Vanessa Sand, MD of AA Travel Guides, says the new partnership confirms the major role that the awards programme has played in establishing standards in the accommodation industry over the years.
"We are delighted with this tie-up as part of the arrangement is to ensure that awards achievers, particularly those who accept American Express Cards, will receive significant exposure to American Express Card members," comments Sand.
This consumer-based awards programme, now in its 14th year, is widely used by travellers across South Africa as a reliable quality indicator when choosing a place to stay. It is open to any type of accommodation establishment that is a member of the AA Quality Assured Programme or the National Star Grading System, including different types of hotels, resorts, guesthouses, bed and breakfasts and township accommodation. In 2006 more than 33 000 consumers commented on approximately 1100 establishments across the country.
According to research conducted in Europe in 2004, American Express Card members spend four times as much in hotels as other travellers and stay over twice as many nights annually. They also purchase more high-margin items because they generally have more disposable income and transact more frequently.
"The match between American Express and tourism services is therefore an obvious one," says Sand. "Our partnership will help grow business in the accommodation sector even further."
Pamela White, head of corporate card services, Nedbank Card Division, says the awards programme aligns with many of its business strategies.
"It enables us to extend our support to the inbound tourism industry, but there is also a growing number of American Express Card members in South Africa who use their cards to pay for accommodation across the spectrum - not only hotels, but also bed and breakfasts and guesthouses.
"We support superior services in hospitality and will make our American Express Cardmembers aware of what is available. The brand fit with the accommodation awards is seamless. We also want to encourage more accommodation establishments to accept American Express Cards," she says.
Establishments participating in the 2007 AA Travel Guides and American Express Accommodation Awards have until the end of January 2007 to submit their completed questionnaires to Accommodation Awards, Freepost JH 2185, Highlands North, 2037. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the tourism Indaba in Durban on 13 May.
The awards programme is also supported by the Industrial Development Corporation, Hertz, Sealy and BnB Sure.
