Business & Finance
News, views, and reviews relating to business and financial issues with particular relevance to the global travel trade.
-
How to Become a Tour Guide In South Africa
Tourist guides in South Africa are some of the most important people in the travel trade. They interact on a…
Read More » -
Overseas Money Transfer Transaction Tips
The technological advancements that make modern life simple and easy are also the technological advancements that come with quite in-depth…
Read More » -
3 Ways to get your small business loan declined
Or what NOT to do Financing, when acquired and used wisely, can be a great growth and expansion tool but…
Read More » -
Value Added Tax in the Tourism Industry
Value Added Tax (VAT) charged to clients in the Tourism Industry can be a minefield, especially when dealing with foreign…
Read More » -
Five top stress triggers for business travellers and how to overcome them
If you’ve ever felt stressed or anxious about business travels, know that you are not alone. In fact, experts have…
Read More » -
13 Tips to Surviving as a Small Tourism Business
Main image: Paul Miedema and Nelson Sebezela of Calabash tours. Operating a small tourism business in South Africa can be…
Read More » -
R24bn Investment Boosts Food and Beverage Sector
PepsiCo’s investment of R24bn into Pioneer Foods shows why the Cape is a major springboard into the rest of Africa…
Read More » -
An unofficial guide to the German Travel Contracts Act
While reading this article concerning the German Travel Contracts Act and the relevant Consumer Protection issues, kindly note that I…
Read More » -
10 Steps To Starting Your Own Tourist Transport Business
The following 10 steps are aimed at entrepreneurs who are thinking of entering the tourism industry in South Africa and…
Read More » -
Beginners Guide to Starting a Tourism Business
Your Beginners Guide to Starting a Tourism Business Writing for WikiHow, Claire Fess provides eight steps on how to start…
Read More » -
Weekly SA Forex Update
SOUTH AFRICA, Monday 17 September 2018 – After the recent doom and gloom, last week finally brought some welcome relief for…
Read More » -
Global IT Co Chooses Durban for Africa HQ
DURBAN, South Africa, 28 August 2018 – Dushyant Savadia, the CEO and founder of Amber Group LTD, has confirmed his commitment to investment…
Read More » -
How Mining Benefits Africa’s Economy
The term ‘mining’ often drums up images of dusty, dark tunnels, hefty pieces of machinery like drills and crushers and…
Read More » -
Effective Sales Secrets For Small Businesses
Selling is the lifeblood of any business but the impact of low sales volumes on Small to Micro Enterprises (SMEs)…
Read More » -
Tourist Arrivals & Hotel Stats for South Africa: December 2017
Overall, overseas tourism to South Africa continues to grow strongly but tourism enterprises should take care when analysing the statistics…
Read More » -
Fundamentals: Starting with the Foundations – People
The first and most critical part of any Revenue Journey is to make sure you have a good organizational foundation…
Read More » -
Tourism Business Index Half-Year Report 2017
The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) has released its half-year Tourism Business Index (TBI) Report, which tracks and…
Read More » -
Domestic Tourism: Trends & Opportunities
South Africa’s domestic tourism industry has the potential to contribute significantly more to the economy if it manages to expand…
Read More » -
The Revenue Journey – Part 2: Navigating the Journey
After having taken the plunge into revenue management (see Part 1) you will need to start navigating the revenue management…
Read More » -
The Revenue Journey – Part 1: Taking the plunge
We all know that revenue management has been around for a while. When we book our airline tickets, prices change…
Read More » -
Africa Records 18 Million International Arrivals
According to Euromonitor International’s new data, international arrivals to Africa grew by 6.5 percent in 2017, to reach 18,550 million,…
Read More » -
Africa Hotel Valuation Index 2017
HVS, the global hospitality consulting firm and host of the THINC Africa conference, launched their 2017 African Hotel Valuation Index…
Read More » -
Global Tourism Statistics: Jan-Apr 2017
International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 6% in January-April of 2017 compared to the same period last year, with business…
Read More » -
Economic Benefits of Hosting Events in Africa
An Independent report has revealed a seven-figure economic boost to destinations that have hosted the Africa Hotel Investment Forum over…
Read More » -
Business Tourism in Africa Continues to Expand
Perceptions of Africa as a business destination have changed vastly in recent times. The ICCA 2016 rankings reveal that Africa…
Read More » -
Celebrating Lalibela’s Economic Impact
Bucking the trend of gloomy economic forecasts for South Africa, Lalibela Game Reserves’s positive impact on the Eastern Cape tourism…
Read More » -
Economic Development in Africa
Following the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) held in Geneva, Switzerland in January 2017, an in-depth report…
Read More » -
Hotel Valuation Index: Africa
The third edition of the HVS/STR African Hotel Valuation Index offers critical information on 21 African hotel markets and the…
Read More » -
Exclusive Use Safari Lodges on the Rise
With global demand for exclusive use vacation rentals on the rise, Lalibela Game Reserve is seizing the opportunity by providing…
Read More » -
Are South Africa’s Room Rates Sustainable?
