Event Round Up

Beer, barbeque and Jonty Rhodes

India, with its obsession with cricket and Bollywood, opens the gates to South African Tourism that brings along with it beer, barbeque and Jonty Rhodes. By Amal Tewari

After being held in Goa for two years and once in Jaipur, this year's InCountry Famil chose Hyderabad as its venue for the tourism industry of South Africa. The event was led by Medha Sampat, country manager of South African Tourism.

The two-day event brought together agents from all over South Africa and India, and focused on B2B interactions between these agents through appointments. South African Tourism set up the table with 'products and services', and the Indian tourism delegation brought 'needs and requirements', thus forming trade connections between the two nations.

The first day showcased South African hospitality, with a 'Beer and Barbeque' set up in the evening with cricket legend Jonty Rhodes. The second day was witness to a Bollywood Night, where movies like Race and Welcome showcasing South Africa were shown.

Travel to South Africa from India has been evolving over the past few years. The 2003 cricket World Cup and the T20 Cricket World Cup in recent years have caused quite a furore. One of the Indian delegates, Vikram Samant, MD of Quantum Travels, said, "Tourism to South Africa has been picking up constantly. Just in the last year we have seen 40 per cent growth which has come after the T20 World Cup. It helped that India became the champions. Now the Bollywood connection has been established, with films in recent times promoting South Africa as a beautiful destination. Bollywood may still not have achieved what it had done for Switzerland, but it is on its way."

When asked how his company is promoting South Africa, Samant explains, "E-ads and fliers, print ads and word of mouth have been the most useful resources. Joint promotions have been started with South Africa Airways and we are already working with Silver Star Travels from South Africa."

New ideas and themes are being pioneered to make the travellers' experience a memorable one. Apart from the kosher tours, new ways of touring have been introduced into the market. "We have started the concept of self drive holidays where tourists can go on a 12-day tour in rented vehicles. It is still a structured tour with a planned travel itinerary, booked car rentals and hotel accommodations. But since the routes are scenic, it makes for a pleasurable ride," said Samant.

Another delegate Tasneem Sharafally, sales director of ERM Tours, articulated, "South Africa is the new emerging market for Indian tourism. Tourism in other African nations is limited to mostly wildlife through jungle safaris, but in South Africa we can manage all aspects of tourism - wildlife, beaches, casinos and sightseeing. Cricket and Bollywood have played a great role in popularising South Africa as a tourist destination".

When asked about the tourist seasons of the Zulu nation, she replied, "The seasons move on a rotation basis; the Indian summer season is best for families; its holiday time and cheaper. The autumn season sees a lot of corporate tourism with many conventions being held there. In the Indian winter, it goes back to families who are on holiday and people who want to celebrate the New Year."

Neil Frames, director of Sakabula Safaris & Tours from South Africa, had some interesting comments. He said, "Through our experience with the Indian travellers, we know that the Indian market has a very fixed idea about South Africa. Also the Indian market depends highly on last minute bookings. So we are putting in efforts to inform the Indian customers about our products as well as encouraging them to opt for well-planned tours in advance so they get the best deals in." When asked how he is promoting South Africa, he replied, "Our promotional efforts go out to experienced travellers also who are looking for new, unexplored destinations. Apart from the renowned regions of Cape Town, Johannesburg and Sun City, we also want to showcase new locations like Port Elizabeth and the Eastern Cape (for game lodges). South Africa is also becoming a popular destination for MICE."