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Newsletter 58 | July 2006
P.O. Box 13600, NOORDSTAD,
9302 E-mail:
info@etniquetravel.co.za
Tel: (051) 406 2500
Fax: (051) 436 3793
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e-mail to
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AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER:
083 461 2561
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Are we really geared for the World Cup
2010 Euphoria? |
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During
our recent visit to central Europe, we visited the Romantische
Strasse and Schwarzwald regions of Germany. Although we have not
planned our trip around the 2006 FIFA World Cup, as the
gravytrain contingency of fellow South Africans did, we were,
however, exposed to the professional precision of German technology,
infrastructure and communication systems. Although our patriotism
runs high, we all have to admit that we are miles behind in
presenting the 2010 World Cup! If compared with previous other
sporting world cups in the like of rugby and cricket, we have to
understand the difference in scale of football and related tourism,
and the potential to our Tourism Industry.
Often we
ask the question if we are really geared to have everything in place
by 2010: may be the stadiums will be ready, but what about our
public transportation systems? Do we really think that our
traditional taxis can cope in first world terms? Or do we rely on
the Gautrain to provide a quick fix? Do we understand what it means
to provide accommodation to tens of thousands of football-mad
supporters from Europe in our smaller cities?
Needless
to say, we all ignore THE ONE single most obstructive hurdle:
crime! The undertakings and promises of Government to
address this issue seriously, cast a dim light in the tunnel of
doom; however let us believe that, after visiting Germany in their
numbers over the past month, they do understand the critical
situation.
While at
the Frankfurt International Airport, we were faced with a poster:
Be aware of the reality of crime in
South
Africa!
It must
be the plastic wrapping of luggage at Johannesburg International,
that signals the wrong message to the world.
-
Johann Beukes
A
FAIRYTALE JOURNEY THROUGH HISTORY
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The
Romantic Road
is the route
of dreams; it seems like a mini-trip through time. It combines town and
village culture with incomparably beautiful natural surroundings.
This route,
stretching from the River Main, south of Frankfurt, right down to the
southern alps of Germany, is not man-made, but an original phenomenon: a
former trading route, built by the Romans, along the length of which a
vast array of rich cities and splendid fortified towns, sprang up during
the Medieval times.
But the attraction
of this special route lies not in the above, but rather in the beauty of
the landscape on either side of the road, linking the little gemlike
villages in between. |
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Cobblestone narrow
curving streets, meandering green waves of vineyards, tolling bell
towers on village squares and cosy quiet public gardens all lay the
table for an experience every traveller will remember in times to come.
On our recent visit
to Central Europe, we travelled to Miltenberg am Main as
our first stop upon arrival after the night’s flight from South Africa.
Off the beaten track of many a tourist, this typical German village
still fulfills the role as trading post for its rural environment:
little shops selling everything from fresh confectionery to designer
clothing to the community; and home to Hotel Zum Riesen,
the oldest inn in Germany, dating back to the 11th century,
where Cilly and her husband still welcome the guests to their
3-bedroomed guesthouse. |
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The route takes you
through the towns of Würzburg, watched over by its
landmark, the Marienburg fortress, Tauberbischofsheim,
where the glockenspiel of the Gothic Town Hall fills the market
square and busy streets. This region is renowned for its Franconian
wines, made of Silvaner, Riesling and MüllerThurgau white cultuvars.
Rothenburg ob der
Tauber
is a fasinating town
at the intersection of the two most important tourist routes in Germany,
the Castle and Romantic Roads. Completely ringed by ramparts, this is
one of the best preserved medieval towns, towering with its silhouette
over the Tauber River far below.
A leisurely stroll
through the towns cobbled streets and winding alleys, lined with
picturesque half-timbered houses and red-tiled roofs, will take you back
in time and memory lane. At the historic RomantikHotel Markusturm,
where we stayed, we enjoyed the famous wine soup and deer pastry, made
popular by its friendly hosts, Lilo and Stephan.
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Feuchtwangen
boasts one of the biggest and most traditional festivals in Bavaria, the
Cloister Festival. Located in the heart of the Ries district,
Nördlingen im Ries, still has an almost complete medieval
townscape: its the only town in Germany with walls and battlements that
can be walked all the way round. If you are fit, one can climb the 90
meter high Gothic Church of St Georges bell tower called Daniel and
savour the beauty of the landscape below.
