True, there are ongoing concerns about security, but a 5500km trip in the land of my birth last September consolidated the view that if you don’t look for trouble the chances are you won’t find any.
Rather like the Sydney/rock/reef scenario in Australia, first-time incentive groups to South Africa have tended to embrace the Cape Town/Sun City/game lodge program.
Just as Melbourne is securing incentive travel business from mature incentive travel markets such as New Zealand and parts of Asia, South Africa is evolving new up-market tourism products which are perfect for the business events sector.
In the Western Cape where Cape Town is located, there are many jewels visitors can embrace beyond the tried and tested Table Mountain, Cape Town, Robben Island and the historic wine lands towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franchhoek. While any trip to South Africa should have some element of these great attractions, it’s perhaps time for Australian incentive travel buyers to look beyond the obvious and give their guests other experiences and reflect the diversity this country offers. Hermanus on the east coast is one such experience.
It takes around 90 minutes for the scenic drive over Sir Lowry’s Pass from Cape Town to Walker Bay and the seaside town of Hermanus. Generations of Capetonians have holidayed there – water skiing on its spectacular lagoon, hiking to the waterfalls studded to the surrounding mountains. It’s not unlike Noosa in Queensland and has a similar relaxed café social scene.
The high cliffs adjacent to the town and its historic old harbour provide an excellent vantage point to view the hundreds of whales which use these protected waters to calve and see out the South Atlantic winter.
Glynis van Rooyen is one of the owners of Tikari, a destination management company in Hermanus, and is passionate about what this area has to offer the business meeting or incentive travel planner.
“Most of the venues in this region either have a view of the sea or are situated in spectacular scenery away from the crowds and traffic,” she says.
“Grootbos Private Nature Reserve has world-class accommodation; the Western Cape Hotel & Spa is situated on the banks of the Bot River lagoon at the foot of a World Heritage and biosphere site (Kogelberg); the Marine overlooks Walker Bay in Hermanus, as does the Windsor Hotel. There are many smaller venues as well.”
She says the opportunity exists to experience exceptional natural attractions such as the best shore-based whale watching in the world, close (but safely within a cage) encounters with great white sharks, dolphins, seals, penguins, and a wealth of bird and plant life in nature reserves.
“This makes a destination that can offer an exhilarating outdoor program to compliment the importance of what is discussed indoors in superb conference and meetings facilities.”
Here follows a three day sample itinerary for this region:
Welcome drinks and traditional dancing and singing. (Xhosa traditional dancers perform to marimba bands or Cape Minstrels perform to brass bands). A praise singer (Xhosa, dressed in traditional skins and headgear) will lead the group into dinner or breakfast singing the praises of the local leaders and welcoming the group to ensure that their deliberations are successful.
A whale watching (August to November) or sundowner cruise (December to April) on the luxury catamaran Miroshca. Departs from the new harbour in Hermanus and offers exceptional stability and safety at sea with viewing from several different deck levels. (Capacity 70).
Refreshments on board, an expert guide, and the opportunity to see not only whales but various dolphin species, penguins, seals and many different sea birds is a delightful way to see the shoreline.
Guided walk or 4x4 excursion into the “fynbos”. Fernkloof Nature Reserve has more than 1600 different plant species in an area of only 15 square kilometres. Private nature reserves offer 4x4 excursions with expert guides. Spectacular views and tranquil mountain streams offer inspiration for the soul, great exercise, and a renewed respect for the environment.
Bird watching – the environment lends itself to bird watching of all types - marine, wetlands, mountains, riverine and coastal. Few other areas can offer such versatile habitats in such compact and easily accessible terrain.
Beach combing – walk sections of the 20km beach between Hermanus and De Kelders, pick your own mussels and cook them on the beach. This, combined with a 4x4 trail ride through the coastal fynbos and possibly kayaking on the lagoon or river, is an unforgettable team-building exercise.
A beautiful walk along the coast also takes one to the Klipgat Cave where signs of early man (50,000 years ago) have been discovered and are currently being catalogued and collected. This can be combined with a picnic and team-building.
