DOMESTIC TRAVEL “FLYING OFF THE SHELVES” AT THIS WEEKEND’S FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP TRAVEL EXPO
JOHANNESBURG, 29 FEBRUARY 2020 – South African travellers are resilient and will travel despite the rand exchange rate and evolving coronavirus situation. Flight Centre Travel Group Middle East and Africa MD, Andrew Stark, says the preliminary results of this weekend’s Travel Expo show that there’s still a massive appetite among South Africans to travel, especially if they can get a good deal.
“We’re seeing domestic travel flying off the shelves at this weekend’s Travel Expo. South Africa comes up head and shoulders above all international destinations both in terms of packages and flight sold, with Cape Town still in top spot, followed by Johannesburg and Durban,” says Stark.
Close on its heels comes Mauritius, followed by Thailand package holidays. “The fluctuating rand exchange rate has driven South Africans to look for all-inclusive packages as these are more affordable in the long run. We’re also urging travellers to book and pay for their packages to lock in the current rand exchange rate so that there are no surprises later on,” advises Stark.
Top flight destinations being sold at the Travel Expo this weekend, in addition to South Africa, include the UK, Australia, Mauritius, New Zealand and the Middle East. While Costsaver Europe and cruising with Norwegian Cruise Lines and Hurtigruten are nudging ahead in the travel booking stakes, reports the Flight Centre Travel Group.
Unlike previous years when the Travel Expo was held at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg, Flight Centre Travel Group’s 10th annual Travel Expo has popped up nationwide with deals available at all 121 Flight Centre and Cruiseabout stores across the country, as well as online.
Launched yesterday, the largest travel expo in South Africa has had Flight Centre and Cruiseabout stores “buzzing across the country”, says Stark. “We are thrilled with the South African travellers’ enduring appetite for travel, despite what’s happening elsewhere in the world, or with the South African rand.
“We’ve also extended some of our popular discounts over the weekend and many of our deals still have availability. The show closes tomorrow at 4pm, so there’s still time to bag a bargain either in store, or online,” adds Stark.
Flight Centre Travel Group changed the format of the show this year in response to requests by customers to make deals more accessible to all South Africans and not just those living in Johannesburg.
“Our new Travel Expo concept makes it easier for customers to book the over 500 unbeatable deals in-store or book flights online without having to physically attend the event at the Dome.
“We’ve improved the customer experience by removing the cost of attending the event, making it easy for loyal customers to book with their favourite consultant and removed the need to queue,” says Stark.
Flight Centre has secured deals from top travel brands which include: Beachcomber, On The Go Tours, Club Med, MSC, Top Deck, Trafalgar, Emirates, Air Mauritius, Air France, KLM, Kulula, Mango and Qantas, amongst many others. Flight deals are also available online on the Flight Centre website.
What’s more, there are a range of prizes on offer throughout the weekend, such as international beach holidays to Bali or Thailand, a Mediterranean cruise, airline tickets, local holiday and luggage sets.
Follow Flight Centre and Cruiseabout on social media and listen to your favourite radio stations (947, Jacaranda, Hot 91.9FM, Kfm and East Coast Radio) for competition details.
For everything you need to know, and insights from top global travel brands such as Beachcomber, On The Go Tours, Club Med, MSC, Topdeck, Trafalgar, Emirates, Air Mauritius, Air France, KLM, Kulula, Mango, Qantas
