Africa Travel Reaches Out to Trade

This article was first published in the Travel Trade Gazette (TTG Digital) on 17th April, 2014 and was written by April Hutchinson.

 

Specialist operator Africa Travel is to encourage trade sales for the first time.

The company has traditionally been a direct-sell operator, with an office in Cape Town, but managing director Frances Geoghegan said the company now wanted to open up its services to agents.

“We are convinced there are travel agents in the UK who would value our specialist knowledge and would appreciate the opportunity to be able to go directly to source,” said Geoghegan. “Agents will have the option of being able to work either with our UK or South African office knowing that, in addition to getting the best service and prices in the market, all arrangements made will be covered by our UK licences.”

Geoghegan said Africa Travel will offer commission to all agents from 10%, increasing incrementally for “high-achieving agents”.

She is also recruiting someone to spread the word about Africa Travel among the UK travel trade.

“While we have not set any targets for the amount of business we hope to get from the travel trade, we are optimistic our dual-office scenario will encourage many agents to use our services,” she added.

The company produces a 156-page brochure that will be available to the trade, but Geoghegan said the company will also be trying to reduce its carbon footprint with a print-on-demand brochure.

“Agents will be able to selectively choose destinations or products they would like included in their, or their clients’, copy of the brochure,” said Geoghegan.

She added the company would help agents host client events and offer fam trips to Africa.

She said bookings for East Africa had “naturally been affected” by the Nairobi shopping centre siege and bombings in the Mombasa area, but that Tanzania had been “holding its own” and benefited from recent high-end lodge openings, such as Singita Mara River Tented Camp (pictured above) and Little Chem Chem.

Increased confidence was being shown in South Africa, she added, with British Airways’ decision to make Johannesburg its third Airbus A380 destination and an increase in services to Cape Town over the quieter winter months of May to August.

“South Africa is undoubtedly leading the way, but its neighbours Namibia and Botswana are also showing strong booking levels,” she added.

“And things are slowly returning to some degree of normality in Zimbabwe. Visitor levels from the UK have slowly been rising with travellers reporting exceptional game viewing, some wonderful new safari lodges - such as Camelthorn Lodge - and value for money.”

She also highlighted coastal Africa as a major growth area, with Mozambique and Zanzibar offering more five-star product. 

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