For a great many of the 16 million people who work in the $2.6 trillion U.S. tourism industry, getting an accurate assessment of travel demand is akin to finding the Holy Grail. For destination organizations and visitor bureaus at the national, state and local level, pinning down where people want to travel is the key to efficiently managing budgets and spending. Airlines gauge travel demand when deciding where to open new routes. Hotels and other tourism-related businesses use demand forecasting to right-size supply and determine how many employees to hire.



But predicting travel demand has become harder over the past decade, and the Covid-19 pandemic has upended traditional forecasting models that rely on recent historical data.



“I used to be able to close my eyes and tell you, ‘Here’s what we’re going do, and this is our audience,’” says Butch Spyridon, president of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.visitmusiccity.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nashville Convention &amp; Visitors Corporation</a>. “And I can’t do that anymore.”



Today, Spyridon and other U.S. tourism professionals are about to get an eyeful from Google. The technology company is launching&nbsp;<a href="https://travelinsights.withgoogle.com/intl/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Travel Insights with Google</a>, a brand new suite of free tools that leverage Google Search data to deliver insights into real-time travel demand.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/960x0/https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F60eece71c0c0a16f7b59d7a9%2F0x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale" alt="Google travel trends tool"/><figcaption>Destination Insights lets travel marketers glean quick &#8220;focusing facts&#8221; that highlight major trends.&nbsp;GOOGLE</figcaption></figure>



The first tool,&nbsp;<a href="https://destinationinsights.withgoogle.com/intl/en_ALL/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Destination Insights</a>, gives travel businesses, governments and tourism boards a clear picture of where travel demand is coming from so they can plan accordingly. A second tool,&nbsp;<a href="https://hotelinsights.withgoogle.com/intl/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hotel Insights</a>, has been customized to help hoteliers analyze search trends so they can attract new guests based on where interest is coming from.&nbsp;



“It’s really difficult to find any anchor of data to forecast the future, and so we felt it was a good time right now to share some of our search data with the industry to help travel companies understand what users are looking for. And here’s the kind of queries they’re doing, and here’s the data and information they’re interested in,” says Gianni Marostica, Managing Director of Global Business Development for Google Travel.



Google started piloting the Travel Insights tools last December in the Asian Pacific region, where some destinations were already bouncing back early from Covid-19 and looking for directional data to guide where they should spend marketing dollars.



“The launch is very timely for Vietnam as we are looking at reviving tourism and restructuring destination markets post Covid-19,” says Ha Van Sieu, deputy chairman of&nbsp;<a href="https://vietnamtourism.gov.vn/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vietnam’s tourism organization</a>. “The tool is extremely useful for us to understand domestic, inbound and outbound travel demand based on real-time digital data, and to develop marketing strategies.”



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/960x0/https%3A%2F%2Fspecials-images.forbesimg.com%2Fimageserve%2F60eec53a5c09d5e76d59d7a9%2F0x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale" alt="travel trend data Google"/><figcaption>Which destinations are growing in popularity? Destination Insights pulls data from Google Search.&nbsp;GOOGLE</figcaption></figure>



During the initial six-month pilot in Asia, Google received valuable feedback from the governments and travel organizations that test-drove the new tool. “They provided some great insights as to some additional data or different cuts of data that we should have in the tool,” says Marostica. “And hopefully now, moving forward, as we roll this out in the U.S., we’ll get even more insights and maybe do different cuts of data based on what U.S.-based users would like to see.”



As chairman of the board for&nbsp;<a href="https://destinationsinternational.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Destinations International</a>, a trade group representing over 650 destination organizations, convention and visitors bureaus and tourism boards worldwide,&nbsp;Spyridon helped forge a partnership with Google.&nbsp;Now he can’t wait to use Travel Insights to glean insights into where travel demand is strongest for Nashville.



The Music City’s $10 billion tourism industry has traditionally relied on a heavy leisure drive market, says Spyridon, but in recent years it&#8217;s become almost impossible to get a handle on where demand is most concentrated. “The whole country has become our market in the last 10 years. Now it&#8217;s 50-50 fly-drive and just as strong West Coast and Northeast as it is Atlanta,” he says. “That&#8217;s good news for us. But it&#8217;s also hard to retarget that audience.”



Spyridon says his biggest obstacle has been a lack of good intel. “By the time we look at, the data is weeks, months and in some cases, a year old,” says Spyridon. “Putting our arms around current real-time data, we have never had that opportunity.”



The destination tool offers quick insights such as “fastest growing destination globally,” “country with the most inbound interest” and “top city in demand.” Marketers can dive deeper into each data set, and toggle the date range to see how that changes results.



Spyridon sees today’s launch is a game changer for travel marketers. “Google is the best in the business for gathering this data,” he says. “This is the best, most accurate and most real-time data that we will have access to. It will allow us to understand the search trends and meet the demand more effectively and be more current.”



“Responsibly reinvigorating the tourism sector will take ingenuity and effort across the industry,” writes Marostica on <a href="https://www.blog.google/products/ads-commerce/tools-partnerships-help-travel-recover-thrive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google’s blog</a>. “As we make progress toward recovery, we’ll continue to seek to find new ways to support the global travel and tourism sector by sharing data and insights that can help the industry rebound.”



By Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes Staff

Man walking with suitcase at airport terminal

Google Just Unlocked The Mysteries Of Travel Demand—And The Tourism Industry Can’t Wait To Have At It

Topline: After 20 long and turbulent months of being grounded, the Boeing 737 MAX is ready to take off into the skies as it gets approval to return to commercial service, says the U.S.  Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday, November 18.  This follows after The Boeing Company had to suspend the services of the airplanes due to the crash of Ethiopian Airline’s Boeing 737 MAX in March 2019.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Key Facts</h4>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>The FAA released a <a href="https://www.faa.gov/foia/electronic_reading_room/boeing_reading_room/media/737_RTS_Summary.pdf">comprehensive and methodical safety review process</a> report on Wednesday that took 20 months to complete. The report is to address the safety issues regarding the plane.&nbsp;</li><li>Boeing 737 MAX was grounded in March 2019 when 346 lives were lost within a five-month timeline.&nbsp;</li><li>On October 29, 2018, a Lion Air&nbsp; Boeing 737 MAX crashed after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia. 13 minutes after takeoff, Flight 610 crashed killing 189 people.</li><li>Five months later, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after take-off on March 10 killing all 149 people on board.&nbsp;</li><li>This led to many big airlines having to ground their Boeing 737 Max planes due to safety concerns. This included the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) who ordered all Chinese airlines to ground their Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets a day after the fatal Ethiopian crash. American Airlines, Comair Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines are just to name a few that also made the decision to ground their 737s.&nbsp;</li><li>“Throughout our transparent process, we cooperated closely with our foreign counterparts on every aspect of the return to service. Additionally, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson personally took the recommended pilot training and piloted the Boeing 737 MAX, so he could experience the handling of the aircraft firsthand,” the FAA statement read.&nbsp;</li><li>This stamp of approval allows airlines that are under the FAA&#8217;s jurisdiction to take the necessary steps to resume services.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Crucial Numbers</h4>



