SITE shows its muscle at Meetings Africa

Dragonfly Africa was one of nine SITE members who exhibited at Meetings Africa. For the second year in a row the SITE members joined forces at the SITE Pavilion showing a renewed investment in in Africa's premium show for the Meetings Industry.

Meetings Africa Day One

Welcome to Meetings Africa 2010,

The event started with a cocktail party at the Radisson Hotel in Sandton. Hosted Buyers meet Exhibitors function. Highlight was a very funny comment from our Minister of Tourism, Mr Van Schalkwyk, who said " The reason I have survived 20 years in public office is that I have learnt that if there is a contest between listening to a politician speak and good wine, good wine wins every time, so I will keep this speech short". Who knew he had a sense of humour?

I attended a very interesting speech on day one on "The importance of Events Greening". A thought provoking session. Dr Elling Hamso, from the European ROI Institute posted a very valid quote from Kofi Annan, "Governments will only follow when businesses lead". This is very valid when it comes to greening issues. We were introduced to The Event Greening Forum which has been established to promote event greening in South Africa. Feel free to view their website http://eventgreening.co.za/ . Its about time!!!

Other than that it was business as usual or unusual!

Soccer World Cup ticket prices to be slashed

Johannesburg - FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke has revealed ticket prices for South African residents will be slashed in order to ensure all matches at this year's World Cup finals are sold out.

Following disappointing sales to overseas supporters, category two and three tickets will be changed to category four seats which can be sold only to South African residents for around $20.

Quoted in The Telegraph, Valcke said: "We will increase the number of category four tickets because we cannot have a situation where the World Cup is in South Africa and people cannot see matches.

"This will bring less income to FIFA, but we have already brought in the income we need to match the organising committee budget, which is $423m."

Valcke believes airline and travel companies are partly to blame for the number of unsold tickets.

"I think that we are facing a peak time where companies feel that they can put the highest level of pricing," he said. "We want to make sure that fans can afford to travel to South Africa.

"It is clear that people have decided that because it is the World Cup they ask the highest amount possible to maximise income, but it doesn't work today.

"They forget that it is a long distance to travel to South Africa, you need to stay for more than a few days, so they have to make offers that the fans can afford."

Valcke also admitted mistakes had been made in granting agency Match exclusive rights to sell travel and ticket packages for both South Africa and Brazil 2014.

"We have good lessons to learn from 2010 and they will help us in 2014," he said.

"For the World Cup 2010 we will have to sell the tickets to fans direct. We will think about setting up FIFA ticketing centres around the world."

Cape Town dazzles

On Saturday I had the pleasure of hosting 12 MICE buyers from Australia and we spent a wonderful day exploring Cape Town and Cape Point. It was almost as if the city was showing off! Perfect weather and visibility. We started our day by a cable car trip to the top of Table Mountain, then, off to Cape Point where we boarded the high speed jet boats for an exhilarating ride around Cape of Storms. We got back to land just in time for a picnic lunch, and some delicious local wine, under a Bedouin tent at Buffels Bay. Luckily we had our baboon monitors to look after us and save us from the local marauders. In the afternoon we headed for a photo moment at Cape of Good Hope and then penguin viewing at the renowned Boulders Beach before our journey back to The Taj in Cape Town. In the evening we enjoyed a feast style meal under the stars, on the beach, at the new Grand Beach Cafe near the V&A Waterfront. I hope that this "snapshot" of Cape Town will entice all my new friends back to our beautiful city.

Gautrain is getting there

We are certainly getting very excited about The Gautrain which is set to be operational in April 2010, at least between OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton, just in time for the Soccer World Cup.

The Gautrain Rapid Rail Link is a state-of-the-art rapid rail network planned in Gauteng. The rail connection comprises of two links, namely a link between Pretoria and Johannesburg and a link between OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton. Apart from the three anchor stations on these two links, seven other stations will be linked by approximately 80 kilometres of rail along the proposed route.

The three anchor stations will be located at:

* OR Tambo International Airport;
* Pretoria; and
* Johannesburg.

