Link policy

  1. Introduction

    The South African Tourism Website (SATW) has developed an electronic business system which will become the main travel and tourism portal for virtual visitors in and to South Africa.

    The SATW stores tourism information received from qualified reputable tourism/travel related goods/service providers for electronic distribution and display purposes, including display on the South African Tourism official website - www.southafrica.net. This facility will enable potential international, regional and local tourists and existing visitors to access details of South African based tourism/travel providers via the SATW database.

    As such, it is expected that there will be high demand from the tourism operators, business, the community, organisations and even residents to promote their own websites, or simply advertise their presence and services through the site. Website links/lists to travel and tourism related entities are intended for the convenience of our users and to provide a quick and easy way to access a wide range of informational resources. There may also be requests for new websites to be designed.

  2. Scope

    This policy is applicable to all authorised employees and agents in all business units of South African Tourism and any of its affiliated companies.

    Further this policy is applicable to qualified reputable tourism/travel related goods/service providers.

  3. Objectives

    This policy addresses the qualifications and criteria required to be linked to the SATW.

    Ensures that the SATW does not become public foray or limited public foray, but is rather maintained for the exclusive use of South African Tourism in communicating matters and information pertaining to travel and tourism in South Africa.

    South African Tourism will consider requests for links to any site/listings of an organisation that, in the South African Tourism's opinion, provides useful resources consistent with SAT's mission, which is to provide for the marketing of Tourism and Travel (including related activities) in South Africa both internationally and locally.

  4. Definition

    For purposes of this document, a "link" is defined as a hyperlink which is embedded/displayed in an appropriate place on the SAT website which when clicked on by the user, will redirect the user to the website of the 3rd party to which it was intended.

    Listing is defined as a database entry (such as details of an accommodation, attraction or activity) which is entered into the SATW database.

    Since the criteria for both is similar in most aspects, any reference to links or to listings in this document is considered encompassing upon both definitions.

  5. Qualifications and Criteria

    1. Links

      When a request to link is received from a qualified organisation, South African Tourism will review the site against its adopted criteria (see 5.1) and will notify the requesting organisation if its material is accepted. Any decision to link must be approved by South African Tourism.

    2. Procedure

      The organisation is to email the webmaster (webmaster@southafrica.net) with the proposed link request.

      The webmaster will evaluate the site against the criteria listed in 5.1, if accepted it is requested that the organisation make a hyperlink to www.southafrica.net

      Sites that are linked from the South African Tourism web site are reviewed periodically to confirm that the link policy criteria are still being met. If the organisation does not conform to criteria they will be notified and given time to do corrective action.

    3. Acceptable Links

      The link must be to the official site of a government entity, a private organisation in travel and tourism or a related field whose work is generally recognised as being relevant to and consistent with South African Tourism's mission of promoting and marketing of South African-based travel and tourism related services, or businesses that provide travel and tourism information/services.

      Consideration will also be given for website links and listings to organisations who assist South African Tourism's objectives which are:

      • South African Tourism related such as: government agencies, sectoral and provincial/regional tourism bodies, national attractions/places of interest, cities, recognised tourism and travel related goods and services;
      • Promote South African based tourist facilities and services, attractions, events, and/or appropriate tourism and travel related facilities;
      • Extend electronic informational services to international and local users who wish to utilise South African based travel and tourism related goods and services;
      • Fulfill a tourism related informational need;
      • Expand client and business access to South African based tourism and travel related services, information and facilities;
      • Simplify the process for people to communicate and/or transact business with the entities and organisations listed on the website;
      • Accelerate the deployment of an increased volume of quality, online information/brochures and services;
      • Provide a higher level of customer service from SAT and South African based travel and tourism related services/entities;
      • In exceptional cases, other sites of special significance and value will be considered.

  6. Unacceptable Links

    The following links and conditions are unacceptable for inclusion on the SATW:

    • Links/lists to any site containing inappropriate material (e.g., information regarding illegal activities or pornography, or sites with excessive negative commentary);
    • Individual personal home pages;
    • Sites whose content is not primarily travel and tourism-related;
    • Sites whose operators/owners do not have adequate safety measures, compliance to industry standards and are negligent towards the safety and wellbeing of the customer;
    • Sites whose content is written by many different people (e.g., student sites, chat rooms, interactive bulletin boards, etc.) which are not properly moderated or edited by the host;
    • Websites/links/lists on the website of tourism businesses/organisations located outside of the Republic of South Africa;
    • Websites/link/lists deemed to be in competition with the SATW.

  7. Registration Process to be Listed on SATW

    Tourism businesses wanting to list to the SATW are encouraged to be a current member of the SA Tourism Network which is managed by the nine Provincial Tourism Authorities and South African Tourism.

    Regional and Local Tourism Association websites can be listed on the relevant provincial websites whose display can include tourism destination marketing and motivational data, information, imagery and multi-media, as well as information on any tourism product and/or service advertised on their own web site.

  8. Cooperative Partnerships and Strategic Alliances

    Websites of cooperative partners, operating under any form of strategic alliance and/or partnering agreement with South African Tourism will be displayed on a separate page of the SATW.

