Top German agents bowled over by SA experience

'SOUTH Africa has a soul, unlike Australia which is more like visiting Majorca," enthused one German travel agent attending the DERTOUR Reiseakademie 2000 in Cape Town.
The feedback being received from the first group of 350 German agents and 150 of their global suppliers attending the DERTOUR Reiseakademie 2000 in Cape Town last week has exceeded South African Tourism's wildest dreams, according to a number of high-profile stakeholders attending the launch on Robben Island.
Otto Stehlik, chairman of both the Western Cape Tourism Board and Protea Hotels, said his one regret was that it was not possible for the entire SA industry to have been present. "If there was one way to re-instil industry confidence, this would have been it," he told Travel Now.
"Cape Town presented itself as a world-class city and all of the agents I spoke to said it was without a doubt the best place they had ever visited. 'I've had more impressions in one day here than during five years in Germany', raved one, over the diversity of attractions she had been subjected to in just one activity-packed day."
The Reiseakademie's (tourism academy) opening function was addressed by Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mohammed Valli Moosa, who was reportedly at his charismatic best, with a speech of such quality and competence that it was "worthy of being made to United Nations".
David Frost, managing director:inbound tourism with Tourvest also gave thumbs up to the Minister's "corker" of a speech.
In outlining the day's activities, Frost said that emotions ran high during the Robben Island launch which included a presentation by a former political inmate followed by a choir and jazz band from Khayelitsha. "Having to battle rough seas in the dark on the boat trip back from the island, we even managed to throw in a bit of adventure tourism!"
But it was not just Cape Town that did SA proud.
All nine provinces had the chance to showcase their products during a vehicle rally which introduced delegates to all of Cape Town's main attractions.
"For example, agents had the chance to draw Bushman art with feathers and paint at the Northern Cape stand and the Northern Province presented a wonderful play on animal conservation," said Frost.
Pre and post provincial tours are also giving the agents (the second group of 350 arrive later this week) an opportunity to soak up all that the country has to offer tourists.
The general agreement is that the event, facilitated by South African Tourism, the Western Cape Tourism Board and a large number of private sector tourism businesses to the tune of some R18m, is the best joint investment ever made by the industry.
It is not unknown for tourism sales to increase by 65% in host countries following previous years' Reiseakademies, which are held at a different location each year.
"These agents are in a prime position to sell SA to the German market," said Stehlik. "I am in no doubt whatsoever that tourism will benefit hugely from this visit which has shown like never before to important opinion leaders that we have some of the best cultural and scenic attractions anywhere in the world."


(Elizabeth Sheridan)