New Horizons Holidays has launched its 2013 Africa program, offering the trade a diversified program, with the company expanding its product range beyond South Africa, Botswana and Victoria Falls into East Africa, with product available in Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Zanzibar for the first time.
In addition to new destinations, New Horizons Holidays’ 2013 Africa program boasts eight new escorted tours, including the 6-day Zulu Legacy – Kings Warriors and Wildlife, the 13-day East African Explorer, 5-day Kilimanjaro Safari to the Mombasa Coast and the 6-day Gorilla Safari. The program also offers increased choice in Kruger National Park with the addition of nine new safari lodges, new add-ons and holiday extensions in Cape Town, along the Garden Route, in the Winelands, Johannesburg and Durban and more variety in the ever-popular Victoria Falls region, with white-water rafting and elephant safaris now available.
Chris Evans, managing director, New Horizons Holidays said, “Our Africa program achieved double-digit growth in 2012, with sales figures increasing by just over 50 per cent on this time last year.
“In the wake of such robust demand and with Africa’s tourism industry going from strength to strength, continually evolving and becoming more accessible, we’ve spent a lot of time contracting a huge selection of new products to suit the ever-changing desires of travellers. The result, is a product range to suit travellers from all walks of life, whether they’re backpacking, after a romantic break, travelling as a family or looking for some of the world’s finest luxury five-star experiences.
“The addition of eight tours this year responds to high demand for this style of escorted travel throughout Africa, with many travellers appreciating the ease these all-inclusive products offer. We’ve also added more variety in Kruger National Park, brochuring alternative lodge and safari inventory, in what is one of the most popular destinations in South Africa.
“While Kruger is a perennial favourite, we foresee the big game parks of East Africa as one of the hot spots in 2013, and in anticipation have expanded into the region.
“East Africa offers travellers the iconic African safari holiday, and so much more. We attribute its growing popularity to its diversity and broad appeal, from Kenya’s Amboseli National Park and the Masai Mara to the huge plains of Tanzania’s Serengeti, which are home to some of the finest African flora and fauna, including the Big 5. It is also a region famous for the annual migration, with almost two million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle thundering between the plains of the Serengeti and the hills of the Masai Mara in search of food and water, followed by hundreds of predators.
“Some of the exciting new options in East Africa include packages to the snowy peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro, and escorted journeys into Tanzania’s game-rich ancient Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara National Park.
“While travellers to Africa are traditionally looking to see the Big 5, our new program will also include comprehensive product in Uganda, the ‘Pearl of Africa’, a country that lures travellers seeking an encounter with the endangered mountain gorilla, which can be seen on unforgettable gorilla treks, as well as the bird-spotting paradise of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
“Our 2013 program also incorporates the tropical isles of the Zanzibar archipelago and the spectacular beaches of Mombasa, both of which provide the perfect extension to a safari holiday and a refreshing contrast, with relaxing coastal vibes and some amazing resort properties”.
For more information see www.newhorizons.com.au, log onto myhorizons at www.calypsonet.net.au, call 1300 30 22 30 or speak with your New Horizons Holidays sales manager.