Room rates for South African hotels and lodges increased dramatically between 2016 to 2017, specifically in the 4-star and 5-star…
Read More » -
The Vertical Potential Of Airport Transfers
Car hire has long been the go-to-ground transport solution for travellers. But with ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft becoming…
Read More » -
The Biggest Challenge Facing DMO’s Today
Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) have a unique historical opportunity to help lead the shift from an old and obsolete way…
Read More » -
SA Tourism Stats: Jan-Feb 2017
Data from the latest South African tourism stats indicates the slowdown in domestic tourism with either low growth or a…
Read More » -
The Pretoria versus Cape Town Parliament Debate
During the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on 09 February, President Jacob Zuma set in motion a snowball discourse…
Read More » -
Developing Africa’s Health Tourism Potential
Health Tourism can potentially provide a lucrative niche market to grow tourist numbers into Africa. However, reliable information and statistics on…
Read More » -
Can South Africa Sustain Tourism Growth?
While South Africa’s 12.8% increase in the number of overnight tourists recorded during 2016 compared to those recorded during 2015…
Read More » -
The Role of Tour Operators in Safari Bookings
Research suggests that travellers are changing their safari booking habits by making reservations directly on booking aggregators or directly via…
Read More » -
Tourism Business Performance Rises In Q4 2016
Despite the tough operating environment, the South African travel and tourism industry experienced slightly better than normal business performance in…
Read More » -
WiFi at Safari Lodges: A Key Influencer?
A Big Five safari is all about the sightings and experiences. Sharing the thrill of these experiences with friends and…
Read More » -
Social Impact Initiative in Ethiopia
Valerie Bowden, the author of ‘Backpacking Africa for Beginners’, has an inspiring story to tell. And it’s not about her…
Read More » -
Stakeholders Lack Confidence in Tanzanian Tourism Minister
Prof. Jumanne Abdallah Maghembe, the current Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism for the United Republic of Tanzania, met industry…
Read More » -
Good Service Seeds Future Tourism Growth
These days, travellers do not vote only with their feet when dissatisfied with the quality of service they receive. They…
Read More » -
SA Tourism Stats: Jan-Sep 2016
The data continues to indicate the recovery of international arrivals from 2015 as reflected in the growth in Stats SA…
Read More » -
The Right Mindset For Running Your Own Business
Running a business is a big challenge. Even the most modest enterprise takes hard work and dedication to thrive. If…
Read More » -
Market Access for SMEs
South African Tourism has partnered with the Southern African Tourism Services Association (SATSA) on a brand-new market access partnership to…
Read More » -
Tourism Business Index Q3
The Tourism Business Index for the third quarter of 2016 shows improved business performance, buoyed by a positive showing in…
Read More » -
SA Tourism Stats: Jan – Aug 2016
For the first time the data from Stats SA, STR and ACSA all reflect the same period. The data indicates…
Read More » -
Nearly One Billion Tourists Globally
Destinations around the world welcomed 956 million international tourists between January and September 2016. According to the latest UNWTO World…
Read More » -
Global Tourist Arrivals Up 4%
According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 4% between January and June 2016…
Read More » -
Africa Tightens Business Visa Requirements
Some African countries are getting stricter in terms of their visa requirements. They often require not only a letter of invitation…
Read More » -
Visas in Africa for African Travellers
Africa is increasingly moving towards achieving part of its African Union Agenda 2063, which envisions the abolishment of visa requirements…
Read More » -
Fresh beginnings on the Werf
As the ancient oaks put on a fresh coat of green leaves and the southeaster begins to blow away winter’s…
Read More » -
SATSA MIR August 2016
