Transparency is the condition for a free and open exchange whereby rules and measures are clear and fairly applied. There are generally no hidden conditions and there is a certain degree of disclosure and availability to full information on agreements, dealings, practices and transactions to enable collective decision making. There are many examples in our Read More…

The idea of “co-creating” with customers has been around for a number of years now, but until recently only a few companies effectively used its power to their benefit or understood the proper application of it. Co-creation as a business strategy allows and encourages a more active involvement from the customer to create a value Read More…

South Africa’s advancement as a global tourist destination of choice faced further disruption beginning of June as the requirement kicked in for children to be in possession of unabridged birth certificates before being allowed into the country. While the rationale for this measure – unique in the world – may be justified as a means Read More…

Today’s challenges In this very dynamic industry of travel and hospitality, the usual challenges always persist: new markets, increased demand for travel services, rising customer expectations, changing business models and cycles of innovation that just get quicker each year. Therefore we continually need to think how we can reduce inefficiency, and how we can enhance Read More…

Where does it come from While the precise origin of tipping is uncertain, it is commonly traced to Tudor England, according to “Tipping,” Kerry Segrave’s history of the custom. By the 17th century, it was expected that overnight guests to private homes would provide sums of money, known as vails, to the host’s servants. Soon Read More…

Hospitality firms big and small are looking at ways to keep costs low and to become more efficient just to stay afloat in this very challenging economy. Cutting costs in labour has been a popular topic but it is a risky move in the hospitality industry where service may be compromised through cutting costs. Quality Read More…

South Africa is an emerging country with abundant natural resources and a growing middle-income population. Much of its infrastructure is today already excellent. Many areas received extensive facelifts in preparation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa and now boasts the continent’s first high-speed rail service and many world class hotels and restaurants. It Read More…

  To maximise profit, rate strategy involves finding the right mix: the right room at the right rate to the right guest on the right night. It is a complex issue, which all too often is only a thumb suck without any basis. At the beginning of every year, hospitality providers are pressurised by their Read More…

LuxTravelEx has been appointed to introduce and promote Travelfinesse, the experiential contemporary leisure travel Brand of Exclusive Vacations Pvt. Ltd, based at Jaipur, India, to the South African Trade. Exclusive Vacations is a family owned company, founded by Parikshith Singh, direct descendant of the 8th Maharaja of Amber, and heir to the late Jagir (fiefdom) Read More…

    Cape Town has become the World Design Capital 2014 (WDC2014) on 1st January 2014 and has been given the opportunity to impact as the leading international design city for the coming year.   The theme for WDC 2014 is “Live Design. Transform Life”. As the winning city, Cape Town has planned, developed and Read More…

  The 2012 progress report on the Millennium Development Goal points out that, while the MDG target on water has been largely met, 783 million people still remain without access to an improved source of drinking water. The demand rising rapidly due to a growing global population with expectations of higher living standards and resource-intensive Read More…

After a recent trip and roadshow of 16 cities through the sub-continent of India, lasting thoughts are the ones of a vast population and the immense poverty that one is faced with permanently. Travelling a lot on the road. it was an impression of crowded slums where people live in sub human conditions, in the Read More…

Seasonal variation in demand is a reality for most tourist destinations. To challenge seasonality or to work within its constraints is an issue that the destination needs to address and it is something that faces tourism planners across the world. Regions of extreme north or south where climate variations impose directly on the management of Read More…

Indaba has been the leading travel trade show on the African continent for many years. It seemingly however has lost its appeal for a lot of industry players, especially in the luxury segment. Each year fewer buyers of relevance to luxury travel attend the show, or they only now visit every other year. After Indaba Read More…

Business ideas are created as solutions to very specific problems, and it was out of a particular conundrum that the idea of LuxTravelEx was born. As is the case with many luxury travel properties, including the most recent property I managed, it was whilst facing the challenge of high marketing costs that this unique luxury Read More…