The seven other stations will be located at:

* Rosebank;
* Sandton;
* Marlboro;
* Midrand;
* Centurion;
* Hatfield; and
* Rhodesfield (Kempton Park

To Track the progress got to http://www.gautrain.co.za/index.php?pid=2221&ct=1&fid=6&click=9

Mint & Bombay Brasserie opens at The Taj in Cape Town

The Dragonfly team and 13 Russian MICE Agents were some of the first to experience the new Mint Restaurant at the Taj Cape Town.

What we said, "stunning menu and wines selection, stylish modern interior with the direct exit to the walking district. According to the unanimous group’s opinion – best dinner of the tour. Absolutely amazing experience. Service bit slow, but friendly. Definitely recommended to the distinguished gourmets."

Mint, the Taj Cape Town’s casual all-day dining restaurant, specialises in innovative international and local fare. Here diners can expect to find a menu that consistently tempts their senses, taste buds and appetites. This surprisingly intimate three-level restaurant has a spectacular open-plan show kitchen, allowing guests to glimpse cuisine being created. An impressive floor-to-ceiling wine wall and an informal wine tasting nook add to the ambiance. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, opening onto St Georges Mall, allow Mint guests to experience outdoor dining under the trees.Mint’s setting and tasteful décor create a relaxed atmosphere where every guest feels at home.

The Bombay Brasserie treats guests to the finest Indian specialty dining. Here mouth-watering meals are skilfully prepared using traditional ingredients, creating some of the finest Indian cuisine outside of India.

The Bombay Brasserie is a combination of contemporary design and the elegant opulence of the old Reserve Bank. Luxurious décor complements the existing heritage pieces, creating a rich atmosphere and a wonderful backdrop for the highly acclaimed menu. On the ground floor, the hallowed halls of the Reserve Bank have been restored to house the Bombay Brasserie, an Indian fine dining restaurant serving top Indian cuisine. The elegant décor and authentic Indian cuisine offer a more formal and exotic culinary experience. The Bombay Brasserie offers an a la carte menu and the show kitchen provides the opportunity for an interactive dining experience. Here dishes are a delicate melody of flavours, a taste of modern Indian fare.

Incentive Travel in South Africa; the conscious way

The last few weeks Soekershof; Private Mazes & Botanical Gardens in South Africa has made long term agreements with the first upmarket tour operators regarding Incentive Tours.

The Incentive consists of visit plus a Soekershof Signature gift. Choice between a set of 10 plant hangers; laminated wooden seedbox (2 models) with embedded cotyledon; Earth Works Jewellery (earthy necklace and earthly earrings in earthy box) and a one wire lizard.

The Earth Works Jewellery is new and about to go into production. Only earth of Soekershof (different textures and earth colours) is used and the past year Soekershof and their local partners developed a process in sustainable binding the particles. It's weather and shock proof.

Soekershof (also known as The Green Cathedral of South Africa) is a 10 hectare large estate in Klaas Voogds West between Robertson and Ashton/Montagu along Route62. Locally Soekershof is known for its Klaas Voogds Maze with visualised local folklore as orientating beacons. Internationally Soekershof is highly acclaimed for its huge outdoor collection of succulent plants (>2500 different and registered species/subspecies/cultivars/etc.) and is recommended as one of the four 'must visit' gardens in South Africa. BBC's TV garden program presentor and known Irish landscaper Diarmuid Gavin reckons Soekershof as his favourite garden in South Africa (UK Sunday Times). His latest submission to the Chelsea Flower show was clearly inspired by Soekershof. Recently Soekershof was exposed in Garden & Home (Dutch edition), ZAM-Africa Magazine, Sculpture Net (USA), Reckless Gardener and Gardening on the Edge (UK), Saturday Star (SA) and INDWE (inflight magazine South African Airlines). In the near future publications will follow in amongst others GardenZine, Arise Magazine, Country Life Magazine and The Independent (UK).

These incentive packages are designated for the concious traveller who want to discover a different (more real) South Africa than as the known mainstream destinations.

If you want to find out more about this unusual property please contact the Dragonfly Team.

Dragonfly to attend AIME

Rupert Jeffries, Executive Chairman & Yolanda Woeke, Sales & Marketing Director, will be attending AIME, 2 and 3 March 2010, in Melbourne.

AIME (Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo), now in its 18th year is the leading event for the meeting and incentive industry, showcasing the best Australian, Asia-Pacific and international destinations, products and services.

Bringing together a total of 6000 people over 2 days at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, AIME represents the best in business, the best in education and the best in networking.

