Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*  Siobhan Thompson has been appointed as new CEO of Wines of South Africa (WOSA).  She moves across from Distell, where she was Global Marketing Head, having had past responsibilities for Liqueurs, Amarula, and Brandy and Cognac.  She headed Baby Foods at Colman Foods, and Consumer and Retail Research at Gilbeys, marketed the UCT Graduate School of Business, was a brand manager at Yardley, and a researcher at Nielsen and TNS Research Surveys.

*   Comair has taken delivery of four new Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which will help the airline to reduce its carbon emissions and to drive down costs for its British Airways service, similar to its kulula fleet replacement. A threatened carbon tax will drive up costs for airlines, said Comair CEO Erik Venter, already under pressure from the weak Rand.  This could have a negative impact on tourism, he said.

*   Snow is expected on Table Mountain, just a month after the last snowfall, tonight and tomorrow, as a massive cold front is set to hit the Cape.  We have seen a warning that the Franschhoek Pass should not be used during this period, with further mudslides and rockfalls expected.

*  Surprising is the news that the V&A Waterfront is bidding for a dedicated cruise liner terminal inside the V&A.  In the past year the Cape Town port authority has been working on developing a dedicated cruise liner terminal in the harbour. (Note: the V&A Waterfront has corrected this via Twitter: ‘Correction, we are submitting a bid for the Transnet tender for a cruise terminal at E Berth. THis is not in the V&A‘!

*   Facebook, Twitter, and Yelp are the most common marketing tools used by restaurants globally.  Loyalty programs are growing in usage.

*   The Loerie Awards 2013 have started, and South Africa’s top creative minds and producers have descended on Cape Town for the local advertising ‘Oscars’. The event attracts R100 million to the economy of the Mother City in accommodation, car rental, and restaurant expenditure by 145 judges and 4000 delegates attending. More than  3000 entries have been received, a record number says Loeries CEO Andrew Human: ‘This year we saw a record number of entries in the digital category, and excellent growth in integrated campaigns and entries from Africa and the Middle East’.  A new award is the Effective Creativity Award sponsored by Woolworths,  recognising campaigns with proven business results.

*   The benefit of inviting leading American 1 Wine Dude blogger Joe Roberts to be the key-note speaker at the Nederburg Wine Auction is the coverage one could hope for on his blog, and he has not disappointed.  Today he blogged one overriding message about South African wines: they are seriously underpriced!

*   ACSA Cape Town is budgeting for low tariff increases of 5 % next year, 3% in 2015, and none thereafter!

*   Reuben Riffel’s contract with the One&Only Cape Town, now in its third year, has been extended for another five years. (via media release from Manley Communications)

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com  Twitter: @WhaleCottage