The Association of Corporate Travel
Executives (ACTE) will be addressing two critical issues currently
facing the South African Travel industry at an Executive Forum hosted on 21 June 2007
at the Inter-Continental Sandton Sun & Towers. Based on requests buy the Corporate Travel Community in the region, this
event will focus on critical travel issues affecting the industry as a
whole, including:

*      Best Available Rates and how they affect the Corporate Buyer

*      The emergence of a Skills-Gap in the South African Travel
Industry

The issue of an emergent Skills-Gap is being experienced across the
globe, with the international travel community expressing a concern with
the lack of effectively trained staff coming into the travel industry.
With the continuous evolution of the industry, the need to attract young
workers with effective education and skills is fast becoming a difficult
task to fulfil.  ACTE intends to advance the industry by addressing this
issue and discussing possible long-term solutions at upcoming
educational sessions around the world.

 

“I am very much looking forward to the next ACTE Executive Forum on 21
June as the topics are of extreme relevance to Sasol.  The issue of
Hotel Best Available Rates is one that we are dealing with at present,
and I will be very interested to hear the panel debate on this session
and to learn some information regarding the different perspectives, as
well as to get an understanding of benchmarked practices,” said Talitha
Redelinghuis, Travel Manager for Sasol Ltd.

 

The Johannesburg event will also feature a Self Booking Tools Technology
Showcase.  Following on from ACTE’s March Event where corporate buyers
requested additional information on Self Booking Tools available in the
market, this showcase will feature product displays and demonstrations
of all the Self Booking Tools available to corporate buyers in South
Africa.  This session is not to be missed for any corporate buyer
wishing to investigate the different Self Booking Tools available, as
well as current SBT users who may want to get additional insight into
the functionality of their product.

 

The regions leading travel management professionals will present
sessions and panel discussions regarding these pertinent Travel
Management issues.

Speakers and Panellists at this event include:

 

- Kobus Meyer, Senior Specialist Travey - Vodacom

- Malcolm Muggeridge, Revenue Manager - Southern Sun Hotels

- Felicity Meyer, Managing Director - Catalyst Travel Management

- Professor Berendien Lubbe, Travel & Tourism Deparment - University of
Pretoria

ACTE Executive Director, Susan Gurley said ” ACTE is pleased to be
working with such an engaged membership in the region.”
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