If you would like to make an appointment to meet with them please contact yolanda@dragonfly.co.za

If you need any info about Melbourne whilst you are there we suggest you visit http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/Pages/Home.aspx

See you down under!!

Cape tourism sector address overpricing

Cape Town’s tourism industry stakeholders have formed a pricing code to address overpricing perceptions around the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

A statement released by Cape Town Tourism said that industry stakeholders were unified in their efforts to combat damaging international perceptions of South Africa as “an expensive destination” ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

As a result, Cape Town Tourism has formulated a Code of Responsible Pricing for the city.

The code is endorsed and will be implemented by the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism, Cape Town Routes Unlimited, the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA), the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA), the Portfolio Collection, Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA), Backpackers South Africa and the South African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI).

The code has been created around four core principles – Fair Value, Responsible Tourism, Sustainable Tourism and Consumer Protection.

• Fair Value means that the tourism sector will create fair and reasonable rates for the World Cup that are linked to seasonal rates
• Responsible Tourism, underlining Cape Town’s commitment to be a destination that values and promotes its position with regard to taking care of people, the planet and profit to the greater community
• Sustainable Tourism, in the interest of maintaining a legacy for Cape Town beyond the World Cup
• Consumer Protection – the code asks the tourism sector to advocate a strong consumer protection ethic by refraining from adding hidden costs and fees that surprise and annoy consumers when receiving the bill.

“The Code is an important charter,” said Cape Town Tourism spokesperson, Lianne Burton. “The industry is eager to ensure that Cape Town’s good reputation is not spoiled by greedy individuals out to capitalise on a few weeks at the expense of a responsible sector that has worked incredibly hard to put destination Cape Town on the top of every traveller’s wish-list.”

A call to action asking the industry to sign up to and adhere to the code will be driven through the various participating associations and member organisations in the region. Cape Town Tourism will promote awareness of the Code of Responsible Pricing for Cape Town through its international PR network. International fans will be advised to look for adherence to the code as a sign of quality and value.

Establishments wishing to sign up to the Code of Responsible Pricing for Cape Town should contact Cape Town Tourism. Thanks www.tourismupdate.co.za

Cybele extends Valentines Special

Romance lasts longer than Valentine's Day at Cybele... THROUGHOUT FEBRUARY. From ZAR1,250.00 per person per night. Book now for February and we'll spoil you rotten: A romantic surprise in the evening with complimentary strawberries and cream accompanied by a bottle of Pierre Jourdan Belle Rosé, and a R100 voucher per room for our Clarins Forest Health Spa. With savings of more than 50% on our usual tariffs, Cybele will indeed be a special treat. Bookings are subject to availability. Special tariffs apply to a minimum of two nights on a bed-and-breakfast basis and apply only to new bookings for the month of February 2010 . Long weekends excluded . Conditions apply. Flight packages to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport also available on request.

Grand Beach Cafe

Welcome to Dragonfly Africa's first blog posting. What we aim to do is highlight unusual and new incentive ideas on a regular basis. These could be hotels, restaurants, activities, entertainment or even some hot-off-the-press news. These are not official reviews, but rather an insider's view on whats hot, happening, fitting and suitable for the Incentive Travel Market.

Happy blogging!!

Cape Town meets Monte Carlo, St Tropez and the Nikki Beach Club free–spirited eclectic beach Café culture.

Situated in the magnificent Waterfront stretch of Hotels, Boating and Yachting clubs and the Victoria & Alfred Shopping centre, the new Grand Cafe & Beach in Granger Bay conjures up a collective mix of international and local cultures decadently socializing alongside sparkling ocean waters whilst sipping champagne and cocktails on the decks overlooking Robben Island in the distance.

"We love this venue as it is one of the first restaurants in Cape Town located right on the beach, and it is within walking distance of the V&A Waterfront. Picture the scene; its a full moon rising over the ocean; a long table decked with candles, laden with delicious platters of local cuisine; a DJ is playing funky tunes in the background and you are sipping a cocktail whilst relaxing on the beach lounger!! A antastic spot for both FIT's and groups."

Meetings Africa

Dragonfly Africa to attend Meetings Africa between 24 - 26 February 2010. We will keep you posted on what we think about this fantastic opportunity for our industry in South Africa.