Gauteng, South Africa – Forever Resorts South Africa is delighted to announce the appointment of Eugene van Jaarsveldt succeeding Kobus Tait who is retiring from his position as the Company's Managing Director. van Jaarsveldt will assume the position on Tuesday, 1 June 2021 and will be based at the Company's Head Office in Gauteng.

van Jaarsveldt brings over two decades of experience in the Hospitality and Tourism sector to the position with a deep understanding of the industry, business skills and an innovative mind-set. He aims to maintain a strong strategic direction, grow and develop the Company, strengthen various partnerships and build onto the success of the group. van Jaarsveldt's journey with Forever Resorts started in 1999 where he joined the team at Warmbaths, A Forever Resort. Since then he has worked at various Forever properties including, Forever Blyde Canyon and Forever Badplaas where he held the position of General Manager for several years. More recently, he held the position of Group Business Development and Marketing Executive.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly presented challenging times for us as an industry over the last fourteen months, and navigating the market dynamics towards our full recovery is the current priority. The Forever Resorts group will continue to deliver safe and innovative experiences combined with exceptional hospitality to guests visiting our properties across South Africa. I am excited about the future, and look forward to enjoying this new chapter in our Company’s history with our passionate team, our loyal guests and our valued partners, van Jaarsveldt said.

"For the past 43 years, Kobus has been an integral part of our Forever Family and has shaped the organisation during its various transitions. His passion for the Tourism industry and vibrant approach to business will be missed. We would like to thank Kobus for his invaluable contribution and leadership he provided during his time with the group, and wish him a retirement filled with many more adventures", van Jaarsveldt concluded.

Tait's journey with Forever Resorts started in February 1978 where he was a Senior Financial Clerk at Forever Blyde Canyon, Mpumalanga. Since then Tait held multiple positions within the group across South Africa before taking up various Managerial roles and ultimately the role of Managing Director in 2003. Tait will be joining his wife in retirement and will be taking up his role as a full-time grandfather to his two beautiful grandchildren.

More about Forever Resorts South Africa

Forever Resorts offers the discerning traveller a superb variety three, four and five star accommodation options strategically situated in key areas throughout South Africa, namely Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Free State and the Western Cape. The group offers something for every traveller – luxury Lodges, adventure holidays, self-catering holidays, Caravanning and Camping, Conferences, Weddings, Functions, Hydro’s, beauty Spas, Hiking trails, Boating, Fishing, eco-adventures, waterparks and so much more! Visit www.foreversa.co.za for more information about the group and their offerings.

The CEO of The Liz McGrath Collection, Jacqui Elliot is a hospitality veteran with a formidable career history spanning over 30-years. Having earned her stripes across inter-continental and local hotel brands, Jacqui joined The Collection by Liz McGrath as Chief Executive Officer in May 2014 and carries responsibility for the group’s three hotels and overall company performance. Not only does Jacqui bring vast experience to The Liz McGrath Collection, she’s synonymous with excellent leadership qualities, outstanding communication skills, a dynamic personality and (a prerequisite for anyone in the hospitality industry), an unfailing sense of humour.

The Liz McGrath Collection was founded by its namesake Mrs Liz McGrath, one of the few women in the world to own three hotels. Since Jacqui’s appointment, she’s been steadfast in keeping the legacy of the successful and powerful businesswomen alive. Commenting on her mentor Jacqui says, “I had the privilege of working for and learning from Mrs M for only eight months before she passed, but in that short time I was truly inspired by what she had achieved as a woman in the hospitality industry. It’s important to me that we maintain her standards of excellence across all our hotels’ operations.”

Jacqui’s repertoire is firmly entrenched in launching and managing demanding hotel portfolios with her signature, considered touch. On the approach that a boutique hotel demands, Jacqui comments, “Small hotels give you the opportunity to go the extra mile and make magic for your guests. Fewer rooms mean that they vary and have unique character, and that you can offer more personal service and a more customised experience, which sets the experience apart from one you’d have at a large corporate venue."

