Dorine Reinstein
All eyes will be on Africa as a growing
tourism destination in 2016, say tour operators in the U.S. and Africa.
2015 has not been a year without challenges,
as the world has been shaken by terrorism attacks in key tourism hot spots. In
Africa, the tourism industry has also had to fight the lingering negative
perceptions that resulted from the Ebola outbreak and has had to try to limit
the damage caused by South Africa’s new and stringent immigration regulations.
Now that most of these challenges have been
overcome — the Ebola outbreak finally seems forgotten, and the South African
government has announced a relaxation of the immigration rules — the future
looks bright once again for tourism to Africa. “I feel very optimistic about
the year ahead,” says Onne Vegter, CEO
of Wild Wings Safaris.
The following are some exciting
developments for travel to Africa in 2016:
Families
will once again head to Africa. Family travel to Africa plummeted in
2015 as a result of South Africa’s new immigration regulations, which required
all travelers under age 18 to carry an “unabridged” birth certificate. This
trend will likely be reversed in 2016.
Mefi Pishori
Alapat, owner and CEO of Journey to
Africa, says that families will once again take their kids on safari to
Africa in 2016. “Besides enjoying wildlife, parents want their kids to see how
people live outside of the U.S.,” he says, adding that families want to stop at
local schools, visit the local tribes like the Hadzabe and Maasai and share
stories with the people of the country they are visiting.
Africa
in the spotlight of the LGBT sector. The International Gay & Lesbian
Travel Association will hold its 33rd Annual Global Convention in Cape Town in
April. This will be the first time an LGBT business conference has been held on
the continent, and it is expected to firmly put Africa on the map for LGBT
travelers.
“Given the negative press that often
surrounds LGBT issues in Africa, we're looking forward to providing education
and a positive message to the industry,” says LoAnn Halden, communications director
of the IGLTA.
David
Ryan, founder of
Rhino Africa Safaris and South African ambassador to the IGLTA, adds: “It’s a
huge milestone in that it will be the first IGLTA Global Convention to happen
in Africa. South Africa continues to lead the way in terms of LGBT rights in
Africa, and I hope that the legacy of the 2016 convention will be to encourage
tourism partners and businesses to lead the change in LGBT rights across the
continent.”
South
Africa will flourish as an adventure destination. South
Africa has been recognized as the top destination for adventure travel for
2016, according to Virtuoso.
This trend has also been picked up by tour
operators. Katja Quasdorf, product and marketing director for Jenman
Safaris, says she has seen a clear increase in demand for self-drive holidays
in South Africa from adventure travelers and families with children. She says: “Self-drives in South Africa and Namibia will be popular for
travelers who like flexibility in 2016.”
The depreciation of South Africa’s currency
is also likely to propel the destination as an affordable hot spot for U.S.
travelers. Vegter explains that most countries in Southern and Eastern Africa
are priced in U.S. dollars, but not so in South Africa. At just below 15 to the
U.S. dollar, the rand positions South Africa as an extremely good value-for-money
destination for travelers with dollars to spend.
Danny Bryer, director of sales and revenue management
at Protea Hotels, agrees and explains that if the local currency remains weak
against the major currencies then South Africa should continue to see a
positive uplift from tourism.
According to Bryer, South Africa could also
be seen as a safe destination at a time when there is a heightened sense of
fear throughout the world following terror attacks. He says: “If the industry
can reflect South Africa as a safe destination, we may find that we are able to
attract some of the tourists who would otherwise have been visiting
Europe. This image, coupled with a weak rand against other countries,
could very well be used to benefit the local industry."
Botswana:
a top destination for 2016. Botswana has been named the top country
in the world for travelers in 2016 in Lonely Planet’s “Best in Travel.”
The country takes the top spot for being “a
unique destination: an unusual combination of desert and delta that draws an
immense concentration of wildlife.” Tom Hall, a Lonely Planet
contributor, says: “Botswana has remained off the radar for most people, who
believe it's too expensive, too difficult to get to or doesn't cater to
families. But that isn't true. Go now! Go in the green season or go in the dry
season; at any time of year, this stunning country is just waiting to be
explored."
Sherwin Banda, president of African Travel
Inc., agrees that Botswana is a bucket list destination for 2016. He explains
that the destination might have premium prices, but the experience is undoubtedly
one of the best on offer. The fact that Botswana has made a serious commitment to wildlife and environmental preservation
will also be an incentive for U.S. travelers, according to Banda.
Responsible
travel will continue to thrive. “I want to come and visit Africa to
help save the elephants.” This is not an uncommon request, according to Vegter,
who explains that although it might be a tad unrealistic, it’s great to see
that tourists want to have a positive impact where they travel. According to Vegter,
there has been a marked increase in requests for responsible travel, whether
this is social responsibility, community involvement or wildlife conservation.
Quasdorf agrees
and says that ecofriendly and sustainable travel are in high demand, as people
are becoming more aware of making a positive impact on the country they are
visiting. She explains that luxury lodges have started placing a high value on
sustainability like using solar power, having an eco-swimming pool and buying
ingredients locally.
Conservation and
community projects are not the only experiences that are in high demand with
travelers. Quasdorf explains that also culinary holidays are a trend for 2016.
She says: “Our eco-lodge Elephant’s Eye is hosting a Food & Wine Pairing event
in March 2016. Guests will learn to cook African-inspired food by a top South
African chef as well as learn how to pair wine and food."