Treat Your Valentine With Something Special In Zululand

Are you looking for something different and unique to treat your loved one this Valentine's Day? Look no further, we have a bunch of good ideas and romantic treats that is bound to warm your loved one's heart. From dinners to unusual getaways.

Pack a picnic breakfast and treat that someone special in your life to a meal in the treetops at Dlinza Forest Aerial Boardwalk in Eshowe. The Boardwalk extends into the forest canopy, giving you a literal birds eye view. butterflies, birds, spectacular views, the ideal romantic spot. For more information, contact 035 474 4029

Take a sunset cruise through the Richards Bay Harbor. Port Sail Charters has daily harbor cruises and there is no better way to enjoy the spectacular sunset that gently cruising along with a glass of champagne. The rare Humpbacked Dolphin is often seen around the harbor as are flocks of terns, Fish eagles and even Pelicans and Flamingos if you are lucky! Visit www.portsail.co.za or Tel 073 156 7825 for more information and bookings.

Why not break away for an evening and treat your loved on and yourself to a couples aromatherapy massage at Lavernderlane near Mtunzini. You get to pick from African Rungu, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, Indian Head, indulgent foot and full Aromatherapy. Prior booking essential. Visit www.lavenderlaneoils.com or Tel 083 682 2584 for more information



Events and Special Offers

• Celebrate Valentine's at Umfolozi with a delectable buffet dinner for two at the elegant Umoja Bistro. The price is R330 per couple and includes a welcome cocktail and hearty buffet meal. PLUS one lucky couple will win a midweek stay at the beautiful 4-Star Peermont Mondazur Hotel and Spa in Southbroom, KwaZulu Natal. Bookings are essential, please call Sharon Meyer on 035 787 8267 or e-mail: smeyer@umfolozicasino.co.za.
• Bishops Guest House In Eshowe is holding a Valentines Day special for R630 per couple per night. Prince includes breakfast, a romantic turn down as well as a special gift for the ladies. An ideal location for an easy escape. Tel 035 474 2371 for reservations and more information.
• Adams Outpost Restaurant, set alongside the historical Fort Nongqyai in Eshowe in a beautiful quiet environment are offering a special Valentine's Dinner menu. From smoked salmon to crumbed calamari and sizing Champagne cocktails, your taste buds will be enthralled. Reservations essential, Tel: 035 474 1787
• Why not step out and do something totally different? Malule Safaris has overnight Valentine's Day packages to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Eastern Shores area. Packages include transport, luxurious accommodation, romantic dinners and night drives. For full details and reservations email: info@malulesafaris.com or Tel 035 789 0521
• African Essence Spa, in Richards Bay and Empangeni have a Valentine's Day special for an Indian Head Massage at only R120, a treat your loved one is bound to relish. Email: info@africanessencespa.co.za or Tel 035 772 1853 / 035 753 3339 for more information and bookings.
• Spoil your loved on with a delicious buffet dinner at Woodpecker Inn in Richards Bay for only R150 per person. Bookings are essential. Tel 035 786 1230 for more information and reservations. 
• Want to do something totally exciting and adventurous?  Take a 30 minute Valentine's Day flight over Richards Bay with Richards Bay Air Carriers and make a memory that will last a lifetime. Tel 035 786 0146 or email pilot@aircarriers.co.za for reservations or more information. 
• Enjoy a tantalising carvery at the De Hoff Cellar Restaurant (Protea Hotel Empangeni) for only R155 per person. Bookings essential. Tel: 035 772 3322
• Order your pre-wrapped milk chocolate hearts from the Empangeni SPCA and they will hand deliver it to your loved on. For more information Tel: 035 792 9129
• Book your romantic table for two at the Dros (Richards Bay Waterfront) on Valentine's Day and stand a chance to receive a complimentary bottle of Champagne. Tel 035 788 0493 for reservations. 
• The Kwambo Club is hosting a special Valentine's Evening meal for just R125 and includes a free glass of bubbly on arrival. Tel: 083 895 7913 for reservations. 
• Treat your loved one to a traditional Valentine's Day carvery at the Protea Hotel Richards Bay for R155 per person. Bookings essential on Tel 035 753 1350 

Saying I Love You, The Zulu Way with Beaded Love Letters

According to Regina Twala (African Studies, Volume 10, no 3 1951, pp 113 - 123) all traditional Zulu beadwork, excluding items used by ritual specialists, relates in someway to courtship and marriage.

