SA scenery the best in the world

13 December 2006

The locals have long known it, and now UK visitors agree: South Africa is the most beautiful country on earth. In the 2006 Reader’s Travel Awards by UK magazine Condé Nast Traveller, South Africa’s scenery scored 97.8% - the highest in the world - with the country being voted the world’s fifth-best tourist destination.

Now in their ninth year, the awards come out of a comprehensive survey of readers’ favourite hotels, spas, cities, countries and more, based on a range of criteria that are then compiled into a score out of 100. In the country category, South Africa’s overall score was 94.2% - putting it ahead of other destinations such as Thailand, France, the US, Greece and Malaysia.

This is the sixth year in a row that South Africa has been ranked as one of the world’s top 20 destinations. In 2005 the country came in at ninth place, up from 13th place in 2004. The top country in 2006 was Italy, with a score of 95.57%, followed by New Zealand (94.81%), Australia (94.44%) and India (94.42%).

South Africa’s hotels and spas were also rated among the best in the world, with six establishments making it onto the top 20 list of leisure hotels in the Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. Clinching second position in this category was the multi-award-winning Singita Private Game Reserve, with an overall score of 95.6% and a top score of 97.95% for service and staff.

“Singita provides the ultimate sophisticated safari experience,” Condé Nast says of the reserve. “Three ultra-luxurious safari lodges (colonial Ebony, Afro-chic Boulders and converted farmhouse Castleton) are situated on an 18 500-hectare concession in Sabi Sand Reserve, bordering the Kruger National Park. Sophisticated, pan-African cuisine and a 35 000-bottle wine cellar bring civility to the bush. The goal-orientated game-viewing with knowledgeable, likeable rangers is excellent.”

The other top South African hotels in this category, according to position and score, were:

* 5 (94.2%) - Londolozi Private Game Reserve, Mpumalanga
* 9 (92.02%) - The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, Cape Town
* 13 (86.36%) - The Table Bay Hotel, Cape Town
* 18 (82.89%) - Ulusaba Private Game Reserve, Mpumalanga
* 20 (81.45%) - Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa, Knysna

Three South African establishments also made it onto the list of the world’s top 15 hotel spas outside the UK. These were the Sanctuary Spa at the Twelve Apostles Hotel in Cape Town, in sixth position with a score of 88.67%, the Altiraspa at the Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel in Cape Town (eighth position, 87.25%), and the Pezula Resort Hotel and Spa in Knysna (13th position, 83.67%). The Altiraspa was also singled out for its amenities and products (97.5%), and service and staff (95%).

In the Top 100 category of the Readers’ Travel Awards, Condé Nast ranks the overall winners in all categories by their scores. Again, South Africa and its hospitality industry did well, with Singita Private Game Reserve in fourth position. The country’s other winners, according to position and score, were:

* 21 (94.2%) - South Africa (country)
* 22 (94.2%) - Londolozi Private Game Reserve, South Africa (hotel)
* 48 (92.02%) - The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, Cape Town (hotel)

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‘Tourism growth in SA double that of world’

29 November 2006

South Africa’s growth in the number of international visitors was almost double that of the rest of the world in 2005 and the Western Cape experienced the highest-ever number of tourists in its traditionally off-season, according to the 2005/6 annual report of destination tourism agency Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU).

Globally, international arrivals reached 808 million in 2005, representing a 5,5 percent growth from 766m in 2004.

South Africa attained a 10,3 percent growth rate in international arrivals in 2005 - from 6,7m in 2004 to 7,4m in 2005.

There was a 25,6 percent increase in total foreign direct spend, from R31,4 billion between January and September 2004 to R39,4bn during the same period in 2005, exceeding the global, Africa and regional average growth rates in receipts.

The Western Cape reflected a similarly high 7,43 percent growth rate in international arrivals between January and September 2005. The highest growth, of 13,1 percent, was recorded in the third quarter (July-September).

“Very encouraging was the above average growth (6,37 percent) in international arrivals within the low season months of April-May-June between 2004 and 2005,” said outgoing CTRU chief executive Noki Dube.

She added that full annual figures for 2005 were not available yet from SA Tourism, but it was expected that the province would have received about 1,6m international arrivals for the year, attaining 6,9 percent growth over 2004. October, November and December were traditionally high performing months.

