The role of travel advisors
The travel trade has a role to play in building a more sustainable safari future. The onus will be on them to set realistic expectations and talk about the greater experience, Kritzinger said.
It’s up to the travel advisor and tour operator to narrow down what the traveler can expect and tailor the perfect experience for them, said Cheryle Velsor of Alluring Africa.
“When most people visit Africa for the first time, their decision to go on a safari is usually driven by wildlife. A successful safari experience is when a traveler is on their flight home messaging you that they want to plan their next safari as soon as they get back,” Velsor said. “They want to return to Africa not only for the wildlife but for all the other things that make this continent so special: the friendly people, fascinating culture, warm hospitality and mesmerizing landscapes.”
The mystique of the Big Five actually offers unique opportunities for specialist safari operators to educate clients on all the aspects of a safari, according to Holden Safaris president Jim Holden.
Travel advisors in the U.S. agreed that education was the way to change perspectives, and they said they found that travelers to Africa were generally open to considering alternatives.
“I feel new clients who want to go on safari just say ‘Big Five’ without really knowing what it means, just as another catchphrase is ‘Great Migration,’” said Theresa Jackson of Enlightened Journeys Travel, an affiliate of Travel Experts in Allendale, N.J. “Both require a bit of educating the client before delving into an itinerary based upon one or the other.”
Crisney Lane, luxury travel advisor and Africa Specialist at the Departure Lounge, agreed and said that by educating the clients about all there is to see and do rather than focusing on a few animals, advisors are helping safarigoers to broaden their understanding about all there is on offer.
“My clients will then tend to become more interested in learning about the birds and the medicinal uses of the plants,” she said. “They want to learn about the local cultures and learn the names of animals in the Shangaan language. I think we can contribute to our clients understanding of Africa before they travel so they are open to everything.”
The reality is that every traveler is different. That means there isn’t a single answer about the right safari, said Elizabeth Gordon of Extraordinary Journeys.
“There will always be clients who are fixated on catchphrases and brands, and that’s OK,” she said. “We can still plan the best safari with the information and parameters we have, and maybe there’s an eye-opening opportunity awaiting them on the ground.
“Or, in the best-case scenario, they fall in love with African travel and plan another safari, which continues to support conservation work and local communities. Each one of us would plan a different ‘ultimate’ safari, and I think that’s what’s so exciting about African travel.”