Incentive professionals understand the importance of rewarding employees in order to drive productivity.

It is also their responsibility and challenge to find the most rewarding destination with which to motivate and excite incentive participants – one that provides the best activities, adventures and amazement which will motivate and drive participants to achieve heightened success.

Long haul destinations offer the promise of the exotic but it can be hard for incentive professionals to fully understand how to get the most out of the destination where they are situated on the other side of the globe.

This is why working on the ground with a destination management consultant (DMC) of that particular country as well as the operators on the ground, is so important.

TRAVEL TIPS ONLY EXPERIENCE CAN DELIVER

South Africa is renowned for its encompassing beauty, natural reserves, world-class wines and safari adventure travel, together with a world-class luxury lifestyle along its vast coastline from its position on the tip of Africa.

What many foreign incentive operators don’t realise is that South Africa is a very large country and all too often costly and time-sucking travel logistics can impact both incentive itineraries and budgets.

Almost every incentive travel group to South Africa looks for the reward of a Big 5 wildlife experience and their first port of call is the world-famous Kruger National Park. However, many factors come into play here which are often not available to the booking agents.

Firstly, moving large groups to and through the Kruger National Park is a challenge and along with the park’s other 1.5 million annual visitors, it is not a high-end luxury incentive activity.

The more upmarket private reserves which edge the park, such as Sabi Sands and Timbavati region offer an equally thrilling wildlife experience but do not have the accommodation facilities to host big incentive groups, catering solely to the free independent tourist (FIT) market.

HOW TO TRAVEL TO THE KRUGER

Getting your group to the Kruger is your next challenge.

Landing at OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng Province, the park is a five hour drive by car and longer by luxury bus. Alternatively, groups can fly into Hoedspruit and the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, which requires another hours’ drive to reach the Park’s Numbi Gate.

Traveling such distances often requires splitting the group and expensive travel logistics which opens up lots of room for error, and for the travelers themselves it can turn into one long, hot and boring day… not something one wants to put ‘winners’ through.

Unless of course, they are arriving to something truly spectacular and inaccessible to anyone else.

BESPOKE SAFARI OFFERINGS

Hayward’s Grand Safari Company, the 2019 Winner of the Best Safari Experience in Africa offers a bespoke Kruger National Park Grand Safari experience and is the first private safari operator to be allowed access to this South African wildlife treasure.

Transported to untouched wildlife regions within the 19 485 km² park where there are no public access roads or hotel or ablution buildings, or other tourists in sight, guests are hosted in 5-star luxury tented accommodation catering to up to 200 people on land that has not been touched by a human foot before.

Dedicated game rangers protect, teach and guide groups towards some of the most breathtaking and awe-inspiring nature experiences during the day while at night they are wooed by the night sky and entertained by the best chefs, butlers, cigar aficionados, story-tellers, spa specialists and cultural entertainers in Africa.

Immersed in pure natural environments for a week guests emerge from a world-class luxury safari that is stained indelibly on their memory.

Setting a bespoke 5-star safari camp up in the Kruger National Park can be costly however, for those wanting to spend a shorter time engaging with the country’s wildlife and safari experience, there is something as equally inspiring and closer to ‘home’, or rather closer the Gauteng’s international airport.

BRINGING THE KRUGER EXPERIENCE TO JOHANNESBURG’S DOORSTEP

South African Tourism is behind the marketing of the all new Dinokeng Big 5 game reserve in Tshwane, just one hours’ drive away from OR Tambo International Airport and one which offers a wildlife experience on a par with the Kruger National Park when it comes to immersing and engaging with South Africa’s natural heritage.

Adjacent to Hayward’s Grand Safari Company Headquarters in Boekenhoutskloof, this Big 5 reserve is also close to the diamond mining town of Cullinan and the Wonderboom Airport which offers direct transfers to South Africa’s second most visited destination, Cape Town, South Africa’s lifestyle and wine-drinking destination of choice.

Here, in Dinokeng, delegates are served an equitable safari experience on a par with the Kruger National Park but where incentive operators have more opportunity to spend travel logisitic costs on activities and entertainment to inspire and woo the group.

These include transfers by Rovos Rail, Diamond Incentive events, cultural entertainment and artisans such as the Ndebele King’s own traditional dancers and the five star services of classical pianists, hot air balloon safaris, wine and whiskey tastings and bespoke staged events right in its Big 5 safari camp each and every night.

To discuss your next Grand Safari big group incentive trip, contact Top Woman in Mice and Hayward’s Safaris’ Production Director Celia du Preez on (South Africa) Tel: 0861 732 583 (International) Tel: +27 12 808 0442.