Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Sir Richard Branson is said to have bought the Mont Rochelle wine estate and hotel in Franschhoek.
* Tsogo Sun has announced that it plans to bid for a gambling licence for Cape Town, should a second casino be allowed. The hotel group already has casinos at Club Mykonos, on the Garden Route, and in Caledon.
* A new reality TV cooking show called ‘Chopped South Africa’ , based on an American counterpart, is to be screened on local TV, and will feature chef judges Jenny Morris, Siba Mtongana, Rebecca Hurst, and Lindsay Venn. Four contestants will feature in each episode, out of a total of 30 chefs.
* Buitenverwachting’s Bayten Sauvignon Blanc 2012 has been recommended as one of ten wines for Thanksgiving dinner or to bring as a gift, the only South African wine on the list.
* Tourism to South Africa is estimated to grow by 86% in US dollar value between 2013 and 2017, to reach $16 billion in 2017. BRICS tourists will become more important, especially those from India and China.
* A global hotel consultancy based in London says that hotel guests’ expectations of accommodation have changed, guests willing to forego high tech amenities for feeling at home. They want to be connected with other guests and need internet access. Their study ‘A new breed of traveller‘ found that being part of an experience is important, more so than the linen, a bellboy to carry luggage to the room, or amenities. They would rather share a coffee with other guests in reception than have a coffee machine in their room. Hotel bedrooms are becoming smaller, due to more time spent in reception or communal areas. Desks are less important, as guests sit on their beds with their laptops or tablets. Service is more casual, yet with respect.
* Marthèlize Tredoux has won the Veritas Young Wine Writers Competition 2013, with a prize of R15000.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
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