News Roundup: South African OTA Travelstart’s new distribution and commercial agreement with pan-African online travel booking portal Jumia Travel, Dubai Airports’ sustainable initiative in banning single-use plastics starting in the new year.
OTA: Travelstart takes over management of Jumia Travel’s operations across Africa
South Africa’s online travel agency Travelstart will manage the operations of Jumia Travel, the Nigeria-based pan-African e-commerce platform, in a distribution and commercial deal between the two companies.
Under the terms of the agreement, Travelstart will take control of Jumia’s online booking websites in all its operating territories including sales, fulfilment and customer service.
Jumia operates in several African countries, with Kenya and Nigeria as its largest markets.
The arrangement takes immediate effect with visitors to Jumia’s website being redirected to Travelstart’s with the words, “Continue your journey with our partner Travelstart”.
Travelstart, which operates in nine African countries, will use the partnership to tap new customers in markets where digital is emerging.
“Twelve thousand customers travel with us daily,” said Stephan Ekbergh, CEO of Travelstart. “Being Jumia’s exclusive distribution partner will help even more travellers in Africa unlock high quality online travel services.”
For Jumia, Travelstart is the “perfect partner” to build on the success it has achieved so far, stated its executive vice president for Jumia on-demand services Joe Falter. “While we will continue to promote the travel category, Travelstart will be responsible for the operational side of the business.”
“We have a strong belief in the potential of the online travel industry and travel portals in Africa, and have built a strong platform across our markets to address this opportunity.”
Falter added the partnership would ensure Jumia “remain hyper-focused on our growth and path to profitability as we reinvest our resources in our key markets, services and technology to create the best customer experience in Africa and allow Jumia to thrive.”
Environment: Dubai Airports joins in the ban on single-use plastics
In June, Dubai Airports made a pledge to ban the use of single-use plastics at the two airports it manages – Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC)/Al Maktoum International Airport – in a bid to manage environmental impact.
The airport operator said with 90 million passengers passing through the two airports every year, consuming tens of thousands of plastic items from straws to water bottles to coffee lids daily, the plastic-free initiative has presented some serious challenges for those involved.
Since the pledge’s announcement the company has been working closely with more than 250 of its concession and hospitality partners at the two airports to fulfil the promise by the beginning of the new year. They include Costa Coffee committing to use 100% renewable plant-based “smart” cups in place of plastic-lined cups and McDonald’s replacing over five million items with recyclable materials.
The phased approach will see plastic cutlery, drinking straws, take-away food packaging and polythene bags removed from cafés, restaurants and shops. During the next twelve months additional products will be replaced both in customer spaces and behind the scenes.
DXB, one of the world’s busiest international airport, will start its ban on single-use plastics on 1 January 2020.
“This pledge is another step on a long journey to becoming a more environmentally responsible airport,” said Eugene Barry, EVP commercial at Dubai Airports.
He disclosed that among the challenges faced in this exercise the biggest is sourcing alternatives for plastic bottles, one of the most frequently used and discarded pieces of single-use plastics.
“As we work to reduce and ultimately eliminate plastics from our airports we are increasing our recycling facilities in the customer spaces, and a new partnership that will allow us to properly dispose of thousands of tonnes of single-use plastics each year.”
A specially commissioned survey by Dubai Airports into the recycling habits of travellers showed an increased awareness, both around personal usage of plastic products and recycling, at home and while travelling. Among the findings:
- In the UAE over half (52%) of respondents claim to carry a reusable water bottle while travelling.
- 49% would choose to dine in an airport restaurant to avoid plastic packaging that comes with take-out food options.
- Almost a third (32%) of respondents refuse to buy items at the airport containing non-recyclable materials.
- The majority (92%) of respondents state that airports should be more vocal about what steps they are taking to recycle waste.
• Featured image credit (Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain): Dalchemist/Getty Images
