Having been in the industry for over 30 years, Welcome Tourism Services has just about seen it all and through the changes in travel trends over the decades we have also successfully managed to adapt and remain relevant in an ever evolving travel environment.
Looking back three decades, Southern Africa, specifically South Africa was mainly sold as an exotic safari destination. At the time that is what people were looking for and that was what set this region apart from other Western and Eastern destination alternatives. In terms of the travel planning process, things worked a little differently to how they do now. In those days people planned their holidays well in advance, the typical traveller was much older, well established financially and therefore had the extra money to spend on a holiday.
Fast forward to the 21st century and the era of globalisation; the evolution of technology over just the past 10 years has been exponential. Clients are now more informed than ever and more often than not, their travel planning journey begins online. Nowadays travellers can research, plan and book a holiday in a matter of minutes on a pocket sized device. Digital changed the game but Welcome has used that as an advantage. Digitalising some of our booking processes via our online B2B system and automating live availability on our internal system has allowed us to be more competitive.
Today’s travellers, while many of them still value safaris, are looking for an authentic and hands-on African experience. They want to get off the bus and experience this destination with all their senses; taste the food, meet the locals and see the splendour of the varying landscapes, towns and cities.
Looking to the (very near) future, we have the millennial traveller. When millennials travel, they’re “soul searching” they want more out of a holiday than nice hotels and standardised tours. They want to be changed by their travel experience and to make a difference while travelling. Millennials have the tendency to be ethical, voluntourism and sustainable tourism matters now more than ever and that will more than likely increase in the years to come. Welcome has some exciting projects in the works which aim to meet the needs of this rapidly changing travel industry.
Connect with us click here - http://welcome.co.za
