The Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa (APTA) has added several pre- and post-fam trip options for attendees of its Global Forum, which will be hosted in Cape Town from Sept. 26 to 30. The theme of the global forum is, "Africa: Where It Begins," representing the first time this event has been hosted on the African continent.
The tours are available at special rates that are extended to travel advisors and other attendees of the Global Forum to provide an opportunity to travel throughout sub-Saharan and East Africa to enjoy and learn more about the experiences available to their clients and to enable them to become specialists in selling the continent.
A number of APTA tourism partners are offering discounts on room nights or packages. Among the offerings:
• Delegates can enjoy discounted prices at Mont Rochelle, a luxury hotel and vineyard owned by Richard Branson in Franschhoek, which is considered to be the food and wine capital of South Africa. The property encompasses nearly 100 acres, with an Africology spa, a winery and two on-site restaurants.
• Bush & Beyond's fam trip includes a six-day Kenya experience including Nariobi National Park, and a variety of properties and conservancies within the Masai Mara. The special fam trip price is $1,000 per person.
• The More Family Collection is inviting the trade to the Marataba Safari Lodge for $140 per night, including luxury accommodation in a tented suite, all meals, two game drives daily with an accredited field guide, game drive refreshments and snacks as well as transfers and selected safari activities. Marataba is a privately managed section of the malaria-free Marakele National Park.
Registration for the APTA forum is $300 for APTA members and $350 for nonmembers. Registration includes two days of educational sessions, one-on-one meetings with tourism suppliers, hosted meals and network receptions. Special rates are offered for accommodations at the Table Bay Hotel, and airfare discounts are available from United Airlines and Delta for travel to/from Cape Town and Johannesburg. Optional sightseeing tours in Cape Town and throughout the Western Cape are also available for attendees.
This report was updated at noon Eastern time on March 27 to include details of three available fam trips and rates.