CTRU identified potential growth opportunities for the region emerging from the African market - Nigeria and Kenya, in particular. Namibia remained a core African source market. Internationally, India, China and the Middle East were where the new market opportunities lay.

“The major drivers of international arrivals in the Western Cape are different to the national ones. While SA’s international arrivals are driven by the region - mainly Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana and Zimbabwe - the Western Cape international arrivals are driven mainly by the UK, Germany and the US,” the annual report said.

The Western Cape achieved R8,9bn in foreign spend in 2004 and was expected to achieve R9,8bn in 2005, representing 10 percent growth. The province’s domestic tourism relied heavily on its own residents: 68 percent of the 2,4m trips produced by the Western Cape in that year remained in the province.

CTRU chief operating officer Barry Ackers said at a festive season briefing recently that the domestic market was the backbone of the tourism economy, as it was characterised by more frequent, repeat business.

He attributed the agency’s rosy festive outlook to the overall depreciation of the rand since December last year by 20 percent, which would lead to greater international tourism spend and also discourage locals from going overseas.

Airlines were adding international flights to Cape Town over the summer season (from 81 to 107 a week) - particularly British Airways, Lufthansa and Virgin - and there was a SA delegation to the Emirates planned to encourage its airline to apply for a licence to fly into Cape Town, Ackers said.

The tourist season, which spans a six-month period from October to March with most tourists beginning to arrive from December, was expected to generate 2,8m visitors this year - 1,8m of them domestic - he said.

# South Africa’s medical tourism industry has skyrocketed, with the number of overseas patients drawn by “scalpel safari” packages more than doubling in three years, an expert said.

The booming sector now rakes in $37-million (about R260-million) annually, Martin Kelly, president of the Association for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, said, underlining that this was a fraction of the potential.

Industry estimates predict that about 20 000 medical tourists will visit South Africa in 2006, up from around 8 000 in 2003.

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Public belief in 2010 grows

4 December 2006

Almost three-quarters of South Africans believe that the country will be ready by 2010 to host the World Cup.

The latest poll by African Response reveals that there has been a steady shifting of perceptions.

The poll also found that awareness is extremely high across all race groups.

More than two-thirds of respondents indicated that they are either extremely likely or likely to attend at least one of the matches during the event.

This is compared to the 54% who stated the same thing in the previous poll. 87% of respondents say South Africa as a whole will benefit from preparing from the World Cup.

The survey which was conducted among 250 people was established to track public perceptions on the progress of SA’s preparations for the event.

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Fifa happy with 2010 progress

22 November 2006

A delegation of Fifa officials expressed satisfaction on Wednesday with South Africa’s preparations for the 2010 World Cup, declaring they had made more rapid progress than their German predecessors.

“Fifa is very happy and satisfied with the progress made,” said Horst Schmidt, who is to take up a new post as Fifa’s coordinator in South Africa.

“Not only is the country on time, but a bit ahead of Germany at the same time. We are happy with preparations and now it’s for the Local Organising Committee to maintain the momentum,” added the German who was one of the driving forces behind this year’s tournament in his homeland.

Schmidt was part of a delegation, which also included Fifa general secretary Urs Linsi and marketing director Jerome Valcke, who have been briefed since the start of the week on preparations for the first ever World Cup in Africa.

Schmidt told reporters that the main focus was on the progress being made on building and upgrading the 10 stadiums which are to host the tournament.

“After evaluating the plans for the construction of the stadiums, we were satisfied that there is enough time to construct, equip, and test the stadiums before the day of the kick-off. The task ahead becomes very clear,” he said.

The delegation’s verdict after the visit serves as a significant boost to the local organisers after concerns expressed by Fifa president Sepp Blatter who said in September that he needed “to fire up the organising committee.”

Irvin Khoza, chairperson of the local organising committee said he was happy with “Fifa’s vote of confidence.”

“The schedule will be met as proposed and come the first quarter of next year, construction must start,” he said at a media conference in Johannesburg.

President Thabo Mbeki pledged last month that South Africa would confound international sceptics by meeting its deadlines and staging a well-oiled World Cup.

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