Archive for South Africa Tourism
Attractions of KwaZulu Natal In South Africa
Posted by: | CommentsKwaZulu Natal is a highly populated region of South Africa. It is a extremely attractive sub-tropical location with fantastic landscapes and attractions including the excellent seashores of Durban, the Drakensberg mountain range and the traditional battlefields from the conflicts amongst the British, Boers and Zulus.
The people of KwaZulu Natal is undoubtedly, the most diverse in South Africa. The indigenous Zulu culture of the location is well-known for their significant warrior custom. Even today, in the phonetic alphabet, “Zulu” is used to represent the letter “Z”.
There is an obvious British effect in the province and a good number of of the individuals who reside here have a British heritage. Additionally, in Durban you’ll also find without doubt one of the largest sized populations of Indians outside of the sub-continent. Durban is also South Africa’s third biggest city and is the busiest port in Africa. The excellent weather makes Durban a renowned location over summer and winter and following the success of the FIFA World Cup, Durban will almost certainly bid to host the 2020 Olympic games.
For people travelling to KZN, Durban is a ‘must’ with so much to offer the visitor including markets, culture, shores and the newly opened uShaka Marineworld. It’s also a good base from where it is possible to check out the area. Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve is the very best spot to go on safari while the UKlahlamba Drakensberg mountain range will offer you peace of mind and tranquillity in eye-catching surroundings.
Visitors will come across Zulu lifestyle in evidence right across the region and there are a lot of options to go to classic Zulu villages. There are around 400 miles of coast in KZN with the region in the north of the province being really unspoilt. The St Lucia Wetlands are a World Heritage Site with captivating lakes, estuaries, lagoons, woodland dunes and reefs.
The battlefields of KwaZulu Natal are famous with most likely the most widely known place being Rorkes Drift where no more than 140 British soldiers held off a prolonged assault by 4,000 Zulus.
At long last, the Midlands Meander is a route for people to travel along stopping off at various craft outlets, studios, galleries and much more established within the heart of the wonderful UKlahlamba mountains.
Flight Delays In Europe Will Have Adverse Impact On Western Cape Tourism
Posted by: | CommentsWestern Cape tourism authorities have sounded a warning that persistent flight delays in Europe due to bad weather could result in a R360 million loss for the industry in the province.
The recent flight delays have left thousands of travellers bound for South Africa stranded.
Tourism authorities say the losses in the industry will be felt in the accommodation, catering, transport and entertainment sectors.
According to the SABC Cape Town Routes Unlimited says that the tourism industry should prepare for a 10% decrease in international visitor numbers due to the big freeze in Europe. However, they say the industry should not be crippled as they are projecting a worst case scenario.
Routes Unlimited CEO Calvyn Gilfellan says the biggest influx of foreign tourists from Europe starts in January.
He says Europe accounts for roughly 60% of foreign arrivals but despite the weather challenges they will continue to market the Western Cape as a preferred destination for other world markets.
According to various reports, South African Airways (SAA) hosted two special flights from South Africa to London’s Heathrow Airport this morning.
The flights were dedicated to SAA passengers who have been grounded since the weekend following the cancellation of flights.
SAA spokesperson Fani Zulu said the first was expected to depart from Johannesburg at 9am and the other from Cape Town at 8.30am.
Zulu also says the airline will operate its normal schedule of flights which included three flights from South Africa to London and three flights from London to South Africa.
Sapa reports that SAA acknowledged that flights out of Heathrow will be a “bit of a challenge” because one of their planes waiting at Heathrow was grounded for repairs as the freezing weather led to water in the pipes freezing and pipes bursting.
Source: News Time (http://www.newstime.co.za/Business/Flight_Delays_In_Europe_Will_Have_Adverse_Impact_On_Western_Cape_Tourism__/17344/)
World Cup ‘worth every cent invested’
Posted by: | CommentsMORE than 309 000 tourists travelled to SA during June and July for the Soccer World Cup, spending R3,6bn during the six-week tournament, Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said yesterday.
The findings of a survey done by the Department of Tourism and SA Tourism, were published yesterday.
Fans stayed an average of 10,3 nights and Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal were the most visited provinces. The largest number of visitors came from the US, with 30000 fans, followed by Mozambique with 24000 visitors and the UK with 22000 visitors.
The World Cup boosted overall arrivals, with those between January and September reaching 5-9-million, up 16,8% year on year.
“The World Cup was a resounding success,” said Mr van Schalkwyk. “After a year of hard work the world watched in awe, after much criticism in the lead-up to the tournament, as SA hosted one of the most successful tournaments. The tournament was worth every cent and every minute that was invested in it.”
While dozens of figures were bandied about during and in the weeks after the tournament, this is the first considered and researched report to be published.
“Many of the figures showed overall arrival numbers but these figures only include those that came for the World Cup. These figures have been cleaned up by various departments and we are confident in the integrity of the data,” said Mr van Schalkwyk.
Roshene Singh, chief marketing officer of SA Tourism, said many fans were first-time visitors , particularly from the US, where 92% of travellers had never visited SA before .
Almost 90% of World Cup visitors said they would visit again while 96% said they would recommend a visit to friends and family. More than half of those who had been to other World Cups — 20% of all those surveyed — said this was the best tournament they had attended.
Mr van Schalkwyk said the World Cup was a vital building block in the tourism sector. “The World Cup really enhanced the image of SA and we see promising signs in the forward booking in the first quarter of next year.”
The departments of t ourism and s port were still identifying tournaments and sports events SA would bid for in the future, he said. The process would be managed by the n ational c onvention b ureau, due to be set up early next year.
The Olympics was on the government’s radar but no decision had been taken, Mr van Schalkwyk said. “We are still assembling the facts and it is still early in the process.
