At the Media Briefing, held at the Union Buildings today, Minister Fikile Mbalula, announced the five cities to host the 2013 African Cup of Nations.  "The City of Joburg will host both the Opening and Closing games and ceremonies at the Soccer City.  The following host cities will host the 2013 Afcon and they will use the 2010 World Cup Stadia, eThekwini (Moses Mabhida), Rustenburg (Royal Bafokeng), Nelson Mandela Bay (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium) and Mbombela (Mbombela Stadium)." said Minister Mbalula.

South Africa named "Best Hostel Country" in Hostelling International's 2011 "HI-5ives!" awards

South Africa named "Best Hostel Country" in Hostelling International's 2011 "HI-5ives!" awards

South Africa was named the "Best Hostel Country" in Hostelling International's  2011 "HI-5ives!" awards.
Hostellers who left ratings on the website hihostels.com during 2011 have had their say and awards have been handed out in the following five categories: Best Hostel Country, Best Overall Hostel, Friendliest Hostel, Most Comfortable Hostel, Most Efficient Hostel.
All award categories were based on ratings received during a 12 month period, from 1 November 2010 to 31 October 2011. During those 12 months, a minimum of 5 customer ratings in average per month was required to qualify. A hostel can only win one award category each year.

Best Hostel Country - South Africa:

The 35 hostels in South Africa have pulled in the best ratings overall for a single destination. This is a fantastic accolade for a network which was formed just one year ago. Ranging from fantastic beach side retreats to gateways of some of the best safari parks in the whole world, every SA hostel has something very special to offer an adventurous traveler.

Wanna Experience the BEST backpacker country in the World 2011 FOR FREE?

Wanna Experience the BEST backpacker country in the World 2011 FOR FREE? 

 

Hostelling International South Africa has been voted the Best Country in the Hostelling International network worldwide and has a potentially FREE trip around South Africa for a travel blogger who can create Social Media content for us www.facebook.com/hisouthafrica.

The accommodation will be sponsored by the www.hisouthafrica.com hostels ad the transport will be sponsored by www.bazbus.com.

If HI South Africa gets the right person with the right profile willing to do it they can also approach some adventure operators for FREE tours and activities...

This is not a paid job and you would need to get yourself to SA but if you fancy a FREE working holiday contact us and you can discuss this project and what is possible.

The Atta Christmas showcase event in Cape Town 

December 1st

Our Sponsors for the evening:

Village & Life, British Airways, SA Airlink, SATIB, Painted Wolf Wines, 

Our Charity:

Uthando

What's On?

A dazzling evening event for tourism networking, a Christmastide  Party, in Cape Town.

Where? Sandy B the Private Beach Club of the Bay Hotel, Camps Bay

When? Thursday December 1st .

Time? 5 pm - 9 pm

Who's invited?  Atta & SATSA Members, Guests and Media. All aspiring members from the Tourism Industry are also welcome to this showcase evening so if you are not a member of these two leading associations come and see Africa's fatest growing tourism network in full swing. To avoid disappointment  book in advance as numbers are limited.

What's the cost? 120 Rand in advance (£10) and  175 Rand on the night.

What's included? Wine, soft drinks, canapes and one ticket for the raffle.

What Raffle?

It's going to be one of the best travel raffles with over R 200,000 of luxury holiday prizes from Atta members including  Azura at Quilalea in Mozambique with flights (SAAirlinK),  Matemwe Lodge in Zanzibar, Kaya Mawa on Lake Malawi, Les Paletuviers in Senegal, and a  weeked luxury appartment in Camps Bay (Nox Rentals). So your entry ticket for the evening gives you one free ticket for the raffle. Further raffle tickets at 100 Rand each will be on sale on the night with the proceeds going to Uthando, we hope you will dig deep.

This is an evening networking reception with 3 short addresses. The purpose is:

1. To explain "The benefits of Atta in 2012". We aim to increase membership in Southern Africa (Members bringing & introducing new members who join Atta will receive a 10% discount off next years fees) - Nigel Vere Nicoll, Atta MD.

2. To take practical look at how tourism organisation & tourists themselves can get involved with economic and social development in Africa. - James Fernie of Uthando.

3. To introduce our new Insurance partners SATIB- Anthony Courtenay 

About Sandy B at The Bay Hotel: http://www.thebay.co.za/sandyb/index.html

About Uthando: http://www.uthandosa.org

To book tickets in advance at the special £10 (R120) rate : Password: capetown2011

https://payments.atta.travel/tickets/index.aspx

Cape Town Hotels NOT overpriced... its official..

Cape Town hotels are not overpriced as is often alleged. In fact, its four-star hotels are 25% cheaper than those in comparable cities around the world, while rates at most of its five-star hotels are on a par with those of their international competitors.

This is the result of a Fedhasa Cape survey conducted over 30 weeks this year during which hotel prices in Cape Town were compared with those in similar cities, including Melbourne, Barcelona, Vancouver, Boston, Nice, Hong Kong and Munich.

