HariS

Pippa,

That's a pretty bizarre thing to say!

pippa13

@ hariS
what you mean....."bizarre"???

HariS

Bizarre - just your analogy and data!

Anyways, you may have a point in that - the Mombo clientele may not be bothered with the recession or anything else.

pippa13

the data i have posted has been researched and published by SA government bodies - www.iol.co.za

and that's my point: mombo's clientele won't be effected at all............by any recession:
ultra luxury tourism grows by 3% anually - doesn't matter how bad the overall economy is going.
mid-price range economy is decreasing by at least 5% anually.
the gap is simply becoming broader. "globalisation" and rampant capitalism is taking its toll.....

DonTopaz

Keep in mind that we operate in a global economy. A 6% or 10% increase in price, if the price is given as ZAR or US$, might be a 0% increase, or even a price reduction, if your salary is paid in euros or £ sterling.

sniktawk

We are talking about a 6% increase, this is hardly the end of the world, what is all the fuss.
I must admit that I wish my earnings were in Euros rather than Sterling but there you go.

pippa13

sniktawk
;-)

pippa13

sniktawk
;-)
6% versus 3% is still double ;-)

sniktawk

I have no idea what these last postings are supposed to be about can you translate. Why do you refer to 3%,. What we are talking about is around $50 is this going to break your bank?

pippa13

my 6% were meant in regard to decrease of middle class income/tourism - not the increase in room rates!
6% middle class decrease anually means within 9 or 10 years there is no middle class left !
e.g. increase of billionaires:
in 2003 there were about 60 in russia - 2007 there were about 130
i think that speaks for itself

DonTopaz

It is a demonstrated fact that 68% of all statistics are complete fabrications.

pippa13

@ rizutto
agree partly. never trust a statistics which you haven't faked yourself. but by just looking around the fading middle class is not a stastic figure - it's reality. the gap between wealthy and poor is not a fairytale made up by ngo's or so: it's reality!

atravelynn

I thought typical increases on Botswana properties in the past few years were closer to 20%. So 6% is good by comparison.

HariS

First of all, what i call bizarre is when somebody calls a $800 plus pppn rack rate a mid-range or mid-budget operation ..........

Have any of you travelling from JNB-Maun had a chat with fellow passengers on the Air Bots flight? When waiting around for the flight or on the shuttle bus to the plane? Many of them, don't even know what camps they are going to - they just want to go to Bots due to the hype and the marketing. They don't research places etc etc., and just go with the flow ......... so yes, for Mombo, Vumbura etc etc., they will continue to be fully booked!

HariS

One more thing - your reference to 2003 - it's common knowledge that tourism in general took a massive hit after the tragedy of 9/11 and took time to recover. From memory, Africa travel didn't pick up until what? 2004 or 2005?

sniktawk

Atravelynn

Thanks for that I also think it is not to bad given the economic circumstances. Not to say that it is cheap.

As all (most) charges are in US$ it might be worth noting that in 2001 $1 bought you Pula 5.66 now it buys you 6.47.

HariS

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/may/03food.htm

Since this thread has a little random stuff RE global economics ..... thought this link above will make interesting reading and very bizarre remarks ...... Hmmmm

sniktawk

Oh dear I might have known it was all the fault of the foreigners, absolutely unbelievable!!!