Africa Selling Tips from Viva's Africa Experts
How do you find the perfect Africa itinerary for your client? By asking the right questions!
Our Africa Destination Specialist Danielle and Africa Product Manager Tanya have years of experience between them selling Africa tours, and have drawn on their extensive expertise to pull together this checklist of questions you need to ask clients.
Work through this list and you'll be all set to put forward a quote that they can't say no to! Click the links below to skip through the article.
Quick checklist of information you need to get from your client:
When are your client’s preferred travel dates and how long do they want to travel?
Many destinations in Africa are highly seasonal, and some of the most popular experiences in Africa (eg gorilla trekking in Uganda or visiting the Giraffe Manor in Kenya) usually sell out many months in advance.
If your client has a specific time of year they want to travel, we can use that information to help pinpoint the best destinations for their trip.
Being such a large continent with so much to explore, understanding how long your client is able to travel for helps us to stay within the boundaries with our proposal and make it an easy ‘yes’ for your client.
Check our Africa mini-brochure for a handy reference guide to the best times to visit the main attractions in each country.
Will your client be traveling alone, with a partner, with children? Would your client be interested in a small group tour, or would they prefer to travel independently?
The answers to these questions will have a significant impact on the costs of the quote we present to you, and the itinerary that we recommend.
Should your client is travelling alone and interested in small groups, some tour options offer sharing with someone of the same gender. Understanding if they would be open to sharing or if they prefer their own room would help us find the perfect adventure for them.
For clients be travelling with children, having the children's dates of birth and the parents preference for rooming will help too. There are many great child-friendly experiences in Africa but some activities and properties have minimum age requirements so this information will help us put together something perfect for the entire family.
Has your client previously travelled to Africa? If yes, which countries have they visited?
We find that first-time visitors to Africa tend to want to visit more of the big-name destinations and attractions, like Kruger National Park or the Serengeti, while returning visitors are often looking to explore a bit deeper and visit some lesser-known spots, or for an experience they didn’t get the chance to enjoy on their first trip.
By understanding your clients previous travel experience, we’ll be able to tailor their next trip to suit their needs.
What is the purpose of your client’s trip to Africa? Are you looking for leisure, adventure, cultural exploration, or a wildlife safari experience?
Some are interested in a wildlife safari experience where you can see elephants, lions, and zebras up close, while others prefer a more cultural experience, like visiting a Masai village (or a mix of everything!). Some clients also would like to add on beach time to their trip so knowing if this is an essential or not is useful as this will determine which countries they can visit.
Which countries or regions in Africa are your clients considering for your trip?
Africa’s most popular tourism destinations can broadly be divided into three areas: Southern Africa, Eastern Africa and Northern Africa. Each region offers something slightly different, and understanding which part of Africa your client is interested in is an easy first step towards
Southern Africa encompasses South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. It’s popular with first-time visitors to Africa, with excellent safari experiences including Kruger National Park and the Okavango Delta, the iconic Victoria Falls, the winelands of South Africa and more.
Eastern Africa includes Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Madagascar. Wildlife is the main attraction here, along with Mt Kilimanjaro and the traditional Maasai culture.
From lemurs of Madagascar and the gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda, to the Big 5 of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater and of course the Great Migration - the wildlife of Eastern Africa is simply magnificent.
Northern Africa destinations Morocco and Egypt are renowned for their culture and history, and can combine well with a visit to Jordan as well.
Are there any specific landmarks, attractions, or cultural sites that your client would like to include in their itinerary?
You can also refer to our Africa brochure for an overview of the main attractions in each country and the best times of year to visit them.
Any mobility issues?
Mobility issues don’t need to stand in the way of your client having an amazing trip, but knowing about them from the start will help us to make sure we’re crafting an itinerary that is enjoyable, achievable and safe for your client.
For example, if your client would have trouble being on their feet for an extended period of time, a walking safari tour probably wouldn’t appeal!
The big final question - what’s the budget?
We need to know what budget we’re working with to be able to put together a proposal that your client just won’t be able to say no to.
Africa does luxury extremely well, and for those with the budget we can offer exclusive experiences and world-class premium product, from private flights to luxurious private lodges. However, some clients can be surprised to learn just how extravagant (and costly) a high end trip can be.
Our range of small group tours offer the best value – some are based on camping in comfortable dome tents, and others are fully accommodated. There are many options that can be tailored to your requirements.
We know that budget can be a hard question for many clients to answer. To help narrow it down, you can use the from prices on our website to give clients a ballpark figure for the sort of experiences that they are interested in. Remember to check the list of inclusions so you can add any additional costs your clients may need to account for (eg international flights, permits, transfers etc).
We’re here to help!
If you have any questions at all, our friendly team of Africa Destination Specialists are happy to help guide you through the process. Simply give us a call on 0800 131 900 or email info@vivaexpeditions.com