.

November 2002 Edition