TTG companies finalists in Metropolitan Oliver Empowerment Awards 2011

 

 

Both TEPG (Thebe Exhibitions and Projects Group) and Club Travel were finalists in the Travel, Leisure and Entertainment category for the Metropolitan Oliver Empowerment Awards 2011. The 10th annual event was held at the Sandton Convention Centre on 24 March 2011...full story

 

 

The first ever Retirement Expo for South Africa

 

 

This year South Africa will see the first ever Retirement Expo, featuring every aspect of mature life, from financial and investment planners, property, holiday options, taxation and legal advisors to government information services, insurance, health and wellness advisors and senior dating services...full story

 

 

 

Hot trends at Decorex Cape Town

 

It’s nearly time for Cape Town to host the most popular décor exhibition in the country, Decorex that will showcase the very best of interior décor and design innovations. This award-winning exhibition offers such an abundance of choices that it really has something for everybody...full story

 

 

See some of Club Travel's current deals below. To find more of these, go to:

www.clubtravel.co.za

 

 

4* Ilala Lodge
Zimbabwe

 


Departs Johannesburg: R4550
Departs Cape Town: R6580
Departs Durban: R6080
Includes:
* Return flights to Livingstone
* Pre-payable airport/security taxes
* Return airport/hotel transfers
* 3 nights accommodation at the 4* Ilala Lodge
* Breakfast daily
* One dinner at the Palm restaurant
* Sunset cruise

Validity:
NOW - 30 MAY 2011.

 

Peek into the History of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

 


Departs Johannesburg: R11265
Departs Cape Town: R11460
Departs Durban: R11760
Includes:
* Return flights to Colombo
* Pre-payable airport/security taxes
* Return transfers
* 2 nights accommodation in Habarana, including dinner
* 1 night accommodation in Kandy, including dinner
* 1 night accommodation in Colombo
* Breakfast daily
* Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
* Services of an English speaking guide & driver
* All entrance fees as per itinerary
* Cultural show tickets in Kandy

Validity:
NOW - 30 APR 2011. ** Contact us for full itinerary details **

 

 

Contents

Main
 CEO's message
 Editor's note

Thebe Tourism Group and Tour d’Afrique enhance inbound offering

Compass Group SA partners with top SA chefs
First Car is exclusive partner to new airline Velvet Sky

Group Highlights

TTG companies finalists in Metropolitan Oliver Empowerment Awards 2011

The first ever Retirement Expo for South Africa
Hot trends at Decorex Cape Town

CEO's Message

 

On the 1st of April 2011 the new Consumer Protection Act comes into effect. The impact of the new Consumer Protection act on the travel industry still needs to be fully realised and quantified. The act will certainly affect the way business is done, as indicated by an overview published by the Association of South African Travel Agents (ASATA). Some critical points highlighted by the overview include the need for travel agencies to have a clear complaints procedure; be upfront about preferred agreements and service charges; protect themselves by recording all telephone conversations and back-up any advise given in writing. The act also gives consumers a 5 day cooling-off period from any purchases as a result of direct marketing.

 


It’s vital for the industry to align its business practices with the act as soon as possible. By doing so, we are sending a clear message to the consumer that the travel industry wants to operate responsibly and treat the consumer fairly.

With the current trading environment placing immense pressure on the profitability of businesses in the travel industry, the strategic move by TTG to acquire an equity stake in Tour d’Afrique will result in long term growth for the group and an increased footprint on the continent. TTG is pleased to be associated with this well respected and reputable inbound operator. The result of this partnership is the merging of operations and infrastructure in order to increase efficiency. My wish for those involved is that they adjust quickly in their new environment and continue to proudly live the Thebe brand.

It would not be appropriate to introduce this month’s bulletin without acknowledging the twin disasters that hit Japan on 11 March 2011. Our thoughts are with the survivors and those that lost family and friends in the tragedy.

 

Monwabisi Fandeso
CEO, Thebe Tourism Group

Editor's Note

 

The Thebe Tourism Group has had a very eventful month as is evident by the content in this bulletin:


TTG increased its share of the inbound tourism market through the acquisition of an equity stake in Tour d’Afrique; Compass Group SA entered into a very exciting partnership with Reuben Riffel who will be giving the company a bit of celebrity sparkle and First Car Rental signed a strategic agreement with new low cost airline Velvet Sky making them the exclusive car rental partner.

Congratulations to Club Travel and the Thebe Exhibitions and Projects Group (TEPG) who were finalists in the Metropolitan Oliver Empowerment Awards 2011, in the Travel, Leisure and Entertainment category.

Finally, I would like to encourage you to send feedback on the bulletin to marketing@thebetourism.co.za. We look forward to hearing from you!


