Whale Cottage Portfolio Blog

A most bizarre media report was posted by Eye Witness News, in stating that Lianne Burton, the Marketing Manager and media spokesperson of Cape Town Tourism, the city’s tourism body, is happy that Cape Town is seeing fewer tourists this summer season, and that they are going to other more affordable cities such as Durban.

Burton told Eye Witness News that Cape Town Tourism is “…pleased high-end tourists were choosing to spend their festive season holidays in the Mother City”.   Burton also said that “the city needs so-called ‘quality tourists’ who spend more cash.”   The report continues: “Burton said Cape Town Tourism was not distressed thousands of local travellers apparently chose to flock to seemingly more affordable areas in KwaZulu-Natal and other parts of the country, instead of travelling to the Cape.”   Burton is reported to have said: “We can’t pack people in by the thousands.  I think Cape Town and Durban are slightly different, we certainly aren’t aiming for quantity”.   

What is interesting is the public reprimand Cape Town Tourism Board member Nils Heckscher, GM of the Winchester Mansions Hotel in Sea Point, has given Burton, who said that every prospective tourist is essential.  He is reported to have said:”To turn around and say,’We don’t want this tourist or that tourist’ is an arrogance that we can ill-afford”.

Cape Town Tourism has been appointed by the City of Cape Town to market Cape Town.   Both Belinda van Niekerk, the acting-CEO of Cape Town Tourism, and Burton, were unavailable for comment this morning, as they have given themselves and most of the Cape Town Tourism staff the day off, according to the switchboard, on this the busiest tourism day of the whole year!

See the report at www.eyewitnessnews.co.za

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

The Sweet Service Award  goes to OYO restaurant in the V&A Hotel in the Waterfront, which invited a number of writers to a yummy crayfish lunch, to try out its crayfish special of R 185 for 500 grams (the same offer is available at Salt restaurant in the Ambassador Hotel).  The restaurant has bought a 7-ton pre-allocation of crayfish, giving it 14 000 crayfish tails.   The crayfish is served grilled or cold, depending on the diner’s choice.  It is served with a choice of three sauces: lemon butter, garlic, and peri-peri, and home-made mayonnaise.   The main course was preceded by a most beautifully decorated 5-oyster dish served on a bed of coarse salt, served in 5 styles: dukkah, Bloody Mary, tempura, verjuice and pickled.  The Boschendal Brut Rose’ was an excellent match to the seafood lunch.   The dessert was a beautifully presented cherry and champagne jelly and ice cream with a fine biscuit cup holding a finely chopped fruit salad and served with a Rooibos African Ruby Vermouth made by Klawer Cellars.   The Friday afternoon lunch was the perfect way to end off a busy week.   The OYO name comes from the shape of two plates and a cocktail glass in the middle, a waiter explained.   The service from the waitrons was very attentive.

The Sour Service Award goes to the Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa for wasting R 235 000 of taxpayers’ money when he stayed at one of Cape Town’s most expensive hotels, The Table Bay Hotel in the V & A Waterfront, for 17 days, while his parliamentary residence was being renovated.  His accommodation included stints in the Presidential Suite when the hotel was allegedly fully booked on some nights, as well as accommodation for 5 bodyguards and 2 officials.  The Minister denied that he had made the hotel arrangements, blaming  “officials in his office”, according to a report in the Cape Times.   He also claimed to not know the high prices charged by the hotel.   A week later The Sunday Independent reported that the same Minister spent R 578 499 at the Hilton Hotel in Durban.   He justified this expenditure as accommodation for a crime prevention roadshow!

The WhaleTales Sweet & Sour Service Awards are presented every Friday on the WhaleTales blog.  Nominations for the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be sent to Chris von Ulmenstein at info@whalecottage.com.   Past winners of the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be read on the Friday posts of this blog, and in the WhaleTales newsletters on the www.whalecottage.com website.

As MATCH is unable to fill the missing 15 000 beds it requires to accommodate FIFA’s officials, sport teams and ticket package holders, it has made the shock announcement that it is letting go of its requirement that 2010 World Cup accommodation must be graded by the Tourism Grading Council, reports the Southern African Tourism Update.

MATCH requires 55 000 rooms, and has contracted 40 495 rooms to date, of which 75 % are hotel rooms and 25 % small accommodation rooms.

The report says that MATCH will use its “discretion” to select non-graded accommodation for the event.   The Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Tourism and MATCH will be amended to reflect the grading requirement change.

