New company to transform travel experiences in SA
Announcements
Leading travel group, Tourvest, has launched a new company, Handpicked Experiences, which promises to open up a whole new world of experiences for the South African market.
It’s no longer package tourism as usual for South Africans looking for domestic travel opportunities. Leading travel group, Tourvest, has launched a new company, Handpicked Experiences, which promises to open up a whole new world of experiences for the South African market.
[caption id="attachment_3724" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Bush dinner with Cape winemakers at Bongani Mountain Lodge, near the Kruger National Park[/caption]
The company offers lifestyle, sport and wildlife experiences that give unique access to people, places and activities not generally available to the public.
“We are targeting the consumer who is looking for that special something that will set his or her travel experience apart from the rest,” says Derick Oosthuizen, general manager of Handpicked Experiences.
“Handpicked Experiences offers access to an experience that our target audience is unlikely to have the means to create on their own or get elsewhere. This may be access to a place or activity not usually open to tourists or the opportunity to experience a lifestyle or sports event with a person who adds unique value, be it a celebrated winemaker, renowned chef or Springbok rugby player,” says Oosthuizen.
Handpicked Experiences gives rugby fans the opportunity to not only buy an all inclusive package for the Springbok test against Australia, but it replaces the standard hospitality offering with a braai with Schalk Burger & Sons on their Welbedacht wine estate in Wellington ahead of the game. The package to watch the Springboks play in France later this year has former Springbok coach Nick Mallet on board to share his unique insight with the group.
[caption id="attachment_3725" align="aligncenter" width="601"]
Pre-match hospitality with Tiaan, Schalk Sr and Schalk Jr Burger at Schalk Burger & Sons Welbedacht wine estate[/caption]
For wildlife enthusiasts, Handpicked Experiences offers an experience that National Geographic addicts could previously only dream about. This includes the chance to join the Lion Whisperer, Kevin Richardson, on a behind the scenes experience with the lion pride he has been acknowledged into, or the opportunity to accompany environmentalist Gareth Patterson on foot in the Knysna forests to learn about the world of the “Secret Elephants”. Clients can also join renowned conservationist Marlice van Vuuren at the N/a’ankusê Wildlife Sanctuary in Namibia and witness for themselves the incredible work she does, made famous by the Animal Planet documentary series Wild Animal Orphans.
[caption id="attachment_3726" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
Enjoy the Robertson Slow festival with winemaker Lourens van der Westhuizen[/caption]
Handpicked Experiences takes food and wine travel offerings to a new level. At the Franschhoek Uncorked Festival in September, Handpicked Experiences clients will get an exclusive three course French cooking course with Leopards Leap chef Pieter de Jager as part of the package. Handpicked is also taking the wonder of the Cape winelands to the bush by bringing two of the country’s top winemakers to a luxurious safari lodge in Mpumalanga.
“Handpicked Experiences is an exciting new addition to the Tourvest group. It is an innovative product that is unique in the market and will certainly appeal to a new breed of traveller that wants to do more than simply go on holiday, to the game or to the festival. Handpicked Experiences is about creating unique tourism products that can’t be created independently, bought elsewhere, copied or cloned,” says Martin Wiest, CEO of Tourvest Destination Management.
[caption id="attachment_3724" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
Bush dinner with Cape winemakers at Bongani Mountain Lodge, near the Kruger National Park[/caption]The company offers lifestyle, sport and wildlife experiences that give unique access to people, places and activities not generally available to the public.
“We are targeting the consumer who is looking for that special something that will set his or her travel experience apart from the rest,” says Derick Oosthuizen, general manager of Handpicked Experiences.
“Handpicked Experiences offers access to an experience that our target audience is unlikely to have the means to create on their own or get elsewhere. This may be access to a place or activity not usually open to tourists or the opportunity to experience a lifestyle or sports event with a person who adds unique value, be it a celebrated winemaker, renowned chef or Springbok rugby player,” says Oosthuizen.
Handpicked Experiences gives rugby fans the opportunity to not only buy an all inclusive package for the Springbok test against Australia, but it replaces the standard hospitality offering with a braai with Schalk Burger & Sons on their Welbedacht wine estate in Wellington ahead of the game. The package to watch the Springboks play in France later this year has former Springbok coach Nick Mallet on board to share his unique insight with the group.
[caption id="attachment_3725" align="aligncenter" width="601"]
Pre-match hospitality with Tiaan, Schalk Sr and Schalk Jr Burger at Schalk Burger & Sons Welbedacht wine estate[/caption]For wildlife enthusiasts, Handpicked Experiences offers an experience that National Geographic addicts could previously only dream about. This includes the chance to join the Lion Whisperer, Kevin Richardson, on a behind the scenes experience with the lion pride he has been acknowledged into, or the opportunity to accompany environmentalist Gareth Patterson on foot in the Knysna forests to learn about the world of the “Secret Elephants”. Clients can also join renowned conservationist Marlice van Vuuren at the N/a’ankusê Wildlife Sanctuary in Namibia and witness for themselves the incredible work she does, made famous by the Animal Planet documentary series Wild Animal Orphans.
[caption id="attachment_3726" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
Enjoy the Robertson Slow festival with winemaker Lourens van der Westhuizen[/caption]Handpicked Experiences takes food and wine travel offerings to a new level. At the Franschhoek Uncorked Festival in September, Handpicked Experiences clients will get an exclusive three course French cooking course with Leopards Leap chef Pieter de Jager as part of the package. Handpicked is also taking the wonder of the Cape winelands to the bush by bringing two of the country’s top winemakers to a luxurious safari lodge in Mpumalanga.
“Handpicked Experiences is an exciting new addition to the Tourvest group. It is an innovative product that is unique in the market and will certainly appeal to a new breed of traveller that wants to do more than simply go on holiday, to the game or to the festival. Handpicked Experiences is about creating unique tourism products that can’t be created independently, bought elsewhere, copied or cloned,” says Martin Wiest, CEO of Tourvest Destination Management.
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