Paul Bannister | WhaleTales Blog by Chris von Ulmenstein

Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

* Travelers have barely heard of ‘sharing’ services such as Uber and Airbnb, and they are not yet a threat to established accommodation and taxi services, a Travel Weekly Consumer Trends survey has found. More than two-thirds of the respondents had not heard of the services, and only 8% had used them. The target age group of sharing services appears to be the 18 – 23 year olds, highest users of these services.

* Western Cape Minister of Tourism Alan Winde has announced the new members of the Board of the tourism, investment, and trade agency Wesgro: Professor Brian Figaji (previously of Pentech) is the new Chairman, while other Board members are Paul Continue reading →

The new restaurant Shaka Zulu, scheduled to open in London in April, is to play an important role in marketing South Africa, and in promoting tourism to the country, says Paul Bannister, CEO of the International Marketing Council, a body tasked with marketing South Africa internationally, reports the Weekend Argus.

The new restaurant is being developed to the value of R 66 million in Camden Market, London, as a nightclub, a restaurant, a cocktail lounge and an African theatre. It can seat 750 patrons, and will feature a water-garden and crystal leopards. Patrons will be able to eat South African food, and taste South Africa’s best beers and wines. Savanna cider is expected to be one of the brands stocked, given its popularity in the U.K.

At the entrance to the venue a display cabinet will show off South African products, including Zulu artwork. King Goodwill Zwelithini, head of the Zulu tribe, has endorsed the project.

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