Founded by the
Romans many centuries ago,
Augsburg
is one of Germany’s oldest Cities. Today, the historical heart of the
city centre, with its grand Maximilianstrasse and the Renaissance and
Baroque facades of the palaces and patrician houses, presents a mirror
image of this splendid epoch. |
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In the region of
Wildsteig and Halbech, surrounded by the Ammer and Allgäu
mountains and lakes, the community mountain farmers are to be found in
the heart of nature. This is therefore also an ideal hiking area and
gateway to the Ammer Mountain Nature-conservation area. The hiking paths
cover a total of 130 km, the cross country skiing tracks measure 30 km,
and a natural toboggan run, a heated outdoor swimming pool, four lakes
and golf and tennis courts all contribute to a sporting fanatic’s
dream-world!
The Ammergau
mountain range is the sparsely inhabited corner of the Alps where Ludwig
II - the fairytale king of
Bavaria
- grew up and built the castles of Linderhof and
Neuschwanstein between 1870 and 1885.
A story is told that
an American tourist once asked a tour guide if Ludwig built his
picturesque castle after he visited Disneyland!
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A glass of
chilled white wine in the woods of Allgäu |
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The fairy tale caste of Neuschwanstein in Schwangau |
Late afternoon, when
we arrived at our destination in Schwangau, snowflakes
were hovering like dragonflies across the pine tree landscape - a real
fairytale scene! When all the day tourists had left, we drove up the
curving route to the castle to have the serene misty landscape all to
ourselves, and enjoyed a bottle of icy-cold MüllerThurgau wine with our
friends, Christo and Ryna.
A fantastic climax
to a most enjoyable three days spent in this traditional wine and
beer-producing region of Germany. The entire region between Würzburg and
Füssen is dedicated to agriculture and , as a result, the meat,
(sausages and venison) variety of vegetables and cheeses are delivered
fresh from the producer to the dining table.
Centuries of
architecture and design, together with a variety of different landscapes
comprising vineyards and snow-capped mountains in the distance, merge
to form the ultimate masterpiece like a childhood puzzle picture.
-
Johann Beukes
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Letters from our Customers: |
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”Thanks
Tessa for all the help. Had a wonderful time. All went well.”
Dr
Allan A van Zyl - Bloemfontein
”I wish to
congratulate you on the excellent service given to me when I was enquiring
about travelling to America, and also during my daughter’s recent trip to
the UK. I have done business with various travel agencies in the past and I
can therefore in all earnestness say that I was most impressed by die
friendliness and exceptional service I received from Marié, one of your
staff members. She went out of her way “to walk the extra mile”. My mission
from here on will definitely be to refer all my friends and colleagues to
your travel agency where they will be sure to receive efficient and
excellent customer care and service. With the new technology and the great
competition out there, it was refreshing to experience friendly, efficient
and personal service.”
George
Fourie - Bloemfontein
“Hi
Tessa, baie dankie. Alles het vlot verloop. Baie dankie vir jou goeie
reëlings.”
Prof
Hans Messerschmidt - Departement Rekenaarwetenskap - UFS
SURE TRAVEL WILL
DISPLAY ITS NEW MATCHMAKER II IT PLATFORM AT ITS ANNUAL CONGRESS AT FANCOURT,
GEORGE, THIS MONTH, A SYSTEM THAT WILL ENSURE THAT SURE TRAVEL MEMBERS HAVE
ACCESS TO THE WIDEST POSSIBLE INVENTORY OF PRODUCTS IN FUTURE. MATCHMAKER II
WILL LINK SURE TRAVEL AGENCIES DIRECTLY WITH THEIR PREFERRED PARTNERS AND
KEY SUPPLIERS, ENABLING THEM TO DYNAMICALLY PACKAGE, BOOK AND PAY THROUGH
THE SYSTEM WITHOUT GOING VIA TRADITIONAL CHANNELS.
MATCHMAKER II
WILL ALSO OPEN NEW CHANNELS OF INTERACTION BETWEEN THOUSANDS OF OTHER
INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS, USING AN ARRAY OF CHANNELS INCLUDING PRIVATE FARE /
PRICE DATABASES, GDS LINKS AND PORTALS, MAKING IT A UNIQUE SYSTEM AND THE
MOST SOPHISTICATED EVER LAUNCHED IN SOUTH AFRICA.
SURE TRAVEL ALSO
LAUNCHES ITS NEW WEBSITE IN JULY, WHICH PROMISES SOME INNOVATIONS NOT YET
SEEN IN THIS MARKET.
