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SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF SERVICE BETWEEN WASHINGTON D.C. AND AFRICA

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 1, 2015 /PRNewswire

WASHINGTON, DC - South African Airways (SAA), the national carrier of South Africa and the most awarded airline on the African continent, will celebrate 10 years of service to Washington, DC Dulles International Airport on July 2nd. SAA introduced new service between Johannesburg, South Africa and Washington, DC on July 2nd, 2005, with four flights per week and rapidly grew to offering daily service on the route. In 2006, SAA introduced service to Dakar, Senegal, continuing onward to Johannesburg, providing daily flight from the US to Dakar and a convenient gateway to West Africa. South African Airways is also the only Skytrax 4-Star rated airline flying between the US and Africa, providing award-winning, world-class service.

Over the past 10 years, South African Airways carried nearly 1.5 million passengers between Washington, D.C. and Africa, and has recently announced expansion of its West Africa network. On August 3rd, SAA will launch a new nonstop service between Washington, D.C.-Dulles International Airport and Accra's Kotoka International Airport, operating four days per week. 

"Our Washington route is one of the reasons why South African Airways is the predominant airline from the U.S. to Africa today," said Marc Cavaliere Executive Vice President for South African Airways for the Americas. "Passengers traveling between Dulles International Airport and Africa deserve award-winning service and convenient schedules, and we are proud to have been serving them for 10 years. We look forward to welcoming more and more customers on board and offering them our unique blend of African hospitality." 

Dulles International Airport also serves a major gateway and connecting point in the U.S. for South African Airways passengers, with code share service offered to over 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada through its Star Alliance partner, United Airlines. 

"For 10 years, the partnership between Washington Dulles International Airport and South African Airways has provided world-class travel opportunities and experiences between South Africa and the Washington, D.C., region," said Mark Treadaway, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Vice President for Air Service Planning and Development. "Now, with the upcoming addition of nonstop service between Dulles International and Accra, Ghana, one of this region's most important African travel destinations will further strengthen the ties between the United States and Africa for decades to come."

SAA's gateway at Washington, D.C.-Dulles International Airport has helped to foster new business, trade and tourism development between the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and Africa. Direct connectivity between both regions has been essential for existing investment and will continue being pivotal for future economic growth. Over the last decade, the route has been popular with business and leisure travelers alike, creating a convenient way for more people to discover Africa as a land of opportunities and scenic wonders. 

South African Airways Invites You To #GoSeeSouthernAfrica

SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS LAUNCHES "GO SEE SOUTHERN AFRICA" CAMPAIGN IN NORTH AMERICA MARKET

Campaign Focuses on the Great Experiences and Great Value 
Offered For Travel Throughout Southern Africa in 2015 
Fort Lauderdale, FL (January 6, 2015) - South African Airways (SAA), South Africa's national flagship airline and the continent's most awarded carrier, has launched the "Go See Southern Africa" campaign for both the travel trade and consumers in North America. "Go See Southern Africa" is a collaborative campaign with participation from leading tour operators, destination tourism organizations, hotels and safari lodges to generate increased awareness on travel to Southern Africa.

Southern Africa has been affected in recent months by misinformation concerning travel to the entire continent, which has created a hesitation for future travel planning. As the predominant airline from the U.S. to Southern Africa, SAA has taken a leading role in developing the "Go See Southern Africa" campaign to emphasize the great experiences and the great value that abounds for travel throughout the region. In conjunction with the campaign, numerous SAA tour operators and travel service providers are promoting very affordable packages and unique value-added offers to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and other destinations in the region. 

"Now is a great time to explore Southern Africa with the extremely favorable exchange rate for the U.S. Dollar and the very affordable offers that are being promoted by SAA and our participating tourism partners in North America," said Marc Cavaliere, Executive Vice President for South African Airways in North America. "We invite travelers to experience the award-winning service of SAA and the wonderful travel adventures that await them in Southern Africa."

The "Go See Southern Africa" campaign will be featured during 2015 with various offers by SAA and the participating travel partners being promoted throughout the year. For a list of participating tour operators that are offering special air-inclusive packages to Southern Africa,
Visit:www.flysaa.com/cms/US/GoSeeSouthernAfrica.htmlThe campaign will also be prominently featured in SAA's advertising, marketing promotional programs and social media in 2015. Consumers and travel agents will be encouraged to follow the campaign through SAA's social media channels using the hashtag: #GOSEESOUTHERNAFRICA

South African Airways offers the most flights from the U.S. to South Africa with daily nonstop service from New York-JFK Airport and daily direct service from Washington, DC-Dulles Airport to Johannesburg. From our Johannesburg hub, SAA and our regional airline partners offers convenient flights to over 55 business and leisure destinations throughout the African continent. In 2014, SAA celebrated its 80th anniversary of service and also accepted the Skytrax World Airline Awards for, "Best Airline Africa" for the 12th consecutive year and "Best Airline Staff Service Africa" for the third year.

