Aussie and Kiwi travel agents set their sights on South Africa
South African Tourism says that safaris, wine tours, shopping and of course, plenty of networking will be on the agenda when 100 travel agents jet off to South Africa this week, courtesy of South African Tourism and airline partner, South African Airways.
The agents, from across Australia and New Zealand, will embark on a week long familiarisation tour of nine different provinces to discover the beauty and diversity of South Africa.
For all of those attending the trip, it will be their first taste of South Africa’s unique offering as a tourist destination.
Bangu Masisi, General Manager, South African Tourism Australasia said, “We’re thrilled to be providing so many agents with their very first experience of South Africa and are confident that each and every one of them will fall in love with the country.”
She added, “We run the ‘mega-familiarisation’ program every second year and have found it to be a very successful way to showcase South Africa as a holiday destination, create life-long ambassadors and drive tourism to the region.”
January 2007 figures show a 22% increase in Australian tourists to South Africa from the same period in 2006, evidence that the program is really helping to boost tourism to the country.
The agents are from a number of retail agency chains, including Harvey World Travel, Flight Centre, Travelscene and Traveller’s Choice and will be accompanied by travel trade media and ten wholesale partners.
Attendees will experience the cities of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban, enjoy a safari experience, visit some of South Africa’s World-Heritage listed sites, including the third largest canyon in the world, travel along the Garden Route and enjoy the best in South African wine and cuisine, as well as attend trade events and a gala dinner.
The group will interact with local people from all over the country and be exposed to the eleven different languages spoken throughout South Africa, enjoying a rich and well-rounded cultural experience.
Each agent will also be encouraged to complete the online Fundi (meaning ‘expert’) course through www.southafrica.net on completion of the tour to become a registered South African specialist.
“In becoming a registered Fundi, agents are equipped to provide the most accurate and up to date advice to all customers considering South Africa for their next holiday,” said Bangu.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025