While the usual jolly carols fill stores and merry decorations adorn windows, most consumers will feel a little less festive this season, with wallets straining in what remains a tough economic climate.
Those still able to take a trip this December may prefer to forgo agency fees and organise their own bookings, using one of the many online travel sites that have cropped up in recent years.
Lorensha Du Plessis, manager of South African site Travel Online, says the number of travellers this season is very low compared to last year, and puts it down to the overwhelming cost of airport taxes, some of which are one-and-a-half times the price of airfare.
“Usually this time of year we get great specials on economy flights to London. But where the airfare used to be R3 000 and the airport taxes R1 500, now the fare is R3 000 and the taxes R4 500.”
She says international travel has declined drastically, and local travellers are choosing to drive rather than fly, because they can take the whole family in one car, versus buying an air ticket for each member.
“People are even driving to Cape Town, where before they would fly and get a rental car there. Previously, by this time you couldn't get rental cars for the 15th, 16th, 17th of December; now there's still availability.”
Du Plessis hopes travel plans will pick up as the schools close and people are more certain about their end-of-year finances.
“People are waiting to see if they'll get bonuses this year, and how much it is. Usually they use November's salary to book their December holiday, because they know there's a bonus coming. Now they can't be so sure, and even if they do get one, there's no guarantee it will be a 100% bonus.”
Travel agents often quote a slightly higher price because they don't want customers to have a bad experience.
Lorensha Du Plessis, Travel Online
In line with this trend, travellers are turning to online sources as a way to save the fees charged by agencies, which often provide quotes only for certain airlines or hotels.
“Travel agents often quote a slightly higher price because they don't want customers to have a bad experience, so they quote a bit higher in order to avoid negative feedback. Online, however, people generally tend to go for the cheapest option.”
That said, planning a camping trip for a family of six requires a completely different approach to organising an island honeymoon, and it's easy to get lost in the sea of information online. To help provide clarity, ITWeb rounded up some of the top online resources for local travellers - intrepid or not.
Family getaway
Every year, scores of families begin the trek from city to coast, bundling toys and gadgets into overstuffed cars and preparing for the relative chaos of a family holiday. 'Family' isn't exactly a specific term though, which is why the TravelKids site is helpful, as it allows parents to search for venues based on their children's ages.
Ashleigh Lombardi, owner of the TravelKids portal on Kidzworld.co.za, says: “People travelling with teenage children are obviously not going to have similar needs to those with smaller children. The site enables users to see what's out there and make choices based on age, as some places are age-specific while others are more open - it really depends on what people are looking for.”
Lombardi adds that with the global economic downturn upping the pressure, online resources help make vacations affordable for families. “People have realised that the child market is a good one to go into; with the way tourism has been impacted by the recession, they're looking for ways to draw visitors.”
Family Travel SA allows users to search destinations by province, while SA Kids on the Go features a range of family-friendly spots that can be paired with activities - from fishing to fancy dress.
Cedarberg African Travel has a guide to family-friendly holidays in SA and neighbouring African countries, with a focus on safaris and game lodges, and includes packages created with children in mind. It also features first-person accounts of travellers' trips, which may give a more frank description of what to expect.
While SA Places is aimed at providing outside visitors with information on family trips in SA, it does serve as a useful overview of various types of destinations, from resorts and beaches to city attractions.
For more general tips, Holidays with Kids offers advice for driving long distances with kids, including building in regular rest stops, incorporating activities so they settle down more easily, and padkosthat will fill them up without winding them up.
One handy suggestion is to give children of reading age a map with the rest stops clearly indicated, so they can look out for them and know a break is getting closer, without having to ask all the time. The site also has links to car games and other activities to keep backseat passengers entertained.
In a similar vein, Kids can travel features advice written by family travellers based on real experiences, from carry-on luggage mishaps in Kenya, to how to take a multiple-day bike trip with kids in tow. You can even get feedback from kids themselves. The site also provides a searchable world map for planning child-friendly overseas trips, photos and videos posted by members, and content for kids. Besides accommodation, it lists child-friendly tours, attractions and activities, and has a family favourites section.
Have pets, will travel
For many, the thought of spending a few weeks or even days without their furry companion is unbearable, but the obstacles that come with a long-haul trip haven't left much of an alternative. Thankfully, a few enterprising establishments have made the switch to welcoming four-legged visitors as well
For a site packed with resources on everything from pet travelling accessories (check out the car seat hammock) to where to walk your dog when you get there, visit Pet friendly. It has an online directory of more than 300 pet-friendly places to stay, and is the virtual home of The South African Pet-friendly Directory, for sale in SA or via online order.
Creators Janine Nepgen and Sharyn Spicer published the first South African Pet-friendly Directory in 2003 and started the Web site in 2008, following their own experiences as pet-lovers battling to find anywhere to go on holiday where dogs were also allowed.
”Many people want enclosed gardens where they can safely leave their pets while they go shopping and most seem to prefer self-catering accommodation,” says Spicer.
She adds that some of the common difficulties for animal lovers include finding campsites and caravan parks that allow pets, as well as places that allow them to leave their animals behind when going out for a meal or other outing.
