With the modern commercial emphasis on environmental sustainability, the need to reduce one’s carbon footprint has been more important than ever.
With the fragile state of the planet squarely in mind, Avis Car Rental has been able to make significant reductions in its carbon impact at its KwaZulu-Natal regional depot through the use of recycled water and low-voltage lighting.
Wayne Duvenage, Avis South Africa CEO, said that the company had installed a 15,000 litre water storage reservoir at the vehicle preparation centre which captures all of the run-off rainwater from the group’s buildings. This water is then used in the final water [...]

Leading South African car rental company Avis says its forced move to the new Durban Airport will have long term benefits. Chief executive Wayne Duvenage said that the high cost relocation to the new King Shaka International Airport would not begin to show a positive return for at least ten years, but added that by that stage, all concerned would be glad of the transition.
Duvenage said Avis would have preferred to stay at the old airport but was forced into the move as the World Cup organisers demanded that the new location be up and running in time for the [...]

The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa was by and large disappointing for the car hire industry. However, for Avis, the African odyssey was an unqualified success, largely due to their heavy investment in the local culture and research into the potential traveller, with consultations with previous World Cup holding nations proving highly beneficial.
Avis was able to enjoy significant growth, well in excess of the average, for the tournament and as compared to the same period last year. They did this, said chief executive Wayne Duvenage, through a strategy of preparedness which encompassed consistent projections and planning, in addition [...]

Tourists visiting South Africa for the FIFA World Cup did not use car hire services as often as predicted.
Two of the country’s leading car rental operators, McCarthy and Imperial Holdings, said that expectations were not met primarily due to the significant usage of visitors of local public transport networks.
Brand Pretorius, the CEO for McCarthy, said his group had expanded its fleet by up to 15 per cent in anticipation of a rush on rentals for the World Cup. Imperial, meanwhile, had added an extra 2,000 vehicles in the lead up to the tournament. However, due to low demand and poor [...]

The FIFA World Cup is proving a huge financial boon for South Africa.
Visiting football fans to the republic have been spending up large, with car rental, hotel and hospitality industries all reaping the rewards associated with the biggest sporting event outside of the Olympics.
According to data released yesterday by Visa, which monitors cardholder spending, international visitors have spent nearly one billion South African Rand, or ZAR, equivalent to £90 million, in the first couple of weeks of the tournament.
Figures released by the card provider showed in the week before the opening ceremony and during the first ten days of games, [...]

A new game from the leading car rental specialist just in time for the World Cup.
With the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa now firmly underway, Avis is looking to capitalise on the football fever which is sweeping the globe with the launch of the new interactive game Road to Glory.
The game is designed for sports and quiz fans, and will be played out online, with a format similar to the World Cup itself. UK residents will be given the chance to partake in the ‘online tournament’, with the first prize being a week’s car hire from Avis anywhere [...]

The FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa has not seen the anticipated upsurge in demand, leaving business prospects uncertain.
The seeming acceptance of the situation followed the drastic reduction in forecasts and bookings of foreign visitors to South Africa for the tournament. Several large clients and sponsors have also declined to attend the championship, citing the slow pace of economic recovery as the reason for reluctance to outlay costs.
In South Africa, figures for the sale of new vehicles to car rental companies rose significantly in the first quarter of 2010, with 9407 units sold representing an 89 per cent increase [...]

The multi-million dollar South African rapid rail service, Gautrain, has opened to the public for the first time.
The Tuesday morning launch, which followed the official Gautrain launch over the weekend, signalled the start of the commercial operation of the service, just three days out from the start of the FIFA World Cup, where it will be placed under considerable strain from supporters and holidaymakers.
Executives with the Gautrain Management Agency hailed the launch as an exciting start to what would be a great day, with motorist’s filling station carparks and lengthy queues experienced as passengers flocked to gain their first glimpse [...]

The FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa kicks off in just seven days, and First Car Rental is on hand with some handy travel advice.
With thousands of soccer fans from across the globe descending, their handy reference guide is a must for any traveller – not just those looking to rent vehicles. The rental provider, which recently signed a new agreement to protect children from sexual exploitation in the republic, answers some of the most common, and leftfield queries on its website.
Safety concerns, as with any country, come down to common sense. Don’t go wandering dimly lit streets at [...]

British Airways has announced that passenger numbers in May fell by 11.5 per cent compared to a year ago. The airline is mainly blaming strikes by cabin crew for the fall in performance. BA has also reported a drop in business and first-class travel of 6.5 per cent. The premium sector is the most profitable part of the carrier’s passenger business.
Meanwhile, rival airline Air France-KLM has announced that its year-on-year passenger numbers for May were up by 4.3 per cent. The airline also said that traffic was increasing and that an overall improvement in economic conditions was the main reason.
Even [...]