Love letters (incwadi) as we know them have been around since the introduction of glass beads, these were quickly given meanings dependent upon their colour. Prior to beads, Zulu girls would use seeds, ostrich eggshell and seashells for adornment. The love letters are small, postage stamp sized plaques of beads that convey an emotion to the recipient - usually a favourable or unfavourable inclination towards his advances. The colours are mixed to convey a range of meaning. Here are some examples:

• Black indicates the colours of the rafters of the hut, to which colour the maiden has turned in pining for her loved one.
• White is the colour of purity.
• Blue - if I were a dove, I would fly to your home and pick up food at your door.
• Yellow - I shall never eat if we marry because you own no beast you can slaughter.
• Pink - You should work harder to gain your lobola and not gamble your money away.
• Green - I have become thin like the sweet cane in a damp field and green as the first shoots of a tree because of my love for you.
• Red - My heart bleeds and is full of love.

Zulu beadwork forms a complex means of communication which is devoted entirely to the expression of ideas and feelings. Zulu beadwork is normally made only by women, but is worn by both sexes, as a result, any beadwork worn by a man has been given to him by a woman. In this way, beaded items can be used as a means of communication between unrelated males and females, which avoids the age old problem of initiating direct discussion on the sensitive subject of love.

The Business Of Love

With valentines day just around the corner, have you considered the economic value of "love" and the inevitably associated value of weddings and honeymoons?

Well, it seems the age old tradition of love is BIG business. In a recent survey undertaken by Plus94 market Research Solutions a significant proportion of the country across all race groups marks the day by buying presents, taking their loved one out for a meal or getting a romantic breakaway, with an average spend of about R400 per person, while some are as high as R100000 per person!

Although further statistics and figures from South Africa are not readily available, consider that valentines day in the United States generates over $14 Billion (R105 Billion) .....and the love of Valentines Day readily translates into the business of weddings and honeymoons. South Africa is a major Honeymoon destination, not quite on the level of some of the Indian Ocean Islands or the Caribbean, but you just need to Google, "Honeymoon South Africa" and you are greeted with over 20 million hits and a variety of lodges, specialist tour operators and event organizers focusing on the honeymoon market.

The American Honeymoon market has some of the best statistics available about couples who take their Honeymoons abroad. Consider these:

• Estimated Number of Honeymooners: 1.4 million U.S. couples per year of which 890 000 of those are abroad. 
• On average, the honeymoon is booked 4 months before the wedding. 
• Honeymoons comprise a $12 billion-dollar-a-year industry. 
• Couples spend an average of $4,466 on their honeymoon. That's three times as much as the average U.S. adult spends on a vacation. Luxury honeymooners, which comprise 15% of the market, spend an average of $9,954 and vacation for 11 days. 
• The honeymoon, on average, accounts for 14 percent of the wedding budget. 
• The length of an average honeymoon is eight days. 
• 62% of couples pay for most of their honeymoon on their own. 
• 10 percent of newlyweds take cruises for their honeymoon. 
• 40% of honeymooners will stay at a resort vs. 27 percent at a large hotel vs.10 percent at a small hotel.

We always hear about the high divorce rates and marriages breaking up, but on the positive side a total of 184 860 marriages were registered in South Africa in 2006, an increase of 26 percent from 10 years ago, according to Statistics South Africa. With the average South African wedding costing anything between R20 000 and R200 000 - you do the maths. 

Lavenderlane - A Must See New Attraction in Zululand

A long-time dream, Lavenderlane Herbal Centre opened for business late in 2011, situated 6kms south of Mtunzini on the R102 (Obanjeni Sugar Estate). A tranquil and quiet atmosphere inspires relaxation as you enjoy any one of the many treatments available, or sit cosily on the verandah and enjoy a light lunch and home-made iced tea from the Lavenderlane Tea Garden.

Lavenderlane Herbal Centre also features "The Barn", the place to go for your beauty needs, with a wide range of products to choose from in an assortment of fragrances. Everything in The Barn, is "home-grown", in the sense that everything is proudly South African.

According to the Lavenderlane Website: "Our Clients are massaged with slow movements in a calming, soft environment with luxurious oils which have to be experienced. The therapeutic actions of our pure essential oils are matched with your personal health and lifestyle profile. We also offer massages for couples and small groups by prior arrangement. Our massages include: African Rungu, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, Indian Head, indulgent foot and full Aromatherapy. Dusting and exfoliation allow lasting effects of an experience you will treasure."

The centre also offers:

• Educational tours on herbs and essential oils
• Art and craft centre selling many local artists handcraft
• Various artist may be observed at work
• Art, craft and health workshops

Pop along and take a look for yourself, you won't regret it.

Lavenderlane is a woman's empowerment project and makes a significant responsible tourism addition to the Zululand portfolio of community based tourism projects. 