 

South African Airways named “Best Airline to Africa” by Premier Traveler Magazine

Wednesday, 14 November 2012

South African Airways (SAA) has been named “Best Airline to Africa” and “Best Airline in Africa” by Premier Traveler Magazine, further solidifying SAA’s position as Africa’s most awarded airline. The magazine recognized South African Airways as “the unrivaled choice for flying to Africa” after more than 10,000 readers known for their discriminating tastes voted for their favorites.  South African Airways’ Executive Vice President for North America, Todd Neuman, proudly accepted the award on the airline’s behalf at the magazine’s awards gala in Los Angeles on Nov. 9th.

“We’re pleased and honored to have received these prestigious awards from Premier Traveler and thank the readers for selecting South African Airways.  Premier Traveler’s readers are discerning travelers who recognize high quality products and service, especially when it comes to selecting international travel,” said Neuman. “SAA has worked hard to enhance its onboard offerings and the quality of our product, while also expanding into more of Africa by adding new cities to our extensive route network throughout the continent.”

South African Airways has introduced new service to cities such as Brazzaville (Republic of Congo), Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Cotonou (Benin), among other cities that it has added to its already-extensive route network on the African continent.  It is also featuring meal selections from South African star chefs, first with Chef Reuben Riffel, and now with Chef Benny Masekwameng, a judge on South Africa’s Master Chef TV series.  Earlier this year the airline also accepted the Skytrax World Airline Awards for Best Airline in Africa for the 10th consecutive year and the Best Staff Service in Africa for the 3rd consecutive year.

“We know that it’s a long flight to South Africa and we will continue to offer comfortable lie-flat seats, the best of South Africa’s award-winning wines, gourmet cuisine, plus extensive entertainment options complemented by our unique brand of South African hospitality,” added Neuman.

Source: South African Airways

 

New 7 Wonders of Nature: accolade boosts Table Mountain tourism

Tatiana Rokou - 26 November 2012

 

 

CAPE TOWN - South African tourism has received a welcome boost with the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway recording a marked rise in visitor numbers since the Mountain was named one of the provisional New 7 Wonders of Nature in November 2011.

The official inauguration of Table Mountain as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature only takes place on Sunday, December 22, 012, but the impact of this honor is already being felt with the Cableway witnessing record numbers in December 2011, January and February 2012, and overall numbers for the year close to 2007 when tourism to South Africa was booming.

Sabine Lehmann, Cableway MD and Chairperson of the Table Mountain Official Supporters Committee, said both local and international tourists were adding the New 7 Wonders of Nature sites to their “bucket lists” and this had resulted in remarkable increases in visitor numbers. Iguazu Falls, Argentina, Brazil, visitors increased from 1 million to 1.7 million per year, while flights to access the Puerto Princesa Underground River in the Philippines had risen from 3 to 22 per day to cope with the demand.

“Komodo has seen an increase in visitor numbers from 20,000 to 50,000 per year,” Lehmann said,“While Jeju Island has witnessed an 86% increase in tourism from China, with 52% of visitors interviewed saying they knew about the New 7 Wonders of Nature status and of those 75% said it was the reason they had come to Jeju.”

South Africa stands to benefit more than its 6 rivals because Table Mountain is the most accessible of the New 7 Wonders and is the only one to be found in a city. 

“Cities are constantly trying to find ways to differentiate themselves and ensure they are top of mind when travelers make plans, and Cape Town is the only city that has a new 7 Wonders of Nature in its midst,” Lehmann said.

“Being the most accessible is a strong point, as one can sit in town and have a coffee while gazing at a New 7 Wonder of Nature. This is not possible at any of the 
other sites where one has to make a pilgrimage to the site,” she said.

Lehmann said South Africa would benefit from “The Power of 7,” which is unique to being part of the New 7 Wonders of Nature family. “As part of this exclusive group, South Africa will be talked about across the globe as sites promote themselves and the rest of the New 7 Wonders of Nature,” she added.

She encouraged tourism marketing organizations to use the New 7 Wonders of Nature status to promote Cape Town and South Africa as a world-class tourist destination. “The other sites have embraced this accolade and title, including it in all their tourism marketing,” Lehmann said.

The official inauguration of Table Mountain takes place in Cape Town on Sunday, December 2, with 52 delegates including international media from the other 6 sites in attendance. “This is an opportunity for South Africa to market itself as a tourism destination to delegates from countries like Peru, Vietnam, and Argentina,” Lehmann said.

The New 7 Wonders of Nature are Table Mountain, the Amazon in South America, Halong Bay in Vietnam, Iguazu Falls in Argentina, Komodo in Indonesia, Puerto Princesa Underground River in Philippines, and Jeju Island in Korea.