INDUSTRY COMMENT


CHILALA MAYANDA HABASIMBI First Secretary – Tourism Zambia Tourism Board


"Zambia is a fabulous and unique destination for those who want to experience wildlife- watching in an environment that provides luxury and intimacy. Parks like South and North Luangwa, Kafue and Lower Zambezi are not congested, accommodation facilities are restricted and the tour guides are among the best. Agents can book in the knowledge that their clients are guaranteed a wildlife experience that will live with them forever.” See Luxury African Lodges feature, page 38


WILLIAM GRIFFITH Director of Tourism Bermuda “We had around 17,000 UK visitors from January to


September 2011. However, we had a record 400,000 cruise passengers last year. Bermuda is perceived as an expensive destination but there are, in fact, affordable guest houses that charge $100-$120 a night and we want to give them more visibility. We host 30-40 agents a year on fam trips and also have a training programme with Travel Uni." See Bermuda feature, page 42


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STEVE HARTRIDGE EDITOR


welcome B


TO SELLING LONG HAUL


y common consent travel retailers begin 2012 in mediocre health, at best. The symptoms are well known: fear of a double-dip recession, rising unemployment, adverse effects


of APD, British consumers' increasingly voracious appetite for booking all-things online, etc, etc. Less mentioned, agents’ traditional booking channel – tour operators – are also contracting. Last year 24 ATOL-registered tour operators went into administration, according to KPMG, partly because the old high-volume tour operating model based on customers pre-booking a package of flights and accommodation well in advance seems to be in long-term decline. In short, more travellers are seeking out niche solutions – but this is where opportunity can still knock for agents. On a fam trip with agents in South Africa last month I was


sellinglonghaul


impressed by their general 'thirst' for knowledge. As one agent commented: “If I can explain how this province best fits into a general South African itinerary, can point out the key differences between the properties we visited and can explain how easy and stress-free the driving is between the attractions, I have more than an equal chance of not losing a sale to the internet.” Quite!


.com


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