Over the course of her career, Jacqui has seen much development across the continent. “Africa as a commercial and tourism hub continues to be very exciting. The number of hotel groups represented is constantly growing and with this comes expertise and the opportunity to develop and train local talent,” she says. This bodes well too for more equitable gender representation, as more women are being appointed to senior positions. “During my time in central Africa, this was still mostly unheard of. I recall featuring on the front page of a local newspaper - my appointment clearly being newsworthy.

”Jacqui has often been the only woman in a boardroom environment, and maintains that it comes down to exuding confidence. “It can be tricky to be a woman in that context, and I don’t believe it will ever change completely. I think it’s up to each individual to prove their own worth, and one way to ensure your standing is to know your subject very, very well.” 

It’s not just determination and ambition that denotes success in her eyes, though. Jacqui believes that humility is one of the most powerful attributes you can possess. When it comes to dealing with colleagues, clients and customers, she feels emotional intelligence is absolutely crucial. “If you can master this and manage your team with well-developed EQ skills you will find that you enjoy your role so much more,” she adds. 

Job appreciation is essential in such a demanding role. “The industry does require long hours and one often has to forego special events in your personal life in order to manage the business well. But I’ve always been driven to land that next big position and most importantly, I’ve had heaps of fun on this journey,” concludes Jacqui. 

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The Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront presents a scintillating rum dining experience.

This is a luxurious 5 Course Dinner where each course will be paired with a rum-inspired cocktail.

The rum that will accompany the meal is New Grove Rum which comes from the island of Mauritius.What better location for this unique experience than Tobago's restaurant overlooking the spectacular ocean views.

A vegan menu option is also available.Please join us on the 1st of September 2018 for this once off experience.

Cost: R495 Per Person

Bookings Essential

Tel: +27 (0)21 441 3000

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

radissonblu.com/en/hotel-capetown/

Take control of your own data! 

Not too long ago many hotels had a communication problem – it wasn’t the guests and staff that spoke different languages, it was the computer systems.  To solve the incumbent problems hotel software developers had to create and build customised interface systems which were costly, time-consuming and had limited functionality.   

A group of hoteliers and hospitality consultants decided they needed to get together to create a system of standards that worked together and had new functionality that would be adopted by the industry – ‘next generation solutions’ they call it . Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG), a global not-for-profit trade association was created to cultivate, through collaboration and partnership among hospitality professionals and technology providers, the development of next-generation solutions.  Their objective is to promote inter-operability of the many technology systems used in the hotel industry, such as property management systems, point-of-sale systems, telephone systems, building automation systems, guest room entertainment systems such as video on-demand, mobile, cloud software, security, access control systems and many others.

Eben Marais, Managing Director at Ankerdata, a hospitality solutions business provider, says that hotels have renewed their focus on technology to improve the guest experience and hotel operations.  He thinks that one of today’s biggest hospitality tech industry challenges is that of delivering open and performant data integration – a robust framework that is able to move data in any format through any number of destinations.  “In this day and age the hotel industry needs to start focusing and acting on the data that has been collected by hotels because if they are going through the process of collecting data, then they should be using it in every beneficial way they can.

”Big data is all over the place but what happens when all your data cannot be easily merged?  When this is the case you will always be serving your IT systems so it would make sense to connect your entire hotel infrastructure, combining all your data from all applications reliably, quickly and centrally, and in doing so enable yourself to immediately use and distribute all customer- and business related information anywhere within the hotel, and in real time – these frameworks and solutions are available in the marketplace. 

Marais adds, “With the hotel industry becoming more and more technological all guest movements are being recorded by various systems like Point-of-Sale, Spa management and CRM.  This data belongs to the establishment and should be easily accessible to the hotel operator to utilise and provide a more personalised guest experience and to attract the guests to book direct with the hotel in the future.” 