According to <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/17/business/boeing-737-max-grounding-cost/index.html">CNN</a>, Boeing stated that this longest grounding in commercial aviation history has cost the company $20 Billion. This includes $8.6 billion to compensate customers who had their planes grounded, $5 billion for unusual costs of production, and $6.3 billion for increased costs of the 737 Max program.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Crucial Quote</h4>



&#8220;We will never forget the lives lost in the two tragic accidents that led to the decision to suspend operations,&#8221; said David Calhoun, chief executive officer of The Boeing Company. &#8220;These events and the lessons we have learned as a result have reshaped our company and further focused our attention on our core values of safety, quality, and integrity.&#8221;

US-AVIATION-BOEING

Boeing 737 MAX Gets Approval To Fly Again After Almost 2 Years of Suspended Services

Airbus SE, now the world’s largest planemaker, could take more strict measures to cut more jobs because of a continued fall in demand for travel fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic, CEO Guillaume Faury <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezSjYXSbsDw" target="_blank">told</a> French radio station RTL Tuesday morning.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h4>



The European planemaker is already committing to cutting 15,000 jobs as air travel and orders from airlines have been ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, with a number of layoffs made through a voluntary redundancy scheme.



But on Tuesday, Faury warned that voluntary redundancies may not be enough to reach that goal.



He added that he could not guarantee that compulsory redundancies would not happen in a bid to cut costs.



The CEO said that while airlines were not cancelling orders, they were delaying them as demand for air travel stays at a fraction of activity before the coronavirus and with many travel bans still in place, and lockdown restrictions returning to regions facing a second wave.



Faury said that had left airlines “in a more difficult situation after the holidays than what we were hoping.”



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h4>



Faury told RTL on Tuesday: “The situation is so serious, and we are faced with so much uncertainty, that I think no one can guarantee there won’t be compulsory redundancies if we’re to adapt to the situation, especially if it evolves further.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“On the other hand, what I say clearly is that we have a lot of work to do, we will do everything we can to avoid arriving at that point.” </blockquote>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h4>



<a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-airbus-ceo/airbus-close-to-slashing-jobs-as-ceo-confirms-40-output-drop-idUKKBN2400I5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">40%</a>. That’s how much Airbus is dropping its production by for the next two years, to offset the effects of the pandemic.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



Air travel has been one of the industries most severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with a number of global firms slashing orders from the world’s biggest planemakers including Airbus, and Boeing. In June, Airbus committed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jun/30/gravest-crisis-as-airbus-plans-to-cut-15000-jobs-1700-in-uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cutting</a>&nbsp;15,000 jobs—or 15% of its global workforce—citing the coronavirus pandemic as the “gravest crisis” in the firm’s history. The extent of the impact on the aerospace giant was made clear in July, when it posted a nearly $2 billion loss in the first half of 2020, while new orders in the second quarter plummeted to just eight, compared with nearly 300 in the first three months of the year. While governments have doled out some&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iata.org/en/iata-repository/publications/economic-reports/cash-may-run-out-for-some-airlines-during-tough-winter-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$161 billion</a>&nbsp;in aid to airlines around the world, according to IATA, the next challenge will be keeping struggling airlines afloat during the winter months, which will likely be compounded by a second wave of the coronavirus and a likely repeat of some stringent lockdown measures.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h4>



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jun/30/gravest-crisis-as-airbus-plans-to-cut-15000-jobs-1700-in-uk" target="_blank">&#8216;Gravest crisis&#8217; as Airbus plans to cut 15,000 jobs</a> (The Guardian)



by Isabel Togoh,Forbes Staff

FRANCE-AIRBUS-AEROSPACE-RESULTS

Airbus, The World’s Largest Planemaker, Warns Of More Job Cuts Because Of The Pandemic

A new research paper from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimates that blocking out the middle seat on airplanes could cause the likelihood of passengers being infected with coronavirus to drop by nearly half, just as some airlines are starting to book flights to capacity again.



KEY FACTS



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>According to the MIT paper (which has not been peer reviewed) the chances of catching coronavirus from a nearby passenger on a full airplane when all coach seats are filled is about <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.02.20143826v2.full.pdf" target="_blank">1 in 4,300</a>.</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>However, those odds drop to 1 in 7,700 when all the middle seats on board are left empty, the paper states.</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Taking into account a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.02.20143826v2.full.pdf" target="_blank">1% mortality rate</a> according to the statistical model, the likelihood of dying from a coronavirus case contracted on a plane is far more likely than dying in a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.02.20143826v2.full.pdf" target="_blank">plane crash</a>, which has odds of about 1 in 34 million, the paper stated. </li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>In “Covid-19 Risk Among Airline Passengers: Should the Middle Seat Stay Empty?” the author of the study, Arnold Barnett, wrote that his analysis aims to be “<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.02.20143826v2.full.pdf" target="_blank">a rough approximation</a>” of the risks involved in flying during the coronavirus pandemic.</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>“The airlines are setting their own policies but the airlines and the public should know about the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/filling-middle-seats-nearly-doubles-airline-passenger-risk-of-catching-covid-19-says-mit-researcher/" target="_blank">risk implications</a> of their choices,&#8221; Barnett told ZDNet this week.</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>The paper comes just as more flight carriers, like <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2020/06/27/american-airlines-ditches-social-distancing-will-book-planes-at-full-capacity/#654a11ea3b9a">American Airlines</a>, begin booking flights to full capacity despite surges of the virus across the country. </li></ul>



KEY BACKGROUND



The coronavirus pandemic has been disastrous for the travel industry, and has especially hurt airlines. Major American carriers including American, Delta and United have asked employees to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2020/07/08/united-airlines-warns-that-it-could-layoff-36000-employees/#1f5870d93afb">take buyouts</a> and early retirement, Forbes reported, in a bid to cut costs as the pandemic causes them to bleed cash. United Airlines warned this week that it could be forced to furlough <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2020/07/08/united-airlines-warns-that-it-could-layoff-36000-employees/#6a9425d73afb">36,000 jobs</a>, or nearly half of its American workers, starting in October if travel doesn’t pick up. In April, the airline estimated that in the first quarter it lost <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2020/04/20/united-airlines-first-quarter-loss/#36db1a0196ef">$2.1 billion</a> pre-tax, Forbes reported, and was losing <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2020/04/20/united-airlines-first-quarter-loss/#36db1a0196ef">$100 million</a> a day in the last half of March. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said in May he expects a major airline to go <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2020/05/12/boeing-ceo-warns-a-major-airline-will-most-likely-go-out-of-business-this-year-because-of-coronavirus/#660d73342b4b">out of business</a> in 2020 as a result of pandemic pressure.



