africa | regions


The pyramids of Giza, Egypt


The pandemic has placed even greater emphasis on the


value of wellness. Tunisia, where Bulla Regia and Dougga count among the Roman Empire’s best-preserved sites, is renowned for the quality of treatments offered in its thalassotherapy resorts. Meanwhile, Taghazout is evolving into the premier beach resort in Morocco, a nation whose landscape and easily accessible cultural traditions are factors broadening its appeal. The recently opened Fairmont Taghazout Bay has a vast rejuvenation spa and offers sunrise yoga sessions. Yoga and bush meditation is available alongside safari experiences at the sustainability focused Habitas Namibia, near Windhoek, where guests can participate in medicinal plant workshops. Increasingly, travelers are seeking such ‘authentic


experiences’. At a time when daily life is dominated by digital device usage, the umbrella term ‘authentic’ often refers to interpersonal interactions with local people. Learning to cook dishes representative of regional cuisines counts among the types of experiences proving popular. So too does participating in tours led by locals that go beyond key tourism attractions and provide insights into how people live. Being able to offer insightful insider tips is likely to impress. As such, well-curated recommendations for wineries in South Africa’s Hemel-en-Aarde Valley are likely to trump suggestions for businesses in the better- known Franschhoek and Stellenbosch regions. Demand for sustainable tourism was increasing prior to


At a time of reduced long-haul leisure and business


travel, plus pauses to the voluntourism that was seeing growth prior to 2019, demand to visit friends and family inevitably remains strong among members of the African diaspora. In November 2021, United Airlines began operating three overnight flights a week between Washington Dulles and Lagos, Nigeria. Despite the negative impact of the pandemic, Egypt


remains the continent’s largest tourism economy. Interest in Egyptology looks set to spike in 2022 because of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings on November 4 1922. Specialist tours will commemorate the achievement of the team led by British archaeologist Howard Carter. The opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo


is planned for November. Designed by Heneghan Peng Architects, the enormous, state-of-the-art building stands a short distance from the Sphinx and Great Pyramids at the Giza Plateau. It looks set to encourage travelers to lengthen stays in the Egyptian capital. Additionally, the Grand Avenue of the Sphinxes in Luxor


reopened during November 2021, further boosting interest in travel to Egypt. Connecting the restored temples of Karnak and Luxor, the 1.7-mile-long ceremonial route is one of the world’s largest open air archaeological sites. Operated by Viking River Cruises, the newly launched 41-stateroom Viking Aton, the sister ship of Viking Osiris, offers up to 82 guests a way of seeing places of interest during 12-day trips along the Nile.


the pandemic and growing environmental awareness will add weight to that trend. Projects benefiting communities on the periphery of Rwanda’s Nyungwe and Volcanoes national parks are prime examples of those also bolstering conservation efforts. Visitors paying $1,500 for a permit to observe mountain gorillas can return home with a world- class wildlife experience and awareness of the positive difference tourism dollars can bring. In an innovative model likely to breed brand ambassadors, the luxury lodges and conservation camps at Marataba in South Africa’s Marakele National Park foster memory-making participation in conservancy. “One of the growing trends is for multi-generational


travel…a unique opportunity for families to have a shared experience, time away from devices and reconnect with nature,” comments Diane Ebzery Lobel, owner of safari specialists African Portfolio. Increasingly, that involves exclusive use of properties as families share quality time. Diane has also observed an emerging trend for friends, particularly those in their sixties and seventies, to book travel together. Prior to the pandemic, it was typical for people to spend


more time traveling between properties, frequently in more than one nation. “In terms of itinerary designs, we’ve been doing more single-destination or longer-stay trips,” says Diane. That means stays of three to five nights in a single safari camp are no longer unusual. As the pandemic lingers and testing complicates


international travel, longer stays in destinations look set to stay. For travelers, that brings the benefit of more time on the ground experiencing what a place has to offer.


Worldwide Destination Guide 2022/23 | ASTA | 61


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