During 2019 South Africa was named the best safari experience in Africa by the Safari Awards Africa! South Africa won the award as it came out tops in 10 of the 18 categories of the Awards.
The award is a differentiator for South African Tourism. “The importance of this award is that it sets South Africa apart from all the other safari destinations as we have the unique advantage of being able to showcase our world class ocean safaris with our incredible land safari offerings. Being awarded this prestigious accolade is a true honour,” says Bradley Brouwer, Head of Global Trade for SA Tourism.
Henry Hallward, Miranda Travel Group, and non-executive director of travelexpo360.com, sponsors of the Awards, says: “South Africa is in competition with every other destination not only in Africa, but in the world so this Award sets it apart.”
The awards are endorsed by the Safari Guild, a travel buyer organisation run by its travel professional members. It boasts 6 500 buyers into Africa, generating US$3.5 billion a year. “The Award is a massive endorsement for South Africa as the Award tells agents that the Safari Guild is saying they love the South African product and that the country is a great destination,” says Hallward.
One of the 16 international judges of the awards, Sandy Wood, Managing Director of Pulse Africa, has been in the tourism and safari industry for over 27 years. She has been judging the awards for 11 years. “The winners are all world-class operations and that’s why they win. They also demonstrate consistent excellence over time,” she says.
The entries are judged over a week after agents and clients nominate and rate them online. “Only experiences with a rating over a set number become visible to the judges for them to judge.
The awards are sponsored by travelexpo365.com, an online platform for the travel industry. “Not all agents and buyers can come to events such as Africa’s Travel Indaba. This platform does not compete with such events, but coexists with them,” says Henry. The platform has worked closely with South African Tourism on Africa’s Travel Indaba, promoting it pre-show and during the show, with a show wrap up when the Indaba closes,” says Hallward.