frica is one of the destinations
proving its resilience, as travel agents and tour operators report
a healthy rebound in business.
Roland Largay, owner of Largay Travel in Southbury, Conn., said
his business has "picked up appreciably," and travelers to Africa
are not holding back like they were in October, November and the
first part of December.
"We've seen a marked increase in bookings since that time.
Believe it or not, January was the best month we've had in 33
years," he said.
For Park East president Eric Gordon, Africa has been on the
rebound since November.
At the end of January, he said, "Our forward bookings, for
travel in March and April, are 15% over what they were last year at
this time."
Micato Safaris reported January bookings up 6%. Micato president
Dennis Pinto said the resurgence is "more than making up for the
drop in demand that immediately followed the events of Sept.
11."
A spokeswoman for Abercrombie & Kent said, "We were having a
record year in Africa before Sept. 11. We had a lot of people
reschedule after that, but now business is back to normal
levels."
Bookings at African Travel bounced back right after the new
year, according to company vice president Anne Bellamy.
"The perception the traveling public seems to have now is that
Africa is a peaceful place, a haven of solitude, back to nature,
forget about the woes back home," said Bellamy. "From what we hear,
Africa is up with Australia as the place to go right now."
Judy Peil, owner of Judy Peil Travel of St. Louis, said her
bookings for Africa are returning, as well.
"[After] Sept. 11, it came to a halt. All we did for six weeks
was cancel. But it's coming back little by little, and I hear from
my colleagues in Virtuoso that it's not just here. It's
nationwide," she said.
A spokeswoman for Great Ways Travel in Grosse Pointe Farms,
Mich., said practically all the clients who canceled after Sept. 11
rebooked later. "Business is going very well. A lot of people are
going to Africa. We didn't lose much."
African travelers seem to be less intimidated by world events
than some others.
Bellamy described them as "the intrepid traveler, well-traveled
to many places in the world and not put off as much by domestic or
international events."
Although price is driving rebounds in some markets, the Africa
market is not price-
driven.
"We didn't lower our prices at all," said a spokeswoman for
Micato Safaris.
Suppliers pursue latest trends
our operators, responding to an
increased demand for family travel, active travel, destinations
beyond east Africa and shorter trips, are adapting programs to suit
these new trends.
Park East introduced African Escapes, featuring seven-night
vacations to Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa or Botswana for
travelers unable to sign up for traditionally longer safaris.
The operator's Distinctive Safaris program, in which guests stay
in homes in the bush, is also gaining in popularity. "It's a more
intimate way to see Africa," said president Eric Gordon.
"We see more extended families now, with 15 or 16 people in the
group," he added.
Anne Bellamy, vice president of African Travel, sees the same
trend. "People are saying, 'I want to travel with my whole family.'
"
Abercrombie & Kent reports an upsurge in visitors to
southern Africa from ships being rerouted around the tip of Africa
to avoid the Suez Canal. "We are seeing that because we do shore
excursions for the cruise lines, and pre- and post-tours," an
A&K spokeswoman said.
A&K introduced a mobile safari program in Botswana, in which
private, tented camps are set up for two or three days at a
time.
A&K also expanded its Tanzania offerings. The new Exploring
Tanzania, for active travelers, includes biking and canoeing at
Lake Manyara and hiking in the Ngorongoro Crater.
The Tanzania Family Safari offers special opportunities for
children, including meeting Maasai children and learning bush
skills.
In response to an increased interest in independent travel,
Micato Safaris now offers a personal concierge service at all of
the hotels it uses in Nairobi, Kenya.
-- D.C.