Travel & Leisure

The travel industry was delighted with the announcement that came through during the night and that will ensure some level of normality and confidence in the market that travel is open and easy. It will also certainly help to support the recovery of the sector.

Business travellers are adding a leisure component to their trips, as a way to have a holiday whilst working. It also presents a great opportunity for property managers to provide a memorable experience or encourage travellers to join their loyalty programmes, both of which will drive returning customers.

According to a study completed by Deloitte Insights, in 2020, United States companies’ travel budgets plummeted by a shattering 90%, with most business meetings moved online to popular video conferencing apps like Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

Prior to 2019, anyone booking travel would have considered cost saving their key priority. Not anymore. Although travel bookers are, obviously, still keeping an eye on expenses, they (and their clients) are now more concerned with wellbeing.

As pandemic restrictions slowly ease, SA’s economy is being imbued with a fresh sense of hope for a better 2022. Recovery after the virus-induced downswing is sorely needed - Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) shows that the total number of liquidations in the country increased by a staggering 46.2% in the second quarter of 2021, compared with the same period the year before.

Life looks a whole lot different since the dawn of COVID-19 – face masks, elbow greetings, temperature checks at practically every entrance, and an overwhelming amount of sanitiser dominating our days. And business travel definitely isn’t an exception.

Fearless adventurer Dirk Pitt must unravel a historical mystery of epic importance in the latest novel in the beloved New York Times bestselling series created by the 'grand master of adventure' Clive Cussler. In 1959 Tibet, a Buddhist artifact of immense importance was seemingly lost to history in the turmoil of the Communist takeover.

The Spade Boutique Hotel and Spa is a business expansion by prominent Cape Town based family, The Skaaps. Their impressive family business portfolio spans over 14 years in the Cape’s lifestyle and entertainment scene.

COVID-19 has changed a lot of things – including the way that companies and employees approach business travel. Just over a year since COVID-19 made its presence known in South Africa, it would seem as though some of these changes are fleeting, while others are here to stay.

A Global Travel Industry Roundtable has defined a unified roadmap with safe alternatives and specific actions to phase out the use of long-term quarantine policies and travel restrictions. Comprising 20 major trade organisations, including the World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA), of which we are a member, the global coalition was formed to accelerate the recovery of the travel industry by aligning global efforts behind common messaging and industry standards in collaboration with medical and policy experts.