Travel Counsellors takes homeworkers on South Africa fam trip

A group of 21 travel agents from Travel Counsellors explored South Africa on a recent fam trip.

Held in partnership with Sense of Africa and supported by South Africa Tourism, the homeworkers and a colleague from the support team explored the country in three groups on different educational itineraries.

The first route, Introduction to South Africa, took agents through Cape Town and the Garden Route, including visits to Table Mountain, Cape Point, Knysna and a safari experience at Pumba Private Game Reserve.

The second itinerary, South Africa Rediscovered, focused on the Kruger region and the Panorama Route.

The third itinerary, South Africa Off the Beaten Track, explored KwaZulu‑Natal, beginning in Durban and continuing through the historic battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, the Lebombo Mountains, Lake Jozini and the Mfulawozi Reserve.

All three groups reunited in Johannesburg for a two‑night finale at Southern Sun Rosebank.

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The closing programme included a mini ‘indaba’, or conference, where Travel Counsellors met the partners who hosted and facilitated the trips, followed by informal presentations from each group sharing their experiences and insights. The programme concluded with a celebratory farewell dinner.

Suzanne Benadie, managing executive at Sense of Africa, commented: “Putting together activations that allow me, and my wider team, to spend time with Travel Counsellors, is a highlight for me, and seeing TCs fall in love with Sense of Africa, South Africa and our people, cultures and wildlife, puts real purpose into my why.”

Joanne Kemp, a Gold Travel Counsellor agent based in Worcestershire, said: “Experiencing South Africa first-hand has given me a completely different perspective on the destination.

“From seeing the incredible wildlife and landscapes to meeting our local partners and exploring places I can now confidently recommend, every part of the trip has strengthened my knowledge.

“It’s experiences like these that enable us to create truly personalised holidays for our customers.”

Travel Counsellors has seen sales to South Africa increase by 16% year on year, with 89% of bookings comprising premium leisure travel.

Cape Town and Kruger remain the most popular regions, while demand for Durban and the wider KwaZulu-Natal area has also grown significantly.

The South Africa programme followed the successful launch of Travel Counsellors’ product trip portfolio last year and will continue, with further destinations to be announced.