Spring has sprung… and it’s time to get our metaphorical & physical houses in order.

After a disappointing winter season for many of our members, indications are that business is picking up, with reports of booking enquiries improving nationally.

GHASA has loads of interesting information for you, so without further ado, we’ll launch into our Spring Newsletter.

Be good to yourselves

Lyndsay & Kristi

Housekeeping Issues

·          SABC TV Licences:  SABC Business Department payment deadline is end September. Please make sure you’re paid up, or you will lose your 25% discount!  Non-payment of accounts also affects GHASA’s long-standing relationship with SABC.  We are one of only a handful of organisations that offer this discount & they will withdraw the benefit if we have a poor payment record.

·          Coffee:  Here are some ways of using coffee grains around your guest house:  Scrubbing dishes - add a few teaspoons of dry coffee ground onto a square cleaning rag. Wrap up the ends of the rag & secure with a rubber band. Use your new scrub sponge to clean difficult dishes; Deodorizer - soak smelly cutting boards with some coffee grounds to remove odours. Put a bowl of coffee grounds into your refrigerator to absorb odours; Pest Control -deter bugs from your house plants & home by adding some coffee grounds to your potted or garden plants.

·          Smoking Laws: Although tightly restricted, smoking of tobacco products is permitted in the following public places:

·          Hotels, guest houses, bed & breakfast places, game lodges & other places where accommodation is offered for sale (subject to clause 3, which includes designated  separate areas; correct signage; sufficient & correct ventilation ).

·          Fines for smoking or allowing smoking in a non-smoking area have been increased to up to R50 000 for owners and R500 for individual smokers

·          Smoking in partially enclosed places like covered patios, verandas, balconies walkways and parking areas is now prohibited.

·          No person under 18 is allowed into a designated smoking area.

Tourism Stats & Facts

Tourism Update (9 Sept):  A price war is raging among top-end hotels in Cape Town with all players jostling for their share of a depressed market resulting from a sharp increase in inventory, a slow pace of business and an overall slump in tourism after the Soccer World Cup.

A TU Online spot survey of online hotel rates in Cape Town shows that five-star hotels, especially recently built ones, are playing in the four-star and three-star markets. "This has a downward spiralling effect on rates across the board, which quite easily leads to horse trading," comments Newmark Hotels Operations Director, Andy Nold. 

Average online five-star room rates on September 2 were R2 400 per night, with at least 12 five-star properties charging less than R2 000 a night, the lowest being Bantry Bay Luxury Suites at R1 000 per night. The average room rate of four-star hotels was R1 300 per night, with at least 10 properties charging less than R1 000 a night, the lowest online rate being R550 per night at the Harbour Bridge Hotel & Suites. The average three-star room rate was R736 per night, the highest rate of R1 035 per night charged by Protea Hotel Cape Castle and the lowest rate of R370 per night offered by the Ritz Hotel.

 Taj Cape Town Director of Sales & Marketing, Theo Cromhout, sees a downward trend of hotel prices but says this must be interpreted in the context of the current market situation. "The traditional lowest of the low season is August and September, post-World Cup trends, significant new inventory, and the impact of the global recession have all contributed to somewhat of a perfect storm," he says. 
However, Vernon Kirsten, MD of ReservHotel, says it is customary for demand to decline after a major event. "This I call the consumer settling period.  Thereafter, the economic climate tends to lend itself to an increase in hotel bookings and we will see this pick up in October/November."  

Tourism Update (31 August):  South Africa still managed to experience impressive growth in some of the country's core arrivals markets in May even though predictions suggested a slump prior to the start of the 2010 World Cup.

Total arrivals for the period, including both overseas and African arrivals reports Stats SA, grew by 13,2% from 536 047 in 2009 to 606 543 in 2010. Total overseas arrivals for the period saw an increase if 16,5% from 118 718 in 2009 to 138 261 in 2010.

The top ten overseas markets for May 2010 were as follows:
- UK, up 31% from 21 370 to 28 011
- USA, up 16,2% from 19 873 to 23 101
- India, down 20,7% from 10 493 to 8 317
- Australia, up 18,4% from 6 168 to 7 300
- France, up 0,4% from 6 857 to 6 887
- The Netherlands, up 27,1% from 5 119 to 6 508
- Germany, down 33,9% from 9 550 to 6 315
- China, up 109,6% from 2 363 to 4 594
- Canada, up 32,7% from 3 020 to 4 007
- Italy, up 12% from 3 163 to 3 543

Total African arrivals for the period contracted by 1,8% from 414 608 in 2009 to 407268 in 2010.

