Some inbound operators are seeing more travellers booking Cape Town independently before turning to specialists for the safari component.
David Ryan, CEO and Founder of Rhino Africa, told Tourism Update that the company has seen an increase in enquiries from travellers who have already arranged their Cape Town stay themselves and are looking to add a safari.
“We’re seeing more and more inquiries from people who suddenly say ‘I’ve done my own booking in Cape Town. Now can you add a safari?’ That has increased significantly, which tells me that Cape Town is becoming like a European city. People are feeling much more comfortable booking it themselves.”
According to Ryan, travellers often book their own inbound and outbound flights before realising that a safari is more complex to book and coordinate, prompting them to turn to a tour operator.
Robyn-Lea Meyer, Inbound Business Operations Manager at Giltedge, says this “Cape Town on our own, safari with an expert” split is “definitely a consistent pattern” for the company.
However, Giltedge is witnessing this pattern more frequently at adviser level than directly from consumers.
“Advisers will often book the Cape Town and Winelands components themselves, driven by their own preferred supplier agreements, loyalty programmes or direct relationships.”
She says travellers are more comfortable booking city stays independently because of the availability of OTAs and online booking tools.
“But, once the trip moves into the bush, the dynamic changes quite significantly.”
Safari stays complex
Meyer says the complexity of safari logistics is one of the key reasons for this difference.
“Safari logistics are far more complex – light aircraft schedules, luggage restrictions, private reserve transfers and constantly changing lodge availability all need to work together. An itinerary that looks perfectly straightforward when built online can quickly unravel when you try to align the actual flights, transfers and lodge availability.”
The trend is not, however, experienced uniformly across the sector.
Jennifer Paterson, MD of Trans Africa Safaris, says the company has seen some guests become more comfortable selecting and booking their own services in Cape Town.
However, she adds, there has been little change over the past year in the overall proportion of clients independently booking part of their trip before approaching an operator.
Paterson says, in some cases, guests who book their own Cape Town services can encounter problems.
“In many instances when clients have booked some of their own services, they incorrectly assume something is included or they may make errors with the dates they book.
“International flights, the main domestic routes and standard city tours are relatively straightforward. The information is readily available, the products are well documented and the logistics are generally simple.”
However, safari is a different proposition. “Once you bring in light aircraft charters, transfer timings, private reserve selection and park access, there are many more moving parts to consider. It becomes even more complicated when adding destinations such as Victoria Falls or Botswana where the routing and connections need to work together,” says Meyer.
