South Africa targeted by new operator

Travel5Live, a new Manchester-based operator established by former Sabre Airways – now Excel Airways – founder and director Jim Wyatt, plans a South Africa programme.

Former CT2 chief executive Brian Murfin, who has been acting as a consultant to the company for the past three months, has acquired 37.5% shareholding.

Murfin has been working with Travel5Live on a start-up South Africa holiday progromma which is expected to go on sale via the trade in October. The operator plans to offer the only direct charter flights from Gatwick and Manchester to Cape Town for the winter 2006-07.

Travel5Live currently offers a Tenerife flight-only programme and is in the late stages of producing its first South Africa brochure. CT2 served both destinations from Manchester.

Murfin has taken directoral responsibility for the management and development of the tour operation, with Wyatt retaining responsibility for aviation and corporate management issues.

The company is the latest addition to Wyatt’s business interests. As well as acting as a consultant to Excel Airways and other aviation companies, he also operates his own aircraft leasing business, Ace Leasing.

Wyatt, who sold his half share in Sabre to Libra in 2000, set up Travel5Live last November.

He said: “I invited Brian to become a minority shareholder because having worked with him in the past I knew he had invaluable insight into, and experience of, both the Tenerife and South African markets. He has already made a significant contribution to the business in his capacity as a consultant and I am keen for him to play a much more active role in the development and sales of Travel5Live product.”

Murfin added: “When it is presented as a fully bonded product I believe South Africa represents a great tour operating opportunity and one which is clearly beyond the reach of the low cost airlines. In addition a charter programme offers clients much better value for money than is traditionally available using scheduled airlines. I also believe the Gatwick and Manchester airports will have a greater appeal to potential clients than will Heathrow.

“I have spent a great deal of time working with South African product over the course of the last three years and look forward to using that experience with Travel5live to develop an incremental volume of business over the coming years to what is undoubtedly one of the world’s most exciting tourist destinations.” 

Travel5Live already offers seat-onlys to Tenerife from Gatwick, Glasgow and Manchester. The company has dropped standard percentage commission rates to instead offer a flat fee which currently stands at an introductory £30 per head.

But Murfin confirmed that due to the wide variation in, and higher value of, South Africa bookings, that programme would operate on a commission basis supported by further incentives.

Report by Phil Davies