Wine tasting – the Hemel en Aarde Valley now boasts some of the top wines of the country including Hamilton Russell Vineyards, Bouchard Finlayson, Sumaridge, Newton Johnson, Whalehaven, Hermanuspietersfontein, La Vierge, to name a few. Special tastings can be arranged at any of the cellars for groups but the sheer beauty of this magnificent valley is an attraction in itself.
Beer tasting – the Birkenhead Brewery is a micro brewery near Stanford (and close to Grootbos and other conference facilities) where at least nine different beers are made. They are about to launch their own wines as well. This is a great venue for meetings, outdoor shows and exhibitions.
The charm of Hermanus has been that it hasn’t turned into a resort destination of high rises with cookie-cutter hotels. The Marine Hotel has been a fixture of the town for many decades, with extensive upgrades over the years ensuring it remains relevant to guests who are extremely discerning thanks to the amount they travel for business or leisure.
A familiar South African face at conference and incentive travel expos and conferences around the world is that of Rick Taylor, who was instrumental in putting South Africa’s business tourism industry on the international map.
Three years ago Rick left South African Tourism and started The Business Tourism Company, providing a range of marketing services to companies in South Africa and, increasingly, to emerging business tourism countries in Africa.
“Globalisation is part of everybody’s life,” he says.
“Destinations – countries and cities – must start to behave like companies on the stock exchange. We must build our credentials in this sector and business tourism will help this country reach the heights we know we can reach. We aren’t yet the promised land but we are a land of tremendous promise.”
He sees business tourism as the key to unlocking this promise and education, entertainment and excitement are three critical factors to a successful business tourism offering.
“This is how you compete. There is no room for excuses or failure. The business tourism sector is unforgiving. People will not give you a second chance. It’s all about confidence in selling and delivering on your promises. It’s about raising our game.”
He points to the developments in convention centres in the country as proof positive South Africa has recognised the value of business events. Currently there are extensions or new builds for meeting space in Durban, Cape Town, Nelspruit – Mpumulanga, Tshwane, Polokwane – Limpopo, Bloemfontein, East London and Port Elizabeth.
It’s very much a work in progress, according to Mr Taylor, who says there is still an overall lack of total comprehension of how the business tourism channels should work and interface with one another.
“For example, many a bureau doesn’t have a hard working database which is ultimately the engine room of any CVB covering both leisure and C&I.”
South Africa Airways sees the MICE market taking increased importance to the airline’s business on the Australia-South Africa route.
With five flights from Sydney and five from Perth to South Africa weekly only SAA offers the fastest most direct route to the African continent.
According to Thevan Krishna, SAA’s Head of Australasia, there is an increasing interest by companies operating in the MICE market in holding meetings, conferences and other events in South Africa.
“Many see South Africa as a cost-effective, well-resourced and attractive destination for large and smaller groups. There has been much more government and private sector investment upgrading conference facilities in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban and, coupled with our competitive exchange rate the country is seeing a boom in visitor numbers.
“Sun City remains a big favourite for many large groups.
“A major benefit is that you can travel to South Africa direct on SAA services, make use of our world-class facilities then go on safari to a game park or visit another African destination for a completely different holiday experience. Pre-and post conference tours are increasingly popular.
“Ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, South Africa is becoming a first choice destination. We have already secured several large groups for 2008 with interest and enquiries definitely on the rise.”
For more information on SAA flights and reservations call 1300 435 972 or www.flysaa.com
I was relaxing in bed early on a Sunday morning when I spotted a mighty whale tail casually lift from a glassy sea. How often does that happen in any person’s lifetime?
The place was Plettenberg Bay, a luxurious playground on the east coast of South Africa. After a walk along a near deserted beach, we were tucking into a splendid breakfast on the verandah of the B&B establishment as dolphins frolicked in the waves less than 100m from where we sat.
Our hosts had put a South African and Australian flag on the table as “theming”, a nice touch. What compounded the pleasure of our party of six was the realisation that we were getting all this for around $70 a couple. In Australia, the equivalent accommodation, usually with DIY breakfast, would cost at least $350-$450 a night and probably require a minimum two nights over a weekend.