The data from Stats SA reflects the continued recovery in international arrivals. The stabilisation of the Rand in recent weeks…
Read More » -
Tourism Business Index Q2 2016
Persisting tough trading conditions affecting tourism in Q2 2016. The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) reports that the…
Read More » -
The Business of Field Guiding
The tourism industry is one of the most demanding industries in the world. Basically you are doing everything you can…
Read More » -
South African Tourism Statistics: July 2016
The South African Tourism Statistics & SATSA Market Intelligence Report for July 2016 as indicated below was extracted from data…
Read More » -
TOMSA Domestic Campaign Launched
The Finders Keepers promotional campaign that aims to promote domestic tourism in South Africa was launched on Sunday 10 July.…
Read More » -
Foreign Labour in the Tourism Industry
2015 was possibly the year when the tourism industry got the most public attention after the implementation of the visa…
Read More » -
South African Tourism Statistics: June 2016
The South African Tourism Statistics & SATSA Market Intelligence Report for June 2016 as indicated below was extracted from data…
Read More » -
TOMSA Set To Boost Domestic Tourism
Launching on Sunday 26 June 2016, Finders Keepers is a new Tourism Marketing South Africa (TOMSA) promotional campaign that aims…
Read More » -
Wage Increases for SA Hospitality Industry
Minimum wage increases will come into effect for the South African hospitality industry on the 01st July and will be…
Read More » -
Hotel Revenue Management Secrets
The Key to Hotel Pricing. By Craig Macdonald of IDeaS. Revenue managers across the globe spend large portions of their days…
Read More » -
South African Tourism Statistics: May 2016
Data from Statistics South Africa indicate the impact of the devaluation of the Rand as foreign arrivals recovered. By Martin…
Read More » -
Tourism Business Index Q1 2016
Steady Travel and Tourism Business Performance Results For Q1 2016 Notwithstanding the rising inflation and slow economic growth, overall business…
Read More » -
Hotel Chain Growth in Africa
The number of planned hotel chain rooms in Africa has soared to 64,000 in 365 hotels, up almost 30% on…
Read More » -
South African Tourism Statistics: April 2016
The following statistics on foreign tourist arrivals, hotel occupancy & room rates, airport flight arrivals, and car rental data for…
Read More » -
SA’s Budget Speech Acknowledges Tourism Sector
South Africa’s 2016 budget speech demonstrated that Government is beginning to fully appreciate the meaningful role that the travel and…
Read More » -
SA Tourism Stats – March 2016
Analyses of Statistics South Africa data shows that foreign arrivals declined in 2015 and were at similar levels to 2013,…
Read More » -
Travel Trade Challenges in 2016 – Part 2
Last month we examined some of the challenges facing the tourism industry in 2016 – see Part 1 here. This…
Read More » -
Tourism Safety Initiative Gains Momentum
The Tourism Safety Initiative (“TSI”) is rapidly gaining momentum as the South African travel and tourism industry’s primary platform for…
Read More » -
Wikitourism Comes of Age
Access to tourism-related information has become a lot easier since the launch of South Africa’s home-grown Wikitourism online portal two…
Read More » -
Tour Operator App to Boost Rural Tourism
An innovative online product aims to assist tour operators in sourcing new, emerging and community-based tourism businesses and experiences for…
Read More » -
Tourism Business Index Q4 2015
Strong Domestic Leisure Demand Lifts Q4 2015 Business Performance Strong domestic leisure demand has helped to lift South Africa’s travel…
Read More » -
Travel Trade Challenges in 2016 – Part 1
The global travel and tourism industry is far from static as evidenced by the number of travel trade challenges that…
Read More » -
SATSA Market Intelligence Report – Jan 2016
Foreign tourism continues to decline (see Statistics South Africa data) while domestic tourism remains positive (see passengers arriving on domestic…
Read More » -
Super-rich Tourism in Africa
A recent study by New World Wealth titled ‘Millionaire Tourism in Africa’, says that around 43,000 multi-millionaires visited Africa in…
Read More » -
Tour Operators Oppose Traffic Officer Bribery
