Travel Agent - June 23, 2008 - (Page TA-64) DESTINATIONS AFRICA ASTA’S International Destination Expo Sun City, South Africa, will host the ASTA 2009 Expo for four days of education and networking for travel agents BY ROBERTA ROBERTI IF MARKETING SOUTH AFRICA AS A VACATION DESTINATION is on your agenda, attending the 2009 International Destination Expo (IDE) in Sun City may be just what you need. Taking place March 8-11 and hosted by ASTA in South Africa’s capital city, the event will focus on destination training with a four-day educational program about South Africa and its surrounding regions. South Africa has a variety of experiences for travelers, from rugged adventure to luxurious pampering. There are safaris, beaches, nightlife, spas and retreats. In addition to its now well-established wine industry, the region is also a rising star for its cuisine. This is a lucrative market for the travel industry. “I think attendees will be so impressed by South Africa and all it has to offer visitors,” says Cheryl Hudak, CTC, president and CEO of ASTA. “Attending the International Destination Expo in 2009 will provide the perfect introduction to the many possibilities travelers can find there.” In addition to the educational sessions, the IDE will have a trade show, sightseeing tours and networking opportunities. There will also be two pre- and post-event Provincial Packages available, March 6-7 and March 12-13. The tours will take agents to Gauteng, which is comprised of Johannesburg, Pretoria and Soweto; Free State, the geographic and agricultural center of South Africa, famous for its South African hospitality and boerekos (traditional Afrikaner farm-style cuisine); Eastern Cape, where visitors can surf the world’s biggest waves in summer and ski down the only snow slopes in Africa in winter, go on a “big seven” safari, visit the birthplace of Nelson Mandela and bungee-jump the highest bridge in the southern hemisphere; Kwazulu Natal, where African, European and Indian cultures blend; Limpopo, known as the “Great North,” where the Stone and Iron Age relics of Makapansgat Valley can be found; Mpumalanga, where ecotourism and adventure trips are the name of the game; North West Province, home of the fantastic Pilanesberg and Madikwe game reserves; Northern Cape, famous for its annual natural floral display in Namaqualand; and Western Cape, where travelers can visit Table Mountain, as well as many vineyards and beaches, and also experience cosmopolitan dining and entertainment. Other pre- and post-event tours are being planned. 64 | TravelAgent June 23, 2008 Attendees can choose from four properties in which to stay: the Palace of the Lost City, Sun City Hotel, Cascades and Cabanas. The cost for travel agents is $285 per person. Members of ASTA/NACTA pay $235, a savings of $50. Guests of registered delegates pay $335 per person. Registration fees do not include hotel accommodations or airfare. Roundtrip airfare on South African Airways (www.flysaa.com) start at $599, plus taxes, and hotel costs depend on which hotel/rooms you choose. The Provincial Packages start at $150 per person and include domestic air, two nights’ hotel accommodations and the tours. For more information, visit www.asta.org/expo. I 1-4. Legend has it that the Palace of the Lost City was built as the royal residence of an ancient civilization of South Africa and was destroyed during an earthquake. It was rebuilt and restored to its regal, palatial glory and turned into an opulent resort offering guests an opportunity to immerse themselves in a fairytale setting of hand-carved walls, frescoed ceilings, custom-designed accessories, cliff-tumbling gardens, streams, waterfalls, swimming pools and alfresco entertainment areas and the sense of being in the African jungle. 5. A night shot of Sun City. 6-8. Some of the wildlife that can be seen on safari. 1 http://www.flysaa.com http://www.asta.org/expo
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