However, Minister of Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk was adamant that he preferred that graded accommodation be used: “The South African government neither supports nor promotes the use of non-graded accommodation establishments.     Furthermore, the South African government respects the right of all accommodation establishments, whether graded or not, to choose whether they want to contract with MATCH or not”.  These are interesting words, reflecting the Minister’s understanding of the resistance to MATCH by the small accommodation sector, regularly reported by WhaleTales in this blog.

In the media statement, MATCH reiterated that it will not contract private homes, an initiative driven by Seeff and Pam Golding estate agencies.

FEDHASA National CEO Brett Dungan addressed the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee last week, and trashed the Sunday Times report of a week prior, which described the resistance from the small accommodation sector to FIFA’s “MATCH-fixing”.   Southern African Tourism Update reports that Dungan said that MATCH requires ”100 000 rooms”, clearly an exaggeration of the FIFA accommodation requirement.   Dungan is also quoted as saying that only 13 % of small accommodation establishments have contracted with MATCH, which, if correct, reflects how deep the distrust of MATCH is by small establishments.   Dungan also is quoted as saying that a 20 % commission is a standard fee to pay when receiving business from tour operators.  Once again he appears to be poorly informed, as MATCH is taking a 30 % (not 20 %) commission on top of the 2010 accommodation rates, a most exceptionally high rate.   Dungan did acknowledge that there would not be enough accommodation in each of the towns and cities with 2010 soccer stadia, according to the report.

One of the solutions to general accommodation during June and July 2010 is cruise ships, not for MATCH, but for soccer fan groups and individuals.   The QE2 from Dubai was reported to have requested docking in the Cape Town harbour, but Minister van Schalkwyk had strongly rejected the request, saying that South African accommodation establishments should be supported.  

The latest news on cruise ships is that a German based company Moltke Promotion GmbH, through its subsidiary One Ocean Club,  has partnered with IKapa Tours & Travel.  The MS Noordam is reported by Southern African Tourism Update to be based in Durban harbour, accommodating soccer fans, who will be taken to Port Elizabeth for the quarter final, and for the third and fourth place play-off.   The MS Westerdam will be based in Port Elizabeth for the first half of the soccer tournament, and then will be cruising between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town in the second half.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio www.whalecottage.com]

Franschhoek was largely booked out as far as its accommodation is concerned over the Women’s Day weekend earlier this month, thanks to the law firm Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs (ENS), which chose Franschhoek for its annual staff and family get-together.   The law firm is one of the largest in Africa, with more than 360 legal, tax and forensic practitioners, and has branches in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Stellenbosch and Durban.

The booking probably was the largest group booking ever for Franschhoek, and the law company’s contribution to Franschhoek can easily be estimated at about R 500 000 over the two day period.   The economic contribution to Franschhoek may well be double that, if shopping at wine cellars and shops, as well as additional services rendered, is added.   Air and bus transportation will have benefitted the broader economy too.

“At ENS we are very aware of the importance of our people and, aside from many employee benefits, we also hold an annual retreat where all professionals, plus their families, are accommodated at a special locale.  The aim of these retreats is to, firstly, thank our professionals and their families who support them through the stresses of daily life and, secondly, to give everyone an opportunity to truly unwind in a setting outside of their normal environment” said Amanda Framcke, Marketing Team Leader: Events at ENS.    

“This year we were pleased to choose Franschhoek as the firm was looking for somewhere different to their usual venues which were more resort-like.  This retreat had a different feel to it and was exactly what we were looking for.  Franschhoek offers not only beauty but an array of exciting options all in a secluded area with a quaint small town feel.  It’s a wonderful place to relax and unwind and enjoy the many options it has to offer” she added.

ENS has an in-house marketing and events team that organises all events, including accommodation and flight bookings, catering, entertainment and anything else that is needed to make an event a success.  “This retreat involved approximately 280 adults which consisted of our practitioners and senior services team, as well as spouses and roughly 50 children.  This meant extensive arrangements and we were thrilled with the support we received from the various places of accommodation and other venues we used.  Because of the size of the group and special dietary requirements, we used an external caterer for all meals other than breakfast which everyone enjoyed at their place of accommodation.  We did, however, have lunch at Haute Cabriere on the Sunday of the long weekend which was a special highlight of the trip”.

Not only did ENS staff and their families stay in Franschhoek at 15 of the town’s guesthouses and four hotels, but suppliers did as well.  Watershed, a band performing for the group in the town hall on one of the evenings, was accommodated at Whale Cottage Franschhoek.

“Our programme for the weekend included spa activities, horse riding and quadbiking at Rheebokskloof, a mosiac workshop, fishing at La Ferme, bicycle hire, cheese and wine tasting at Franschhoek Cellars, chocolate tasting and visits to the ice cream shop.  We would like to also mention our appreciation for the transport company we used in Franschhoek (Eddie), the Municipal Officials and the local businesses for their participation and hospitality”.  Lunches and dinners were served for the ENS group in the Town Hall, an outside catering company having been appointed.