The benefits are numerous, says Ian Lumsden, Director at Ankerdata. “Having this infrastructure lays the foundation for analytical recommendation engines that provide your guests with precise, exclusive offers in real time.”   He adds that you can also retrieve direct business from OTA’s and reduce immediate operation costs. 

Emerging technologies and trends present opportunities to those who are paying attention and anticipate the prospects they might create. Together with like-minded people, organisations like HTNG, hoteliers and hospitality professionals the possibilities are endless - the products, systems and solutions are out there begging to be installed and implemented.

BON Hotels, a hospitality company that owns, manages and markets hotels throughout Africa, has added BON Hotel Sunshine Enugu to their Nigerian portfolio, bringing the number of properties they manage in the region up to 25 hotels across 14 cities. The opening, held on Sunday, 18 March, was attended by VIP guests, members of the press, hotel owners, stakeholders and government representatives.  

Conveniently located just 12 minutes from the airport and in close proximity to the city centre, the new BON Hotel Sunshine is primed for the corporate, business and leisure traveller, with facilities of an international standard.  

The décor is stylish and understated in line with international trends and features 92 spacious rooms, a modern gym, business centre, 2 restaurants, a sky lounge and bar as well as a poolside bar.   Wi-fi is complimentary throughout the hotel. 

The conference centre comprises 3 meeting rooms seating up to 300 delegates and provides spacious, innovative facilities for special events and celebrations, conferences, weddings, promotions, launches, workshops or small meetings and gatherings.  

Director of BON Hotels International West Africa, Bernard Cassar said that the group is excited to welcome BON Hotel Sunshine to the fold.  “The hotel is a great fit for us and in line with our vision for establishing a trade route circuit and central hub linking important centres and communities across the region.”  He added that the hotel is to be positioned as an affordable, 4-star, international, boutique-style, full-service hotel.  

The group remain confident in the potential of the region and steadfast in their expansion plans, providing ongoing support to local tourism and the hospitality industry, their guests, staff, suppliers and the local community.   Developing “Africa by Africans” remains front and centre of their growth strategy and commitment to Africa. 

In his opening address, owner Emeka Nwandu said, “We are humbled to see our dreams a reality. Today we thank the Lord who showed us the way when we seemed to think there was no path to follow.”

Constant connectivity and being technology obsessed Is the reality our society has conformed to. How does this affect your summer vacation? And should this routine be avoided?

Cape Town, November 17, 2017: When you picture your summer holidays, do you envision family, outdoor activities, and the beach? Or sun, sand and your Android or iPhone? In the idyllic world, you would probably choose option one, however for most of us the sad reality is that our smartphones, tablets and laptops are always an arm length away, rarely leaving our lives for more than a day.   

Per We Are Social’s Digital 2017, South Africans spend a daily average of 8h 02min using the internet via pc/tablet, 3h 03min via mobile, 2h 54m on social media, and 2h 17min watching television. This is a significant amount of time dedicated to technology and can seem improbable to give up when going on a summer vacation.   

Having a tech-free holiday would naturally come with doubt and anxiety, as you are probably worried about the million and one emails you will have when you get back. Thus, it is important to plan before you go, inform all relevant bodies of your absence, setting up your out-of-office replies or making sure you have a house sitter to do daily check-ups can all play a role in making sure your holiday is stress free and enjoyable. 

If you are not convinced yet about having a tech-free holiday here are reasons why you should have a digital detox on your next trip:

• Reducing unnecessary stress of constantly getting work emails, tasks or people calling you about irrelevant things.
• Improving concentration and creativity, you will be pleasantly surprised the amount of ideas, and energy you will have from breaking routine.
• Increasing mental clarity and acuity, taking a break from technology and being one with nature can do wonders to your mental health and rejuvenation.
• Improving your health, no more eye irritations and bad posture from being slouched over your phone or PC.
• Promoting healthy restful sleep, you would be amazed how many extra hours you could put in without browsing on your phone before bedtime.
• Fostering a healthy work/life balance, is essential to your overall quality of life and happiness. Better overall attitude.
• Enjoy leisure time, taking a break from technology allows you to be in nature and have down time for yourself.
• Connect with others, you will be surprised how many new people you can meet and intellectual conversations you can have when your head is not buried in a phone or laptop.

Feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of being disconnected from the outside world? Everything happens in moderation, practice good habits on your vacation and dedicate only 5% of your day to checking up on the online world. This will put your mind at ease, and eventually you can get to a state where you comfortable to not have it at all.

Khoisands Lodge is a luxurious beach house in the bustling town of Langebaan, in the Western Cape. It is the ideal accommodation for being in nature, for easy-living, and having a memorable experience. Visit our website to see our beautiful beach house accommodation.

protel by Ankerdata launch mobile concierge and booking app with ConnectHOTEL  

The use of smartphones to book hotel rooms has increased significantly over the past few years with some statistics claiming this number to be well over the 50% mark for all hotel reservations.  With this information at hand the need for hotels to keep up with technology has become hugely important.  protel, by Ankerdata, a hospitality business solutions provider, has partnered with ConnectHOTEL to bring a customized, protel-compatible, ‘mobile concierge’ and booking application to the South African hotel industry.

The ConnectHOTEL platform, built locally in South Africa, integrates directly with protel platforms, bringing the best available rates, in real time, to guests using the app. Eben Marais, Director at Ankerdata, says, “This user-friendly, five-step booking application cuts commission fees to less than half of the major OTAs and together with a minimal set-up fee, is creating a lot of excitement in the industry.”

And, in response to the emerging chatbot demand which calls for conversation via auditory or textual methods, the platform also offers a bot named HOLLY, who is trained in the back-end to engage with guests before, during and after their stay, over a chat platform. Guests can order room service, lodge a request with housekeeping, book a taxi or arrange a later check-out time, and this is just the tip of the iceberg, ensuring a seamless, efficient and personalized experience with the hotel.

The mobile concierge and booking platform is designed based on a hotel’s requirements and internal management flows and processes, and is in keeping with its corporate identity. Jane Rosen from ConnectHOTEL says that they see this latest development in artificial intelligence as the future of guest engagement - it is a must for hotels wanting to attract and connect with a younger generation of travellers.

Since launching in 2008, Airbnb has reimagined the way people travel.

In the last few months, Airbnb’s business has expanded beyond accommodation to include unique travel experiences. Since the launch of the Trips platform in November, Airbnb is bringing together where you stay, what you do and the people you meet all in one place. Trips is a people-powered platform designed to make travel both easy and magical and Cape Town was one of just 12 cities chosen for the global launch of Airbnb Trips.

Trips exposes guests to the very essence of the city they visit by offering them authentic Experiences hosted by locals that share their passion, Trips is a great way to discover new and interesting things to do in a city and meet new people, whether you’re a visitor, or a local.

With Trips, you could find yourself learning how violins are made in Paris, train with marathon runners in Kenya, or learn about the different cultures in Cape Town’s township communities.

ABOUT SURF WITH PURPOSE

Surf with Purpose is a 3.5-hour Airbnb surfing Experience Muizenberg beach with internationally-accredited surfing instructor Apish Tshetsha. Apish is the first surfer to emerge from Masiphumelele. He is a graduate from the Waves for Change programme himself and today he is a REEF South Africa rider, who holds accreditation as a surf lifesaver and surf coach. Surf with Purpose is a social impact Experience, meaning that guests go on experiences with knowledgeable hosts from local non-profit organisations and get to know their causes, while also making an impact. 100% of what guests pay goes directly to the organisations as Airbnb waives their fees on social impact Experiences. Apish was born in Tsolo, a few km from Umtata, and grew up in Masiphumelele. He dropped out of school due because it was too expensive and government subsistence never came through. Eventually he met Tim, who taught him how to surf. Together they set up Waves for Change.

