Johannesburg Tourism Company has launched an all-new online booking portal during a gala celebration at World Travel Market 2011.

Hosted by South Africa House at central London, the event welcomed industry leaders from across Africa as Johannesburg claimed its place at the forefront of the technological revolution sweeping the tourism industry. 

The first phase of the online booking portal offers travellers a convenient, cost-effective one-stop shop, giving them the means to take advantage of special offers and packages.

All travel reservations for Johannesburg can now be made online – from flights, car hire, and accommodation to tour and events packages.

JTC chief executive Lindiwe Kwele addresses the audience at South Africa House

“As one of the continent’s most accessible and major entry points, it is incumbent upon JTC to assist travellers in planning their entire trip to South Africa – while showcasing all there is to do while spending time in Jozi on stopovers,” said JTC chief executive Lindiwe Kwele.

Joburg Tourism has appointed the well-established Sandown Travel Group (which holds both ASATA and IATA memberships) as the preferred service provider to negotiate and manage customised packages around events and attractions in the city.

This includes managing the back-end fulfillment and issuing of tickets, online fulfillment, and electronic payments for bookings.

Connie Molusi, chairman of JTC, addresses the audience at South Africa House

“We are very excited about the launch of our booking portal, as it provides a powerful touch-point to connect consumers globally with the variety of products, leisure options, and activities available in Joburg,” added Kwele.

“We encourage people to use the portal and enjoy exploring Joburg.

“We also invite Joburg-based tourism, leisure, and hospitality stakeholders to participate by partnering with JTC to bring value-add packages to market, to promote travel and tourism in our city.”

South Africa House was the place to be

The Travelnet system is well established and has enjoyed widespread acceptance internationally - including adoption by Travelport, and owners Galileo and Worldspan, two of the world’s largest GDSs.

Miss World joined the celebrations at South Africa House

The booking engine already offers the most comprehensive database of real-time inventory in South Africa.

It has also been comprehensively populated with tourism and up-to-date product information.

The newly-launched booking portal can be found here.