ADVENTURES by Disney, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts that plans guided family vacations to various countries around the world, has decided to add South Africa as one of its eight new destinations to visit in 2009/2010.
The 12-day, 11-night safari to South Africa includes four nights in Cape Town, a four-night stay in the Garden Route towns of George and Knysna and three nights at Kapama Game Reserve next door to the Kruger National Park.
The itinerary was put together with the help of Thompsons Tours, who won the bid to facilitate the project over 10 other major tour operators in South Africa.
“We are very happy and very proud to be selected as the ground handlers of this operation. Already, sales are doing very well with the first four trips being sold out,” says Thompsons.
South Africa Tourism is excited by the prospect of more US tourists visiting the country. Chief marketing officer, Roshene Singh, says: “The US market is SA Tourism’s second largest source market and we are delighted that this initiative will bring more Americans to our shores.”
SA tourism also sees the benefit of the tour’s unique itineraries specifically designed for families. Singh states: “What is good about Disney and this particular initiative is that it is family orientated, which means there will be three generations of travellers visiting South Africa, presenting us with the opportunity to influence young Americans, getting them to come back again and again.”
The Disney package offers a variety of activities, including visits to national icons such as Table Mountain and historical sites such as Castle of Good Hope, shopping at Greenmarket Square in Cape Town, wine tasting at Spier Winery, cooking classes in Stellenbosch, whale watching in Hermanus, visits to Monkeyland, Birds of Eden sanctuary and Featherbed Nature Reserve in Knysna, as well as game drives and bush walks at Kapama Game Reserve and numerous other activities.
Two ‘Disney-trained’ adventure guides will accompany families during the entire trip, while local experts and historians will provide an inside perspective on the destinations visited.
The tours are scheduled to begin in April 2009.