The pair provides a Pet Policy for each venue, outlining the rules, which types and sizes of pet are allowed, and whether there are any restrictions or additional charges. The site also lists dog-walking locations near cities and towns across SA, and pet-friendly restaurants, although the variety of eateries available differs considerably based on province.
SA-Venues.com also features a pet-friendly travel directory, although it's less detailed, and travellers have to contact the establishment to confirm pet types and sizes allowed.
Essential Travel Info is a useful site for searching specific towns in the various provinces that welcome furry companions, and African Sun Travel has a list of pet-friendly accommodation with a focus on coastal regions.
In terms of travelling with pets while abroad, the International Pet Travel site allows users to search for the country they're visiting to see national regulations for bringing in pets, and contains links to a list of consulates for more information.
Green route
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the travel industry is the fastest growing in the world, with over 715 million international arrivals worldwide. There are many ways to cut down one's footprint while trotting the globe, however, and the EPA has a list of tips such as plugging out necessary appliances and stopping or donating newspaper deliveries while you're away.
A tip that might be slightly more difficult for local travellers, but that could help ease the foreign power supply problem, is packing solar-powered gadgets. Items like radios, cameras, and cellphone chargers are available, and can be packed in a backpack with solar panels. See Sustainable.co.za for a list of sun-loving gizmos.
Corne Schalkwyk, marketing and sales manager at field training company EcoTraining, says ecotourism has been growing substantially both internationally and in the South African market, with the credit crunch being the biggest contributing factor.
“A niche segment of sustainable tourism is skills development, and anything related to training has gained popularity because it's seen as a part of a skills development programme.”
He adds that holidays have also become something of a “guilt purchase” due to global economic pressures, so people are looking for ways of spending that give something back. “They're making their money count,” says Schalkwyk.
“In local tourism we've also noticed an upsurge in media and coverage of these kinds of products and services because it's what the market is searching for.”
He adds that while previously almost anyone could call their venue or service 'green', a new standards system is far more stringent, outlining specific requirements that have to be met before establishments can claim the 'eco-friendly' label.
Schalkwyk says this ties in with the fact that people have become very careful about how they spend their money. “Social media is being used more extensively to check things out beforehand, and people are doing their research on blogs and Facebook pages, and asking questions on various sites to get more information before they make a decision and finalise a booking.”
SA-Venues' list of eco-friendly accommodation is pretty extensive but the destinations differ in how 'green' they truly are. Some merely emphasise the natural surroundings while others have more detailed information on how they actively help preserve the environment.
For a more specialised site, Eco Tours SA organises responsible travel to natural areas, with trips that aim to minimise harm to the environment, build cultural awareness, and provide financial benefits for both conservation and the empowerment of local communities.
If you're keen to head abroad, Green Earth Travel has a list of tours and destinations around the globe, but also features sections on more niche eco-travel options, like vegetarian travel and volunteer travel. The site is also a member of various organisations including the International Vegetarian Union, International Ecotourism Society, and Green America.
Finally, the Eco Tours site offers both logistical information and more in-depth articles on eco-tourism topics, and also has a page dedicated to environmentally-focused tour operators, holidays and venues in SA.
For an offbeat but meaningful way to give back while travelling, Stuff Your Rucksack is an online community that supports travellers in making a practical difference to the lives of those in developing countries. It involves packing small extra items like a map or book, or simply getting familiar with some of the local projects and what's needed.
Couples retreat
If there's one trip that requires a lot of thought and planning, it's a honeymoon, although romantic getaways of all kinds come with their share of consideration. Fortunately, this fact also means there's a plethora of online travel sites that focus on the topic.
Local site Just Honeymoons specialises in trips to the Indian Ocean islands and Far East, including destinations like Mozambique, Mauritius, Thailand, and Zanzibar. Be sure to check dates on online travel packages though, as some still advertised are already outdated.
Holding company Webtours.co.za has a wider selection of destinations available, with 'quick specials' and 'cruise' sections and an easy search function. It also features a quick enquiry option, eliminating the need to fill in a long form when asking a basic question. A name, e-mail address and contact number will suffice and they'll contact you.
The feedback section is also helpful as travellers give tips on things like the best times to take certain flights, which rooms in a resort are shielded from nightlife noise, and how much local taxis charge.
If you can overlook the cheesy tagline, the Romantic Retreats site has all-inclusive or tailored packages available for a range of local destinations, from budget to luxury. One drawback is that only four of the provinces are searchable on the homepage map, so anyone looking for a spot in the interior or north of the country is out of luck. It includes additional features like hampers filled with candles, chocolates, bubblebath and wine, which are posted to the destination ahead of time.
For those with a hankering for the bush, SafariNow's honeymoon section has a range of venues, and features easily accessible review tabs, which can provide warnings about things like ongoing building work. It also has restaurants and things to do categories, which are helpful for more precise planning.
SA-Venues has a list of 10 Romantic Hideaways, with a disclaimer that the picks are obviously subjective, although the accompanying photos leave no doubt as to why they made the top 10. There's also a separate weddings and honeymoons page, with descriptions of venues by province and related wedding information.
This festive season may require more careful budgeting than usual, but with the scope and variety of travel information out there, all it takes is some virtual hopping around to come up with a holiday that suits the most limited or outrageous of needs. Happy travelling!
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