The top ten African markets for May 2010 were as follows:
- Lesotho, up 8% from 81 034 to 87504
- Zimbabwe, down 23,4% from 99 224 to 75 992
- Mozambique, down 0,1% from 82 063 to 81 958
- Swaziland, down 1,4% from 56 723 to 55 919
- Botswana, up 14,6% from 36 049 to 41 310

Supplier Information

·          African Indawo is proud to be selected by GHASA as a preferred supplier. We have extensive experience in printing for the Hospitality

            Industry. The level of expertise is second to none, whether you are

            interested in a complete assessment of your annual printing needs to the

            printing of a promotional flyer or business card.

            Please feel free to contact us and ask for a free no obligation quotatation, or

            better still view our special packaged for GHASA members only at

             http://www.africanindawo.co.za/ghasa-package.php or contact (George Fonzari) directly on 083 252 7349. We look forward to giving you   the hassle free service that brings you superior printing and on time

            deliveries.

·          I-Guest Visitors' Check-in Register and Own Risk Signs have been specifically designed to comply with the Statutory, Legal and Insurance requirements for Bed & Breakfast establishments, Lodges and all other places where the public is provided with accommodation or lodging for reward, and to discourage fraud and bilking.

            Failure to keep these records would make you liable for prosecution and nullify any insurance claims.

            We are happy to offer a discounted rate of less 10% on all our products, to             GHASA members 

            Contact:  Keri Brown on 031 2027113 or go to www.iguest.co.za

·          I-CALL Property and Project Management Services is a 24 hour service provider providing extensive commercial, industrial and residential assistance on a national basis.  We provide Maintenance & Management Services.

      Special offer for GHASA clients – 10% discount on our call-out rate            until end of September 2010!!

      For further details contact Greg Smith on 071 7029231 or

      greg@i-callservices.co.za

·          The Wellness Company: Improve your guest house by adding a small health/gym/exercise component for guests. Technogym equips Virgin Active nationally & we have a semi commercial equipment range for guest house use.

      WIN a wellness hamper with wellness bags, exercise balls, aerobic training mats, water bottles etc etc. Contact Gerrit Booysen for free     consultation at your establishment and free layout planning and design.      073 028 7730 or gerritb@pentanet.co.za

·          Econo-Heat is a South African company and the inventor of the original energy-saver Econo-Heat wall panel heater.

            Contact Robin Scott or Johan du Preez. Tel 021 7150444/0834450650 for special GHASA prices.

·          Hospitality Classics:  We have a range of over 600 products, specialising in the hospitality industry and we are forever looking for new solutions to meet growing customer needs.  Let us be of service to you – we know we can help.  Special GHASA rates apply!

            For more information, please go to www.hospitalityclassics.com or phone 011 882 2247. 

Welcome New Members

Welcome to the following new GHASA members.  We look forward to a long and happy relationship with you all!

Wegamoyo Guesthouse; Dube Executive Suites Swanlamer 12;

By the Beach; The Green Tree Cottages; The Lighthouse Guesthouse; Safari Club SA; Hawaii Place; Zoutpan Struishuis Guest Farm; Villa Europe Guesthouse; Tinglewood Inn; Schoone Oordt; Kruger House Guest Cottages; Heron Chase Guest House; Marija Manor; Lyndos; Villa Stella; Bramlyn; Lai-La Log Cabins; Avuxeni Lodge; Auberge Rozendal Winefarm; Tintagel Fairview Historic Homestead; Abloom Bush Lodge & Spa Retreat; Aristocats Guest Lodge; Dinkwe Guest House; Arundel House; Gateway Country Lodge; Danlee Overnight Accommodation; Villa Paradisa Guest House; Crooked Tree Cottage; 8 Les Palmier;s 6 Les Palmiers; Les Palmiers; Casart Game Lodge; 10 2nd Avenue Houghton Estate; Pringle Beachfront Villa; Aluane Town Lodge; Willow B&B; Vaal Streams.