Joburg Tourism launches online booking portal

In line with the expansion of the internet accessibility, Joburg Tourism has now launched the first phase of its online booking portal, a convenient, cost-effective “one-stop shop”,  giving  travellers the means to take advantage of special offers and packages, while making all their travel reservations for Johannesburg online – from flights, car hire and  accommodation to tour and events packages.

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

Joburg Tourism has appointed the well-established Sandown Travel Group [ASATA and IATA members] as the preferred service provider to negotiate and manage customized packages around events and attractions in Joburg.  This includes managing the back-end fulfillment and issuing of tickets, online fulfillment and electronic payments for bookings.

Using the fully integrated Travelnet booking engine which boasts has the largest range of real-time bookable inventory in South Africa, the Joburg Tourism Booking portal focuses on Joburg-based signature and special events, promoting customised packages around them.  The Travelnet system is well established and has enjoyed widespread acceptance internationally – including adoption by Travelport, owners Galileo and Worldspan, two of the world’s largest GDS’s.

The portal inventory is accessed from multiple inventory distributors, including wholesale and receptive tour operators, hotels, b&b’s, airlines and low cost carriers, as well as pre-negotiated specials and packages, giving stakeholders and tourism providers the opportunity of partnering with Joburg Tourism.

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