Lessons from the field

When I first started out in the safari industry, I thought profitability came down to cutting costs. Fewer staff, tighter margins, smaller operations. But over time, working with operators across East Africa, I realised that approach only shrinks your business. The companies that truly grew were the ones that found smarter ways to increase value.

I’ve seen it first-hand: operators losing bookings because quotes took too long, missing out on revenue because upgrades weren’t offered, or relying on a narrow product set that left travellers with little choice. These aren’t failures of effort,  they’re failures of process. And the good news is, they can be fixed.

Here are five strategies that I believe can make a real difference.

1. Grow your customer base

I’ve watched businesses transform simply by being easier to find. Too many safari companies still rely on word of mouth alone. That might have worked years ago, but today’s traveller starts their journey online. If you’re invisible on Google or don’t have fresh reviews, you’re missing opportunities.

On the B2B side, I’ve also seen operators underestimate the power of strong agent and DMC relationships. A reputation for being responsive and reliable goes a long way. It’s not just about more customers,  it’s about making yourself the obvious choice.

2. Improve conversion rates

One lesson I learned early on: every enquiry has a cost. You’ve paid for it in marketing, time, or effort. If you don’t convert it, you’re throwing money away.

Too often I’ve seen businesses lose bookings because it took days, even weeks, to get a quote out. By then, the traveller had booked elsewhere. Conversion comes down to three things: speed, presentation, and choice. If you can respond quickly with a professional, tailored itinerary and give travellers options, you put yourself miles ahead.

3. Increase the value of each sale

I remember talking with a guest once who said she wished she’d known about hot air balloon safaris before her trip,  she would have booked it in a heartbeat. That stuck with me because it showed how often we undersell ourselves.

A confirmed safari booking is just the beginning. Travellers want to enhance their experience. Room upgrades, extra nights, transfers, unique experiences,  these are not hard sells. They’re natural extensions of the trip. The key is making them visible and easy to accept.

4. Strengthen supplier partnerships

The strongest businesses I’ve worked with all have one thing in common: excellent supplier relationships. When you consistently deliver volume to a lodge or experience provider, you gain leverage. That doesn’t mean squeezing partners on price. It means creating enough momentum that suppliers see you as a valuable partner worth rewarding.

This kind of partnership thinking builds resilience. When suppliers succeed, you succeed too.

5. Broaden your offering

Travellers want choice. If you only ever propose the same handful of lodges and experiences, you’re limiting yourself. I’ve seen operators win more business simply by being able to package something fresh,  a hidden lodge, a cultural add-on, a unique experience.

That’s why building a broader network of suppliers is so important. It makes you more adaptable and more attractive.

Why EasyOTA focuses on these areas

These five strategies are exactly why we built EasyOTA. The platform was designed to help safari businesses:

• Respond faster and more professionally to increase conversion.
• Offer multiple options and upgrades to raise booking value.
• Connect with a wider ecosystem of suppliers to broaden their offering.

Profitability isn’t about working harder or cutting corners. It’s about putting the right systems in place to make the most of every opportunity.

Final Thought

The safari industry has huge potential. But too often, profit is lost in the gaps,  slow responses, missed upsells, narrow offerings. I believe we can change that. By working smarter, not harder, and by building stronger connections across the industry, we can grow sustainably.

That’s what EasyOTA is here for: to make profitability a by-product of good systems, not constant struggle.

👉 Book a demo to see how we support success in our partners.