One of the most significant challenges for eco-tourist operators such as is Journeys by Design is the designing of itineraries that, as well as satisfy a desire for seeing a great deal, hold to the necessary ideal of sustainable and adventurous tourism. With many of Africa’s greatest parks having for decades catered to a high impact-large crowd market type philosophy, traditional high density areas such as the Serengeti, the Masaai Mara, Etosha or the Kruger are in danger of over-saturation.
Our approach to the problem is twofold: One, explore alternative options; two, design different, sustainable and imaginative itineraries in quieter parts of these traditional high density eco-systems. The first of these makes up a significant part of our portfolio, examples of which include championing Tanzania’s wilder parks, Katavi and the Selous, Kenya’s Laikipia project, Botswana’s new wet cycle zones north and east of the Okavango Delta or a number of South Africa’s reclaimed reserves – to name but a few. The second sees us working with local communities, adventurous ground operators and philanthropic individuals to reclaim and develop zones outside the well-trammelled – the Greater Kruger, for example, or Paul Tudor’s wholesale renovation of the Serengeti’s previously neglected Grumeti sector.
Thoughtful, purposely placed to take advantage of migrations, along traditional and now newly reopened animal corridors, both solutions are proving highly effective in terms of providing alternative high density world life experiences and influencing wildlife sustainability throughout sub-Saharan Africa.