NEWS PEG



American Airlines announced two weeks ago it would begin <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2020/06/27/american-airlines-ditches-social-distancing-will-book-planes-at-full-capacity/#654a11ea3b9a">booking middle seats</a> again starting in July, although the carrier will allow passengers to switch from a full flight without any extra cost, Forbes reported. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2020/06/27/american-airlines-ditches-social-distancing-will-book-planes-at-full-capacity/#370f46303b9a">United</a> is also selling tickets for middle seats. American Airlines took flak earlier this month when Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) tweeted a picture of his <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/SenJeffMerkley/status/1278782271986831360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1279139143117832192%7Ctwgr%5E&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wusa9.com%2Farticle%2Fnews%2Fverify%2Fverify-airplane-safety-coronavirus-major-airlines-policies%2F65-5872a38d-42fe-4940-be04-eb67de1fe0c3" target="_blank">crowded flight</a>. 



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">.<a href="https://twitter.com/AmericanAir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmericanAir</a>: how many Americans will die bc you fill middle seats, w/ your customers shoulder to shoulder, hour after hour. This is incredibly irresponsible. People eat &amp; drink on planes &amp; must take off masks to do so. No way you aren’t facilitating spread of COVID infections. <a href="https://t.co/PWG5macqgC">pic.twitter.com/PWG5macqgC</a>&mdash; Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJeffMerkley/status/1278782271986831360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2020</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



WHAT TO WATCH



If airlines continue to extend their policy of keeping middle seats blocked off or if they’ll be forced to book to capacity to turn a profit. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/SouthwestAir/status/1280932162854948866" target="_blank">Southwest</a> and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/Delta/status/1278352078784671744" target="_blank">Delta</a> have both committed to keeping their middle <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/Delta/status/1278352078784671744" target="_blank">seats</a> blocked off until at least the end of September, while <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2020/06/26/airlines-tried-social-distancing-board-many-that-experiment-is-ending/" target="_blank">JetBlue</a> will do the same through July, according to the Washington Post.



&#8211; <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/">Carlie Porterfield</a>, Forbes Staff, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/business">Business</a>

gettyimages-1224293933-594×594

Leaving Airplane Middle Seats Empty Could Cut Coronavirus Risk Almost In Half, A Study Says

Topline: As the number of coronavirus cases surpasses <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/coronavirus-maps.html?action=click&amp;pgtype=Article&amp;state=default&amp;module=styln-coronavirus&amp;variant=show&amp;region=TOP_BANNER&amp;context=storyline_menu" target="_blank">110,000 people</a> worldwide, with more reported daily, the federal government has issued a number of travel advisories⁠—here’s where to avoid, and where it’s probably okay to visit: 



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centers for Disease Control</a>&nbsp;has three levels of travel advisories, with Level 1 being the lowest caution and Level 3 being the highest (with China, Iran, Italy and South Korea on that Level 3 list).</li><li>The CDC has designated Japan with a Level 2 advisory due to ongoing community transmission of the disease, which means older people and people with chronic underlying medical conditions should reconsider traveling there, while Hong Kong is a Level 1 advisory, based on its risk of limited community transmission.</li><li>The&nbsp;<a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">State Department</a>&nbsp;also has a four tier travel advisory system, with Level 4 being the most severe warning, and says travel to Level 3 countries Azerbaijan, Mongolia and Turkmenistan should be reconsidered due to the outbreak; the department released a&nbsp;<a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/COVID-19-Country-Specific-Information.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">complete country-by-country advisory database</a>&nbsp;on Monday specifically for coronavirus.</li><li>“I think you can go anywhere [internationally] if you don’t mind being delayed by 14 days,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious diseases scholar at Johns Hopkins University, adding, “it’s not in terms of ‘it’s safe’ or ‘not safe,’ but logistically feasible to get home in time” if a traveler is quarantined.</li><li>Adalja said that domestic travel within the U.S. is safe for most people, (and the CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hasn’t recommended</a>&nbsp;travel restrictions within the U.S.) but “if you’re older or have underlying medical conditions, reconsider nonessential travel because we are likely seeing more community spread.”</li><li>“We have to dispel the notion that coronavirus is a travel-related illness,” said Adalja, because the virus has likely been spreading since November, and health officials are catching up to containment and treatment.</li></ul>



Crucial quote: &#8220;We already have community transmission within the United States,&#8221; Shira Doran, an infectious disease specialist at Tufts University, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/06/812650868/coronavirus-travel-tips-to-fly-or-not-to-fly-what-happens-if-you-cancel" target="_blank">told NPR</a> Friday. &#8220;So, at some point, it&#8217;s not going to be any riskier to go to another country than it is to stay right here.&#8221;



Key background:&nbsp;The coronavirus outbreak has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2020/02/28/updated-here-are-the-destinations-affected-by-coronavirus-flight-cancellations-and-travel-bans/#4b33e377cd68">thrown a wrench</a>&nbsp;into travel worldwide, with numerous airlines cancelling flights, cruise ships quarantining passengers and even domestic trains, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/7/21169393/amtrak-canceling-nonstop-acela-new-york-washington-dc-coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amtrak’s Acela</a>, canceling service between major cities. Travelers around the world have been quarantined as countries work to contain the disease. Multiple&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/03/03/811728989/coronavirus-cancellations-and-travel-bans-google-is-latest" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">businesses</a>&nbsp;and corporations have suspended travel for employees. Major conferences and events, like the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2020/03/06/sxsw-cancelled-amidst-coronavirus-fears/">South By Southwest</a>&nbsp;music and culture festival, have also been called off. The CDC has recommended travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Level 3 countries⁠: China, Iran, Italy and South Korea. (Entry by Chinese and Iranian nationals has also been suspended due to the outbreak). And the State Department has advised against all traveling by cruise ships.



Tangent: 15 countries. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/" target="_blank">That’s how many</a> are designated “Level 4, Do Not Travel” by the State Department. But only one country⁠—China, where the coronavirus is believed to have originated⁠—was designated Level 4 due to the outbreak.



