Trafalgar's New Touring Frontier: Africa

After 70 years spent evolving and expanding its tour product, Trafalgar recently announced a particularly meaningful addition. The company is introducing vacations to Africa, with departures in December. The move is an important milestone for Trafalgar, which is owned by the Tollman family, whose roots are in South Africa.

New itineraries will be offered throughout South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. Programs to Egypt and Morocco have already been available.

“Introducing Trafalgar’s Africa is a true career- and life-defining moment for me. My family and I are extremely proud to return to our roots, and this is a wonderful privilege for us to be able to welcome guests to explore our homeland,” said Trafalgar CEO Gavin Tollman, adding that because the company wanted to ensure it could deliver the highest-quality programs, it waited to introduce Africa until “the 100 percent acquisition” earlier this year by its parent, The Travel Corporation, of Cullinan, a South African firm whose holdings include Thompson’s Africa.

At a time when experiential travel predominates, Trafalgar is known for its Insider Experiences, which are designed to provide authentic and often exclusive insights into a destination’s local culture. The program introduces travelers to the people, places and moments only a local would know, including the opportunity to meet local historians and share the discoveries that Trafalgar’s Travel Directors have collected over time, the company said.

The Africa program provides an excellent case in point. For instance, Trafalgar is the only major operator to visit Solio Game Reserve in Kenya, home to a successful rhino-breeding reserve. Similarly, few other operators offer the Sani Pass in South Africa, a four-wheel-drive mountain excursion featuring incredible views, lunch at the highest pub in Africa and a visit to the neighboring country of Lesotho.

“To say every trip in our new brochure has been created with a personal touch is an understatement,” Tollman said. “We have reached deep to open our hearts and share with our travelers our passion and personal insights into the destination.”

Trafalgar also offers the Be My Guest program, which is coming up on its 10th year and enables travelers to dine in local residents’ homes for firsthand views of destinations’ culture and cuisine.

As part of a broad and diverse portfolio, Trafalgar programs appeal to a wide range of ages and interests. That includes families seeking a completely preplanned vacation, as well as retirees who have more time to travel and want immersive experiences in multiple destinations on one trip. The operator is also popular with solo travelers, who can take advantage of select trips discounting or waiving single supplements.

A selection of tours is tailored for families and multigenerational groups. Among the most popular are “Greek Island Hopper Family,” “Irish Experience” and “Jordan Experience,” which offer activities and attractions that appeal to different ages and personalities. Family trips operate mostly in the summer (when children are off from school) and are shorter, so parents don’t have to take much time off work.

“I took my family on a Trafalgar tour last summer, traveling throughout the West to Salt Lake City, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore and more,” said Trafalgar President Melissa da Silva. “It was the first time I went on a vacation where I was able to disconnect from planning and fully connect with my daughters for the entire nine days.”

The tours deliver experiences that can be transformative, like tasting fresh hearts of palm on a plantation in Horquetas, Costa Rica, or enjoying dinner in a resident’s home in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, da Silva said, “You can really create lasting memories with your loved ones.”