DENVER, CO, April 30, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- The Fazendin Portfolio, industry leader in travel industry representation, marketing and public relations for Africa's top destinations, today announced the results of a new survey of top North American travel agents and tour operators selling travel to Africa. While over one third of the respondents noted that their sales to Africa were increasing over the past few weeks, the results highlight the key challenge in African travel outlook as spending more time with travelers and consequently taking more time to close the sale.
It is generally accepted in the adventure travel industry that, amongst the various niches of travel and tourism, adventure travel is more recession-proof than other segments and that adventure travelers view travel as a fundamental part of their lifestyle and identity. While about 66% of respondents agreed with this sentiment, and noted that African travel is typically very strong regardless of international crisis (ie; 9/11, SARS), this recession has been uniquely difficult for sellers of travel to Africa because travelers are opting for less-costly destinations and destinations closer to home.
Additionally, as travelers continue searching for 'great value' now more than ever, travel agents and tour operators are spending more hours with travelers before closing the sale. Over 68% of the respondents to this survey reported "spending more time one-on-one with clients before they confirm a booking", which therefore decreases overall profitability of the sale. Other strategies to showcase value in travel include pushing out regular e-communications with special offers from Africa (34%), working with suppliers to develop unique, custom programs (53%), as well as emphasizing the emotional and experiential side of travel to Africa. As one operator put it, "Now is, perhaps, the perfect time to gain a perspective about one's life and lifestyle." Additionally, 26% of the travel agents and tour operators surveyed are increasing focus on "green" or "sustainable" travel programs as an added value for travelers.
Now that the African travel outlook is starting to trend slightly upward heading into the peak travel season of the summer months, travel agents and tour operators who responded to The Fazendin Portfolio's survey were very clear about what they need from their partners in Africa in order to remain effective in this new economy; 24-hour turnaround on all booking requests, pricing well in advance for the following year and a serious embracing of online technology (for uses such as online availability, etc).
"This African travel outlook survey confirmed what we'd been hearing over the past few weeks, that sales are slowly starting to come back but that the leading challenge for travel agents and tour operators is the lengthening sales cycle," said Sarah Fazendin, president of The Fazendin Portfolio. "Travel agents and tour operators should, now more than ever, be reaching out to their partners in Africa - the camps, lodges and guides - for support in closing the sale. I believe that increased collaboration and communication will be the new way forward in this evolving economic climate."
When asked what African destinations were emerging as the most popular for the second half of 2009 and into 2010, many of the respondents were in agreement; any destination offering great value and prices, highlighting Tanzania, South Africa and Zambia.
The Fazendin Portfolio provides travel industry representation and services including marketing, sales and public relations consulting to African travel companies. The company currently represents a collection of classic African travel products, including Heritage Hotels (Kenya), Express Travel Group (East Africa), Alfajiri Villas and Galdessa Camp (Kenya), Dinknesh (Ethiopia), Mbali Mbali Camps and Lodges (Tanzania), Ulendo Safaris (Malawi and Zambia), Footsteps in Africa (Botswana), Transfrontier Parks Destinations (South Africa and Mozambique) and Explore Gorongosa (Mozambique). To learn more about this collection of luxury African travel adventures or to learn more about our travel marketing services please visit http//www.FazendinPortfolio.com.
About Lifetree Adventures
Lifetree Adventures is a division of Group Workcamps Foundation, a leading non-profit mission organization offering Christian service trips for youth and adults for over 30 years. Through Group Workcamps, over 250,000 volunteers have provided more than 7 million hours of volunteer service to projects in hundreds of U.S. and international locations. For any media inquiries please contact Michelle Clavijo-Diaz, mclavijodiaz@lifetreeadventures.comAbout The Fazendin Portfolio: The Fazendin Portfolio provides innovative and cost-effective marketing, sales, representation and public relations services to Africa-based travel organizations. The company combines passion for extraordinary journeys with a clear understanding of international travel markets, and helps the world's best travel companies develop and manage imaginative, strategic and profitable marketing plans. For more information please visit ww.fazendinportfolio.com.
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