Interview with Africa Travel's MD, Frances Geoghegan

In a recent interview with the Travel Trade Gazette (TTG), Frances Geoghegan, Managing Director of Africa Travel reveals that Africa Travel will now reach out to the travel trade and she shares her thoughts on the latest trends in travel.

 

Questions & Answers with TTG (Travel Trade Gazette)

• Can you explain a little about why you have decided to work with agents now? Do you see them as a good distribution channel? 

Africa Travel has always traditionally been a direct sell operator but we have realised that as we have our own office in Cape Town, staffed and owned by Africa Travel, it would make sense for the UK travel trade to be able to access this resource, and to take advantage of our industry-leading rates directly at source. Fairly uniquely amongst UK tour operators, agents will have the option of being able to contact and book with either our UK or South African office knowing that, in addition to getting the very best service and prices in the market, all arrangements made will be covered by our UK licences ATOL & ABTOT.

Whilst both our offices’ websites (www.africatravel.com & www.africatravel-dmc.com) do highlight some suggested itineraries, all of our arrangements are entirely tailor-made according to each client’s specific requirements & budget.  We are convinced that 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 and to cut out the ‘UK middlemen’, but to also be secure in the knowledge that there is a UK office behind the operation. Also having an operation on the ground in Africa allows us to be bang up-to-date with regards new property openings and local travel news & events, and our contacts and relationships locally also allow us access to the normally unobtainable & fully booked. Additionally we are a Preferred Partner of British Airways, and an appointed agent of all of the major carriers to Africa.

• Will you recruit / allocate someone who will focus on agency sales, spreading the word about the company and the amazing product range to agents? 

We are currently in the process of recruiting somebody to spread the word about Africa Travel amongst the UK travel trade.

• Will you be offering agents commission? 

Africa Travel will be offering commission to all agents at the starting rate of 10%, increasing incrementally for those high-achieving agents.

• Have you set a target for the first year of the levels of business you would like to get / think you could get from the trade; I.e. 10% of all your bookings might come through agents year one, for example? 

Whilst we have not set any targets for the amount of business which we hope to get from the travel trade, we are very optimistic that our unique dual-office scenario will encourage many agents to use our services.

• Do you create an annual brochure – will that be sent to agents? 

We do produce a 156-page full colour brochure which is available to the trade but, in trying to reduce our carbon footprint, we will also shortly be introducing a print-on-demand brochure, whereby agents will be able to selectively choose which destinations or products they would like included in their, or their clients’, copy of our brochure.

• Will you offer any co-op marketing funds for agents, perhaps for specialist Africa client events etc.?

We work closely with a number of tourist boards and airlines and would certainly anticipate hosting specialist client events, agents evenings and familiarisation trips to Africa.

• How is business generally from the UK – up hopefully? 

Business to Southern Africa from the UK has definitely increased this year, helped by an increased consumer belief in the recovery of the UK economy, but more importantly by the superb value for money which South Africa now offers. 12 months ago the South African Rand was worth 13 to the Pound, where-as it has already touched 18 this year and remains stable at over 17 to the Pound. Increased confidence in South Africa has also been reflected in British Airways’ decision to make Johannesburg the third destination for their new A380 aircraft, and to increase services to Cape Town over the traditionally quieter winter months of May-August.      

Things have not been so rosy for East Africa, with the Nairobi shopping centre siege and bombings in the Mombasa area undoubtedly affecting bookings to Kenya, but Tanzania has held its own and has benefitted from some high-end lodge openings over the past couple of years.  

• Perhaps you could also talk a little about trends in destinations and experiences across the portfolio? What's new and exciting and where is upcoming / very popular at the moment? 

South Africa is undoubtedly leading the way, but its neighbours Namibia & Botswana are also showing strong booking levels. Zambia, traditionally the home of more rustic, down-to-earth safari lodges has raised its game with new luxurious openings such as Anabezi Luxury Tented Camp & Chinzombo Camp, and whilst things are slowly returning to some degree of normality in Zimbabwe, it’s tourism industry remains healthy, thanks largely due to American & mainland European visitors. Visitor levels from the UK have slowly been rising though with those travelling reporting exceptional game viewing, some wonderful new safari lodges, (such as Camelthorn Lodge), and great value for money. Tanzania is a destination which has also benefitted tremendously from some luxurious new properties – Singita Mara River Tented Camp & Little Chem Chem amongst them.

Coastal Africa is a major growth area, with some of the hotels and resorts now rivalling the very best that the Indian Ocean islands have to offer. The Mozambique coastline is as beautiful and unspoilt as anywhere on earth, and with Anantara recently announcing an investment in 4 existing properties there, this can only help put the destination more clearly on the map. Zanzibar is quietly catching up with Mauritius with regards the number of five-star hotels it offers, whilst even off-the-beaten-track Madagascar now has somewhere, the newly revamped Constance Tsarabanjina, of which it can be immensely proud.

The Republic of the Congo and the island nation of Sao Tome & Principe are two of Africa Travel’s hottest new stars, with the landlocked Malawi a personal favourite.

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