Media24 and Travelcheck join forces to create new online travel agency

[PARTNER CONTENT] For years, Media24 publications – outdoor magazines Weg/go! in particular – have been seen as reliable sources of information on South African travel destinations.

Now it has expanded its services by offering readers the opportunity to make their travel bookings on a safe online platform. WegReis and go! Holiday, available at www.wegreis.co.za, is the product of a co-operative agreement between Media24 and Travelcheck.

The platform connects
users to thousands of accommodation establishments and airlines in South
Africa. With a simple search – in either Afrikaans or English – you can compare
different accommodation options and the costs of flights, and you can book in
real time.

After months of lockdown, South Africans are starting to spread their wings. According to Odette Faling, CEO of Travelcheck, there has been a sharp rise in searches for holiday accommodation, especially for remote destinations in South Africa.

“Travellers feel safer in remote destinations, where they can enjoy nature, compared to busy city areas,” Faling said.

South Africa is still on a high-risk list for tourists, which has resulted in a significant decline in foreign visitors, and overseas travel remains problematic for South Africans. This is why many local accommodation establishments have dropped their prices to encourage local tourism.

“You now have the opportunity to travel to places in South Africa that was previously out of reach,” Faling added.

Results from the WegReis website indicate that tourism is on the rise, and others have found the same. According to the Amadeus Travel Market Report, there has been a meaningful uptick in tourism since 2020, but the figures are still lower than in 2019.

The report adds that there was a noteworthy increase in online searches for accommodation in March, April and May 2021 compared to the previous year. This indicates an increase in consumer confidence.

Since foreign travel is still restricted, the top five travel destinations for South Africans are all local destinations.