Each tour prize up for grabs is part of Intrepid’s commitment to provide ethical and authentic travel experiences, and winners will travel to destinations as intriguing as Morocco, Botswana or Sri Lanka as well as Australia and the USA.

“Partnering with Intrepid to offer these travel prizes is an obvious choice for us,” said Flight Centre General Manager Antonette Turner. “Not only is Intrepid one of the most experienced small-group touring companies with over 30 years in the business, they’re also one of the most responsible and ethical having earned their B Corporation certification.”

“Intrepid Travel’s due care to provide exciting tours that support local communities, respect the environment and protect wildlife mean they align well with Flight Centre’s values of sustainable travel.” Turner said.

Intrepid Travel’s Managing Director Australia and New Zealand, Brett Mitchell, said “We are proud to be teaming up with our long-time industry partner Flight Centre to offer travellers the chance to win one of 20 Intrepid tours. No matter the destination, travellers can expect small groups, big adventure and responsible travel.”

The competition is open between 5 October – 30 November 2023 and hopeful adventurers can enter the competition here.

Supporting Images here

*Airfare credit is based on $2,000 AUD and the exchange rate at xe.com on 2 October 2023. Refer to the full competition terms and conditions.

Ends

Contact:  Big Ambitions | Kim Taylor | kim@bigambitions.co.za or 076 825 5508

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FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP SOUTH AFRICA 

Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) SA is part of Flight Centre Travel Group, an Australia-based international travel company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, with a market cap of AU$4.25 billion and a current share price of AU$19.36 as of 10 October 2023. FCTG with three leading brands: Flight Centre, Corporate Traveller and FCM, of which Corporate Traveller and FCM are proud level 1 BBBEE Contributors. FCTG SA is wholly owned and has been recognised as one of Deloitte’s Best Companies to Work for in South Africa for over a decade.

In response to the ongoing pandemic and clients’ evolving needs, the Flight Centre Travel Group has enhanced the safety and risk features on the FCTG Travel News website as well as on the mobile apps of the group’s corporate brands, FCM and Corporate Traveller.

An exciting new feature is a colour-coded map that easily identifies inbound and outbound travel restrictions. Travellers are able to search destinations that are open for travel, as well as find out where COVID-19 testing sites are located and obtain information about quarantine rules on both inbound and outbound travel. Advanced discovery filters will also allow for easy identification of countries that have no restrictions or travel without quarantine.

The new safety and risk integration is powered by Sherpa, which pulls data from more than 2,000 sources. Sources are monitored 24/7 through an automated process. Sherpa’s team also manually reviews countries on a weekly and bi-weekly basis so travellers can access real-time travel updates.

“At FCTG, we understand how important it is to have all the information you need at your fingertips so you can get back to travel safely. The third wave has shown us just how fluid the situation is and how quickly regulations and situations can change. We know how tiresome it is having to navigate multiple websites, so we are enhancing our safety and risk features on the FCTG Travel News Website and on the FCM and Corporate Traveller Mobile Apps,” says Andrew Stark, MD Flight Centre Travel Group Middle East and Africa.

For its corporate travellers, FCM, Corporate Traveller and Sherpa have also developed a co-branded website with dynamic ‘share’ capabilities to help keep corporate teams informed about fluid changes to restrictions as well. Matt DeMaris, FCM’s Global Safety and Risk Leader, welcomed the enhanced features, commenting: “FCM is thrilled to be working with Sherpa to enhance its Duty of Care offerings to customers worldwide. Over the last few months, we have engaged with travel managers and risk management teams to listen to their feedback and deliver on a solution that puts traveller health, safety, and well-being at the core of our technology and services.”

The Flight Centre Travel Group has welcomed the announcement of a newly configured South African Airways (SAA), which will be jointly owned by government and a strategic equity partner consortium, Takatso.

“We welcome the announcement this morning regarding the way forward for SAA as a sustainable and competitive airline that will no longer be dependent on the fiscus,” says Andrew Stark, Flight Centre Travel Group MD. “This is incredibly positive news and we offer our 100% support to Gidon Novick, CEO of the consortium, and the team.

“To have a local equity partner, ensuring that our national carrier will continue to be owned and run by South Africans, is a fantastic and most welcome development. For South African travellers, having more choice for local, regional and international flights will also be well received. 

“It is a timely move considering that global carriers are reinstating their airlift into and from South Africa,” said Stark, citing the news that United Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are resuming or upping flight schedules into the country.