&#8211; <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/">Lisette Voytko</a>, Forbes Staff, Business

gettyimages-1151553588-170667a

Here’s The Worst Places To Travel Because Of The COVID-19 Coronavirus Outbreak

Africa dominates the bottom of the rung in the 2020 Henley Passport Index. A majority of the continent’s passport-holders don’t have the luxury of visa-free travel around the world. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/African-countries-ranking-1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="512" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/African-countries-ranking-1-1024x512.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42514" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/African-countries-ranking-1-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/African-countries-ranking-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/African-countries-ranking-1-600x300.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/African-countries-ranking-1-768x384.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/African-countries-ranking-1-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/African-countries-ranking-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption> [To see the infographic on Africa&#8217;s rankings, click on the image] </figcaption></figure>



The African Union may be gearing for a common African passport, but for now, it seems like most African passports don’t have what it takes to get to other parts of the world.



In the recently-released Henley Passport Index, which measures all the
world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can
access without a prior visa, only two African countries –Seychelles and Mauritius — are in the top 50.



The
rest of the continent dominates the bottom quarter of the rankings with weaker
passports than most, pointing to difficult and intensive visa processes in most
cases. 



Africa’s
biggest economy and one of its most influential, Nigeria, is at the end of the
travel freedom spectrum, at a pitiful number 95 with Djibouti. Nigeria’s
population of 200 million can only travel to 46 countries without obtaining a
visa in advance.&nbsp; 



Even
passport-holders from Samoa and Serbia have a better chance of traveling to
most places in the world, visa-free, than those in South Africa, the African
continent’s second biggest economy. 



Ranked
56, the number of global destinations South African passport-holders can travel
to is 100. 



It
is followed by its southern African neighbor, Botswana,
ranking at 62 with a score of 84.



Seychelles, the archipelago country in the Indian Ocean, is Africa’s
top-ranking African passport in this regard, at 29 with access to 151
destinations worldwide. 



It is quickly followed by Mauritius which is at 32 with a score of 146
destinations passport-holders of this country can visit.



The lowest-ranking African country is Somalia at 104. Passport-holders
from this tiny nation in the Horn of Africa can only visit 32 countries without
a pre-departure visa



Globally, Asia dominates the list. For the third consecutive year, Japan
has secured the top spot on the index — which is based on exclusive data from
the International Air Transport Association (IATA) — with a
visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 191. Singapore holds on to its second place
position with a score of 190.

passports_-_flickr

Emerging Economies, But Weaker Passports

The South African fashion designer is enamored by the haunting beauty of the capital of the Czech Republic.

One of South Africa’s top fashion designers and entrepreneurs, JJ Schoeman, whose eponymous brand has kept him in circulation for decades amongst the country’s swish set, may hail from Highveld, Centurion, but his favorite place in the world is the Czech Republic.
When not styling Johannesburg’s fashionable elite, he holidays abroad, particularly in Europe.
His last trip was to Prague, over the Christmas and New Year vacations. It’s his favorite city, where he loves taking strolls on the countless bridges crossing the Vltava River.
This city’s baroque buildings, Gothic churches and the landmark medieval astronomical clock have never ceased to amaze him.
“The city gives one the chills as one gets a haunting feeling just strolling around. The buildings and towers have a characteristic Gothic look and feel. The feeling I got when strolling over the many bridges over the river Vltava, was [as though] a vampire would possibly appear, somewhere, somehow…,” says Schoeman.
“We flew economy class and did the whole of Europe by first-class train. The plan was just economical. If you are going to do a big holiday with lots of things, then you better make sure you have enough money. Imagine flying for R100,000 ($7,000); then there’s a whole budget that’s gone, so it’s better fly for R10,000 ($700), because you have so many things to do.”
The other European cities he visited included Berlin, Paris, Vienna and Amsterdam.
He has gone up the Eiffel Tower and enjoyed the orchestras and operas in Vienna.
Prague impressed Schoeman the most and he booked himself into the best accommodation the city could offer, also visiting cathedrals, palaces and museums. He shopped too. Schoeman loves crystal and Prague specializes in it.
Besides that, the clothing stores are ubiquitous and the pricing very affordable, says the designer.
“Usually when I travel, I travel as light as possible as I like to shop for all sorts of things that are beautiful and sometimes wearable. I often buy luggage to return with my shopping, as I run out of space in my hand luggage. Only the clothes I wear on the flight go with me and I buy everything else that I need there, even toothpaste.”
Schoeman usually decides the budget beforehand.

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				The Vltava river and the historical center of Prague. Photo: Getty Images
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“It’s just simpler to spend within your budget and in their currency, as one has already decided how much that is,” he says.
However, Schoeman does not convert foreign currency to South African rands; he simply does not see the point.
On the plane, he catches up on all the movies he has missed during the year.
“Simply, as there is often not much time for cinema,” he says.
“On a long-haul flight, I do like to take a nap after watching a few films. Often, I have engaged in light conversation with fellow passengers, but it really depends if one makes the connection.”
When not making clothes for brides, businesswomen and celebrities, Schoeman is traveling and the Czech Republic will always be top of the list for the fashionista from Centurion.

SAFW-258-MM

Executive Travel: JJ Schoeman’s Prague

With the new South African visa regulations, it’s not just the small B&amp;Bs taking a hit – the high-end is feeling the effects too.
Foreigners who want to visit South Africa must apply for visas in person at South African embassies to have their biometric data captured. Residents of countries who require a short-stay visa for South Africa, and do not have a South African embassy in their country or city, will have to travel. Parents and guardians traveling with children must be in possession of an unabridged birth certificate.
The travel and tourism sector directly employs an estimated 679,500 people, is growing at a rate of 3% and contributes directly and indirectly to 9.4% of South Africa’s GDP. But Cape Town’s top-end is feeling the brunt of the legislature. The Westin, at R2,330 ($167) a night, is situated at the entrance of the Victoria &amp; Alfred Waterfront; with views of Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and the entirety of Table Bay. Within walking distance from town it’s a firm favorite for tourists. It’s an easy sell but the five-star hotel has already taken a hit.
“At The Westin, we have started to see the ramifications that the new visa regulations is having on the tourism industry. Damage to the local tourism industry has already begun.  We definitely anticipate a lull for the festive season this year. A further concern is the collateral damage that comes from this, such as the strain on the South African economy as well as job loss,” says Rob Kucera, FEDHASA (Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa) Cape Chairman and GM for The Westin Cape Town.
Occupancy rates have dropped significantly for The Westin. A study commissioned by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa said the tourism industry lost R886 million ($63 million) in direct spending last year because of the regulations and fears that Ebola might spread from West Africa. It’s estimated that South Africa is set to lose 100,000 tourists this year, translating into a R1.4-billion ($100 million) loss.
“We have changed our strategy to find business in other market segments and countries. We have taken a hit over our current winter period and the upcoming season will not be as good as last year,” says Kucera.
“There is no doubt that due to the new visa regulations we have challenging times ahead. As the industry body for the hospitality sector we are committed to encouraging these conversations for the benefit of the tourism industry and ultimately to safeguard the international tourist impression of South Africa as a holiday destination of choice,” he says.
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma announced that a new inter-ministerial committee has been established to deal with the unintended consequences of the new travel visa regulations. The regulations are coming under fire – not only for the effects on the tourism industry but for the justification of them. The consequences come at a bad time for South Africa; the economy shrank by an unexpected 1.3% in the second quarter.
Tourism minister, Derek Hanekom, admits tourism has been hit. He said the number of visitors from China, one of South Africa’s major markets, has dropped by nearly 40% – and the numbers for other markets were similar.
In defense of the regulations, Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni briefed parliament. In his report, he claimed an estimated 30,000 children, 50% of whom are under the age of 14, are trafficked through South Africa every year, and that the new regulations would protect those children. The figure has since been dispelled by Africa Check and in parliament, it was stated that 23 children had been trafficked in a three-year period.
With too much room in the inn on all fronts, the tourism industry’s fears are mounting

