Travel Savvy SA

Hello All!

After 18 and a half wonderful years in service of the travel industry, it's time for me to hang up my headphones, stow away my GDS codes book and move on to new challenges. Nicky TravSav will be taking over, which means that Travel Savvy is in the safest possible hands.

Travel, and particularly Travel Savvy SA, has been my life for so long that it's difficult to know where to begin, now that the time has come to say goodbye. How to quantify 2 decades worth of memories, anecdotes and meaningful relationships in a single Facebook post? It can't be done - this job and this industry has given me so much of the years, and there are too many people to thank for the wonderful experiences and valuable lessons we've shared. Some special mentions, though:

To Lauren Nicolas. This was all your fault. I'll always be grateful/enraged ;)

To Sunelle Louw and Andre Dagee at Flight Centre Eastgate - you were my first mentors in this game. You were tough on me, and you expected a lot. You helped me develop a work ethic which has stood me in very good stead, and you taught more about relationship building, sales and business management in 2 years than any guru, book or training course has since. Thank you.

To Graham Cannings, who showed me that it was possible to do this job really well, and still have a laugh while doing it. I think of you often, Pebs.

To Deborah Beckett, who modelled competence, consistency and a can-do attitude so effortlessly, she made me want to be a better consultant, just to emulate her. So I did. You're amazing, Debs.

To Rene Glorioso, for always being willing to extend a hand across a cultural divide and teach me something new, and for being incredibly kind at a time when kindness was all that was keeping me going. Mis jou, vriendin.

To Siobhan McCrory, for being a friend and mentor from the beginning of my journey, and for teaching me to swear properly and not to sweat the small stuff. I'll always admire you, you madwoman.

To Daan Henning, without whom my career would have ended 12 years ago. You gave me the opportunity to do something incredible for myself and my family, and I have worked every day since to be worthy of the faith you showed in me then. Dankie, dankie, dankie.

To my Ness, Vanessa Massyn. Meeting and befriending you has added so much value to my life that it's impossible to convey my love and gratitude here. I know we'll be friends forever. If our friendship was all I'd gained from my entire career in travel, it would still have been worth every second of these 18+ years. I love you so much.

To Tyleene Hancock, my favourite fellow Savvy sister and the best travel intern that ever was. The times we spent working together are some of my favourite travel memories, and I will always have an unpayable debt of gratitude to you for the love and support you gave me during difficult days. We had fun, didn't we!?!

To Helen Busse, Lana Nel and Ana Camacho - special colleagues and shoulders-to-cry-on when things got tough and a debrief was needed! You have to work in travel to understand, and I have always been so thankful that you were just a phone call away when I needed help, advice, or just to scream out loud for a bit. Here's to you, ladies **opens more wine**. You deserve multitudes.

To Tam Tam Iyer, for believing in the Travel Savvy brand to much it was impossible not to believe in it too, and for giving so much to building the business, even when your efforts couldn't be repaid. If we survived the pandemic, it was largely due to you and your brilliant marketing brain. Thank you, Hun. Remember me when you're famous!

To Caroline Green Benni Thompson and all at The Corner Office. My memories of Travel Savvy will always be inextricably linked to the feeling of serenity and professionalism that having a space to work at TCO always gave me, and to the warmth I feel when I remember all the laughs we had over a pot of coffee and fresh gossip. Love you always.

To my Think Tank crew - Tyron, Sheldon, Lin, Caroline, Ruth and Nicky. You saved my sanity, and made me love what I did over and over again. Sometimes in spite of myself, and sometimes just because I got to be with you all because of it. I miss you more than words can say. *Cue hearty blubbing*.

To Meadsie and Rupert Van Zyl, for your unstinting support for more than a decade, and for every trip shared and every long chat! I love you both so much - thank you for allowing me to be a part of something wonderful, and for always making me feel like an important part of the FM team. I am more proud of the work we've done together over the years than I am of anything else.

To Nicky Rawlinson, for being simply the best business partner I could have hoped for. The last 18 months has made we with, fervently and often, that I'd met you 12 years ago! The ONLY reason that I feel able to move on to my exciting new chapter is because I know that Travel Savvy and all my beloved clients, are safe with you. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend, and for sharing this journey with me. Good Luck!!

To Dean Morris, Lynn Durand Erasmus and Finn Ward - thank you for putting up with endless grouching, late nights, interrupted holidays and non-existent weekends. Thank you for every cup of tea, note of sympathy, shoulder to cry on and sounding board offered, and for being okay with coming second to the business 999 times out of 1000. Thank you for sharing me with an industry I have loved, and for holding my hand through this decision to move on to new things. Most of all, thank you for being a (sometimes captive) audience for every story, every anecdote, every complaint and every full-on (usually airline-related) rant I subjected you to, and for loving me anyway.

And finally, to all my clients - each and every person who put their their faith in me, trusted me with their dreams and plans and hard-earned money. Thank you for allowing me the great privilege of being a part of your special memories, your family holidays, your business trips, your last-minute breaks and your once-in-a-lifetime adventures. I have travelled the world through planning your itineraries, and I have lived a thousand lives vicariously, though you. I will miss you all. Thank you for your support.