“The more air capacity we have, the more airline seats, the more choice for South African travellers. During the pandemic local travellers were faced with a diminished choice of airlines and high pricing.

The increased options for flights spells good news for our customers, giving them more choice and better pricing.

We would like to congratulate Public Enterprise Minister Pravin Gordhan, Takatso CEO Gidon Novick and all involved. Gidon brings many years of leadership and aviation experience to SAA and the team and we all welcome more airlift in our South African skies,” concludes Stark.

“The Flight Centre Travel Group welcomes the announcement that intra-provincial leisure travel is permitted,” says Andrew Stark, Managing Director Flight Centre Travel Group Middle East and Africa. “Allowing leisure travellers the opportunity to travel within their province is a positive move in the right direction.” 

Stark hopes that the new regulations will encourage South Africans to start travelling again. The Group is focusing strongly on domestic travel, South Africa for South Africans, for the next two years. 

“We are proud to launch our Homegrown Holidays collection, which is uniquely designed to meet the current needs of South Africans wishing to travel domestically,” says Sue Garrett, Flight Centre Travel Group’s General Manager for Product and Marketing. “We want South Africans to get outside and explore our beautiful country. The Homegrown Holidays collection gives them the type of product and assurance they’re looking for to make this happen.”  

Garrett expects local travellers to start dipping their toes into the water with short overnight stays followed by longer road trips and getaways within their province, and later when regulations allow, South Africa as a whole. 

“It’s the year of the self-drive road trip and truly experiential travel,” says Garrett. “Homegrown Holidays is designed to meet this desire, giving travellers the product to quickly and safely enjoy holidays that hark back to their childhood or younger days. Think local and regional microcations (holidays shorter than five nights), off the beaten path experiences, hiking weekends, glamping and camping – and even the nostalgia of train travel. 

“Millions of international travellers visit South Africa each year and fall in love with our country. Now is our chance to be re-inspired. Travel is no longer about the destination alone. Experiential travel that allows us to truly connect meaningfully with our country, ourselves and others is the driving force behind post-COVID travel. The Homegrown Holidays collection reimagines our fondest holiday memories, rediscovering the simple joy of taking to the open road. We don’t need to travel overseas to have amazing experiences.”

A recent survey conducted by the Flight Centre Travel Group on their platforms showed that 7,546 respondents are ready to travel again, even within their province. 59% of travellers said they would travel within their province, 20% said no, with another 20% saying they would if the deal was good enough. Interestingly, 43% of the respondents lived in Gauteng, followed by 23% in Cape Town and 18% in KwaZulu-Natal.

Ideal local travel destinations or experiences saw beach holidays topping the list, followed by bush breaks, the Garden Route, then mountain adventures and exploring a city. Somewhat surprisingly, only 10% opted for a camping holiday.

While the majority of travellers would feel comfortable staying in self-catering accommodation, hotel and lodge stays were not far behind. 

The survey data showed that 43% would be comfortable travelling internationally with 44% voting for travelling within South Africa.

“Although 43% of survey respondents say they would like to travel internationally, it is likely restrictions, regulations and an economic downturn will affect outbound travel,” adds Stark. “We have put in a lot of hard work to create a product that caters to the needs of the South African wishing to explore our country right now.”

Homegrown Holidays comprises of domestic self-drive travel packages, often including self-catering accommodation, national park stays and lodges, as well as a mix of hotels and smaller accommodation establishments.  

The Homegrown Holiday collection includes:

• Visiting historic Graaff Reinet
• Camping in the Augrabies Falls National Park
• Road trips to the mountain hamlet of Hogsback
• Glamping in the Kruger National Park
• The Golden Gate National Park, with combos including Bloemfontein and Clarens
• Nine- to ten-night road trips exploring KZN’s coastal route from north to south
• The ultimate South African road trip experience, exploring the timeless Garden Route
• The Eastern Cape’s unspoiled Sunshine Coast
• Kokerboom Food and Wine Route in the Northern Cape and the national parks of the Northern Cape

We know that customer confidence is at an all-time low and that clients need assurance and peace of mind when booking any holiday,” says Garrett. “To this end, we’ve just launched our Moneyback Guarantee, allowing customers the flexibility to cancel their booking more than 24 hours prior to check-in. All customers need to do is contact their travel expert, in writing 24 hours before intended check in date, and we will refund immediately – no questions asked.”

