Exploration Travel – How to Start Selling Africa
Why Africa? Africa is an iconic destination for clients to experience Exploration Travel on a safari vacation and is popular for first-time and repeat travelers.
There are many reasons why travel advisors should focus on selling Africa. These include growing demand for authentic experiences, diverse offerings for various travel styles and budgets, unique wildlife and cultural experiences, high-value bookings, positive impact on conservation and local communities, potential for repeat business and referrals, expertise and differentiation in a niche market, and opportunities for professional development.
Following are our recommended resources to get you started on your journey to becoming an Africa Specialist. Join our team to learn more!
Top Destinations in Africa for US Travelers
When to go to Africa?
Two key considerations are weather and game viewing. The dry season is often better as even though it can get too hot sometimes, animals are easier located as they can be found near water. In the lush green season, animals have enough food and water everywhere, so they are harder to track. So dry season is usually better but be certain your clients understand the heat.
Increase your closing rate by up to 80% with the support of your Africa preferred partner by scheduling a 3-way vacation planning call that includes you and your clients. Remember your clients are seeking your professional guidance and that can include collaborating with YOUR local expert contact for Africa. It’s a great opportunity to significantly increase your closing rate while you are building your own expertise.
How to Qualify a Client for Africa?
Q: When are you thinking of traveling?
Q: Who are you taking with you?
Q: Have you done any research?
Q: What do you have in mind?
Q: What are your must-sees?
Highlights of Africa for Clients
The Great Migration
Use this map to determine the best times to see the great migration in Kenya and Tanzania.
South Africa 🇿🇦
Modern country, rainbow nation, great infrastructure with lots of luxury accommodation options 🏨.
Access
Very accessible with nonstop flights from the US or connections via Europe or Middle East ✈️.
Visa
No Visa required for US citizens ✅.
What is there to see:
- Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kruger NP, Garden Route 🌄.
- Offering something for everyone: culture, shopping, arts and crafts, culinary experiences, winelands, beautiful landscapes and ocean roads 🍷🌊.
- 2024 marks the 30-year anniversary of the first democratic election and the end of apartheid 🎉.
- Private game reserves offer open vehicle safaris, night safaris, off-road and viewing of the Big 5 🦁🐘.
- Malaria-free game viewing possible in Madikwe and Phinda 🌿.
Zambia 🇿🇲 & Zimbabwe 🇿🇼
Famous for the Victoria Falls, both countries share access and are connected via the famous bridge 🌉.
Access
- Livingstone and Lusaka airport (Zambia)
- Victoria Falls airport (Zimbabwe)
Visa
- Zambia: No visa required
- Zimbabwe: $30 single entry / $45 multi entry visa
What is there to see:
- Victoria Falls can be seen from both sides 🌊
- Great wildlife viewing areas:
- Zambia: Lower Zambezi NP, South Luangwa NP, Kafue NP, famous for walking safaris 🦓
- Zimbabwe: Mana Pools NP and Hwange NP 🦒
Botswana 🌍
Botswana sets the standard for one of the healthiest ecosystems on the planet 🌿.
Access ✈️
Flights through South Africa to Maun or Kasane at Victoria Falls.
Visa 🛂
No Visa required for US citizens.
What is there to see? 👀
- Private lodges only accessible via private air charters 🏕️
- Open vehicle game drives, walking, canoe and boat safaris, Big 5, special antelope species, and great birding 🦁🐘🦓
- Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, The Kalahari, Linyanti, Makgadikgadi Pans 🌊
- Largest elephant herds found in Chobe National Park 🐘
- May-Oct dry season, Nov-Apr green season 🌦️
🇳🇦 Namibia
🏜️ Famous for the desert dunes in Sossusvlei, Skeleton Coast, Etosha National Park
✈️ Access: Flights to Windhoek via Europe or Middle East
🛂 Visa: Not required for US citizens
🦓 What is there to see:
- 🏄 Dune boarding, sea kayaking near Swakopmund; rhino tracking, cycling, camel treks in Damaraland; ‘star-gazer’ rooms in dark sky reserves, possible encounters with Himba people
- 🚐 Pop-top minivans, cruisers, open vehicles, hot air ballooning, quad biking
- 🦏 Rare hyenas, oryx, desert rhinos in remote Kaokoveld; Cape fur seals, black-backed jackals and brown hyena on Skeleton Coast; large game herds in Etosha’s white plains
- 🛩️ Published and private plane transfers between camps
🇰🇪 Kenya & 🇹🇿 Tanzania
- 🧳 Kenya is the birthplace of safari – over 1,100 bird species – and culturally rich
- 🦁 Tanzania offers excellent wildlife viewing, mobile camps, both famous for Great Migration (Jul-Oct)
- ✈️ Access: Nonstop Flights to Nairobi or connections via Middle East and Europe
- 🛂 Visa: Single Entry: Kenya: $35, Tanzania $100 (multiple entry evisa)
What is there to see:
- 🚙 Great game viewing in national parks by open vehicle or vehicles with pop-up roof
- 🦒 Kenya: Masai Mara, Amboseli NP, Tsavo
- 🦓 Tanzania: Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Tarangire NP, Selous plus Zanzibar for beach
- 🎈 Many special experiences: starbeds, hot air ballooning, Mt. Kilimanjaro
- 🏙️ Nairobi: Must sees are Giraffe Center, David Sheldrick Foundation for elephant and reticulated giraffe rescue and the Karen Blixen Museum
- 🏨 Kenya offers wide accommodation options, including larger hotels/lodges and mobile camps
- 🏕️ Tanzania generally more exclusive/remote and smaller lodges
- 🇬🇧 Kenya was a British colony, therefore English is widely spoken
🇷🇼 Rwanda & 🇺🇬 Uganda
Rwanda and Uganda are most famous for mountain gorilla encounters 🦍
Access: Nonstop Flights to Nairobi or connections to Kigali or Entebbe/Kampala via Middle East and Europe ✈️
Visa: Single Entry: Rwanda $50, Uganda $50 🛂
What is there to see:
- 🏞️ Rwanda, the country of a thousand hills, famous for mountain gorillas in Virunga NP (Rwanda) and Bwindi Forest (Uganda)
- 💰 Gorilla permits are $1,500 pp in Rwanda, $800 pp in Uganda
- 👨👩👧👦 Rwanda: 24 families, 12 are used for tourism, 8 guests max per group
- 🐒 Nyungwe NP for Chimps, Akagera NP for birding and Big 5 🦁🐘🐆🦏🐃
