The South African travel industry received a welcome shot in the arm today (14 August 2020) when a dynamic new digital portal entered the market to promote and distribute product into all channels of tourism. Touch Down Travel Tech (TDTT) is an integrated tourism technology solution business that develops full, end-to-end platforms using the latest technology to provide a seamless integration between supplier and customer.

As a ‘digital eco-system’, TDTT will roll out five new travel brands over the next three months, to serve Retail, Trade, Mice, B2B and Corporate markets. Each of these business units, namely Ukiyo that drives travel content and bookings; online travel agency Xscape4u; revenue and distribution platform Scopic; Touch Down Destination Management Company; and retail travel agent Go Touch Down Travel and Tours; will be led by a team of well-known travel professionals with extensive experience. 

TDTT was formed by travel product holding company Painted Dog Holdings and the Touch Down Group (TDG), who collectively have vast industry experience and knowledge of online travel audiences. The Touch Down Group was founded 27 years ago (1993) and currently owns/manages seven resorts in South Africa and three in Croatia, employing 600 people with offices in South Africa, the US, Australia, Indonesia, Croatia, Hungary and Canada. 

The directors of Touch Down Travel Tech are widely known as prominent players in the tourism arena. They include CEO Leonard Reyneke and Chief Marketing Officer Greg Smith, as well as Tijan Oberholzer who started Touch Down Europe and Ross Backman of Painted Dog Holdings, which has shareholding in various travel solution companies. 

The power of Touch Down Travel Tech is locked into product, people, technology and the digital audience, and it is expected to shake up the travel industry when the new product offerings are launched over the next few months. 

CMO Greg Smith says: ‘Currently the travel industry is having to endure, and hopefully survive massive adversity during the pandemic. We have all had to adapt, and this has sparked the creation of this comprehensive product hub that will cover the full spectrum of the travel industry. 

Our digital eco-system allows for content to be driven online, using the very latest technology to provide the best end-to-end solutions to serve the relevant audience within the buying circle in terms of market and product. Our hand selected team delivers the correct balance of experience and knowledge to each of the five business silos. Our mission is to innovate, integrate and inspire.’