“However, in our discussions we will have to look at benefits of hosting an event that essentially takes place in one city ,” rather than many.
Source: Business Day (http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=128745)
South Africa’s Most Popular Destination
Posted by: | CommentsSituated at the southern most point of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans collide is South Africa’s mother city, Cape Town. It is South Africa’s best selling tourist location with close to 70% of holiday makers from the United Kingdom making Cape Town a part of their travel plans.
Cape Town is South Africa’s earliest city and affords visitors great shopping arcades, eating at restaurants and other visitors attractions all beneath the back drop of the legendary Table Mountain. The V&A Waterfront is the perfect spot for a bit of retail therapy prior to finding somewhere to eat where you could sit outside and watch the world pass by even during the winter months.
Points of interest in Cape Town include things like the Two Oceans aquarium, a craft market or you may prefer to relax and watch the local artists perform at the amphitheatre. Robben Island was the prison where Nelson Mandela spent numerous years and it is open to visitors who can arrive by a short boat trip.
Cape Point has claimed numerous shipwrecks through the years and it is well worth going to the place that is at the very bottom of Africa. The journey over Chapman’s Peak is as spectacular as the sight from Cape Point with its hairpin twists and turns and sheer cliffs.
In addition to finding a great deal of things to do in Cape Town, it is also a fantastic base to investigate the immediate area of the Western Cape. The winelands of Paarl, Franshoek and Stellenbosch are popular with both self drive and escorted tours. Between July and October, the town of Hermanus is considered certainly one of the very best spots around the world where you are able to whale watch from the coastline.
The stunning landscape of Cape Town makes it a great location to spend your getaway for individuals in search of action, entertainment or relaxation. A full selection of accommodation is available geared to all budgets.
Blue Train – Southern Africa’s Majestic Rail Trip
Posted by: | CommentsThe Blue Train journey travels in between Pretoria and Cape Town which is a 27-hour route of 1,600 kms (994 mls), through part of the most different and remarkable landscapes provided by the African sub-continent. The world-class Blue Train carries holidaymakers across the exceptional surroundings that stretches between Pretoria and The Mother City providing service that features wonderful food and spacious accommodation. The Blue Train has been carrying passengers since 1939 and takes it’s name from its blue engines, carriages and leather seats. The Blue Train owes it’s origin to the Union Limited and the Union Express, that, from 1923, connected Joburg together with the mail ships sailing from The Mother City for the UK. In days gone by when the Union Castle boat docked at Cape Town, you might possibly have taken the Blue Train to Joburg, South Africa’s economic powerhouse figuratively and literally built on gold.
The new Blue Train is the most magnificent train globally and the very best way to travel. In 1947 the 3 month long tour by the British Royal Family saw the acquiring of 8 ivory-painted air-conditioned saloons from Great Britain, 3 of which were constructed to Blue Train sleeping car specifications, while the other 5 were specialized saloons to be used by the Royal Family and Field Marshal Jan Smuts, the Prime Minister of South Africa. It is no surprise these prominent travellers take the Blue Train. Falling asleep with a Karoo moon above and waking up to a fresh pot of coffee as the Blue Train passes Cape vineyards really is a sensation that is difficult to beat.
The Blue Train suites live up to their reputation for magnificence and splendour. The Blue train brings you to an ageless world of high-class living, incorporating the romance of travel by rail together with the lavishness of a grand hotel. Much of the attraction of the Blue Train is based on its history and it can with ease lay claim to being undoubtedly one of the top 3 deluxe trains on earth. The Blue Train equals the majority of five star hotels with regards to elegance, grace, comfort and style with decorations created by a leading interior design business. An a la carte South African selection is simply just part of the Blue Train service and also comes with butlers looking after your every need as well as a exquisite suite. Taking only 2 days, the Blue Train travels from Pretoria to Cape Town or the opposite way round.
With menus boasting a selection of local dishes, food on the Blue Train is an encounter itself — from Karoo lamb and ostrich fillet to Knysna oysters — accompanied by award-winning cultivars from the Winelands of the Western Cape. The royal blue menus with their gold cord undoubtedly are a colour representation of the area through which the Blue Train passengers are voyaging. The Blue Train is equipped with the finest bone china in white, cut-crystal and classic silver cutlery engraved with the familiar “B” insignia. Wonderful South African wines enhance a gourment food list offered in a classy atmosphere making dining a wonderful experience on the Blue Train. It’s a showcase for South African wines and following thoughtful deliberation with top South African wine professionals have been selected to accompany every course on the menu.
Guests are requested to check-in 60 minutes prior to leaving in the Blue Train lounges in Pretoria and Cape Town. The Blue Train management team is at your disposal to ensure each and every passenger has a wonderful experience during the journey. The personal suite brings together the desires and needs of a contemporary world with the enchantment and style of classic luxurious train travel in Africa. Your Blue Train suite is a day time high-end lounge. Your own Blue Train butler will convert your private suite into a high class bed room through the night. The suites aboard the Blue Train meet its track record with regard to magnificence and splendour.
The Blue Train still links Pretoria and Cape Town a few times per week but nowadays is targeted fairly and squarely at holidaymakers. Blue Train guests are offered an out of the ordinary trip in high-class style and comfort that they can could reminisice over for many years. The mystique, the feeling of luxury and history that come with one of the planet’s most celebrated trains is part of the appeal for first timers and returning guests. The boutique on board the Blue Train is often a treasure trove of gems and minerals as rich as Africa itself. Unique branded gifts are given to Blue Train passengers on the end of the journey. As a memento passengers receive an engraved sherry glass with the Blue Train company logo. A lifetimes desire for numerous is a journey on the notable Blue Train of South Africa.
