Germany’s leading travel company, TUI Deutschland GmbH announces its decision to host an important leg of the TUI Erleben Tour Sudafrika (“Experience South Africa”) in Cape Town in early February 2010. The mega familiarisation trip is a joint South African Tourism and TUI trade campaign that will serve as an opportunity to engage high profile German retail agents in the Western Cape’s most prized tourism offerings.
TUI Deutschland is a wholly owned subsidiary of TUI Travel PLC, the world’s biggest tourism company and aggressively sells South African packages in the German market. With more than 20 percent market share, this leading German tour operator covers the entire holiday spectrum from premium through to individual and budget packages. TUI Travel PLC is listed on the LSE and is represented in 180 countries, catering for over 30 million clients.
Between August and October 2009 more than German 2 500 travel agents participated in a rigorous selection process to qualify for some 100 strongly contested seats on the mega-familiarisation trip to South Africa. Highlights of the planned tour (31 January -7 February 2010) include a two day safari experience in the Eastern Cape and a four night stay in Cape Town and the Western Cape. An exclusive ‘travel mart’ will also encourage South African partners to engage meaningfully with the 100 top TUI travel agents in round robin fashion in Stellenbosch. The trip is set to culminate in a private gathering at one of Camps Bay’s trendiest venues with TUI management, an international media contingency and some of the destination’s most respected tourism heavyweights in attendance.
“This sales push together with TUI, allows South African Tourism not only to showcase the destination and enthuse the top German agents, but to let them experience and talk about South Africa, spread the good news and thereby place South Africa top of mind amongst German retail agents,” remarks South African Tourism’s Country Manager (Germany), Theresa Bay-Muller.
In support of the destination’s opportunity to welcome the group, CEO of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, Calvyn Gilfellan had this to say: “Germany is one of Cape Town and the Western Cape’s top core markets and the TUI Group’s decision to include the destination on the itinerary is a strong endorsement of our premium tourism offerings. We are confident that the agents will find their experience truly enriching. We support the TUI Group’s important contribution in attracting German travellers to Cape Town and the Western Cape. The memories they take with them will prove invaluable in selling the destination in the future.”
Cape Town and the Western Cape presents the European traveller with something somewhat familiar yet distinct. Its six exciting regions (Cape Town; Cape Winelands; Cape Garden Route & Klein Karoo; Cape Karoo; Cape West Coast; Cape Overberg) provide a number of hidden gems from unsurpassed natural scenic beauty and an exciting culinary and wine scene to the vibrant culture of its people. Outdoor activities include anything from crocodile and shark cage diving to riding an ostrich!
Speaking ahead of the TUI Erleben Tour, Director of Long Haul Products Management (Africa, Orient, Indian Ocean & Asia, Australia, Pacific) Mr. Christian Barwind said: “Our participants at TUI are excited and have high expectations of their forthcoming visit to South Africa. By offering our top agents firsthand experience of products in the region we are expecting an increase in sales to South Africa that will be sustainable into the future. The focus of the tour will be for participants to explore the emotional side of this African country and experience the overall TUI portfolio in this beautiful holiday destination.”
“TUI’s commitment and serious support to the country and Cape Town and the Western Cape needs to be seen in the light of a 15.9% decline in German arrival figures comparing the period January to September 2009 with 2008. For this reason CTRU will make every effort to support this initiative to ensure that the visiting agents have a fantastic time and also leave feeling equipped to sell the destination to their customers,” notes David Frandsen, Executive Manager International Marketing and the Cape Town Convention Bureau at CTRU. Though the demand for long haul travel from Germany is still constrained by the lingering effects of the global economic crisis, there are definite signs of an upswing in the German economy. Hosting the international trade delegation captures the enormous growth opportunities of the German market.