Much love,
Jen
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Savvy Travel Stories

Today, one of our Savvy clients - we'll call him the Bionic Man - ran an incredible Comrades and then went directly to the airport to embark on a multi-leg trip to Europe for a business engagement! Colour us seriously impressed (and a little in awe)! We hope he's not too stiff and sore and that all the airlines involved take special care of him this evening (we may have added a few special instructions to the check-in log, just in case...)

A HUGE congratulations to all our Comrades runners, from the team here at Travel Savvy! For the month of June, if you send us a picture of yourself with your 2023 Comrades number, we'll waive our service fee on all domestic flight bookings. We think you deserve a few long weekends away, after all that!

Email [email protected] for more info or to make a booking!

DIY Holidays are the best way to get to know a place!

Email [email protected] for more info

Great discounts available at Club Med's island resorts this winter! Email [email protected] for more info.

Sunshine and happiness….Contact Travel Savvy for your ultimate Mauritius holiday - [email protected]

Thinking of a trip to Bali? Better put a ring on it first 😕

Mini Blog: Our first post-pandemic Festive Season!

As 2022 comes to a close, it's both constructive and illuminating to look back on the year and how travel has recovered from the scourges of Covid-19. Or I'm sure it would be if I had the time!

Nicky and I have been extremely busy, putting together packages as we prepare to pivot Travel Savvy back towards more leisure-focused offerings, and I'm thrilled to say that we're starting to see a lot more confidence creep back into the South African market, as travellers think about taking overseas holidays again. The Festive Season is already in full swing and favourite destinations like Mauritius and Zanzibar - while nowhere near as full as they usually are at this time - are busier than they've been in nearly three years.

Other places proving popular are newly visa-free Egypt, chilly-but-beautiful Turkey and the balmy beaches of Bali. I've also just wrapped up a stunning package for Vietnam, and it's so lovely to be back to selling the East again! With great airfare deals on Emirates and Qatar and some superb special rates at 4* resorts and hotels, Bali, Vietnam and Thailand are back to being excellent value-for-money options for the South African market.

Closer to home, we still have December availability for various hotels, resorts and lodges in the Drakensberg, Hluhluwe, St Lucia and in the gorgeous Midlands in KZN, some excellent options for the Western Cape (flights are an issue, but there are still options if you can be flexible on times), fabulous bush-breaks within a 2-hour drive of Johannesburg, and a host of stunning places to visit along the Garden Route. No need to dust off your passport - South Africa is a tourism paradise with lots of nooks and crannies to explore. Our valiant colleagues in the hospitality sector would welcome the support and a chance to show you around.

Finally, our SADC neighbours have rallied after a gruelling few years and are ready to welcome us back. Packages to Victoria Falls, Chobe, Inhambane, Lake Malawi and Walvis Bay are abundant and it's so exciting to be able to offer these destinations again.
Throughout the world, borders are opening up and Covid testing requirements continue to fall away. There are some terrific deals to be had, so now is a good time to start planning your 2023 adventures. Nicky and I understand how anxiety-inducing planning travel in a post-pandemic world can be, and we're standing by to help you with every step of your journey.

It's good to be back. It really is.

Planning a trip to Mauritius? Beachcomber Resorts are the best on the island, and we LOVE them. Have a look at this amazing Black Friday deal and contact Nicky or Jen for more info:
[email protected] - 083 458 9114
[email protected] - 0828964012

YES! It's not too late! Email [email protected] or [email protected] for more info or to book your place in the sun!

Contact us on [email protected] or [email protected] for more info, or to make a booking.

Email [email protected] or [email protected] for more information!

News: SARS has a re-think and clarifies 'travel pass' statement

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has cleared up confusion regarding the introduction of the much-debated ‘travel pass’ that caused widespread panic in the tourism industry, clarifying that the new system is being piloted to digitise the process of voluntarily declaring goods or cash upon entering or leaving South Africa.

The project, which will be piloted at King Shaka International Airport from November 1, is part of a South African Traveller Management System (SATMS) designed to modernise customs procedures.

“SARS will launch a pilot implementation of an electronic online portal for travellers to make declarations on a voluntary basis, well ahead of their arrival or departure to/from South Africa. The new system will allow travellers to pre-declare goods purchased, received, or otherwise acquired,” SARS said in a statement on Thursday, October 20.

“The new online traveller declaration system will, during the pilot phase, be fine-tuned based on insights gained as well as further engagement and feedback with various government departments and other stakeholders,” said SARS.

Pending a successful pilot, progressive implementation across all South African ports of entry will commence on April 1, 2023.

For travellers who choose not to use the online portal on their mobile devices, SARS will make a paper form available as well as self-service counters.

Travellers who have not submitted pre-declarations will still be allowed to enter or leave the Republic, but “are encouraged to voluntarily declare pre-departure or arrival to avoid the inconvenience of making a declaration at a port of entry”.

The tax authority caused consternation and widespread panic among travellers and the tourism industry with an initial statement (that has since been removed from the SARS website) on October 12, announcing a new online Traveller Declaration that “would require all travellers, including South African citizens and residents, children and infants, leaving or entering South Africa by air to complete and submit an online traveller declaration, as well as receive a traveller pass before they travel”.

SARS has new requirements for South African travellers. We think. And these may apply to foreign travellers. Maybe. Also, it all starts in November. Possibly. Clarity forthcoming?

We aren't holding our breaths.