While it is true that fact-finding on demographics, habits and buying behaviour can help position a product effectively, high-end African travel is a little different. The fact is that, by its very nature, luxury travel depends on specific personal criteria. The question becomes: how can a destination or a service provider accommodate the extreme flexibility demanded by this market but stay true to the unique attractions that brought them there in the first place?

It’s at this intersection of needing to know a traveller’s personal preferences and what differentiates the destination that any tourism stakeholder places themselves squarely in the design and management field. These travellers are attracted to a greater degree of personal involvement in all aspects of their visit, preferring the discreet reliability of private, specialised operations.

High-end African travel, globally renowned for its extraordinary and unique variety of tourism products, is at an exciting crossroads. Over the past two decades, there has been an increasing and valued focus on sustainability, attracting highly knowledgeable global travellers to the continent, and typical selfies are being replaced by thoughtful, respectful, and responsible engagement with African people, their communities, and eco-systems. As the world continues to re-sync with a more humane and thoughtful existence, it may be best to transition to what is to become the ultimate global leader of authentic and meaningful tourism experiences.

Experiential travel and travel with a purpose, valuing authentic and meaningful experiences and human connections, continue to be the foundation of high social consciousness deriving from travel. While the core values and threshold per person spend of these travellers will continue to spatially extend into more luxury products, the design of daily activity programs and integration of community engagement programs, as well as philanthropic and/or enhancement activities, remain the key points of difference.

Environmentally and culturally sensitive tourism doesn’t mean that the well-heeled traveller is relinquished of a high-end experience; upscale stays can be as opulent as anyone might hope for but with added attention to the environment that has been sorely lacking in the world of travel. By doing so, travellers help to preserve their exotic destinations for generations to come.

Saying that accommodation and airline providers and the rest are jumping on the sustainable bandwagon might not be quite the truth, but sentiment in the right direction seems to have carried some of the large tourism developer corporations. What we see emerging in the market are an increasing number of environmentally friendly and sensitive ventures. These may not offer top-end luxury, but lately, there has been an explosion of ultra-luxurious resorts in exotic locations that emphasise their adherence to a sustainable ethic. With travellers increasingly seeing the destinations as the jewels in their vacationing crown, the emphasis on conserving these beautiful places can only increase.

Megatrends are unlikely to reverse themselves; rather, they are likely to intensify. This has implications for investors and companies looking for growth in traditional luxury industries as growth in mature markets stagnates. However, growth in visitor arrivals does not necessarily translate to upward growth in spending, yet investment is increasing and is still required. The alignment of ‘Africa Rising’ and global growth in luxury tourism is the catalyst that will propel Africa to the top of the leadership podium in travel and tourism.

To date, the industry has been ad-hoc in its response to the rising wallets of a new demographic of tourists and business leaders travelling within and to Africa. One aspect of successful positioning is an offering that is a clear alternative to those presented by competing destinations, and it needs to be readily apparent how the unique selling proposition – the competitive advantage of the country or destination – is highly aligned. High-end travel is about aspiration and emotional connection; both individual countries and the continent have a unique range of peoples, histories, cultures, landscapes, and experiences. These are here to stay, as tourism facilitates their reaching a wider audience. Management needs to visualise how they can leverage the unique aspects of their destination to align with those unique market segments.

The ability of travellers – local and international – to understand, appreciate, and value the cultural ethos and brands is the key to sustainable tourism growth. Understanding and leveraging these trends will deliver long-term dividends for the African travel industry.

Melisa Harvey