| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 26/06/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 48 |
| Copyright: Other |
Tailor-made for that special trip to a magic land
Dawn drive: out on safariAS A high-end destination that attracts educated visitors, Southern Africa has always been suited to tailor-made holidays. But in the past few years bespoke tourism has become the most popular form of travel to the region.
Somak Holidays has seen tailor-made trips to South Africa rise from 40% of total business in 1999 to 65-70% this year, while Elite Vacations says 8% of its Southern Africa business is tailor-made. Elite managing director Peter Jackson said: “We’ve had a 30% move between the two over the past two or three years.”
Bales Worldwide will devote two new pages of its 2001 brochure to bespoke travel in Southern Africa. Planning director Roy Davies said: “In the past three years, tailor-made business in Southern Africa has grown by about 40% per year.”
At Abercrombie and Kent, the rise in tailor-made travel has meant a fall in group travel.
Planning manager Jayne Smith said: “In 1997/1998 the South Africa tour was our most popular trip but people don’t want to travel in groups to Africa any more.
“People are prepared to spend more on their holidays now. Our clients have done their homework and we just put it together for them.”
Elite Vacations has introduced a section called South Africa A La Carte to its 2000 worldwide brochure. It lists options that can be added to existing tours or combined into tailor-made packages. It also includes prices on a per night basis, such as £640 for a room at the Sabi Sabi private game reserve in the Kruger National Park.
“A problem we’ve had in the past is that people want a tailor-made quotation and then are astounded by the price,” said Peter Jackson. “So the aim of this section is twofold. We want to make clear that we can do anything people want. But we also want to give some indication of costs so they won’t bother us if they can’t afford it.”
Argo Holidays has expanded the tailor-made section added to its Southern Africa programme last year. South Africa by Design offers set itineraries but encourages people to pick elements from the brochure and combine them as they please. Manager Chris Constantinou said: “We’ve expanded the tours and the ways in which they can be modified.”