There has been a growing trend in travel for travellers to do it alone and opt out of group tours for what they consider a more authentic experience. Of course, this is not for everyone, especially in a destination as challenging as Africa. But done properly, the rewards can be immeasurable. So apart from our small guided groups, and tailor-made travel, we also provide self-drive itineraries with accommodation and rental assistance provided by our specialists. We are always ready to provide our agents with assistance on what type of holiday is the best fit for their clients, here are some ways to boost self-drive sales…
Firstly it’s important to ascertain whether a self-drive tip is a good fit for your client. If you know your clients and their interests you can confidently recommend self-drive to them. It may also be the case that you are quite certain they are not ideal self-drive candidates, in that case it may be best to gently urge them to try a private-guided journey instead.
Self-drive is ideal for:
- Returning visitors who are familiar with the destination and want to explore more of it
- Independent or self-sufficient travellers who don’t like relying on a driver
- Travellers with very specific destinations and highlights they want to see, in some cases they may even have an exact route planned but only need assistance with booking accommodation and car rental
- Travellers looking for off the beaten track destinations, interested in venturing where few have gone before
- People who want to travel at their own pace
- Impulsive travellers who like to change their plans on a whim
Not ideal for:
- Travellers who consider relaxing the most important part of their holiday (who would prefer to be driven instead of doing any driving)
- People who struggle with maps/directions and perhaps even modern technology such as smart phones
- Travellers who really don’t enjoy any aspect of planning, while our consultants can take care of practically everything there is some level of personal planning required
- People who don’t like surprises or aren’t adaptable (anything can happen on the open road)
- People who are uncomfortable driving with gears / stick shift (unless they don’t mind paying more for hiring an automatic car)
How we make Self-Drive successful
We ensure that our guests are very well prepared by advising/ensuring that:
- Travellers get an International Driver’s License before their trip
- Guests download maps onto their phone or tablet for offline access (especially for areas with no cell service)
- Guests purchase a Simcard with data and airtime loaded in their destination country
- Creating detailed itineraries with extensive driving instructions, GPS coordinates, travel times, and distances between destinations
- Adding that extra touch – such as recommending special roadside attractions or off the beaten track sights that are worth small detours
- Keeping clients’ needs and desires top of mind when crafting the itinerary
