Tourcan Vacations sell South Africa in Ottawa

Phillip Solomon, general manager of Tourcan Vacations, gave a comprehensive presentation about South Africa to around 30 Ottawa-area travel agents last week, wrapping up a series of talks throughout southern Ontario.

It was the third and final presentation that Solomon gave in the past 10 days, after previously presenting in Kitchener/Waterloo on Feb. 1 and London on Feb. 2, in partnership with the South African Tourist Board. In total, around 100 agents attended the presentations to learn more about Tourcan Vacations and its products in South Africa – in particular, the South Africa, a memorable journey itinerary, a 14-day tour around the country of lions and the animals of the savannah, taking place from Nov. 6-19, 2017. Fifteen places, out of 18 in total, are still available for this tour.

The tour covers all the essential regions of the country: the Kruger National Park, in Cape Town, passing through the garden route. “It’s a very good journey for a first trip,” recommended Solomon, who said that 55,000 Canadians travel to this destination each year.

This journey is on sale between $5,289 and $5,449, departing from Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. It consists of flights on South African Airways to and from Johannesburg, accommodation in four-star hotels, bus transfers on 24-seat, air-conditioned buses, excursions, and several meals.

The next day after arrival in Johannesburg, travellers will visit the province of Mpumalanga for three nights, with visits to the Blyde River canyon, and a Jeep safari in the Kruger National Park. They will then travel to Cape Town for three nights, with their stay including a visit to the town and to the peninsula.

Lastly, the four final nights will be dedicated to the garden route, with stops at Matjiesfontein, Prince Albert, the ostrich farms of Oudtshoorn, and the natural reserve of Featherbed, at Knysna.

Many visitors also use their trip to South Africa to visit Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The tour operator offers a flat rate for two nights, departing from Johannesburg, that includes flights, accommodation, a visit to the Falls and a sunset cruise.

Solomon spoke of how fortunate he felt to have grown up in South Africa, a magnificent destination that opened itself to tourism in the middle of the 1990s. Tourcan Vacations, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, has offered vacations in the country for 22 years.

Phillip Solomon, general manager, Tourcan Vacations

At the beginning of the presentation, Solomon offered some advice for future clients travelling to South Africa.

“Protection against malaria is strongly recommended, especially for those who wish to experience the safari in the national parks.”

He also noted that no visa is required for Canadians; however, passports must be valid for six months after the date of return.

Even though South Africa is a destination that can be visited year-round, Solomon advised that the best time to visit South Africa is between mid-September and the end of April. The months of December and January are peak times for tourists, with higher prices as a result.

Solomon also returned to the big issue for travel agents and their clients: security. He emphasized that South Africa is often listed in the top 10 of destinations to visit each year; Cape Town was also chosen by many American outlets as a city to visit in 2016 and 2017. “Since we started, thousands of our clients have travelled to South Africa, and I’m happy to say that they have all returned in the same condition as when they left,” he joked, drawing laughter from the room.

He also noted that in addition to its group tours, Tourcan Vacations also offers special interest tours on all the exotic destinations featured in its brochure, such as India, Morocco and Kenya. “We truly specialize in special interest tours,” he said, also indicating that Iceland should soon be added to the company’s list of destinations.

Finally, Solomon reminded agents that that Tourcan Vacations was not just a tour operator, but also an air consolidator dealing with most of the world’s major airlines.

Further information for travel agents is available by contacting, in English, Roshan (roshan@tourcanvacations.com), Edith (edith@tourcanvacations.com) ot Phillip Solomon (phillip@tourcanvacations.com). The company’s brochures are available at http://www.tourcanvacations.com.