New research from a multi-award-winning African-based travel company is revealing key trends within the country’s safari industry in their first ‘Annual African Safari Travel Report’.
Go2Africa, which has operated since 1998, commissioned the report to outline key trends within Africa’s safari industry. The report provides insights into the market for travellers and tour operators.
All data in the report comes internally from the tour operator with a sample size of more than 40,000 records.
The report unearths that safari travel to Africa saw a significant uptick in 2022. The number of international visitors seeking safari trips has increased by 60% from 2019 to 2022, indicating a renewed interest in exploring the continent’s natural beauty and wildlife.
The top destinations for safari travel in 2022, according to the report include Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. These account for more than two-thirds (68%) of all interest in African safaris. The report also highlights emerging destinations Zambia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Namibia, which are experiencing a surge in interest from safari-goers.
Go2Africa’s enquiry data found that seeing Africa’s Big Five – the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo – has always been the main attraction. This remains the case, with over a quarter of all travellers wanting to see the Big Five in the wild.
The top five most popular attractions are:
- The Big Five – 26.5%
- Kruger National Park – 16.7%
- Victoria Falls – 14.6%
- The Great Migration – 13.6%
- Meeting Locals – 10%
In addition, the report notes the most popular travel month for safari is July, closely followed by August – the peak season for safari. This falls in line with the summer holiday season for Northern Hemisphere countries, where most travellers come from.
The report emphasises the importance of responsible tourism and sustainability. The African safari industry has been taking great strides to reduce its environmental impact and support local communities, and travellers are increasingly prioritising these values in their travel decisions.
Sustainability is quickly becoming a key consideration in the decision-making process of travellers. Global search volumes for ‘sustainable safari’ proliferating each year – since 2019, in total increasing by 16,033%.
Maija de Rijk-Uys, managing director at Go2Africa discussed the report:
“The data from our first-ever Go2Africa Annual African Safari Travel Report 2022 indicates that African safaris experienced a resurgence in demand in 2022, which will continue well into 2023.
“Travellers are placing more emphasis on conservation and sustainability – global search volumes for ‘sustainable safari’ are proliferating each year. Go2Africa is fully supportive of this with our collection of independent, innovative and inspiring community development projects and our newly designed positive impact safaris. Whether people are seeking out classic destinations or off-the-beaten-path adventures, Africa is a continent that continues to captivate and inspire.
“Our annual ‘African Safari Travel Report’ is a chance for us to review travellers’ relationships to the country, safari and what people are looking to experience from this beautiful continent.”