Until next month!

Hapiloe Sello
 Group GM: Marketing, Thebe Tourism Group

TTG and Tour d’Afrique enhance inbound offering

 


The Thebe Tourism Group [TTG] has agreed in principle to form a new partnership with leading Cape Town based Tour d’Afrique, enabling an all-round stronger inbound tour operation offering.


Thebe Tourism Group will acquire an equity stake in Tour d’Afrique; in order to capitalize on best business synergy and avoid duplication of effort, the current Thebe Tourism Inbound operation will be merged into the Tour d’Afrique inbound operations in a phased approach. This step will create one enhanced inbound tour operator unit, capitalizing on the reach, influence, expertise and leadership experience of both companies.

 

In line with this efficiency consolidation, the inbound operation will eventually operate under the commercial brand of Tour d’Afrique.


The acquisition of this stake in Tour d’Afrique is in line with Thebe Tourism Group’s strategy of growth through acquisition of businesses that generate high earnings and margins. This step will strengthen the Thebe Tourism’s inbound offering to the European, American and Australasian markets.

Tour d’Afrique currently services several large global travel accounts in the European, USA, and Australasian markets. A recent feather in its cap is its appointment as the DMC to run FlySAA Vacations from the USA. As a recognised leader in the local and regional tourism market, Tour d’Afrique has developed a reputation for innovative solutions, superior service levels and competitive pricing...full story

  

Compass Group SA partners with top SA chefs

 

Compass Group plc has long-standing working relationships with world-renowned celebrity chefs such as Gary Rhodes, Jason Atherton, Albert Roux, Michel Roux Jnr and Gordon Ramsay. Compass Group Southern Africa (Compass Group SA) recently followed in their footsteps by partnering with one of the country’s best-known chefs, Reuben Riffel.

Partnering with Reuben Riffel adds a new and exciting dimension to all aspects of Compass Group SA’s food services.

 

Monwabisi Kalawe, Country Managing Director of Compass Group SA says, “Reuben knows how to excite people’s appetites, it’s a talent that we expect will be emulated by the team of Compass Group SA chefs whose job it is to produce food that promotes satisfaction and wellness. Because the Compass Group worldwide promotes global best practice in food services, we are confident that the deal will prove beneficial to the company and the country.”

Reuben Riffel sees the collaboration as an opportunity to merge his scholar programme with Compass Group SA’s Chef’s Academy, “At a time when jobs in South Africa are at a premium, we, side by side with Compass, keenly look forward to helping solve the unemployment problem by training our chefs to a point where they are sought after contributors to our country’s food chain.”


In return, Reuben gains exposure to the corporate side of the catering industry.

Reuben’s Restaurant and Bar, a sophisticated brasserie in Franschhoek opened in 2004 and within six months, Reuben received the “Chef of the Year” and “Restaurant of the Year” honours at the 2004 Eat Out Johnnie Walker Restaurant Awards and several “Top Ten” awards since then. In 2009, he took over the Robertson Small Hotel and restaurant and in October 2010, he opened Reuben’s at the One & Only. Reuben Riffel also launched his first cookbook, ‘Reuben Cooks, food is time travel’ in Nov 2008, which was awarded winner of the best chef book South Africa, by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards...full story

 

  

First Car is exclusive partner to new airline Velvet Sky

 


On the 17th of March, First Car Rental announced an exclusive car rental partnership with the new, low cost airline, Velvet Sky, who operated their first commercial flight on Tuesday 22 March.

Says Melissa Storey, Executive Head: Strategy, Development & Marketing, “This is an exciting partnership for First Car Rental. We take our strategic alliances very seriously and adopt an approach that selects the best partners to grow with. We firmly believe in mutually beneficial relationships, focussing on each partner’s strengths, leveraging each opportunity that presents itself, and this will be the case with Velvet Sky who shares similar beliefs.”

 

First Car Rental’s business is well-segmented in terms of direct consumer, corporate, retail, replacement, tour operator, inbound and film but a market sector that they haven’t enjoyed, until now, is aviation.

Says Storey, “This segment will assist us in combating seasonality, enabling us to manage and balance our fleet with less risk of high volume last minute up-fleeting or de-fleeting to try and match demand. Car rental is a cyclical business, and the purchasing as well as the planning thereof, is crucial to make this contribution model work.”

Storey continues, “A low cost airline like Velvet Sky presents us with an opportunity to become the preferred car rental company of their daily direct consumer and corporate SME base, and inevitably, a stable, less seasonal domestic base. They present us with the ability to reach a captive, and more importantly, a targeted audience.”...full story

 

  

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