Page 27 - Gondwana Collection Namibia Value Creation Report 2021
P. 27

OUR MARKET IN 2021


 MARKET TRENDS IN 2021




                         Booking options

 Namibian travel trends  The Namibian traveller
                          Online
 Gondwana’s guests are local and international travellers.
 Tourists have evolved into   Covid-19 brought the travel industry to a halt in 2020. While we saw some signs of recovery in 2021, until local   Customers can book through online
 travellers who want to   vaccination hesitancy improves, the country’s restrictions on international travel are likely to remain.   tour operators or directly through
                          Gondwana’s online platform or
 In 2021, our guest numbers recovered by 4.5% on 2020’s low levels. Europe is our primary market, specifically   reservation centre. We have streamlined   GROUP TOURS
 enjoy detailed, authentic   Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the UK and Ireland. In 2021, the European market constituted about 32% of the   our IT capabilities to ensure a seamless   Covid-19 has badly impacted
 total 83 569 guests. We saw an increase in the Russian market, constituting 2% of the total guests.  booking experience and better   group tours; we recorded a
 experiences. They take   Regional travellers could visit for most of the year, with fewer restrictions against them.   understand our guests.   70% decrease for 2021.

 their time to bond with a   Gondwana’s local guests are primarily Gondwana Card holders from Namibia and SADC countries.
 Our Namibian travellers were 49% of total travellers.
 destination.             Travel agents


 Traditionally, Namibia’s travellers came from Europe, primarily   2020 percentage of guests by country   2021 percentage of guests by country   Travel agencies provide booking
 Germany, through organised tours with wholesalers. Our high season   services for flights, car rental, tours and   Travel
 from July to November was linked to our weather and European   accommodation.
 holiday patterns.   34  Germany, Switzerland and Austria  25  Germany, Switzerland and Austria
                          In 2021, Gondwana launched
 Covid-19 continues to affect global travel as governments impose country-  the Gondwana Travel Centre,
 specific bans and restrictions. It has also influenced and accelerated   where travellers can engage with       SELF-DRIVE
 tourism trends. We are seeing the following trends in our business:   37  Namibia  49  Namibia  knowledgeable safari experts   Gondwana offers a variety of cars,
   ○ Travellers seek greater flexibility, including the option to cancel easily;   specialising in coordinating travel   from luxury, to fully equipped, to
                          arrangements for groups and
 they want to control their itinerary and avoid large crowds  individuals. Our team provides a            small 4x4 Suzuki Jimny’s for the    The value Gondwana provides
   ○ They want self-drive journeys, where they can explore Namibia’s   5  France  4  France  comprehensive booking service for   more adventurous independent   guests
                                                                                                          traveller, through our car rental
 top attractions at their own pace  2  Belgium  1  Belgium  accommodation across southern Africa,             division Namibia2Go.               ○ Simplicity: We make it easy to
   ○ Travel that offers adventure elements is increasingly attractive  self-drive itinerary options, tailor-made                                book with us. Guests can select just a
 5  South Africa  11  South Africa  itineraries, car rental, group tours and
   ○ Travellers seek out tourism providers that care about environmental                                                                        car or a room or a full, bespoke travel
 sustainability; they care about the unglamourous aspects like waste   3  UK and Ireland  air-charter. Our service does not include             itinerary.
 management and conserving water  1  UK and Ireland  international flight bookings.   TOUR OPERATORS                                             ○ Service: Guests experience
   ○ Travellers want to be immersed in the local culture and learn about   7  Other  3  Other  Tour operators provide packages to               warm and attentive service from
 local communities and their history                                   suit their guests’ needs. Gondwana                                       our employees, from enquiry, to
 2  Italy  1  Italy                                                                                                                             accommodation and everything in
   ○ Solo travel is gaining momentum, and some travellers incorporate   Travel Centre offers tour packages.
 remote working into their travel schedules   2  USA and Canada  2  USA and Canada  Travel wholesalers  We are comfortable servicing the        between.
   ○ Our traditional market is the older ‘baby boomer’ generation.   3  Asia  2  Russian  international industry.                                ○ Variety: We offer 46 appealing
 We are now seeing younger travellers, especially successful   Travel wholesalers create travel                                                 accommodation options across
 entrepreneurs  79 991  1  Asia  packages for sale through the travel                                                                           Namibia, catering for different price
                                                                                                                                                points and tastes.
   ○ We have seen a notable increase in wedding and corporate retreat   Total guests by country  trade, primarily through travel agencies.
 bookings due to increased availability at our properties   Total guests by country  83 569
   ○ Many international guests select premium and distinctive options,
 while families and individual travellers prefer budget accommodations





 22  VALUE CREATION REPORT 2021                                                                                                                     GONDWANA COLLECTION NAMIBIA    23
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