Page 33 - Meetings Botswana 2020

means safari, but beyond that, anything else is a bonus and they were pleasantly surprised with the arrivals process, quality of the hotels, food and beverages, and the good service.”
Another plus point for Landmark was cost.
According to Altman, while Botswana has an image of being a place for the rich and famous holidaying in luxury lodges, Landmark found the destination was excellent value for money while delivering an exceptional safari experience.
“Our client had a fixed budget, but working within this, we were able to deliver a top notch programme that competed amazingly well against other destinations around the world.”
Going the distance
An initial negative was the distance to be travelled for an US-origin group, with price for flight options through Johannesburg tending against the African itinerary.
“One of our big challenges was airlift,” explained Altman. “If it was not for Ethiopian Airlines, we may not have been able to make budget – and they delivered an excellent service with good connections.”
For a nationality fixated on air miles, one slight bonus was the fact that the long-haul flight from North America to Addis and on to Victoria Falls meant the participants earned sufficient miles for a free domestic flight in the US.
And, even those who initially doubted the reward for flying so far were impressed with the outcome.
“There was not one complaint post-trip,” said Altman. “Even those who made a fuss about the length of the flight later said they would not have traded this experience for the world ...”
Overall, both Piggly Wiggly and Landmark Incentives were pleased with the Botswana choice, despite the initial difficulties with logistics and suppliers.
“Bushtracks has its feet on the ground, they are local experts and put together an exceptional programme for us,” said Altman. “We did struggle at times in the run-up and frankly were frustrated at times.
“It’s a wonderful achievement when you exceed expectations, and this is what we strive for in our business –
and we really ended up with a positive situation in Botswana with no negative comments from our group.”
In fact, in dealing with one challenge, Botswana came up trumps – when the wife of one of the group VIPs fell and broke her leg, she was on a plane to Gaborone for hospital treatment within an hour.
“It’s a wonderful achievement when you exceed expectations, and this is what we strive for in our business – and we really ended up with a positive situation in Botswana with no negative comments from our group.”
MEETINGS BOTSWANA 2020 33