Archive for February, 2009

Goway AFRICAExperts offers free safari for children!

Goway’s AFRICAExperts has seen increased demand for families travelling together. ‘Taking children on safari could be one of the most memorable experiences of a lifetime’, states Moira Smith, General Manager of AFRICAExperts, ‘and while many game lodges have age restrictions, Goway has put together a brilliant four night family friendly deal where the first child under 12 stays free, the second child pays $380 CAD when sharing with their parents’.

Kwa Madwala, a 4,000-hectare managed ecosystem and private game reserve at the southern rim of South Africa’s famous Kruger National Park, is the only place in Africa to offer both elephant back and microlight safaris. Guests can also choose a traditional game drive in a 4WD vehicle with a ranger and a tracker in the early morning or late afternoon, or get closer to nature and learn about the flora and fauna of the region on a bush walk led by a ranger.

Other options available to guests are spectacular day or half-day drives into the Kruger Park. They can also take day trips to nearby Mozambique and to its capital, Maputo, to Swaziland, and to Matsamo Cultural Village. A minimum five-day stay is recommended and those travelling to South Africa with AFRICAExperts can enjoy an exclusive 4-night stay where the first child under the age of 12 stay free and second pays $380 CAD (http://goway.com/africa/southafrica/kwa-madwala-flexi-family.html) (http://goway.com/superspecials/canada/). This $uper$pecial includes airport transfers from Nelspruit airport, four nights accommodation, four game drives (including one in Kruger National Park), choice of an elephant-back safari or aerial safari, bush walk and elephant activities.

Goway Unveils More Idyllic Islands

IslandsEscapes…by Goway has just released their new 2009/10 “World’s Most Idyllic Islands” travel planner. “With such a high percentage of repeat passengers, we are constantly on the look out for more destinations for consumers looking for an island getaway vacation,” commented Product and Marketing Manager, Meg Boyd. “Being born and bred in Australia, it was a natural fit for me to expand our Island destinations to include Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Islands.”

“The inclusion of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Islands coincides with the marketing of the “The Best Job in the World” – a newly-created role of Island Caretaker, which is a six-month contract, based on luxurious Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a live-in position with flexible working hours and key responsibilities include exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef to discover what the area has to offer. The position carries a salary of A$150,000 for the six month contract.

Tempting travellers to escape to the island paradise of their dreams, IslandsEscapes has also introduced the following travel escapes for 2009/10

For travellers seeking a tropical paradise, the 11-day “Dubai and Mauritius Escape” includes airfare from Toronto, 3 nights accommodation in Dubai and 7 nights at a selection of resorts in Mauritius. Starting at $4659 per person, visitors will experience an exotic Indian Ocean Island, surrounded by magnificent turquoise seas, coral reefs and an abundance of exotic sea life. Each and every visitor will enjoy a unique and special vacation.

Also new for 2009 are the unique escapes to Tonga and Samoa including round trip airfare from Toronto. Perfect for a week-long vacation, the vacations are priced from $2999 to Samoa and $3059 to Tonga. These unspoiled islands of the Pacific are a great alternative to the Caribbean or Mexico as they include all meals, transfers, accommodation and flights.

For more information on escapes to the “World’s Most Idyllic Islands”, visit IslandsEscapes.com. To obtain your copy of the 2009/10 brochure, call 1-800-387-8850 ext 123, or email brochures@goway.com.

IslandsEscapes Launches Agent Incentive

IslandsEscapes…by Goway has today launched a major incentive to Canadian Travel Agents for bookings to the Idyllic Cook Islands. Coinciding with the launch of their 2009 “World’s Most Idyllic Islands” brochure, Goway is offering agents the opportunity to earn $100 per booking on any of their Cook Islands vacations.

The first 75 air/land inclusive bookings will earn a bonus payment of $50 per person, which will be credited to the agents Goway Reward Card (apply online at www.goway.com/thecard). The Reward Card funds can be redeemed at a wide variety of retail and entertainment outlets, including The Bay, The Sony Store, Golf Town many other recognizable outlets.

The Cook Islands are a spectacular vacation, honeymoon, or wedding destination. Starting from just $1469 per person for departure from Vancouver with Air New Zealand, packages include 5 or 12 nights accommodation, transfers and airport welcome. A range of accommodations are available and offer various benefits, including free accommodation, free breakfast, free car rental or food and beverage resort credits.

“These packages represent fantastic savings for travellers” commented Meghan Boyd, Product Manager, “and the value continues in destination because $1 Canadian buys over $1.55 New Zealand (the currency of the Cook Islands).”

IslandsEscapes offers custom-designed vacations to this unspoiled gem of the South Pacific, including extensions to the stunning island Aitutaki. For honeymoons, IslandsEscapes‘ unique bridal registry allows couples to upgrade or enhance elements of their honeymoon.

For more information on these and many other great value Travel ideas, visit the “$uper$pecial” section at www.goway.com or call 1-800-667-6601.

GOWAY Announces new “Special Events” Division

Goway Travel has launched a specialist area of their flagship GROUPSOnly department. Spearheaded by team leader Nicky Cox, Special Events by Goway are experts in organizing and managing air and land arrangements for large passenger movements to special events around the world.

“Nicky has been the driving force behind many of our Special Event Groups,” commented Groups Manager Barbara Norton, “Nicky has travelled extensively throughout Europe, Asia and Australia, and specializes in customizing group itineraries to these destinations. She brings over 27 years experience to the department.

From handling such diverse events as the World Police and Fire Games, the World Dragonboat Championships and the Dragons Abreast Regatta in 2007, World Youth Day in 2008 and now as the official tour operator for the World Masters Games in Sydney in 2009, the Goway groups advantage is unparalleled.

Current Special Events being handled include:

  • Sydney 2009 World Masters Games, October 2009
  • World Transplant Games, August 2009 in Australia
  • World Masters Athletics Championships, July 2009 in Finland
  • World Masters Winter Games, January 2010 in Slovenia
  • FIFA World Cup, June 2010 in South Africa
  • World Youth Day, August 2011 in Spain

For more details on how Goway can work with you and your group, check out our new website at Goway.com/specialevents, call 866 913 6918 or email events@goway.com.

Politics Helps Tourism; Kenya Top of the List

Goway’s AFRICAExperts, one of North America’s leading companies for travel to Africa, is experiencing a major surge in bookings to Kenya. “These are unprecedented times for us,” stated Moira Smith, General Manager AFRICAExperts. “Certainly some of the interest can be attributed to the publicity that has been given to President Obama’s Kenyan roots. Whatever the reason it is great to see the growth in popularity for Kenya.”

In terms of visitor numbers, Kenya is somewhat of a “hidden gem”, attracting far fewer North Americans, compared to countries such as South Africa. “Kenya is a relatively compact destination, and in a little over a week, visitors may see the ‘Big Five’; Masai warriors; Mount Kenya and enjoy fabulous game drives,” continued Smith.

AFRICAExperts offers several tempting vacations including their popular 8-day Classic Kenya Safari starts from $2399 per person, and is currently available with savings of up to $730 on select departures.

Also on offer is the 14-day ‘Classic East Africa‘ safari with special pricing starting from $4999, which reflects savings of up to $1117 per person.

For more information on travel to Kenya, call AFRICAExperts at 1-800-245-0920, email info@africaexperts.com or visit AFRICAExperts.com.