Safari specialist African Pride has set up a sister brand to sell more high-end and luxury holidays through the trade.
The management team behind African Pride this week announced the launch of Knighton Reeve, which will offer the same destinations as African Pride, but hotels and products will be tailored to a more affluent clientele.
A brochure will be distributed this month to targeted agents. Destinations featured in Knighton Reeve’s brochure include South Africa, Botswana and Kenya.
Sales boss David Holland said there was a gap in the market for an African specialist offering luxury holidays, and the itineraries, such as Knighton Reeve’s Our Ultimate Bucket List, were designed with high-end customers in mind.
The 19-day trip, which leads in at £9,430, includes whale watching off the coast of Hermanus in South Africa, a two-night stay at Victoria Falls and the chance to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
“There are a lot of luxury tour operators that sell Africa, but they aren’t Africa experts. We know everything about Africa – our staff have lived there, holidayed there and know everything about the continent,” Holland said.
“We’ve handpicked the product that works best for a more affluent clientele. We also have the connections on the ground to be able to source more products if agents ask for something specific.”
Holland said 95% of African Pride’s business comes through agents and the operator does not strive for direct bookings.
“We know this is a product to be sold through agents and that’s our focus,” he added. Three office-based sales staff will be dedicated to Knighton Reeve.