South African Tourism’s India office is capitalising on the Indian market’s appetite for new and different South African travel experiences by introducing the trade to the many delights offered by the Garden Route and the Eastern Cape.
In September, South African Tourism’s India office organised a focused educational tour to South Africa for a number of travel agents from Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Nagpur and Bangalore. The 11-day itinerary saw them sampling a broad range of tourist attractions and holiday experiences in the Garden Route towns of Knysna, George, Plettenberg Bay and Oudtshoorn, and in the nearby cities of Port Elizabeth and East London in the Eastern Cape.
Hanneli Slabber, Country Manager for India, South African Tourism explained that the aim of the trip was to showcase South Africa’s diverse tourism offering beyond the usual “big three” destinations of Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.
She further added, “A large section of the Indian market includes second- and third-time visitors to South Africa, and to maintain their interest in returning, we need travel agents to be equipped with expertise on different locations within the country so they can make a winning destination pitch for South Africa.”
Slabber said the six “new” South African tourist destinations that were promoted to Indian travel trade offered a cross-section of the wildlife, adventure, lifestyle, entertainment and shopping experiences that are most in demand by the outbound Indian travel market.
Members of the trade delegation were treated to a variety of signature activities in the region – from travelling on a party bus in George to enjoying a cruise and dinner in Knysna, from experiencing the Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn to braving the world’s highest commercial bridge bungee jump from the Bloukrans Bridge in Plettenberg Bay, from free-falling on the Big Swing in Port Elizabeth to glimpsing white lions in East London.
With the area boasting several hotels and restaurants that cater specifically to Indian culinary needs, the travel agents were able to sample Indian staples and global favourites, picnic lunches, wine-paired meals and local cuisine at a farmers’ market. The delegation also met nearly a dozen tourism products in each locale during speed marketing sessions that gave them targeted insights into how to package these destinations to Indian travellers.
What is particularly appealing about the Southern Cape-Eastern Cape region, Slabber pointed out, is that it offers everything from casinos to beaches, safaris to nightlife, all within close proximity of each other – which also makes each town an appealing solo destination in its own right.
“Previously, some travel agents would include day trips or overnight visits from Cape Town to these picturesque towns on travellers’ itineraries. But our new strategy is to encourage the trade to base Indian travellers – especially repeat travellers to South Africa – in this region to enjoy a few activity-packed days or just kick back and relax during a scenic and leisurely break,” she added.
“We are confident that, through familiarisation trips such as these, we are positioning this beautiful and experience-rich part of the country as an attractive must-see destination in its own right.”
