The Business of Finding Potential African Safari Travelers
By Safari Kay and revised slightly by Yolky
In my business of promoting Tanzanian African Safaris (and other areas of Africa), it isn’t an easy sell. After all, who are those African Safari travelers? I’m selling my passion for a place that I want to share with the world.
Through that passion, I have, over the past twelve to fifteen years, been able to see and experience the faces of those that travel. I’ve heard the words that I tried to express, so many years ago, after my first visit.
I’m so grateful that it is those travelers who have kept my business alive and shared the passion, the joy and the love that I discovered on my first trip. And they did too, why? Because many of these have returned over and over again. So Grateful!
Most Responses to Potential African Safari Travelers is No
If I were to figure percentages of responses, I would say there are about 70% no’s right off the bat. Possibly 25% maybe’s, 4% possibility and 1% yes, let’s go. Two key responses almost always prevail. Is it safe, being at the top of the list. And why Africa is the next response.
After that, it’s a combination of thoughtful responses to responses stolen from a movie set – they capture tourists and boil them in pots!
Yes, I’ve heard many ‘reasons’ like that. Surprisingly, it’s too expensive is not on the top of the list, but it’s always a consideration. These responses come as soon as the word Africa comes out of my mouth.
It is very disheartening and disappointing! Of course, much of that is due to the media. That’s where there is very little positive news about a continent that is more than three times larger than the USA.
The Mission
If you know me, you know I’ve made it my mission to change the focus of these potential travelers. In other cases just change people from a negative focus to a positive one. I would say that in so many ways I’ve succeeded in that mission. 
However, there are so many more who I know, if given the opportunity to sit down and talk with them, to speak to their group or to have a one on one with them, I’m willing to bet there are many more who would consider this experience.
It would be something they could look forward to.
It’s no secret that promoting a passion in a place that you feel a kinship to, doesn’t always equate to how others feel. How to turn people’s minds around to even get them to listen is often a larger challenge that one might think.
Try telling them that the animals are disappearing, that one elephant is being killed every fifteen minutes, that conservationists say five, ten more years, possibly more, there may be few to zero animals left roaming the continent.
Does that really matter to them? While it might peak a few persons interests, it is not a resounding reason that makes someone suddenly want to go. Of course there will be some who will never go, no matter what. There are some in my own family.
I ask myself, what more can I do to really bring home the point that Africa, and specifically Tanzania, is a place where someone wants to go now, rather than later. Pictures are great, but they don’t tell the full story. There’s always a before and after when it comes to photos, and a story that makes that photo special, no matter how simple the photo is.
Continued at section: Who are these African Safari Travelers?