With the Aussie dollar fetching around six Rand, South Africa provides some of the best value for money travelling you could ever wish for. I must admit a bias here as I’m originally from the republic, but our Australian friends were constantly hooting with delight at the quality and price of food and wine.
At the village Franchhoek, in a beautiful valley near Cape Town where French Huguenots settled in the late 17th Century, we enjoyed a splendid lunch overlooking the mountains at le Quartier Francais, a famous restaurant where lunch for five including several bottles of wine, mains, desserts, coffees and tip left change from $90.
At Clarens, a delightful small town in the Eastern Orange Free State we weren’t greatly tempted by “snailoin” which comprised “diced snails in creamy garlic sauce on grilled sirloin”.
The trick with South Africa is to avoid the school holidays and do it yourself. Our friends hired a Mercedes, costing each couple around $45 a day and together we clocked up some 5000kms through the country’s ever-changing landscapes.
Cape Town was looking better than ever in the wake of one of the wettest winters in decades, though one couldn’t help but wonder at the resilience of the hundreds of thousands of souls eking out an existence in the massive shanty towns that proliferate on the Cape Flats.
We travelled from the lush green valleys and carpets of spring flowers of the Western Cape, along the sublime Garden Route, into the high country of the arid but beautiful “Karoo” before descending into KwaZulu Natal for the battlefields of the Zulu and Anglo-Boer wars and the game parks of northern Zululand.
One of our stops en route to the game parks was at the luxurious Woodridge Estate in the beautiful Natal Midlands, a place of rolling hills and our first encounter with Zulu culture and traditions. It’s an easy two hour drive from Durban.
The accommodation is in sturdy thatched roofed villas with cascading water through a series of pools. The ambience is essentially African, with dark timbers and examples of African art from the area. The accommodation comprises 15 suites and chalets and a further 20 rooms in luxurious bungalows that are privately owned but managed by the estate.
Woodridge Estate is well geared for senior executive conferences and there’s capacity for up to 150 conference delegates, but it’s perhaps better suited for the smaller meeting market. Rooms cost around the $200 mark.
A recent development has been the completion of a luxury “Boma”, a traditional African dining and entertainment circle. The management says the Boma provides visitors with an opportunity to experience a truly outdoor African eating extravaganza within the nature reserve. All food is prepared and cooked by expert African chefs and cooks on the spot with the skies providing a beautiful backdrop to African dancers, singers and storytellers.
This venue was still under construction when I visited, but it’s clearly going to be a hit with international visitors seeking the flavours of Africa.
If you opt for a fully packaged holiday where all the thinking is done for you, South Africa is substantially more expensive. While hotel developments are springing up all over the place, the locals have made the most of the explosion in overseas tourists by opening bed and breakfast establishments everywhere, all of which can be found on the internet.
The private game reserves can cost upwards of $1500 a day. We stayed in a three bedroom thatched bungalow in Mpila camp in HluHluwe-Imfolozi Park at slightly less than $50 a night per person. We saw four of the “Big Five” (elephant, rhino, lion, Cape buffalo) by lunch time on the first day as well as plenty of antelopes, giraffe, wildebeest and zebra. We’d stocked up with provisions and had the incomparable pleasure of downing an iced Castle (local beer) while watching the wildlife come within metres of our unfenced bungalow.
We were warned not to leave our braai (barbecue) for a moment as the hyenas were “very cheeky”.
At the end of our three week odyssey our companions admitted they’d spent about half what they’d budgeted for in terms of accommodation and meals. How often can one claim that for any travel in a country that offers first-world standards throughout?
Contacts:
Rick Taylor: Tel:+27 82 820 2265; rick@thebusinesstourismcompany.co.za
Tikari Lifestyle Travel (destination management) Tel:+27 827758843
Email tikari@hermanus.co.za; Web: www.tikari.co.za
South African Tourism – www.southafrica.net
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