Escorted holidays and coach tours are often perceived as rigid and inflexible with large groups being corralled in and out of attractions. The reality, however, is different and adventure seekers are starting to wake up to the benefits of escorted tours to Africa.

Escorted tours are starting to experience a renaissance, with increased demand for guided journeys in 2016 and 2017, says Julien P. Janssen, Head of Guided Journeys at Thompsons Africa. He says guided holidays saw unprecedented growth for three years until the end of 2014, after which a slight downward spiral was detected. “During the early months of 2015, business in general declined drastically in the aftermath of the Ebola scare, visa regulation confusion and world politics.”

Springbok Atlas recently went through a phase where they saw a decline in demand, says Elana Redelinghuys, GM Guided Tours for Springbok Atlas. She says people opted for self-drive packages, which they considered to be more cost effective. However, Redelinghuys also saw resurgence in demand recently. “It appears that the demand for escorted tours is growing again, perhaps due to the favourable exchange rate but also because of the guaranteed standards of safety, reliability and quality.”  

“There is definitely an increase in the amount of people who want to travel in escorted tours to Africa,” says Christiaan Steyn, Marketing Manager for Drifters Adventours, a Division of Tourvest. He says although there are many people who travel on their own to destinations such as South Africa or Namibia, travellers largely depend on guided tours to take them to the more remote and isolated parts of Africa that they can’t easily reach on their own.

“The fact that guided tours take clients into areas that are not accessible to the general traveller contributes to the increase in group tours,” says Steyn, adding that another factor contributing to the success of escorted tours is the guide. According to Steyn, the personal touch that is added by a professional tour guide is a great incentive for leisure travellers, as it adds an ‘authentic’ aspect to their holiday. “Local guides do not only offer clients general info on the area but also add the personal touch with stories of their lives. Guides also reflect on the impact that tourism has on their lives and that of their community which makes the travel experience even more 'real' for clients.”

Lorna Simone, Sales and Marketing for Hylton Ross, agrees and says the professionalism of the tour guide is what makes the escorted tour an attractive holiday option. “People don’t realise the value of a guide who explains everything and answers questions. The guides make a point of knowing everything about everything Most of them have great personalities and, in my opinion, the guide can make the tour special,” she says. “People know they are in safe hands of a local and they will be picked up and dropped off safely and escorted, and advised all the way about how much to pay for things, or the best places to eat, or where there are safe, clean toilets etc.”

Janssen says another important element that contributes to the success of escorted tours to Africa is that there is a good selection of different options to suit different clients. Redelinghuys agrees and says people seem to think these tours are only for the masses and that they are solely operated in big coaches. However, she says, escorted tours in Africa mostly consist of small and flexible groups.

The average number of guests on our escorted tours is between six and eight people and the tours are generally conducted in small touring vehicles with the services of a driver or guide,” says Redelinghuys. “This creates a very intimate and personalised relaxed atmosphere with guests getting to know each other whilst sharing wonderful travel experiences.”

The biggest buyers for escorted tours, according to industry players, are, without a doubt, international leisure tour operators. Says Janssen: “The biggest buyers of our seat-in-vehicle escorted tours are by far the leisure tour operators who have always been our traditional channel sources. Scheduled escorted tours are also easily available for sale on Internet distribution, for example through Viator.”

Glenn McKeag, CEO of Springbok Atlas, agrees that the largest buyers of escorted tours are the leisure tour operators – African wholesalers who feature South Africa as a leisure destination. “They find it an ‘easy sell’. They do not need to take any risk with these tours by holding space. We, the ground handler, hold the space and take the risk.”

Incentive groups don’t often opt for the traditional and scheduled escorted tours. Janssen says he has not seen a great demand for the ‘seat in vehicle’ guided tour segment from the incentive market, as their requirements can be exceptionally intricate.