Too Much Room In The Inn

With all the excitement and anticipation that comes with holidays it is so easy to overspend. Here are a few tips to manage your holiday finances and still have a lot of fun.
<h4>Plan ahead</h4>
By booking early, there is time to shop around for the best deals on fares, accommodation and tour packages. If your plans aren’t already in place, you will have little flexibility and will have to accept whatever is available. Last minute bookings can cost you much more than if you had booked weeks, if not months, in advance. This can get really expensive particularly for a large family.
Air miles are useful in offsetting some of your ticket or accommodation costs. However, it is a challenge to find air mile tickets during peak periods.
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<h4>Draw up a holiday budget, and stick to it</h4>
You do not have to travel to an expensive and exotic location just because everyone else is doing so. Set an overall spending limit involving your family and try to stick to this. You will need to budget for the various aspects of holiday spending. Avoid borrowing to finance a holiday unless there is some certainty of an impending inflow of funds or other compelling reason to do so.
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Credit cards, debit cards or cash?
If you plan to use your cards while you are away, notify your bank or card company; as an added security precaution, many card providers look out for suspicious activity and your account may be suspended until they have confirmed that it is indeed you using the card.
As far as possible, use your debit card for withdrawals at ATMs during bank opening hours. Always hold some cash just in case your card is lost, stolen or fails to work.
Licensed bureau de changes are usually available at airports; this is very convenient particularly when you arrive, but they tend not to be as competitive as those in town. Also, be cautious when you patronize moneychangers, as there is the risk of being shortchanged or sold counterfeit money.
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<h4>Beware of roaming charges</h4>
The new-generation smart phones provide us with instant access to the internet. We thus unwittingly leave ourselves open to exorbitant international roaming charges. The continuous activity as soon as we switch on our electronic gadgets utilizes data, leading to constant charging and a shocking bill when you return home.
Fortunately, smartphones have a range of options and you can choose which services to switch off. After disabling data services, you can still make and receive calls and send and receive text messages. In addition, you can turn this feature on and off,  so you can still check your emails periodically.
You will have access to Wi-Fi hotspots at internet cafes and your hotel. Use ‘free’ hotspots with extreme caution, particularly for transactions; they may be convenient but are not always secure and you could be compromising your sensitive information. Reduce your vulnerability by using strong passwords and security software.
It makes sense to buy a local SIM card when you arrive at your destination, making calls will be much cheaper than using your usual number.
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<h4>Are you insured?</h4>
While vacations usually go without incident, you don’t want to be caught unawares. What if someone in your family suddenly becomes ill? What if your luggage gets lost or you have to cancel your trip? Travel insurance usually includes coverage for medical bills, lost baggage and cancellations. Read the fine print to ensure that you have the best coverage at affordable rates and make sure you have your medical insurance card.
Above all, remember that a vacation is really about spending quality time with loved ones, resting and having time for yourself. It doesn’t have to be expensive; you can rediscover your own environment by visiting places close to home, revisit your hobbies, pastimes, and sports. With a little careful planning, you can find a balance between having a holiday and still keeping your finances in check.
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For more personal finance tips, follow Money Matters With Nimi on Twitter: @MMWITHNIMI and Facebook: MoneyMattersWithNimi