THE GROUP
EXPERIENCED A “TRANSITIONAL YEAR” IN 2005, SAYS WILL PUK, WITH BSP SALES
DOWN 9% FROM R2.36BN TO R2.15BN. HOWEVER, TOTAL GROUP TURNOVER INCREASED
SLIGHTLY OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND WITH THE FULL IMPACT OF 25 NEW MEMBERS
WHO JOINED THE GROUP RECENTLY YET TO FILTER THROUGH, THE FUTURE LOOKS VERY
POSITIVE, HE ADDS.
SAA DROPS
ATLANTA, GOES DAILY TO WASHINGTON
SAA DROPPED ITS ATLANTA SERVICE END OF JUNE AND STARTED
OPERATING DAILY TO WASHINGTON. THE MOVE IS INTENDED TO ALIGN MORE CLOSELY
WITH UNITED AIRLINES - ALSO A STAR ALLIANCE MEMBER. THE DECISION MEANS THAT
SAA WILL OPERATE TO TWO EAST COAST CITIES - WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK, SAA’S
WASHINGTON SERVICE, OPERATED WITH AN A340, NOW ALSO STOPS IN DAKAR, SENEGAL
INSTEAD OF ACCRA, GHANA.
AIRLINES SHRINK-WRAP AT JIA
BAGGAGE PILFERAGE AT
JOHANNESBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS SO BAD THAT A NUMBER OF AIRLINES ARE
NOW SHRINK-WRAPPING PASSENGERS’ BAGS – INCLUDING SAA, WHICH HAS STARTED A
FREE PLASTIC BAGGAGE WRAP AT JIA FOR PREMIUM-CLASS PASSENGERS ON
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS. JACQUI O’SULLIVAN, SAA HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS, SAID
THE DECISION WAS MADE AFTER A PILOT PROJECT WAS 100% SUCCESSFUL IN
PREVENTING THEFT. “WE WILL BE ROLLING IT OUT ON A SMALL SCALE TO
PREMIUM-CLASS PASSENGERS FIRST,” SHE SAID. OTHER AIRLINES PLASTIC-WRAPPING
BAGGAGE INCLUDE KLM, CATHAY PACIFIC AND VIRGIN ATLANTIC, WHILE BRITISH
AIRWAYS SAID IT WAS CONSIDERING THE SERVICE.
NO TEMPORARY SA PASSPORTS
ACCORDING TO AN
ARTICLE IN THE SUNDAY TIMES, SOUTH AFRICA WILL NO LONGER ISSUE TEMPORARY
SOUTH AFRICAN PASSPORTS. THE UK HAS ALREADY BANNED SOUTH AFRICANS FROM
TRAVELLING ON TEMPORARY PASSPORTS, DUE TO SECURITY CONCERNS.
SA EXPRESS BOOSTS
REGIONAL FLEET
SA EXPRESS RECENTLY
CELEBRATED RECEIVING THE TWO CANADIAN-BUILT BOMBARDIER Q400 AIRCRAFT, TO BE
USED ON THE JOHANNESBURG-GEORGE AND JOHANNESBURG-BLOEMFONTEIN ROUTE. THE
AIRLINE IS THE FIRST OPERATOR ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT TO USE THE AIRCRAFT
AND THE TWO 74-SEATER Q400S WILL BE THE LARGEST IN THE SA EXPRESS FLEET. THE
AIRCRAFT WAS SELECTED FOR ITS ECONOMY, SPEED AND COMFORT AND ITS ADDITION IS
EXPECTED TO BOOST SAX’S REGIONAL REACH.
SAA
BUSINESS CLASS TOPS
OVER THIRTEEN MILLION
CUSTOMERS AROUND THE WORLD HAVE RATED SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS, (SAA) COMPLETE
BUSINESS CLASS EXPERIENCE AND PRODUCT AS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD. THE
AIRLINE TOOK SECOND PLACE IN THE CATEGORY OF BEST BUSINESS CLASS DURING THE
2006 WORLD AIRLINE AWARDS BASED ON A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY SKYTRAX BETWEEN
SEPTEMBER 2005 AND MAY 2006. SKYTRAX ARE WORLD RENOWNED SPECIALIST
RESEARCHERS AND AIRLINE ADVISORS. BRITISH AIRWAYS TOPPED THE LIST, WHILE
VIRGIN ATLANTIC, QANTAS AIRWAYS AND CATHAY PACIFIC CAME IN THIRD, FOURTH AND
FIFTH PLACE RESPECTIVELY.
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