African Tourism Businesses Look to Bridge the Diversity Gap in Luxury
Photo Credit: An acapella group that sings about life in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Charles Gallery / The Charles Gallery
Skift Take
Reconsidering luxury in the context of experiences across African destinations is about so much more than just a wildlife safari.
The concept of luxury is as simple as needing to unpack and pack a suitcase less.
Time, the ability to rest and the opportunity to fully immerse oneself in a destination, all point to the ultimate luxury of travel itself, shifting the typical itinerary offering for countries across the African continent. For one, it’s caused a significant increase in the average nights spent in Cape Town as a destination.
Martina Barth, group sales manager for The Liz McGrath Collection, said the company has noted the average stay in Cape Town has shifted from “2 to 3 nights to as much 6 to 8 nights” per visit to the city.
Barth added that luxury travelers are typically spending “more money and time in one destination” with the desire for an immersive experience that’s a lot more authentically engaged with locals.
The global boom in the luxury travel segment has defined how tour operators and destinations package experiences, but even more so in a Pan-African context.
African destinations are looking to transcend the appeal of safari experiences.
These were just some of the discussion points at World Travel Market Africa, in Cape Town this past week, as experts within the industry sought to define what luxury means for travelers
