Travellers and the travel trade will in future be able to plan itineraries and get directions to a specific destination from anywhere in South Africa at the click of a button.

 This is according to Vanessa Sand, Managing Director of Essential Travel Info, who has introduced the concept of online mapping to the South African hospitality and travel industries.

 Online mapping involves a simple addition to any accommodation establishment’s or tourism attraction’s website, which includes a customised map of the relevant town, highlighting the specific property with specific directions to reach it.

 It includes a dynamic search facility that enables website users to generate detailed directions to a property from anywhere in South Africa in a matter of seconds, with the exact distance and an approximate travelling time.

 Sand says this kind of facility is widespread overseas, so many overseas travellers expect it when they arrive in South Africa. “The idea behind online mapping is to help make the traveller’s experience as simple and problem-free as possible. At the same time it gives an accommodation establishment an added marketing advantage.”

 The added page to an existing website carries the logo of the business and an icon highlighting its location in the specific city or town. Other points of interest such as restaurants, art galleries, museums and shopping centres will be added to the maps, enabling web users to see where an establishment lies in relation to places of interest in the area. A map on an accommodation website will not show the location of competing accommodation establishments.   

 “Owners or managers no longer have to spend valuable time giving directions or explaining what can be seen in the area. Travellers can find all this information themselves, print the page and take it with them on their journey,” says Sand. “I believe sooner rather than later this will become an essential marketing tool in the South African hospitality industry.”

 Accommodation establishments and tourism businesses that wish to add online mapping to their websites should contact Vanessa Sand or Darryl Rule on tel 011 713 2000.