For more information, click here

KwaBulawayo Launched

The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and uThungulu District Municipality launched a multi-million Rand tourism site at KwaBulawayo on the 15th December 2011. This as His Majesty, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and the MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nomusa Dube, opened the KwaBulawayo Cultural and Tourism Centre at Bhekeshowe. The event, witnessed by high ranking officials and thousands of guests, was part of the Provincial and District Governments’ efforts to celebrate and highlight the 40th year of the reign of Ongangezwelakhe (His Majesty the King).

The history of the Zulu nation highlights the significance of KwaBulawayo as the military capital of iSilo sa-KwaDukuza, King Shaka. The project is a partnership between the CoGTA and the uThungulu District Municipality, which has seen the legendary military capital being reconstructed to recapture its history and importance. It is envisaged that the launch of this site will kick-start various tourism activities in the area which will create jobs. At the function, the King enthralled listeners with stories of the people and places embedded in Zulu history and culture in the very area where the function was taking place.

Source: Zululand Observer

Revamp Your Tourism Business With Google (For Free)

Have you heard about ‘Google Places’ or ‘Google Local Business Center’? If not, you are missing out on a great opportunity to revamp your tourism business. Google Places is a tool from Google which offers a fantastic way for local businesses to reach out to more customers. It lets your business quickly establish a presence on Google Maps and attract potential tourists via the internet.

How does it work?
Google Places are a collection of web pages that are popped-up on Google Maps and Google.com when users search for local businesses and click the “More Info” button. As a business, it allows you to add and edit information about your products and services.

What does it cost?
“The best things in life are free” and Google Places is no exception to that rule. It’s a great tool for small businesses which do not have a budget for paid alternatives such as Google AdWords.

Further, you can actually derive the best out of Google Places by paying just $25 per month by using “tags”. How do tags help your business? In Google’s own words, Tags provide business owners with an opportunity to showcase an aspect of their business / establishment that they think best reflects what they have to offer their customers. They can do this by highlighting a link to point customers directly to photos, videos, Website, coupons, directions, menu or reservations signup.

Further, Google plans to let businesses post sales alerts and other promotions from their dashboards to their Tags in Place Pages. Google believes that Places has great potential for businesses and it can be a game changer for a business to revamp its local presence.

Favourite Places
In December 2010, Google started the ‘Favorite Places’ campaign to identify 100,000 of the most searched for businesses nationwide on Google. The campaign has now expanded that to an additional 50,000 businesses on top of offering the service to all who choose to use it.

Just imagine the business advantages that you can gain if your business gets ranked amongst Google Favourite Places. The possibilities are endless!

What about Coupons?
There’s no denying the fact that coupons are a great way for local tourism businesses to drive customers to their establishments. Google understands the importance of coupons as well as anyone else and hence it provides an option for businesses to offer Coupons through their Google Places Page.

The best part is that you can even offer these coupons to users on their mobile phones. The number of people using mobile devices to find local businesses is increasing exponentially and I expect that it will completely replace printed coupons in the coming five years.

Other Goodies
Apart from these fantastic features, Google Places offers loads of other goodies to promote your business. These include

• Free Photos – Google Places lets you upload photos of your business to accompany the product/ service listing.
• Barcode Scanning – Google Places offers an instant barcode-scanning facility for smartphones. This is especially handy for retailers who can use this feature to offer special deals to customers.

With nearly 50 million and counting Google Places Pages, it is undoubtedly a great way to boost your business prospects in the local community.

Source: Smedio

Tourism, Top Three Trends For 2012

Getting on top of your tourism marketing strategy for the coming year? Here are the three top trends predicted for 2012. 

Online booking will continue to (modestly) grow
More than 50% of travel bookings are now made on the internet. More than 114 million people will research travel online this year in the US alone, while 94 million will actually book reservations online

There will be more mobile bookings and research
More travellers will be turning to their mobile devices to not only research lodging and travel options, but to book and communicate room preferences directly with the hotel. Mobile channel booking has increased four-fold between 2008 and 2010 according to Forrester Research. Google is projecting that mobile will overtake PCs as the most common Web-access device by 2013. With travellers adopting smart phones and tablets at such a rapid pace, it's crucial for hospitality businesses to optimize their website for mobile usage to capture potential mobile transactions.

Social media will continue to transform connections with travellers
It is being projected that by 2016, half of the travel industry will be using social media as a way of generating revenue and bookings. Social media will become more of a key component of Search Engine Results Page (SERP) algorithms. Facebook's posts are already integrated into Bing search and Google+ emerged with native integration into Google search. Hospitality businesses can no longer afford to linger over adding social media to their marketing mix. It's now a necessary element of traffic-driving success.

For more travel trends, reports and outlook for the coming year, visit the Tourism Trend Spotting Website here. Their site is jam packed with really interesting and useful information on global tourism trends, advice and information!