With seven out of 10 of the fastest-growing economies in the world being in Africa, and the number of tourists expected to double by 2030, Index Hotels is already ahead of the curve. “We chose to base ourselves in Ghana a number of years ago for several reasons,” explains Seaman. “Ghana’s stable political environment was an important factor, meaning we could safely expand into West Africa. We also identified an opportunity to grow the hospitality industry there by focusing on developing independent local hotels before the market became saturated with internationally branded hotels.

“Being passionate about the impact of hospitality not only on our guests, but also on employees and surrounding communities, we wanted to play a role in upskilling local talent and creating jobs while introducing state-of-the-art technology and world-class systems,” he says.

Fiesta Residences in Accra was Index Hotels’ first new development; a ground-breaking combination of boutique hotel with serviced apartments to attract both short- and long-stay guests – often corporate clientele on business in the area. “We also conceptualised The Grillroom, which was the first of its kind in Ghana – an elegant à la carte restaurant with an upmarket bar, pool terrace and lounge offering guests a first-hand experience of social life in Accra. Together with the Lurra Spa, this helped position Fiesta Residences as a capital city destination.”

Seaman attributes their success in Ghana to an in-depth knowledge of the operational nuances of hospitality in Africa, as well as strong business relationships. “We manage and develop independent hotels by working hand in hand with owners and developers, helping them realise their dream for a hotel that will make a meaningful contribution to the economy and society, while optimising their investment. “We also have a deep understanding of the diversity of local markets and believe in a ‘one-size-fits-one’ approach. As such, everything we do, from concept through to guest experience, is intentionally individualised, based on what the market requires and what niches we have identified.”

A unique ethos and approach
Index Hotels has made their mark with their ‘one-size-fits-one’ approach on home ground in South Africa as well, coupled with a holistic approach to hospitality management. “Where many hotel management companies focus purely on hotel beds, we look beyond this at unique food and beverage offerings and a diversity of accommodation, such as serviced apartments, bungalows and villas,” says Seaman. “Also, lifestyle venues such as our spas, and our flagship Enoteca, a wine showcase experience at Le Grand Domaine in Stellenbosch.

“Offering heartfelt hospitality remains our whole orientation. Hospitality is a catalyst for creating communities and people are hungry for that sense of belonging. Ultimately, I see us as community builders, and that, too, is a unique approach in this industry,” he points out.

Finally, and importantly for tourism in Africa, Seaman stresses that their focus has always been on developing and growing local economies. “This is particularly important given the tourism revenue leakages that have been reported on recently. The figures show that for every US$100 a tourist from a developed country spends in a developing country, only around US$5 remains in that local economy. I believe this advocates for more independent local hotels and is one of the reasons why Index, as an African hotel management company, has been making strides. Our distribution model and revenue optimisation specifically focus on better yields for local hotels by reducing the cost of distributing room inventory, and also conversions to bookings,” he concludes.

If so, you’re not alone. According Certify, a US-based travel and expense company, 49% of companies today are still using manual systems for their expense reporting.

This is a scary thought considering the fact that business travel forms a big part of a typical company’s budget and that business travel spending worldwide is even expected to reach $1.7 trillion (R25 trillion) by 2022.

“Reporting is an important tool to help your company identify areas where efficiencies can be made and costs can be cut,” explains Oz Desai, GM Corporate Traveller. “If you work with a travel management company (TMC) or other travel partner to book your travel, the easiest way to gain a clear overview of your spending is to ask for a few key reports per month. That way, you can summarise the most useful data and won’t be overwhelmed by figures.”

Desai shares five of the questions most travel bookers have always wanted ask, and which could easily be answered by requesting the right report from your TMC.

1. How much are your travellers spending?

A high-level overview report will give you a clear overview of how much your company is spending on travel as compared to previous years.

Overviews should show information such as your top airline, top traveller, average hotel and air ticket spends, as well as how much the company has spent overall in the last month or year.

1. Which are the top 5 airlines your employees use?

By identifying which airlines you are spending the most on, you can spot areas where your company could make changes to its travel policy. It will also highlight where you could negotiate improved corporate rates with your suppliers or switch to better value airlines.

To get even more value from your travel spend you could also join any loyalty schemes offered by your top suppliers. This will give the travellers access to freebies and upgrades that will enhance their travel experience.

1. Which employees spend the most on travel?

Comparing your top travellers by spend and number of tickets will help you to spot which of your travellers are travelling the most, how many tickets they’re booking and how much they’re spending.

A report on your top 10 travellers by air could help you to identify anyone travelling too much or not adhering to your travel policy. You might want to look at information such as if your top travellers are from the same department or what fare class they are booking in order to identity areas where savings could be made.

1. What percentage of bookings are made online?

If your travel bookers or travellers use an online booking tool then it’s important to compare the percentage of bookings made online versus offline, as online bookings generally have lower transaction fees.

These numbers can be further broken down by air, hotel, car and rail bookings, allowing you to identify potential savings opportunities by moving to online bookings. Encouraging or incentivising your staff to make more online bookings will improve your overall online adoption rate, too.

1. What are your company’s most booked flight/city pairs?

Knowing your most booked flight/city pairs allows you to easily see which routes are the most popular with your employees. Evaluating the number of business trips taken to each region will enable you to plan ahead and perhaps save money by consolidating your business travel, thereby reducing the number of journeys required.

Asking these kind of questions is important, as the answers will help inform your travel programme, says Desai. However, it’s also important to be able to gather this information n a simple, easy-to-use and efficient manner.

Desai says: “At Corporate Traveller, companies can access these kind of standard reports anytime, anywhere via Corporate Traveller’s technology platform, YOUR.CT. YOUR.CT is a central platform which gathers and stores reservation and financial data, giving you better visibility of your key spend areas.”