Managing your holiday finances

Overnight, Mandla Maseko went from an unknown DJ from a township to a media sensation making history as the first black African to go to space. Even he’s surprised.
“I remember years back, I think a year or two, I Googled myself and only found one picture on the third page of results. Now, when I Google myself, I’m on the first page,” says Maseko.
Maseko grew up in Mabopane, in the Soshanguve township, north of Pretoria. As a young boy, he enjoyed space films like Armageddon and Apollo 13. But the idea of one day becoming an astronaut was unimaginable. He dreamt of being a lawyer or a policeman.
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“We were not brought up to think that we could be bigger than big. But I always knew that I was destined for greater things.”
After high school, Maseko studied civil engineering at university but dropped out because of financial difficulties. He then had a line of temporary jobs including a dead-end sales job where he earned R10 ($1) an hour.
“I said to them, ‘Guys this is how much I spend a day and this is how much I’m getting a day. So if you look at it, I’m not really earning anything’… Then I quit.”
While at home, lounging on the couch and listening to the radio, the unemployed Maseko heard about the opportunity of a lifetime. Axe Apollo Space Academy was giving 23 people a free trip to space. Step one in the process was to send a picture of yourself jumping off from anywhere. Maseko sent an image of himself jumping off a wall at his house. He originally wanted to jump off the roof, but his mother did not like that idea.
The picture secured a call from the judges, who asked why the 25 year old wanted to go to space.
“I want to defy the laws of gravity. And possibly go down in history as the first black South African in space.”
Maseko, along with 29 other contestants, made it to the next round of the competition which was held in Parys, a town in the Free State province of South Africa. The contestants were faced with a number of challenges, including the infamous vomit comet.
“You stand up against the wall, the walls start spinning and then the floor disappears. So you’re standing on the edge, being pushed by the G-force up against the wall. The challenge was to push yourself up against the G-force and pick up five flags beneath your feet and put them above your head, one by one.”
The second challenge involved skydiving 10,000 feet above the ground then dropping sandbags on targets while plummeting. The final six contestants were put into an air combat jet that spun and flipped around.
“They wanted to see if you were going to vomit or pass out. Immediately after getting off, we had to write a test… I was fine. I’m a typical township boy. We don’t vomit in such challenges,” says Maseko with a chuckle.
The last leg of the competition was held at the Global Space Camp in Orlando, Florida in the Unites States. Maseko was one of three South Africans representing his country. He felt like a tiny star in the galaxy when he found out that there were 109 contestants representing 75 countries, all fighting for the same dream.
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The week’s tasks included G-force, an obstacle course, target shooting, a zipline, air combat flight and zero gravity flight.
“We were divided into groups and we had to construct a rocket. My group wasn’t successful but we had team spirit… Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, was looking for three qualities: bravery, enthusiasm and teamwork.”
That night they had a graduation ceremony where all 109 contestants received a certificate of completion. Then, the big announcement that changed 23 lives forever.
“They called the first guy and I was at the back taking pictures, thinking to myself that they will call a South Africa way later, like the 10th or the 11th person. To my surprise, after calling the first guy they call my name. I was holding an iPad taking pictures, thinking, ‘Wow, really! God is now showing off.’”
The victory was bittersweet. Three hours prior to the announcement, the news of Nelson Mandela’s passing had made world headlines. He was one of Maseko’s childhood heroes.
“It felt like Mandela was like ‘I’ve run the race and I’ve completed the course, now here’s the torch Mandla. Go as a young South African and fire up the youth. Run this course and take it to new heights.’ And in my case take it to space.”
Across the world, media was abuzz as countries celebrated their new space champions. Maseko and the organizers decided to keep the good news a secret for two weeks while the nation mourned their hero.
“He broke new ground as the first black president of South Africa and I wanted my name to resonate in the same light as his. In years to come, they’ll ask who the first black president was and they will say Mandela and they will ask who the first black South African in space was and my name will come. Even if I become a quarter of what he was, it’ll be fine.”
Weeks later, South Africans would hear the news of Maseko and everyone wanted a piece of him. He was noticed on the streets, his picture was splashed across the front pages of newspapers and he became a regular on radio. For Maseko, his big moment came when he was invited to President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation address and was even mentioned in the speech.
Although the mission into space is in late 2015, Maseko often dreams of his first moments in space.
“I see myself at the moment where we are sub-orbiting and I see the huge blue and white round ball that is called Earth. If I get to make a call, I will call the president. I’ll sing his song ‘Umshini wami’ (a Zulu struggle song). It won’t be a dull moment,” he says.
After space, Maseko wants to study towards becoming an astronaut. He wants to give back to South Africa and continue to inspire youth to reach for their dreams. But ultimately he wants to fly back to the United States and go on another mission into space where he dreams of placing the South African flag on the moon.
A dream too far? I don’t think so, after all he’s already going to space.

One Small Step For A DJ  One Giant Leap For Africa

It was a bright, sunny day when a fleet of 36 yachts left the shores of Cape Town, South Africa, for Brazil in the 2014 Cape to Rio race. One of the yachts, Investec Ciao Bella, has the most unlikely crew; it’s manned by an entire family, the Robinsons. Unlike many professional competitors, their idea of a family holiday consists of a month ploughing through the cold ocean, ducking under flying fish, gawking at glowing dolphins and watching out for floating containers as deadly as icebergs.
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In January, the family left African shores sporting shirts, short-sleeved vests and plenty of sunscreen. Little did they know they would sail in 60 knots of wind and 8-meter swells; a storm no-one was expecting was on the horizon. It claimed one man’s life and crippled a third of the fleet.
“If you look at the weather imaging from that day all you will see is this giant eye of cloud. And we sailed straight into it,” says Mike Robinson.
In 2011, Mike and his wife Gill, sons Ricky (23), Brennan (22), and Ryan (14) with daughters Kathryn (25) and Michaela (10) and their nephew Bradley (19) came second in the race.
The storm hit a day into the race. The swells were massive, the wind strong enough to rip your sail. The Ciao Bella struggled in churning seas which changed direction. Brennan and Ricky, the most experienced yachtsmen held the helm for hours on end. The rest supported them, changing sails at a moment’s notice and sliding on deck in the sleeting rain.
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“It was a heavy night. It was the beginning of the race and some of us were predictably seasick. Everyone had a bit of a wobble except for my wife, Gill. When the weather got tough she was the only one standing and she took over the cabin. She made sure people got hot chocolate and that everyone’s harnesses and clothes were ready for the changes in shifts,” says Mike.
The Robinson’s sailed through the eye of the storm and launched out the other end with the wind at their backs, taking a commanding lead. They were exhausted and decided to take a 12-hour rest. The decision, says Mike, ultimately cost them the race.
“We were well out in the front, ahead of the other boats. If we had kept with it we would have had a strong wind all the way to Rio,” he says.
Other boats were not as lucky. The yacht Bille, registered from Angola, reported that their crew member, António João Bartolomeu, died and two other crew members were injured. Mike first heard of the news during a live radio interview.
“We were blissfully unaware of the drama. It was a rough ride but we managed it well. It was the Wednesday after the race began. I fumbled through the interview. It turned out it was a storm of massive proportions, the likes seen in the serious sea races, not the Cape to Rio,” he says.
South Africa’s National Sea Rescue Institution (NSRI) reported eight-meter swells and 60-knot gale force winds. Three boats were towed back to Cape Town. The Black Cat reported being set adrift after losing its rudder; Isla took on water in the engine compartment and had an electrical fire; and on the AVA, two of their four crew members were injured and activated their emergency satellite beacon. According to Mike, a third of the fleet had been forced to retire.
“It was no longer a family get-together to sail. This was something unfathomable. Usually when you get to Rio there is incredible comradery. This time, there was the sense that there was one person who should have made it, but didn’t,” he says.
It took the Robinsons 21 days to travel 5,500 kilometers. It was almost twice the length of time the professional 10-man Maserati took to take the line honors, in 11 days. Still, Mike was happy to place fifth overall, the second South African boat to arrive in Rio.
“We were competing against boats that had more carbon than a coal mine,” says Mike, referring to the newer models made of carbon graphite which are lighter and faster than the Ciao Bella’s fiberglass hull.
“The first three boats were made of full-time racing outfits. We’ve got only one world champion racer and he’s 17 (Ryan). We traveled from Cape Town to the oil fields of Rio just on the power of the wind… We did all this with seven people on a 35-foot yacht, one of the smallest in the fleet. That’s amazing,” says son Ricky, now 26 years old.
Unlike their first adventure, the Robinsons were unusually disaster free, says Mike. In the 2011 Cape to Rio, their engine failed leaving them without fresh water. They also sailed the whole way with a cracked rudder.
The family’s life on board is littered with unusual moments. Flying fish smack people on deck and dolphins swim in their wake. Mike says there is nothing more majestic than an albatross in the trade winds. He also cannot forget the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean.
“There is not a color that can describe it. We think it’s a regal blue; as far as the eye can see and deep into the depths. It’s all encompassing. The wave movement becomes regular. Life becomes this rhythm. You cook to a rhythm, you sleep to it. When the sun sets the sea becomes velvet and the Milky Way goes from the left side of the horizon to the right. Behind you, the moon rises on a silver pathway,” he says.
It’s here, thousands of miles from land, where the race begins in earnest in the trade winds. At the helm Ricky, Brennan and Ryan compete to see who can go the fastest and the furthest in two-hour shifts. The smell of pancakes and bacon floats onto the deck. Katheryn and Michaela sing bad parodies and the brothers argue about philosophy during their 3AM shifts.
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“I spent an entire night with Ricky and I don’t think we said more than two words to each other. We just experienced the moment in each other’s company,” says Mike.
As the weather warms up closer to Rio, the Robinson’s rations thin. The first to go are zoo biscuits, valued higher than gold, until a bout of foul weather reveals a stash, hidden in the rain jackets.
“Brennan was the most likely candidate, it was his jacket. But Ryan had also been using it. Michaela is known for hoarding her sweets so it could have been her. We just didn’t know,” says Mike.
The debate raged into the night. Accusations flew across the rocking yacht. The family posted a blog asking for help to solve the crime. In response, the other yachts, instead of helping to solve the mystery, tried to barter for the treats.
“Zoo biscuits are a precious commodity on the ocean. Sure, Oreos and ginger snaps are fine. But Zoo biscuits are lapped up, especially on the Ciao Bella. We got offers of fish in exchange. But no fish is worth a Zoo biscuit, no matter how fresh,” says Mike.
The journey ends at Rio, surrounded by huge volcanic cliffs clustered with mansions. The statue, Christ the Redeemer, stands out on the horizon. It might not have been the first place prize for the Robinsons but their trip was a family vacation like no other.