Speaking at a media briefing in Cape Town, Fedhasa Cape chairman, Dirk Elzinga, said prices in the eight cities had been compared every week by converting them into the same currency (euros). “The outcome is that in terms of pricing, Cape Town is on a par with all these cities, which is good news. Secondly, the analysis confirmed that Cape Town had a significantly wider variety of inventory and room types (more than 200 hotels and guesthouses) available than most other cities, offering enormous choice for visitors across all price ranges. It is therefore not true that Cape Town is more expensive than the rest of the world. As a destination, we are extremely competitive.”

Elzinga said the survey had been done to gain clarity on the contributing factors that led to the perception that Cape Town was more expensive. It was also done in response to many “experts” in and outside the industry having suggested during the recession that tourists would return if hotels dropped their rates.

Elzinga said most Cape Town hotels took the decision to try and retain their average room rates over the recession period to avoid a price war, although specials were offered from time to time.

He explained that hotels worldwide adopted one of two strategies to cope with the recession: either cutting rates to compete on price, or retaining their room rates and accepting a loss on occupancy. “It is apparent that those who retained their rates are able to recover faster than those who decided to cut their rates. Smaller establishments are finding themselves in a better position to recover faster, given that they have fewer overheads.”

http://www.tourismupdate.co.za/NewsDetails.aspx?newsId=61738

Table Mountain’s New 7 Wonder

Celebrations erupted at the V&A Waterfront over the weekend as Table Mountain was named a New 7 Wonder of Nature following a three year battle in the race to choose the world’s seven most wonderful natural sites

“This is an incredible moment for us. Our mountain, which we all cherish, is now officially recognized as one of the marvels of the environment. We have long known this to be true and some might even ask why we need this proof if we already knew it. It is because Cape Town is a symbol. It is a symbol of permanence in a world that is full of change. It is a symbol of the heritage that we are privileged to have. And it is a symbol that reminds us that we are privileged enough to live in an incredible country with incredible assets, giving us hope for the future,” said Mayor Patricia de Lille.

The marketing effort that has been put behind the campaign has generated more than R35,2 million worth of exposure for our mountain, raising its profile globally and generating massive good will toward South Africa.

It is anticipated that the announcement will bring significant tourism growth to Cape Town, says Martin Jansen van Vuuren, Strategic Director at Grant Thornton Cape.

According to research Grant Thornton conducted on behalf of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, South Africa will gain an additional 108 000 international tourists a year due to the increased exposure of Table Mountain as a New 7 Wonder.

Table Mountain competed with 27 other natural wonders to secure an accolade as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, with other contenders such as the Dead Sea in the Palestine, the Grand Canyon in the USA and Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro.

“The growth in tourism, particularly in the Western Cape, will be boosted despite the fragile global economy. As a result of its increased popularity, Table Mountain will be a major draw card and a key deciding factor in people’s decisions to come to South Africa,” says Jansen van Vuuren.

The value of this tourism increase is estimated to be approximately R1,4 billion per year for the first five years following the inclusion.

The New 7 Wonders are:

-Amazon, in the Amazon Basin of South America
-Halong Bay in Quáng Ninh Province, Vietnam
-Iguazu Falls, in Argentina, Brazil
- Jeju Island, a volcanic island located 130km from South Korea
-Komodo National Park in Indonesia
-Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, 50km north of the city of Puerto Princesa Palawan, Phillippines
-Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa.

The New7Wonders.com website says that there could possibly be changes between the above provisional winners and the eventual final confirmed winners.  The voting calculation is now being checked, validated and independently verified, and the confirmed winners will be announced starting early 2012 during the official inauguration ceremonies.

Cape Town wins World Design Capital 2014 bid

Cape Town has been named the official World Design Capital for 2014, winning the accolade from competing shortlisted candidates, Bilbao, Spain and Dublin, Ireland.

The World Design Capital title is awarded every two years by the International Council for Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) to increase global awareness of cities dedicated to using design for social, economic and cultural development and change. The World Design Capital title is awarded two years in advance to allow the winning city sufficient time to plan, develop and promote a year-long programme of World Design Capital-themed events that throw an international spotlight on the winning city’s creative sector.

Cape Town Tourism (CTT) says the win has come at an optimal time as the city gears itself for more sustained economic growth and a more significant share of the world’s urban travellers. CTT recently unveiled its new marketing strategy and global marketing campaign, which aligns well with the intentions behind the city’s World Design Capital 2014 bid.

Cape Town Tourism PR and Communications Manager, Skye Grove, said:  “The build-up to the announcement in Taipei was exhilarating. The Cape Town delegation met with the other two short-listed cities, Dublin and Bilbao, and agreed that the bid process and winner announcement was the start of a journey of collaboration between all three cities. Solid city relationships in design and tourism were formed and we will be taking these connections into the future.

“Cape Town also met with the World Design Capital 2012 Helsinki who agreed to share learnings from their journey. Helsinki confirmed the significant influence the World Design Capital title has had on city branding and marketing – the spin-offs for their tourism sector have been significant. The World Design Capital organising body (ICSID) confirmed that it was an extremely close race with all three cities submitting high-quality bids. The Cape Town team is extremely excited and is looking forward to returning home to the amazing citizen support received in the build-up and while being here in Taipei,” said Grove.