How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Safari Bookings
byDori Saltzman/“这是非洲的时刻,”美国非洲产品经理Suzanne Teng宣布Abercrombie&Kent,但A&K并不是唯一的Safari操作员。
“We’re seeing a significant increase in the sheer number of bookings,” Sandy Salle, founder and president of Hills of Africa Travel, told Travel Market Report. “Demand for African safaris is extremely high right now, as delayed trips are rescheduled and new trips are planned.”
At &Beyond, the company is back to pre-COVID level sales, CMO Nicole Robinson said.
But the surge in bookings doesn’t mean everything is back to pre-COVID norms. As with the rest of the travel industry, new trends are emerging. Travel Market Report reached out to four safari operators to find out what they’re seeing.
Shorter Booking Window
Shorter booking windows have been a trend throughout much of the travel industry and one that was already around pre-COVID. But travel conditions since the pandemic have intensified the trend.
“We’re seeing even shorter booking lead times as this gives travelers more certainty when it comes to their plans and country-level entry requirements,” said Robinson.
Salle echoed Robinson. “We have seen significantly shorter lead times on our bookings. Most of our requests used to be for trips 12 months away. Now, we’re seeing more and more requests for 90 days (or even less) out from travel. It is hectic and advisors need to know that suppliers are working on shorter timelines and availability can change quickly.”
Becca Fritz, marketing manager at Alluring Africa also told TMR that before the pandemic the average booking window was anywhere from 12 to 14 months. Since early 2021, she said the lead time has shorted to only five months.
她说:“旅行者意识到,在失去了过去旅行的能力之后,他们不想错过机会,并且更渴望检查其遗愿清单。”
她对旅行顾问的建议?“由于预订窗口较短和要求的需求使得找到空间更具挑战性,因此,新的查询需要比以前更多的时间和紧迫感。”
She also said, because planning a safari in a shortened time frame is time-consuming, advisors should be charging a planning fee if they’re not already doing so.
Abercrombie & Kent, USA is not seeing the shorter booking window at the same level as other suppliers. In fact, most of peak season 2023 is already sold out, according to Teng, and the company is encouraging short window bookings for this summer.
“ 2023年有望成为横幅的一年……旅行顾问应鼓励他们有兴趣提交和预订的客户,而不是迟到。2022年南部非洲峰季节仍然有机会和可用性。旅行顾问应建议宾客推迟到2023年的旅行,除此之外,他们将面临空间不足,旺季更高的国家公园和更高的价格。”
更多的体验,只有更少的游戏驱动器
Another trend several safari operators said they’ve noticed is a growing interest from travelers in doing more than just game drives.
“We’ve heard many times from travelers, ‘I don’t want to sit in a vehicle all day,’” Fritz told TMR. “Travelers want experiences that allow them to see and experience Africa in unique ways. Think helicopter safaris, hot air balloons, star beds, horseback riding safaris, cycling though the scenic landscapes, and city sidecar adventures.”
“我们也见过更活跃的兴趣safari,” Teng said. As a result, at a new camp in Kenya, A&K added activities that include cycling, running, horseback riding with rhinos, guided bush walks, and a “meet the neighbours” community visit.
At &Beyond Robinson said they’re seeing more interest from guests for activities related to sustainable tourism.
她说:“在我们的自然资源周围的意识上发生了全球变化,并与目的地及其人民建立联系,而不仅仅是打勾盒子。”“这是在库维德之前的发展趋势,但是在大流行期间,意识急剧提高。关于使自然改变的可见影响,故事遍布恢复……对旅行的兴趣,这使大自然置于行程的中心肯定会增加。”
To respond to this new awareness and the demand for related activities, the operator now offers add-on conservation options like rhino dehorning, elephant collaring, and more, as well as community visits.
Larger Budgets/Longer Itineraries
Much like in the rest of the travel industry, so-called “revenge travel” is making itself felt in safari bookings, as well. People are looking to spend more money and more time to make up for lost time.
“The average budget has increased 42% compared to pre-pandemic,” Fritz said. “We’ve noticed that budgets are more flexible because travelers haven’t planned a big trip in several years. They’ve been saving up for the perfect trip and they’re not afraid to spend a little more than they have in the past.”
萨尔说:“我们还发现人们在每个目的地持续更长的时间。”“虽然在他们可能在每个位置度过了两到三晚之前,他们现在要花四个甚至六个晚上才能真正体验特定的财产或区域。”
鲁滨逊说,他们对更长的住宿也有类似的兴趣。“有些客人更关心安全性……这些客人可能会选择最大程度地减少航班和接送时间的时间。我们推出了更长的住宿选择,以满足您在小屋中停留更长的时间,而不是每隔几天移动。”
在A&K,这种安全问题转化为在Safari上对私人航空旅行的更大兴趣。“他们想要更多的空间和隐私,”滕说。
Safari Time Is Family Time
最后,我们与之交谈的一些野生动物园运营商还说,他们看到了多代家庭预订的繁荣,鲁滨逊说这是大流行之前开始的,并且只继续努力。
Teng说:“我们看到了一种新的紧迫感 - 许多客人认为他们失去了两岁及以上的客户,他们担心剩下的健康岁月也很少。”“许多人正在重新想象推迟假期,以此作为与全国或世界各地的家庭成员重新建立联系的一种方式。他们想一起庆祝里程碑。结果,A&K看到越来越多的多代家庭以8至14岁的小组旅行,年龄从4岁到90岁。