Issued by: Primedia Online


"iafrica.com has long focused on providing a wide range of quality content," says Travel Editor Richard Holmes, "but on the travel site the opportunity for readers to convert research into reservations was quite limited."

"The redesign of iafrica.com in April this year gave us the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at what services we need to offer to our readers, and what tools were available in the marketplace."

After two months of research into accommodation booking providers operating in South Africa and abroad, the decision was made to team up with SafariNow, Africa's largest accommodation booking operator.

"One man's hotel is another man's hovel, so we wanted to give our readers as much choice as possible," says Richard "and with over 5400 establishments on offer SafariNow was an obvious choice for us to partner with. SafariNow is also accredited by Thawte internet security, so we are confident that their tool provides a safe and secure booking environment for our users."

Matthew Swart, Director of SafariNow, says that the partnership is an exciting opportunity for the tool to reach a wider audience: "We have created a visually customised version of the SafariNow.com service, and seamlessly integrated this with the revamped iafrica.com website. iafrica.com is an established and reputable portal, and SafariNow.com is very pleased to offer our service to this new audience which is sure to be happy transacting within a brand they both recognise and trust."

The cherry on top for iafrica.com was the inclusion of Safarinow's ground-breaking EARTHSearch tool, which plots all 5433 establishments onto an interactive GoogleEarth map.

"In a nutshell, EARTHsearch is a 'mashup' of SafariNow accommodation establishments overlayed on Google Maps, giving you the ultimate bird's eye view of where to stay in Southern Africa," says Swart.

"I've often heard stories of B&Bs 'forgetting' to tell guests that there's a construction site next door or factory down the road, and this fantastic tool allows you to get a satellite view of the accommodation before you book, so there are no nasty surprises when you arrive!" says Richard.

"It's also useful to get a feel for the area, and how far it is to the beach and local attractions."

Unlike many booking engines, which focus heavily on hotels, SafariNow's strength is the wide range of independently-owned establishments - B&Bs, guest houses and self-catering cottages - on offer.

"With interest rates on the rise and travel budgets getting smaller, these value-for-money getaways are becoming increasingly popular," says Richard. "With thousands of destinations on offer I'm sure that anyone will be able to find an escape that suits them."

Visit http://iafrica.safarinow.com to search accommodation and book online.

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[22 Jul 2008 15:24]

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