South African Airways (SAA) has emerged as the Top African Airline at the 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market, reinforcing its position as a major player in Africa’s aviation and travel industry. The award was presented during the three-day event and reflects the airline’s sustained contribution to the travel industry. According to Ikechi Uko, publisher of African Travel Quarterly and founder of Akwaaba Travel Market, the recognition is a testament to SAA's commitment to excellence.
The award forms part of the Top 100 Travel Icons in Nigeria for Excellence in Travel. SAA's recognition goes beyond aircraft, routes, and passenger numbers, highlighting the airline's efforts to engage with travel agents and tour operators. At this year’s Akwaaba market, SAA sponsored four of its travel-agent and tour-operator partners as co-exhibitors at its stand, providing them with an all-expenses-paid opportunity to engage directly with both business-to-business and consumer audiences.
The participating companies, Fare Deal Travel & Tours, Vacation Places Limited, 3Cords Leisure & Vacation, and OCI Travel & Tours, had previously travelled to Mauritius on an SAA-sponsored familiarisation trip. During the trip, they experienced hotels, attractions, and tourism offerings first-hand. This initiative enabled the agents to gain in-depth knowledge of the destination and improve their sales.
Travel consultants who participated in the familiarisation trip shared their experiences and the positive impact it had on their business. Oluwayemisi Kpote, a travel consultant with 3Cords Travels, praised SAA's facilitation, saying it was seamless. Kpote expressed interest in organizing more group tours with SAA to bring more people to explore Mauritius.
Other travel agents also shared their experiences, highlighting the benefits of the partnership with SAA. Olubusola Afolabi, head of operations at OCI Travels & Tours, noted that the familiarisation trip had changed the way agents engaged with clients. The knowledge gained enabled agents to advise customers more confidently and improved sales to the destination.
The partnership between SAA and the travel agents was described as a step in the right direction. Sonny Egbane, co-founder and COO of 3Cords, emphasized the importance of stronger collaboration between the airline and agents, which could benefit both sides. Divine Bestman, a ticketing officer with Fare Deal Travels, described the exposure as an eye-opener, enabling them to advise clients better.
The recognition and partnership reflect SAA's commitment to excellence and collaboration with travel agents and tour operators. The airline's efforts to engage with stakeholders and provide them with opportunities to grow their business have yielded positive results. SAA's Top African Airline award is a testament to its sustained contribution to the travel industry.
Key points
- South African Airways was awarded the Top African Airline at the 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market.
- The award was determined through voting by travel industry stakeholders and members of the public.
- SAA sponsored four travel-agent and tour-operator partners to engage directly with business-to-business and consumer audiences at the Akwaaba market.
