The ManicaPost
CAPE Town — New research released by global travel technology provider Sabre Corporation has revealed that African air travel spend is expected to rise 24 percent with the introduction of the pan-African passport in 2018.
The new passport will enable African travellers to visit other countries on the continent without a visa.
The comprehensive survey by Sabre aimed to uncover the opportunities and challenges faced by African travellers today, in a bid to help airlines address these to support their own growth and provide travellers a better journey.
Travellers from four countries — South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt were surveyed, with those having flown in the past 24 months saying they would spend 24 percent more with the introduction of the passport (from $1 100 to $1 500 annually).
But despite a willingness among travellers to spend more on flights, travel in Africa still remains inaccessible to the majority, with only 23 percent of those surveyed having travelled abroad at all in the last two years.
When asked what prevents them from travelling more, the top reasons were:
32 percent said travel is too expensive
31 percent said it is difficult obtaining visas
30 percent said it is too difficult to book travel
& 28 percent said there are no flights to their chosen destination
Travellers also expressed a number of gripes about their current experiences when travelling:
27 percent said the check-in process takes too long
22 percent said the check-in procedure is confusing
20 percent don’t like the food on aircrafts
19 percent think there is not enough to do at the airport
“The results suggest that while travel is inaccessible to many and is difficult for those that do travel, there is a still a strong desire to travel more,” said Dino Gelmetti, vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Airline Solutions, Sabre.
“Additionally, most of the pain points can be addressed by airlines, and these tweaks could make all the difference to travellers.
African carriers currently face tough competition from international rivals that control 88 percent of African airspace but, as demand for travel increases, African airlines have a real opportunity to win the lion’s share of bookings by addressing the pain points of travellers and going the extra mile to improve their experience.”
Like many other travellers globally, Africans also expressed a strong interest in experiencing a travel journey that was more personalised and tailored towards them.
Respondents said that they would be willing to spend up to $104 per trip on an airline’s extra products and services — such as excess baggage, cabin class upgrades, and special food and beverage — if it improved and personalised their journey.
As further encouragement for African carriers, Sabre’s survey respondents stated a number of reasons why people would choose to fly with their local carrier over a foreign airline; the top three reasons were:
It offered cheaper tickets
It offered the latest technology on board
It offered greater comfort on board