“The response from our practitioners and their families has been extremely favourable with many commenting that they would like to return to Franschhoek for our next retreat.  It is fair to say that this was one of our most popular getaways yet.” 

Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

One of the largest cruise liners, the Sun Princess, will dock in Cape Town in winter, reports The Star, giving the city a welcome boost in a period which is usually very quiet.  

The ship will also visit Richard’s Bay, Durban and Port Elizabeth on its trip to Fremantle in Australia, between May and June.

More than 2 000 passengers are on board, and they and the crew could be spending as much as R 358 000 per day on their port visits, according to a 2007 Cruise Liner International Association Economic Impact Study.

Germany’s best known cruise liner, the MS Deutschland, is visiting Cape Town for the next three days.   Cruise liner business is excellent for Cape Town, especially for the V & A Waterfront.

A popular TV series called “Traumschiff” has been filmed on the cruise liner for the past five years, and takes ZDF viewers to exotic locations.

The cheapest suite on the cruise liner costs $ 8 117 per person, including the return flight from Frankfurt, for the 15-day cruise from Cape Town to Walvis Bay, Luederitz, East London, Durban, Port Elizabeth and back to Cape Town, which finished yesterday.  Another started from Cape Town on the same day, with stops in Port Elizabeth, Durban, Richard’s Bay, Zanzibar, and Mombasa. 

The cruise liner is small by luxury liner standards, with 490 high-value clients on board.   The decor theme is 1920’s Art Deco.   It has two bars and three restaurants on board.

Hotels in Durban are experiencing a poor festive season, with bookings down by 10 - 15 %, despite special offers, reports the Sunday Tribune.

The newspaper quotes Gerhard Patzer, the local Chairman of FEDHASA and GM of the Hilton Hotel in Durban, as follows: “For the hotel trade, it’s definitely been the worst Christmas in five years.   It’s clear that people are cagey about holiday spending - obviously trying to save money and paying off cars and debts, instead of going on holidays.”  

“Everyone is trying to negotiate better deals, also booking for much shorter periods - two or three days, instead of a whole week” said Alan Vels, the past FEDHASA chairman.

The article also quotes Mike Sutcliffe, the manager of the Durban municipality, as saying:”…compared with Cape Town, Durban’s hotel trade had done “pretty well” under the circumstances”.   This would seem to imply that Sutcliffe is saying that Cape Town is not doing well this festive season, which is far removed from reality, as Cape Town is buzzing.

Just two weeks ago the same newspaper proclaimed that the “year-end stampede to Durban and KwaZulu-Natal coast is well underway and it could be a record season”!    The article speculated that 2,5 million visitors could be expected in the region, compared to the usual 2 million.   It also stated that beachfront hotels were 90 % booked at that time already.

Vida e Caffe is set to open its first two London stores, its magazine Obrigado reports.  

The hotshot coffee shop with a Portugese touch and distinctive red branding, has spread in major cities, and has branches in Stellenbosch, Sea Point, Willowbridge, Camps Bay, Somerset Mall, Cavendish, Claremont, the V & A Waterfront, Canal Walk, Kloof Street, Green Point, Bayside, Green Market, Black River Park, Constantia and Collosseum.    In Johannesburg the seven branches are located in Sandton, OR Thambo airport, Greenside, Rosebank, Hyde Park, Parktown North, Bedford Square and Commissioner Street.   Knysna and Bloemfontein each have a Vida, while there are three in Durban.

A joint venture is also on the cards between a Vida e Caffe and Nando’s Peri Deli in Rivonia.

Cape Town has the largest number of Blue Flag beaches of all cities in the country, six of its beaches receiving the prestigious accreditation.

Nine of the 19 Blue Flag beaches are in the Western Cape, and include Lappiesbaai Beach in Stilbaai, Grotto and Hawston beaches in Hermanus, Bikini Beach in Gordon’s Bay, Mnandi and Strandfontein beaches in Strandfontein, Muizenberg beach, and Clifton 4th and Camps Bay beaches on the Atlantic seaboard, reports the Cape Times.    Four Port Elizabeth beaches have also received Blue Flag accreditation, while all six Durban beaches have lost their Blue Flag status.

Blue Flag status is awarded to 2 585 beaches in 31 countries, and evaluates the safety, amenities, cleanliness, and environmental information and management of the beaches.  The programme is expected to be expanded to the Indian Ocean Islands.