Take a walk on the wild side, go online and view the North West gallery! To see more of the North West Province visit the picture gallery at SellingLongHaul.com


Map it out


The North West Province is one of South Africa’s nine provinces. It is located in the northwest corner of the country, bordered by Botswana to the north, the provinces of Free State and the


Northern Cape to the south and by Limpopo Province and Gauteng to the northeast and east. The North West’s borders begin a short drive from Johannesburg’s Oliver Tambo International Airport


stimulate jobs in the region and has a strong conservation and sustainability ethos. Some lodges in the reserve are ‘community owned’, which means tourism funds directly benefit local communities.


WHY IS THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE MORE ‘AUTHENTIC’?


The highways, roads and rust-red dirt tracks of the North West are ‘less travelled’ and away from South Africa’s well-trodden tourist trails. They introduce visitors to the region’s scenic beauty, which is full of sharp contrasts. Visitors will find themselves on mostly empty roads as the surrounding scenery shifts from lush forest-scapes to arid plains to rolling grasslands to bushveld to rural villages.


WHAT'S THE QUALITY LIKE?


The North West has an impressive line-up of five-star options, including many outstanding resorts and lodges. Upmarket options include The Palace Hotel and Cascades at Sun City, over 30 luxury lodges in Madikwe Private Game Reserve, and the elegant De Hook Country House and Mount Grace in the picturesque Magaliesberg region. But quality isn’t all about five stars! For


example, in Pilanesberg National Park and other reserves there are plenty of lower-cost options that allow visitors to get up close to the abundant wildlife and scenery. There are also city hotels, B&Bs, guesthouses – and even houseboats – in holiday areas like Hartbeespoort Dam and the Magaliesberg, plus a hotel at Lesedi Cultural Village with rooms built in several authentic tribal village styles.


WHERE DO I BOOK IT? UK tour operators featuring the North West Province include African Pride, Africa Collection, Rainbow Tours at W&O, 2b2Holidays, Carrier, and Definitive Africa, to name just a few.


WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE? Keep this publication as a reference guide! You can see previous supplements of other fam trips to the North West at www.sellinglonghaul. com. Alternatively check out the individual product websites listed or see www.tourismnorthwest.co.za.


KEY SELLING POINT


The entire province, including its game parks and reserves, is totally malaria free – which means no costly anti-malarial medicines before departures and no stress about getting bitten by mosquitoes once on holiday.


WHY IS 2011 A GOOD YEAR TO BE SELLING SOUTH AFRICA? Although South Africa was in the spotlight in the summer of 2010 when it successfully hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the expected new rush of tourists has been slow in materialising. For tourists, this means that many


game lodges, hotels and other accommodation providers have some great special deals and offers this year


South Africa A1 GABARONE GAME RESERVE Free State


Moletadi Dam


A1 49 A Lobatse Mabeskraal


PILANSEBERG NATIONAL PARK


NORTH WEST PROVINCE


N 1


Zeerust Mafikeng Derby SOUTH AFRICA A509 Magaliesburg 24 A Krugersdorp Roodepoort


– such as three nights for two, five nights for four, kids stay free, and free regional flights at certain times of the year (into game parks like Madikwe). South Africa enjoys a high number of repeat visitors who, once they have seen the main icons like Table Mountain and Kruger National Park travel back to explore other regions. This offers agents big potential for significant commission earnings – but getting to know South Africa's various regions and products, such as those offered by the North West Province, will be essential in achieving more sales.


Lindleyspoort Rusverby Swartruggens A509 Rustenburg


N 4


14 Hartbeespoort PRETORIA


Centurion N


Sandton JOHANNESBURG Sun City Boshoek Western Cape Eastern Cape Northern Cape Dwarsberg


Kwazulu- Natal


MADIKWE


NORTH WEST PROVINCE


Mpumalanga


Limpopo


N 4


My North West Province By Annette Ross, Travel Stop


“I have worked in travel for over 30 years and my trip to North West


Province ranks as one of the most enjoyable and best organised educationals I’ve been on. It included so much that is going to help me sell this fantastic destination. I will never forget the friendly, beaming faces of the people, the many fun-filled activities, the wildlife and birdlife, the enthusiasm of the game rangers and the skilful way they shared their knowledge of the bush with us. It was a privilege seeing animals so close up. I’ll remember the elephants, giraffe, rhinos, zebra, hippos and a pride of lions resting under the shade of an acacia tree, but also the smaller things: the dung beetles, tortoises, locusts and birds.”


www.tourismnorthwest.co.za 05


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