“From the beginning, when the first Flight Centre store opened in South Africa 25 years ago, our purpose was to open South Africa to the world and to help South Africans travel. Now this is our focus more than ever – opening South Africa for all South Africans to explore,” concludes Stark. 

View the Homegrown Holidays collection here. To book or for more information, contact your nearest Flight Centre store or shop online here.

Only 13% of participants were unsure if they would travel in 2020 or 2021, while 1% said they would consider the circumstances first before setting off. 

Travellers are looking forward to setting off, with 35% of respondents indicating they would like to travel as soon as possible after restrictions are lifted, 25% reporting they would travel within 1 to 3 months, 21% within 4 to 6 months and 15% within 7 to 12 months. 

South African travellers, well accustomed to long haul flights, do not appear averse to travelling internationally either. The survey data showed that 43% would be comfortable travelling internationally with 44% voting for travelling within South Africa. In addition, 6% said they would like to travel to the Indian Ocean islands, traditionally a bestseller in the South African market.

“Although 43% of survey respondents say they would like to travel internationally, it is likely restrictions, regulations and an economic downturn will affect outbound travel. Over the next two years we’re expecting a focus on domestic travel – South Africa for South Africans,” said Andrew Stark, Managing Director Flight Centre Travel Group Middle East Africa. “We have a beautiful country to explore. We can re-ignite that love by spending our hard-earned rands locally.”

The data bears this out, with 73% of respondents reporting that they would be comfortable travelling on a flight locally as well as travelling by car (in their vehicle or hired).

Ideal local travel destinations or experiences saw beach holidays topping the list, followed by bush breaks, the Garden Route, then mountain adventures and exploring a city. Somewhat surprisingly, only 10% opted for a camping holiday.

The overwhelming majority of respondents chose a getaway with family and budget-friendly holidays as their ideal local holiday, with a luxury or getaway with friends coming in neck and neck. 

While the majority of travellers would feel comfortable staying in self-catering accommodation, hotel and lodge stays were not far behind. 

In terms of intra-provincial travel, 59% of travellers said they would travel within their own province, 20% said no, with another 20% saying they would, if the deal was good enough. Interestingly, 43% of the respondents lived in Gauteng, followed by 23% in Cape Town and 18% in KwaZulu-Natal. 

The Western Cape is the number one province South Africans want to visit when interprovincial travel is permitted, with KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape following behind. 

Travellers are in need of a more extended local getaway, with 28% of respondents saying they’d want to take a holiday of between 4 to 5 days. 24% said seven nights was preferred, followed by 20% saying 2 to 3 nights. Only 13% reported a weekend away or a stay of longer than seven nights.

Flight Centre conducted the survey through their newsletter and Facebook page, with 7,546 respondents taking part. By completing the survey, respondents could win one of two local travel vouchers to the value of R2,500.

In line with the survey findings, the Flight Centre Travel Group was already pivoting their business to focus strongly on domestic travel for the next two years. 

From the beginning of the lockdown period, 27 March 2020, to 16 April, Flight Centre South Africa’s website data shows that overall pages per session have increased by 12.7% with searches for all-inclusive packages, Mauritius, beach, budget deals, Phuket, and family holidays proving popular. 

“Africa is uniquely positioned to make a slow, but sure, recovery,” said Sue Garrett, General Manager of Product and Marketing at the Flight Centre Travel Group. “The vast expanse and diversity of the African continent is off the beaten track and away from large crowds. We expect to see this type of intrepid, exploration, adventure and bush break safari-style travel increase in popularity. The shorter flight times will also be appealing,” says Garrett. 

The regulations allow for intra-provincial leisure travel only, with overnight stays in formally accredited and licensed accommodation with strict health protocols in place.

Travel within a province is permitted for leisure purposes for activities allowed under Alert Level 3, for example, golf, hiking and visiting a casino, restaurant or game reserve. 

Home-sharing accommodation, such as Airbnb, and domestic air travel for leisure purposes is not allowed.

In his presidential address on 17 June, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that leisure travel will be phased in gradually as the government aims to open more sectors in order to save jobs and enable more businesses to trade.

“The Flight Centre Travel Group welcomes the clarification around intra-provincial leisure travel,” says Andrew Stark, Managing Director Flight Centre Travel Group Middle East and Africa. “The Government has recognised the importance of the travel and tourism industry opening sooner rather than later, under strict health and safety measures, to stimulate our ailing economy.”