  9. Terms and Conditions

    The SATW contains database entries (Listings) and hypertext links to external websites and pages containing information created and/or maintained by public and private organisations other than South African Tourism. These linked sites are not created, maintained, or controlled by SAT, and therefore South African Tourism makes no representations concerning their content. These linked sites do not imply an endorsement of any particular policies, programs, services, or products by South African Tourism and South African Tourism cannot be held liable for any defamatory, offensive or illegal conduct of other Internet users, links, or third parties.

    SATW comprises all documents, databases, log files, web pages, and other information residing on any South African Tourism web server and includes - but is not limited to - all information housed on a South African Tourism web server using html, asp, word, pdf, and / or database storage formats.

    Third party web sites may provide links to SATW only on the following terms and conditions:

    1. The third party may link to SATW by using the plain text name of "South African Tourism" or an appropriate variant.
    2. If a qualifying tourism web site is linked from SATW, then that site will use the SAT link logo which should be placed either on the home page or within two clicks of the home page and will link this banner to SATW. SAT reserves the right to request logo/link placement adjustments to a more prominent position if necessary. If a qualifying website includes a list of related links or recommended links in the site content, then a text listing or logo for southafrica.net must also be included in this list.
    3. While requests to link with the SATW will be considered using the guidelines, SAT reserves the right at all times to initiate links to other than requesting sites, and to make such modifications of these guidelines as are deemed appropriate;
    4. All tourism businesses will have their communication and booking URL links recorded on South African Tourism's official tourism database;
    5. The requesting organisation is required to provide details (name, telephone and email) of a reliable first point of contact, in a position of decision making authority, who can be approached should there be any problems with the web site as well as standard business details (a photograph, business name, address, telephone number, fax and email) together with a 40-word description of their business which will be displayed via the database on the SATW;
    6. Websites must be of quality standard - Including efficient download time and compatibility with multiple browsers;
    7. Information must be tourism relevant and update at least every 6 months;
    8. The 'linker' must maintain the correct URL at all times;
    9. Qualifying websites linked from SATW have 60 days to place reciprocal links on their sites. After links to SATW are in place, SAT should be notified via e-mail to the webmaster@southafrica.net stating the location of the link to southafrica.net on their Website, once it has been placed.
    10. SATW will provide a link to a requesting organisation's website after the SATW link is placed on the requesting organisation's website. If the SATW link is removed from the requesting organisation's website after its reciprocal link has been placed and without prior discussion with SAT, SAT reserves the right to remove the related tourism Website link from SATW;
    11. If the reciprocal links are not in place after 60 days, the qualifying website's hyperlink from SATW will be removed;
    12. If a qualifying website hyperlink has been removed, the link will be reactivated once a reciprocal link is in place on the qualifying web site;
    13. Any grant of linking permission must be obtained from SAT in writing before being added to any third party web site;
    14. No person or organisation is authorised to incorporate any content of any form from the SATW into any other web site by any means, without expressed written permission from the Webmaster or senior management of SAT;
    15. Links to the SATW from third party websites should not in any way suggest that SAT has any relationship or affiliation with that party, or that SAT endorses, sponsors, or recommends the information, products, or services of that site without expressed written permission from SAT.
    16. SAT has the right at all times to ask linked websites to remove their link to SATW if it is perceived to be confusing, misleading or damaging in any way;
    17. SAT reserves the right at all times to refuse third parties legal permission to link to the SATW and/or to rescind linking permissions to any and all third party web sites;
    18. No link (explicit or implied) may be created from SAT without the approval of the SAT Web Manager. The Web Manager may not grant any approval under this policy that is inconsistent with this policy;
    19. Websites that purposely (through programming) do not allow the user to return to SATW by using the back button, the hyperlink to that site will be removed;
    20. Requesting organisations are not permitted to create a link to SATW that contains a frame and must link to SATW only through a separate browser window with the SATW visible on the location bar;
    21. Site Quality - In all cases the link must open a new window and not load into the existing frame (that is not make our information look like part of the your site);
    22. South African Tourism, in its sole discretion of the Webmaster or South African Tourism Management, will determine whether the external Web site meets its requirements for the specified informational purposes.
    23. Hypertext links to external web sites and pages, images, notices and any other communications on the South African Tourism website may be removed or replaced at any time and without notice.

  10. Contact Information

    Questions or concerns about South African Tourism's Website Linking and Listings Policy?

    Please fax the Webmaster at South African Tourism at (086) 6112 432, or email: webmaster@southafrica.net, or write to The Webmaster, South African Tourism, Private Bag X10012, Sandton, 2146. Any changes to the South African Tourism Website Linking and Listings Policy, will be posted on this website.

  11. References

    1. Applicable Documents

      SAT0Q-PRO-08 Procedure for Delegation of Authority
      SAT2Q-POL-04 Procurement Policy
      SAT8Q-POL-02 Policy for Use of Electronic Communication Tools
      SAT8Q-POL-06 Collection and Use of Personal Information - Website and Call Centre

    2. Abbreviations

      IT Manager Information Technology Manager
      SATW South African Tourism Website