SATSA News

Dear SATSA Member,

Thank you very much indeed for participating in the three recent surveys that we have asked for your help with.

All the surveys have been important, and the earlier ones have already been well used. This is the third and last, for the moment.

This survey is to get direct input from industry as to your experience of the impact on economic crisis on your business.

As the private sector of tourism (and under the TBC umbrella), we are lobbying within government to try to get some special interventions to boost our arrivals for the next two years or so (his is being done in conjunction with other partners, including government stakeholders). Encouragingly, the president did mention in his State of the Nation address that tourism is one of the five industries that would be looked at.

Unfortunately our industry does not (yet) have very good stats on its own company performances. We do need this critical info for finalizing the lobbying documents. We are planning some future interventions to resolve this lack of regular private sector data into the future: you see one of these future interventions in the new quarterly “SA Tourism Update Marketing Index” survey that Now Media are doing in conjunction with Grant Thornton and SATSA. More is still to come.

Right now I would appeal to you to participate in this survey. The link is - http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB229FBFPM5RD

We are grateful to Now Media for assisting with the Zoomerang technology platform, and also putting this survey out Travel Hub yesterday.

Thank you for your assistance.

Best Regards

Michael

Michael Tatalias

CEO

Southern Africa Tourism Services Association

"SATSA means Business: Are YOU ready for take-off?"

Our 2009 SATSA National Conference will be held on the 21 & 22 August, in Cape Town at the Protea President Hotel. We look forward to seeing you there. Bookings can be made on-line at www.satsa.com

tsi (Tourism Safety Initiative) - 24/7 call centre - 0861 tsi 911 (0861 874 911)www.satsa.com/tsi

In any emergency - AFTER you have called SAPS 10111 & your security provider for emergency support – then notify tsi.

011-886-9996 (tel)

011-886-7557 (fax)

satsa-ceo (Skype ID)

www.satsa.com

ceo@satsa.co.za

May 2009

SATSA

SATSA is transforming by introducing SATSA - The Next Generation. An idea conceived late last year and mentioned in my introductory mail on 27 March 2009.

SATSA Chapter Meetings have always been focussed on keeping owners and managers informed of industry related news with a chance to network. SATSA -The Next Generation is aimed at the employees of SATSA registered companies (although managers and owners are welcome) and creates a platform where they can participate in exciting programmes involving tourism industry related topics with great networking opportunities afterwards. Our meeting focus is to be fun, informative and participative. The first meeting will be on 18 June 2009 at Theatre in the District. Please see invitation attached.

The main objectives of SATSA – The Next Generation is to:

Objective	How?
1) Further expose the tourism industry to employees of tourism related companies	1) Offering exciting presentations by industry leaders at SATSA – The Next Generation Meetings
2) Provide a networking platform	2) A chance to meet industry colleagues at SATSA – The Next Generation Meetings
3) Showcase our city’s attractions and activities	3) By hosting meetings and parties in various locations that employees would rarely visit
4) Share industry information	4) By receiving our SATSA e-newstream
5) Be made aware of Skills Development Opportunities	5) Via our Western Cape newsflashes
6) Offer industry specials	6) Via our Western Cape newsflashes

How to get involved: 1 easy step.

Send us (wc@satsa.co.za) a list of employees e-mail addresses who would be interested in participating in SATSA – The Next Generation. That’s it!!! We will send them the invite. (Or just forward this mail to staff and let them RSVP.)

We will select 3 e-mail addresses randomly to “win” an opportunity to present their company for 5 minutes at the SATSA – The Next Generation Meeting on 18 June 2009.

How much will it cost? It’s all FREE!!!!

We look forward to getting the Next Generation started.

Regards

Howard Johnson

Chairperson: SATSA Western Cape Chapter

Mobile: 0837749810

www.satsa.com

"SATSA MEANS BUSINESS – POWERING RESPONSIBLE TOURISM FOR 2010 AND BEYOND"

CEO’s message

SATSA Congratulates Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk on his appointment as Minister for Tourism in the new Cabinet, and we look forward to working with him again in this important portfolio. We also welcome the new deputy minister – Thozile Xasa (a former local government and housing MEC in Eastern Cape). Good luck and welcome to our world!

The focus of a dedicated Tourism ministry is to be welcomed, as this will put tourism firmly into the economic cluster – with tourism being seen as an economic development tool. It is also great that we have a returning minister (for the first time) – meaning he can hit the ground running. Minister Van Schalkwyk has similar big goals for our destination as we all do – and he has been down the same road as us on a number of key issues, some of which we have resolved, some not yet (e.g. improving air access was a success, but THETA is not yet one, etc.). We do need a visionary to head the ship, as we have some big storms ahead of us. I still believe that the current storms we are all facing will help us restructure to be able to maximize the benefit we derive in the years beyond the crisis up to 2020. We could go big in the next 11 years, and the appointment of the minister – along with the fact that he will now be able to dedicate all his time to tourism and lobbying within cabinet for tourism – is a key piece of the 2020 jigsaw puzzle. Great to have you along minister!

April 2009

SATSA News

CEO’s message

In these very difficult economic times, South Africa is indeed fortunate to have already secured the 2010 World Cup to boost our tourism industry. And we have been even more fortunate, even before the Confederations Cup “dry-run” to have handed to us on a plate the Indian Premier League Cricket tournament. Not forgetting the ICC Champions trophy later in the year, as well.

But before we get too cock-a-hoop about all this it is important to reflect just why these Cricket events were moved to South Africa. They came here because we were deemed to be able to host the event with sufficient infrastructure and potential for security. As a destination we have benefited in the past from disasters that have befallen other destinations – one thinks of the Bali bombs, the tsunami in the Pacific, etc. Whilst we should all be both suitably humbled and very relieved that these two new events are going to help our industry in a very difficult year, we also need to work together with each other to ensure that they go off well and we have ZERO security problems. Fans may forgive lapses in food, accommodation, transport and so on, but a major security “blaps” will haunt us for years given the already heightened security concerns with regard to these events, not to mention the impact it will have in the lead up to 2010. SAPS and the other security organizations that have been tasked with keeping 2010 safe have developed a very good and robust plan. The pressure will now be on them to replicate this level of plan for the major sports events and conferences for the rest of this year and next year.

Get it right, and it really will boost and enhance our reputation as a first class –“can do” - destination. That would bode very well for the future as we craft a sustainable industry that can grow through to 2020!! Here’s holding thumbs!

A bit of additional good news - the MATCH Advisory Board has been expanded to include myself representing SATSA, and Mmatsatsi from TBCSA. We will do our best to represent you, our members, and to make sure our industry scores the best long-term deal possible. I think it is self-evident that the event has to work, and be made to work well, for our destination to derive the full benefit.

Read more on www.satsa.co.za

Cape Tourist Guides Association

CTGA.org.za

SATSA News

May 2009

CEO’s message

April 2009