“With the phased reopening of business travel, we have assisted our corporate clients with their essential business travel needs. Allowing leisure travellers the opportunity to travel within their province is a positive move in the right direction.”

Stark hopes that the new regulations will encourage South Africans to start travelling again, while abiding to strict health and safety protocols and complying with government restrictions. The Flight Centre Travel Group is focusing strongly on domestic travel, South Africa for South Africans, for the next two years.

All international passenger flights remain prohibited, except those flights authorised by the Minister of Transport.

“The impact that coronavirus is having on short-term travel is evolving rapidly. Several destinations have imposed travel bans which limit movement. Certain cruise lines, airlines and tour operators have also announced they will suspend operations temporarily and/or allow cancellation or deferment of travel plans without penalties,” says Andrew Stark, MD Flight Centre Travel Group Middle East and Africa.

“Our top priority currently is to assist our customers, based on our travel expertise and the relationship we have with suppliers internationally, to re-accommodate any travel plans that need to be changed in the short term as this situation continues to evolve.”

Furthermore, Flight Centre is urging its customers to share only travel information confirmed by official sources and to consult with their Flight Centre Travel Expert for informed travel advice and options.

“As the situation evolves, we have seen a lot of inaccurate and ill-informed information disseminated. At this time, we would urge travellers to rely only on information from official sources and to contact their Flight Centre Travel Expert for up-to-date and reliable travel information, as well as all the options available for travel,” adds Stark.

Flight Centre adheres with the recommendations of official sources, such as the World Health Organization and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD). Flight Centre further wishes to urge travellers to take heed of the following advice when travelling:

• Allow for additional time at airports and ports of entry, locally and abroad, as strict health screening is being performed at airports worldwide. Some countries have implemented medical forms that have to be completed at border controls (such as Vietnam).
• Don’t travel without comprehensive travel insurance, regardless of the destination.  
• Contact your Flight Centre travel expert with any concerns or queries regarding your existing travel bookings or when making new travel arrangements.
• Inform yourself and adopt these basic protective measures from the World Health Organization, regardless of travel. 

Recent reports circulating in media and on social media suggest that the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has instituted a new requirement for South African residents to register such items as personal laptops, iPads, cellphones, golf clubs, cameras and other high-value items that travellers could take overseas on their travels.

“This is actually not a new requirement. In fact, it was policy in the past for all goods to be registered before departure and a DA65 form issued. This was phased out many ago and now only applies for commercial cargo,” explains Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) Middle East and Africa Managing Director, Andrew Stark.

“We have received confirmation from SARS that “no traveller can be penalised for notvdeclaring or registering their personal effects upon leaving the country”, but SARS does state that the traveller could be challenged by a Customs officer to provide proof of local purchase or ownership.

“To ensure there’s no confusion or inconvenience, Flight Centre would urge especially frequent travellers to register their personal possessions at customs.”

According to Stark, it is a fairly easy process which requires travellers to present themselves for Customs inspection before continuing through international security and passport control.

“In South African international airports, this customs desk is in international departures. It also takes just a few minutes to register. Travellers will need to hand their passports to the customs official, provide their flight number and then the item’s type, e.g. iPhone 7 and serial number.

“The information is captured online and valid for a period of six months, so if you travel again within this time period with the same items, your TC-01 (Traveller Card) will cover you for the re-importation of your goods. You will receive a printed copy to retain as proof of your registration.”

According to SARS, if the traveller can furnish proof through an invoice, an insurance record or even content (in the case of a laptop), the customs officer can use his discretionary powers to satisfy that proof without having to secure a TC-01.

Failure to furnish proof will result in the item(s) being detained until proof of local purchase or ownership can be established. Alternatively, the traveller will have to pay duty and VAT, as well as possible penalties.
“For frequent travellers, a quick 10-minute registration can save you hours of time and inconvenience so it makes sense to get to the airport earlier and declare your items,” says Stark.

“Flight Centre will also endeavor to obtain further clarification on this matter from our tourism minister. It is our role to promote ease of travel for all South Africans,” concludes Stark.

Where to register?

Cape Town International Airport

Located on the Departures level, if facing the check-in desks and security, turn left at
the top of the escalators and walk towards the airline ticketing counters. The customs
desk is located around the corner from the VAT declaration desks.
OR Tambo International Airport

Customs is located in Terminal 2 Departures, about half-way along the hallway in
which all the airline check-in desks are located.
King Shaka International Airport

At King Shaka International, customs is located just behind the check-in counters in
the International Departures hall.