SATSA and KLT have taken steps to reduce inappropriate fines levied against tourists and tour operators by traffic officers in…
Read More » -
AU funding model, a threat to tourism in Africa
South Africa hosted the African Union Summit in Sandton in Johannesburg from 07 June 2015 to the 15 June 2015.…
Read More » -
How to Support Responsible Travel in Africa
Tour operators play a major role in influencing responsible travel through the holiday packages they design and offer to clients.…
Read More » -
Paul Kruger Must Fall, Paul Kruger Must Rise
The acts of statue vandalism that have beset South Africa this year highlight the need for the country to protect…
Read More » -
Three Ways to Shorten Your Sales Cycle
Every company’s ultimate goal is financial success (a.k.a. profitability) but many find it difficult to maintain, especially when their product…
Read More » -
10 Tips on Selecting Tour Operator Software
For Tour Operators, it always comes down to cost; but investing in tools that will improve productivity, manage workflow, reduce…
Read More » -
Economic Volatility & Tourism in SA
South Africa’s current economic volatility offers opportunities for tourism growth and job creation, but government must pave the way by…
Read More » -
Making Tourism Work
Rail tourism has potential for growth in South Africa, but Is government an asset or liability to this sector, asks…
Read More » -
Africa Tourism set for sustained Growth
According experts gathered at the Africa Hotel Investment Forum, the hotel and tourism industry in Africa is set for a…
Read More » -
Business Enterprise Solutions for BEE Codes
The Tourism Enterprise Partnership (TEP) has entrenched its reputation as the forerunner in tourism small business development with the launch…
Read More » -
The Mark of a Good Holiday
Fair Trade Tourism is a leading South African non-profit organisation promoting responsible tourism development. It grows awareness about responsible tourism…
Read More » -
Tourism Market Intelligence Report – October 2015
Data from Stats South Africa confirms that international tourism has declined significantly, while data from ACSA shows resilience in the…
Read More » -
10 Tips on Tour Quoting
It’s no longer acceptable for tour package quotations to take hours or days to compile. It’s time for tour operators…
Read More » -
10 Tips for Change
In this first part of an ongoing series of articles on office automation for Tour Operators, Linday de Heer provides…
Read More » -
SA Tourism Review Report
A panel of experts have reviewed how South African Tourism is responding to the dynamics of the national and international…
Read More » -
Skills Development Levy Refund
Did you know that South African registered businesses can get a portion of their Skills Development Levy (SDL) back each…
Read More » -
Tourism Market Intelligence Report – August 2015
This market intelligence report information below was extracted from South African source data available as at 01 AUGUST 2015. By…
Read More » -
South African Tourism Sector in Crisis
The South African government’s ‘Unfriendly approach’ to the Visa regime is negatively impacting African and Overseas tourist arrivals to South…
Read More » -
South African Credit Card Fraud Increases
The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) is concerned over the increase in card fraud. The banking industry’s gross…
Read More » -
Managing Credit Card Fraud in Tourism
The tourism industry is a popular target for credit card fraud, according to a leading payment services provider – but…
Read More » -
Interview with Private Safaris
Tourism Tattler met with Kuoni subsidiary Private Safaris CEO Frank Glettenberg for an interview during the 2015 Indaba Trade Show…
Read More » -
Health and Wealth for Tourism
SATIB is set to provide businesses and employees in the tourism and hospitality industry with a holistic, financial services offering…
Read More » -
Interview with Kuoni Group
If you want your tourism product to be taken seriously, and considered for inclusion by one of the world’s largest…
Read More » -
Market Intelligence Report – May 2015
Indications are that business tourism is growing. STR Global data indicate that hotel occupancies are stabilising while average room rates…
Read More »