Link to Surf with Purpose Experience: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/921

ABOUT WAVES FOR CHANGE

Waves for Change is an award-winning non-profit organisation founded by Ashoka Fellow, Tim Conibear. The programme uses surfing as a form of therapy to help vulnerable children, often from violent and impoverished communities, cope with the stress of their lives. It provides access to safe spaces, caring adults and surf therapy sessions designed to help at-risk youth regulate behaviour, build self-confidence, establish healing relationships and, ultimately make positive life choices. Last month, Waves for Change won the Laureus Sport for Good Award. From an initial reach of 10 children in the township of Masiphumelele, the program has since grown to reach more than 400 children, teachers, and parents every year. Since its inception in 2011, over 1000 children have gone through the programme. Female participation has increased to a third in the past two years and over 50 coaches have gained qualifications in surf instructing, lifesaving, counselling and computer skills. 98% of children who attend Waves for Change say they feel happier and more confident as a result. Waves for Change now operates in six sites across Africa.

Link to Waves for Change: www.waves-for-change.org

QUOTE FROM BRIAN CHESKY

"This experience was amazing. Having just gotten off a plane after a really long flight, there’s no better way to immerse yourself right away in the local community. Having just surfed with Apish, who is the first ever surfer from Masiphumelele township and all these kids, it’s incredible to see how Experiences are changing the way people experience the Cape Town community. The Waves for Change experience is amazing, it was great fun for Minister Winde and I to take part and I cannot wait to try out all the other great experiences in Cape Town."

QUOTE FROM MINISTER ALAN WINDE

“The growth of Airbnb illustrates the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on our economy. These developments have allowed more people to meaningfully participate in the economy. In the case of Airbnb, this platform provides a space for innovative local entrepreneurs, like Apish Tshetsha, to enter the tourism sector. Cape Town is Airbnb’s largest market in Africa and Airbnb have gone from 10 000 to 15 000 properties in the city. The growth of Airbnb’s offering in our region is excellent news for entrepreneurship and innovation in our tourism sector. It shows that the attractiveness of the Western Cape is growing exponentially. Through our Project Khulisa growth strategy we are seeking to add up to 100 000 jobs to the tourism sector and initiatives such as Airbnb offers exciting opportunities for our residents to contribute towards this growth.”

QUOTE FROM APISH TSHETSHA

“It is incredible to think we started with just 10 kids in Masiphumelele and now, with the Airbnb trips, we are teaching people all over the world to surf! I like taking guests to Masiphumelele, my home town, and giving them insight into the culture there, the opportunity to meet my neighbours and sample local food - everyone really enjoys it. The funding we get from these trips goes back into Waves for Change which is also great that we can help even more kids from communities like Masiphumelele"

QUOTE FROM TIM CONIBEAR

“Waves for Change is not just about young South Africans working with children, it gives them life skills which are transferable and makes them employable; Apish is a perfect example of this and we're really proud of what he is achieving with his Airbnb experience."  

QUICK AIRBNB FACTS

• There are more than 3 million Airbnb listings in 190+ countries and 65,000 cities
• Since Airbnb’s founding in 2008, there have been 160 million total guest arrivals at Airbnb listings globally
• To date there are more than 800 active experiences available to book in 14 cities
• Cape Town was one of just 12 launch cities for Trips

FAST FACTS ABOUT AIRBNB IN SOUTH AFRICA

• total listings: 35 000
• Annual growth rate in listings: 100%
• Growth in total guest arrivals between 2015 and 2016: 195%
• Growth in domestic total guest arrivals between 2015 and 2016: 313%
• Growth in international total guest arrivals between 2015 and 2016: 150%
• Total listings in Cape Town: 17 500
• Average income generated by a typical host: 28 400 Rand (ca. 2,180 USD)
• Average host age: 45 Inbound guest arrivals in the past year: 415 000
• Top five destinations where people come from to visit South Africa and use Airbnb: US, DE, UK, NE, FR