Fish? Not Worth A Biscuit

It is harrowing watching a crane move a two ton yacht onto a truck. Ropes crack under the strain. You imagine the fibreglass hull will shatter at any moment. Professionals may struggle with the job, so consider a family of seven with their thirteen-year-old daughter, Michaela, driving the crane. This feat of engineering is the first step of a Robinson family holiday that most would find hard to imagine.
“It’s been impossible to get her out of the driving seat; at least if she doesn’t make it as a sailor she can always work the crane,” says father Mike Robinson.
The Robinsons are as much a crew as a family. For them a Christmas holiday is a month ploughing through the cold ocean, ducking under flying fish, gawking at glowing dolphins and watching out for floating containers as deadly as icebergs. All this in a 35-foot yacht, that cost them $24,000 to repair as well as a case of beer for the charter fee, on Africa’s most famous sea voyage, the Cape to Rio.
Once every three years, yachts of all shapes and sizes take to the high seas in a bid for glory. It is a downwind race stretching 5,500 kilometers from Cape Town in South Africa to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
“It’s not hard to find South America. You just go toward the setting sun,” jokes Mike.
It may seem unlikely but the Robinsons have a good chance of winning. In 2011, Mike and his wife Gill, sons Ricky, Brennan, and Ryan with daughters Kathryn and Michaela and their nephew Bradley came second on board the Ciao Bella, the smallest yacht in the competition.
What’s more, the Robinsons managed to sail all the way with a hole in their rudder after they collided with a submerged container. They say the greatest danger comes lurking, sinister as a snake, under the surface. The Robinsons were lucky, floating containers could easily rip a hole in your hull, says Mike.
“They fall off the tops of those huge charter ships, and you will never see them. They float just under the surface,” says Brennan.
While swimming, the Robinsons found their rudder was missing a large chunk. Ricky believes it started as a hairline crack that opened after traveling for a few days at high speed on the sea. You could say it took a knock to their chances of winning.
“All the hotshot sailors from the Cape were saying we were just a family from Carletonville, from the Vaal, that we knew nothing about ocean racing,” says Michaela.
Their critics were wrong. The Robinsons had trained together for years. The family grew up with the wind in their face and a rope in their hand. Brennan, Ricky and Michaela have all sailed for South Africa. The Robinson’s garage holds testament to this, it is a boneyard of boats, masts and sails. The cars are parked under a tree.
The Ciao Bella lies in their backyard in Carletonville, a small mining town that is a two-hour drive from Johannesburg and hundreds of miles from the ocean. The yacht is on its way to the sea, to race in the Cape to Rio, once again. This time round they are aiming to win it, with a new rudder designed and made by Brennan, an engineer student at the University of Witwatersrand.
It is a different world far out on the Atlantic Ocean. One night, outside of Cape Town, there was a glowing phosphorous light on the surface of the sea attracting life.
“In the wake of the yacht you have this bright light. Dolphins jumped out the water, it makes them look like glowing torpedoes. You can’t see the dolphins, you just see this glow,” says Brennan.
“Every time they hit a shoal of fish it would sound like fireworks as the fish scattered,” says Kathryn.
It is not always plain sailing. The Robinsons were halfway, 10 days out of Rio. They were moving along in the trade winds. All was well, when their engine failed. Somehow there was water in the diesel.
“We still don’t know if it was the cheapskate who we got the diesel from or if it was a pipe in the engine. It was dead,” says Mike.
“A yacht uses the wind to move, but uses an engine to survive,” says Mike.
Without it you cannot charge your GPS or purify water.
“When your engine fails, it’s the scariest moment on the Atlantic,” says Gill.
The family did an inventory of their available water; it was running low. They went into emergency rationing and experienced 24 hours without water.
“It was looking pretty bleak,” says Mike.
Luck and ingenuity saw them through. As the sun began to rise, a rare squall blew over the yacht.  Mike woke up to see his children using the yacht’s sail and every bucket they could find to store rain. They collected 80 liters of fresh clean water, which was the exact amount needed to get them to the Brazilian coast.
“What was really cool was that we could see another boat next to us, and they didn’t get any rain. It was just us,” says Michaela.
They managed to fix the engine a few days later, the danger had passed. And to boot they had some extra water for a rare bath.
Then there is the bombardment of flying fish.
“They are like phantoms, they’ll get caught in places you don’t want them and there is just a smell on the deck. They’ll rot for two days and you’ll think oh my word where is that smell coming from. You have to dig them out from all the holes they’ve crept into,” says Ricky.
The ultimate irony was that the family had tailed a line across 5,500 kilometers, hoping to catch a real fish, without getting a single bite.
The Cape to Rio starts off at a chase. Strong south-easters blow the ships off the coast of Cape Town. It is a judgment call where to pick up the calmer trade winds in the heart of the Atlantic. Finally you reach the most difficult phase of the trip, the South American coast.
“Everyone calls it the Parking Lot; you come to a complete stop, with the mountains of Rio just in front of you and the oil rigs around you. You have to be careful because there is a strong current and you end up going backyards. It gets tense on these last couple of days, when you are in the doldrums with no wind. It’s hot and you are trying to keep the boat moving,” says Gill.
The Robinsons were racing against teams who had the latest navigation systems, linked permanently to satellites and day-to-day weather forecasts. All the family had was a small yellow GPS phone called Homer, only useful for pinpointing your position. Instead, they relied on ship routes dating back to 1800s. Most of their opposition ended up being stranded in the Atlantic without wind, whereas the historical route, proven by hundreds of years sailing, was longer but more reliable.
“You will find the family transfers information between each other. I’m at best a journey man, we’ve taught them as best as we know. It goes full circle. The process of going across the Atlantic has got this potential to transfer this huge amount of knowledge. Our children are now teaching us, so when Brennan says this sail needs to be enveloped, we can’t let anybody know we don’t know what he’s talking about,” says Mike.
What started out as a family holiday, on a yacht that needed $24,000 to repair and a case of beer, has now become a family obsession. If you were to sit next to the Robinsons in a restaurant you would not think that they were contenders for a coveted gold medal. But don’t go telling them that, they don’t like losing. Coming second to a team from Cape Town last time was one place too far behind as far as they are concerned. So they plan to spend another 20 days cramped together fighting off flying fish and floating containers. All the while their eyes will be focused on the horizon and the setting sun.

