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Insurance underwriter’s remarkable contribution to tourism

Posted in October 27th, 2011

Insurance companies love to tell you how much money they’re saving you – it seems to be the only unique selling proposition their marketing panjandrums can come up with, and it’s often a lie, because when it comes to claims time…

That’s not true of BnB SURE, though – which is the only company in the insurance industry that I know of that’s actively set out to make money for its clients by attracting business for them. Its web site, www.bnbfinder.co.za, provides free listing and bookability for all the company’s insured – as does its recently launched mobi site, www.bnbfinder.mobi. (And who else in the insurance industry supports not one, but two such sites?)

The BnB SURE web people recently released stats that show that www.bnbfinder.co.za attracts about 148 unique visitors per day – an estimated 54,000 per year – from South Africa as well as from countries like Italy, Switzerland, the UAE and India.

At a very conservative estimate, about 10% of visitors make reservations as a result of their time on the site – that’s 5,400 reservations.

Assuming (again, very conservatively) that each reservation represented one person for one night at R500.00 a time – the total revenue generated is somewhere in the region of R2,700,000.00

I’m sure that the real figure is somewhere way above that – but it’s difficult to say. What I do know is that the .mobi site – www.bnbfinder.mobi- which went live only last week – is going to make a huge difference in time to come.

How fantastic to be able to arrive in out of the way places like Alice or Boston (in KwaZulu-Ntal), and search easily for accommodation on your phone? That’s convenience that can’t be beat. (And it’s free to the B&B industry… no membership fees or commissions apply.)

So I say – well done BnB SURE – it’s good to have you on our side.

Stumble It!

3 users commented in " Insurance underwriter’s remarkable contribution to tourism "

Marion Mack said,

in October 31st, 2011 at 10:24 am

Well done B&B Sure – nice to see an insurance company adding some real value! We have been insured with them for a few years, but haven’t received any bookings thus far. Hope the mobi facility will have more of an impact.

On another subject… as a Knysna resident I was amused (and somewhat saddened) to see a photo of the Outeniqua Tjoe-Choo crossing the Knysna lagoon at the top of the page. Surely as a tourism news website, you might have known that the train has not run from Knysna since 2006 – when landslides & rockfalls caused massive damage to the track. Come on, get up to date guys!

martin said,

in October 31st, 2011 at 10:32 am

Thanks for commenting Marion – as a matter of fact, the image above shows a steam train on the Great Brak River Bridge, (not the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe). Great Brak River, as you know, is not in Knysna

Maureen said,

in November 3rd, 2011 at 12:51 pm

Within hours of reading this interesting article, I dealt with one of our clients who found himself stranded in Mthatha following an unfortunate car accident. He was unable to find accommodation at any of the hotels. With the article fresh in my mind, I recommended that they visit bnbfinder, and they were happy to report back that they could be accommodated! Thanks to BnBSure I was able to delight a client!