Goway brings Africa & Middle East to Toronto

Travel agents and their clients learned about Goway’s 2017 Africa and Middle East offerings in Toronto last night, during a showcase of the tour operator’s latest programs in the region.

Twenty-five of Goway’s Africa and Middle East partners met with attendees at the event, which visits Calgary tonight (Sept. 20) and Vancouver on Sept. 21. According to Kirsty Perring, Goway’s general manager for Africa and the Middle East, bookings are on an upswing, with South Africa in particular drawing many travellers due to the current exchange rate on the Canadian dollar.

“Africa is definitely on the up as a destination, as is the Middle East which has been hard hit in the past couple years,” Perring told PAX.

The 2017-18 Africa and Middle East program features more than 250 independent and escorted travel options, with some notable new inclusion, Perring explained. Ellen Melman and Jerry Adler of the Israel Ministry of Tourism

“We’ve added an Ultimate Namibia package,” she said, “which is similar to our East Africa safaris – it’s a maximum of six people in an open-air Land Rover vehicle, in English; it’s a very exclusive product. We’re also offering several new hotels which have opened in Cape Town, including The Silo, which is right next door to the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa.”

For travel agents booking an Africa or Middle East package with Goway, Perring offered one very important piece of advice.

“People are booking quite far in advance so we advise travellers to book as soon as possible,” she said, “because one of the biggest challenges we face is availability.”

She added that for first-time travellers to Africa, Goway also offers conference calls with agents and clients to help familiarize them with the destination, offering first-hand knowledge and insider tips.