The Yacht Family Robinson

South African roads are a seething mass of too many vehicles on an already strained infrastructure. There is a means by which to alleviate some of the pressure, but it’s seen as too risky and the process of getting a license is felt to be difficult. Motorcycles haven’t really been considered a viable option locally, yet in other congestion-filled countries, they’re viewed as pragmatic and fuel-efficient.
Traveling by motorcycle is very risky—there’s no denying this. However, due to the relatively small percentage of motorcycle commuters, the general level of awareness is greatly diminished. Of course, little mention has to be made of the speed at which some motorcyclists travel—the disparity between themselves and cars greatly diminishing reaction time.
While there are clearly issues with adopting two-wheeled transport en masse, theoretically this is a viable solution, reflected by the Gauteng transport authority’s recent statement. They have given the undertaking to AMiD (Association of Motorcycle Importers and Distributors) national director, Réhann Coetzee, that they will consider redrafting the legislature required for obtaining a driver’s license in order to ease the transition. This, of course, is good news for the flagging motorcycle industry which has been suffering the effects of the global economic downturn.
<div id="attachment_1300" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1300" class="size-medium wp-image-1300" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Benelli-Trek-1130cc-300x242.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="242" />Benelli Treck (1130cc)</div>
In 2011, some 34,214 motorcycles (excluding quads and off-road bikes) were sold, in contrast with the 54,720 in 2008. The pressure exerted by a very expensive Yen has also had its effect on sales, despite the Rand, Pound Sterling and Dollar being corrected to previous levels. Similarly, boats have been seen as luxury items and the playthings of the rich and have suffered the same decline. What is often overlooked, is that this industry creates some 3,500 jobs for local artisans and plays a significant role in South Africa’s economy. According to Vanessa Davidson, CEO of MIASA (The Marine Industry Association of South Africa), “South Africa builds boats to international standards and thanks to local ingenuity and the tenacity of our manufacturers, we are able to supply excellent boats to the local market and to export boats at competitive prices all around the world.”
There’s clearly much value and interest in both motorcycles and boats, and as such the first co-hosted event between AMiD Motorcycle and Quad Lifestyle Show, and the Johannesburg Boat Show and Outdoor Lifestyle Shows took place this August at the NASREC expo centre.
Around 30,000 people attended the event which was superbly hosted by SA Show Services. South Africa’s Olympic gold medal-winning rowing team was present to meet their fans and sign autographs, and lifetime achievement awards were handed out by the Gauteng Boating Retailers Association to industry icons Leon Prinsloo of Raven Boats, Derrick Levy of Marine and Boating, Don Jarred of Angler Boats, Ronnie Arenson (who established Water World in Gauteng) and Peter Lindenberg (multiple South African waterskiing and Formula One powerboat champion).
The exhibition also welcomed back iconic Italian motorcycle brands Benelli, absent for 25 years, and Moto Guzzi, absent for five years. The Benelli Motorcycle Company is more than a century old and has a proud racing heritage. Now part of the Chinese Qianjiang Group, the company still operates from its original site in Pesaro, Italy and is being distributed by Puzey Motor Corporation SA. Moto Guzzi won more than 3,000 races in their illustrious career, and famously pioneered the use of wind tunnel testing for motorbikes. Along with Aprilia and MV Agusta, these brands fairly complete the list of remarkable Italian machinery now available to local enthusiasts.
Not to be outdone by the flair of the two-wheeled exhibitions, but keeping with the Italian-made theme, the Johannesburg Boat Show had as their star attraction, a R5,8 million ($704,000) yacht on display. The Atlantis 38 Open-Class Power Yacht as its officially known, measures in at 11,62 meters and has been called “the upgrade to end all upgrades”. Able to carry 12 passengers with ease, the Atlantis is still so nimble that it requires no additional skills to pilot.
Another formidable vessel on display was the nine-meter long houseboat christened Sensation Living. The boat is completely self-contained and solar powered. The hull is made of glass fiber and the entire vessel acts like a giant cooler box, such are the levels of insulation it offers. The boat offers accommodation for six people and entertainment capabilities for 12. With only a normal skippers license needed, Sensation Living is aimed at serious water lovers who only intend to set foot on land on rare occasions—and with a price tag of R1.2 million ($145,800), we wouldn’t want to leave this vessel either.
If bikes or boats weren’t your passion, the expo also housed the Outdoor Lifestyle Show. Inside the hall were a range of diverse offerings—from scuba gear to barbecue equipment to model cars. There was something for everyone, and an expo such as this provides a valuable entry point for those wishing to get involved in activities by creating awareness and providing expert advice on hand.
Outdoor activities have always been an important aspect of South African life, given that we live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, with a wonderful climate to boot.

Tag: Travelling

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