African Ample Assistance

Placement organization

Name of organization: African Ample Assistance
Town/city: Hout Bay
Country: Zuid-Afrika
Website: http://aaatravel.co.za/

Student

Name of student: Esther Vrugt

Specialist area: Tourism Management (EN)
Placement period: 2019-2020

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Tour operator
Organization’s activities: Making unique tours in Southern Africa for travel agents, B2B business
Target group of the organization: FIT’s, Groups, Families
Company culture: There is an informal culture at the company. It is a very pleasant working atmosphere. Everybody is open and all of the colleagues take your seriously. The company is having every last Friday of the month drinks outside in the yard. This is really nice to interact with all of your colleagues in other than a working environment. Your colleagues become your friends actually, I also went with them to some festivals in Cape Town, which was a lot of fun!
Number of employees: 50
Dress code: casual
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? Yes

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working?
Sales
Contracting
Reservations

Brief description of your daily activities: My daily activities are mostly focused on sales and reservations. This includes in getting contact with other markets and trying to get new travel agents from other markets. Reservations is focused on creating bookings for our clients.

I also focus on contracting which includes i\searching for unique accommodations + experiences as we er always seeking for the extraordinary in a country.
Brief description of your company assignment: My company assignment is about expanding sales within the company. They want to increase their sales but somehow fail in this task. My company assignment is based on this problem, so I will be researching the why and the how of the problem. In the end, I will give the company recommendations on how to do it in the future.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: The supervision from the company is excellent. My supervisor is very involved in my tasks and is always present to help. I get a lot of assistants from my supervisor.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Independent, flexible, sociable, performable
Additional company requirements for this placement? Writing skills, word, excel
English: Advanced
Spanish: Basic
French: Basic
German: Intermediate
Other languages: Dutch

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: airplane

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? agency
How did you go to work every day? bus

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? yes, exchange visa
Do you need a work permit? no
How did you arrange the necessary documents: em\bassy
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents? 4 months
Did you need certain vaccinations? Yes
How long in advance? 2 months

Language course

Did you take a language course before you started your placement? No
Would you recommend to have a language course prior to this placement? no

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € 600
Accommodation (monthly): € 400
Local transport (monthly): € 100
General costs of living (monthly): € 500
Costs of visa: € 300
Costs of work permit: € 0
What did the company pay for/to you? There are compensations given, sometimes a free lunch. There is possibility to try accommodations for free and to join excursions.

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
I already went to the country before, so I knew what to expect. Of course I read some things online and in a book about South Africa. I knew what the culture was so it was not shocked during my stay. However, while your working at the destination and live for a long time at the destination you get more knowledge about the culture which is always good.
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? no

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: esvrugt@gmail.com

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: During your stay you definitely need to involve in the culture. South Africa has a rich history and therefore a rich culture. Engage with the local people and try local products.

Definitely explore the country and not just only 1 city. You are in the most beautiful country of the world. Have fun and enjoy every single day.

Do not act as a tourist, as you are not! Live and explore the country as a South African citizen.
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place:
– Canoeing
– Seal snorkeling
– Surfing
– Hiking
– Cycling
– Supping
– Horse riding
– Ziplining
– Abseiling
– Wine tasting
– Festivals

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