Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* British Airways has launched a You Tube video ‘On Top of the World’, which probably is a TV commercial for its A380 flights to South Africa (it does not say if they are flying to Cape Town too), and was filmed exclusively in Cape Town, including on top of Table Mountain, on Camps Bay beach, with Lion’s Head as a backdrop, at Boulders Beach, and showing a Cape Town flower seller, a rugby player, and a cyclist.
* SATSA (Southern African Tourism Services Association) CEO David Frost says that tourists should be encouraged to see more of South Africa than the Big Five, Cape Town, the Kruger National Park, Johannesburg, and the Garden Route. Attractions in other provinces are not known to travelers. Repeat visits to our country should be increased, and the deceased time spent should be reversed, he added. He encouraged SA Tourism to develop trade deals that draw visitors to lesser known attractions. Travelers are not only visiting South Africa, but are also incorporating Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique into their itineraries.
* Wellington Wines is planning to treble its sales of bulk wine to the UK to 6 million litres by next year, and projects that the UK market will represent 40% of its sales (11 million litres) by 2016. The company produces 28 million litres of wine, and has just opened an UK office.
* Snooth evaluated South African Chenin Blancs, praising the variety and describing it as ‘typically South African’, and in particular those from Ken Forrester, DeMorgenzon, Silwervis, Mulderbosch, Ernie Els, Protea, and Botanica.
* Simonsig won the largest number of Gold awards at the recent Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, with four gold medals, for its Cape Blend Frans Malan 2010, Redhill Pinotage 2011, Chenin Avec Chêne 2012, and Chardonnay 2013. The wine estate also achieved two Silver medals. Grande Provence Angel Tears Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz blend 2012 won Gold status at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. More than 8000 wines from 41 countries were judged. (received via media releases from GC Communications and The PR Team)
* Following on from this weekend’s Franschhoek Literary Festival, two events focusing on African literature will be held in Cape Town next week: On Monday evening a free discussion about contemporary African literature, with a focus on that from Kenya, takes place at the Alliance Française at 19h00. On Tuesday evening Cape Talk’s John Maytham will host a dinner-talk about Zukiswa Wanner’s new book at a guest house in Newlands, at a cost of R320. (received via e-mail from the African Arts Institute African Book Club).
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
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Oh no, more bulk wines for the UK. These wines put SA wine quality in a bad light and fill our supermarket shelves with poor quality wine!
A380 just on the Joberg route. They would need to build a new apron at CPT to accommodate it.
Thanks for that input Lisa. Weird that they should feature Cape Town in an ad when they don’t use the A380 for the Cape Town route!
They feature Cape Town Chris because it is iconic. One can’t actually the same about Jo’burg!!
I agree on both Nick, but still don’t understand that BA creates an expectation or the impression that they fly to Cape Town with the A380.
But they fly via Jo’burg & onward with Comair. That’s how we travelled out & back in March along with many passengers. The direct BA flights are always full.
If CPT was able to handle the A380 then maybe BA would fly direct.
Maybe the advertising will lead to greater demand, and they will fly to Cape Town too if the runway is extended.
All in all, it’s fabulous publicity for Cape Town.
I completely agree Chris. BA have already put on 3 additional weekly LHR-CPT flights during your winter. I doubt that BA will have enough A380s for the CPT route. The A380 we returned on in March was overbooked & absolutely choc a bloc.
Personally I prefer the upper deck on the 747 to the A380 as it’s much smaller & far more personal with much better service.