- The festive season is here and with it comes travelling to sometimes far away destinations whose only close contact you have come across is reading it on travel magazines.
- Business Insider SSA spoke to a tour and travel expert to find out how comes some people seem to afford luxury holiday packages without as much as breaking a sweat leave alone sell a kidney.
With Christmas and New year celebrations just around the corner, it is only a matter of time before the internet is awash with photos of exotic locations as revealers savour chilled fruit cocktails and soak up on the sun, sand and sea.
The festive season is here and with it comes travelling to sometimes far away destinations whose only close contact you have come across is reading it on travel magazines.
By all sights and sounds It is where dreams are made of leaving you to wonder how comes some people especially whites seem to afford luxury holiday packages without as much as breaking a sweat leave alone sell a kidney yet your salaries may not be that different.
To get to the bottom of this matter, Business Insider SSA spoke to a tour and travel expert who has seen it all in her ten years plus of practice.
Jackline Cherop is the founder and the managing director of Densey Tours and Travel company, one of the leading African travel house based in Nairobi that specializes in conducting tours and travel worldwide.
“One thing I always tell people is to plan in advance. You see, where the western people have beat us is in planning for holidays in advance,” says Cherop.
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In the true sense of ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’, Cherop says the West has mastered the art of planning for vacations or holidays several months in advance by making small saving to this end.
“They will tell you I am travelling in December for this family holiday and then they start planning and saving in January. By the time it gets to December, you have saved something,” says Cherop.
Densey Tours and Travel company handles both corporate and leisure travel requirements but over the years has grown in strength and cut a niche for herself more in the corporate world than leisure travels.
“Usually the bit about travelling to make it cheaper is planning in advance,”
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Planning in advance is, however, not the only thing that will guarantee you a spot on Diani Beach, voted as the seventh best beach in Africa, and you shouldn’t sit on your laurels waiting, instead Cherop advises holidaymakers to also be aware of the time of travel since the tourism season keeps changing and with-it prices and accommodation as well.
“The second thing is just to avoid travelling during peak season. I know most of us have holidays in December, but if you have to travel during these festive seasons then start planning early so that by the time the festive season comes you have booked your hotel and everything you will need,” says Cherop.
Just like supply and demand works, the multi-billion tourism industry depends on the number and frequency of tourists to price their products and during low season crazy deals spring up and a budget which ordinarily would have only lasted you two days can see you through a week.
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Having the whole beach to yourself is also another advantage of travelling during non-peak periods.
“Traveling during low season is also very cheap and you can get a lot of insane discounts compared to the high season. You will be surprised what something worth Sh20,000 ($200) during low seasons can do for you, so make a conscious decision to exploit these low seasons,” says Cherop.
Lastly, Cherop says one should also approach travel companies to make saving and planning easier since they can always notify you of any deals on offer as well as any last-minute changes to ensure your holiday is stress-free.
“Most tours and travel companies today give you the option of saving with them in advance so that by the time it gets to December you won’t even notice you had been saving for a holiday,” says Cherop.