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Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group (AKTG) has unveiled ambitious global expansion plans, including new luxury lodges in Bolivia and Rwanda, as the Australian relaunch of Cox & Kings delivers stronger-than-expected results.<\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking at AKTG\u2019s annual Sydney showcase, An Endless Pursuit of Discovery, held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on Thursday 22 October, VP Sales & Partnerships Susan Haberle outlined the group\u2019s growing global footprint, new products and investment in technology.<\/p>\n The event brought together travel advisors and industry partners for an evening of updates from across the group\u2019s portfolio, including Abercrombie & Kent, Sanctuary, Crystal, Cox & Kings and Ecoventura.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really have been building something special,\u201d Haberle told attendees. \u201cYou are the reason why we can do this expansion.\u201d<\/p>\n The group now has more than 70 wholly owned destination management companies (DMCs) worldwide, up from around 50 just a few years ago.<\/p>\n Over the past 12 months, A&K has expanded into Mexico, Indonesia and South Korea, acquired Nordic specialist Borealis and established a presence in Bolivia.<\/p>\n Among its most ambitious developments is a new luxury camp on Bolivia\u2019s Uyuni Salt Flats, expected to open towards the end of 2027.<\/p>\n The property will feature five architecturally designed canvas accommodation units, alongside communal dining and lounge facilities, offering guests the opportunity to experience the salt flats beneath the stars.<\/p>\n A&K has also purchased land in Rwanda, where construction is set to begin on a new Sanctuary lodge, complementing its existing Gorilla Forest Lodge in neighbouring Uganda.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the group\u2019s new 32-suite Nile riverboat, Nile Seray<\/em>, is preparing for its inaugural sailing. All suites will feature Juliet balconies, with two offering private balconies with Jacuzzis.<\/p>\n Other developments include the new Kitirua Plains lodge in Kenya\u2019s Amboseli region and the refurbishment and relocation of Ngorongoro Crater Camp in Tanzania.<\/p>\n Haberle also revealed that Cox & Kings, which returned to the Australian market in June 2026, has performed beyond expectations.<\/p>\n A&K acquired the historic travel brand in 2019 following its collapse, but delayed its Australian relaunch while focusing on the pandemic recovery and the revival of Crystal.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really wanted to make sure we did it with respect and that we did it right,\u201d Haberle said, acknowledging the brand\u2019s difficult previous departure from the market.<\/p>\n The relaunched Cox & Kings targets experienced travellers seeking immersive cultural experiences, longer stays and greater independence rather than traditional fully inclusive touring.<\/p>\n Patagonia has emerged as its strongest-selling itinerary, benefiting from travellers combining the journey with Antarctic cruises.<\/p>\n Other popular destinations include South America, the Southern Caucasus and India.<\/p>\n Looking ahead, the operator has unveiled its 2027\/28 itineraries, including new journeys through Central Asia, the Balkans, West Africa and Algeria, alongside expanded touring options in Britain, Ireland and Canada.<\/p>\n Dedicated solo departures are also a focus, with itineraries across destinations including India, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Portugal, Turkey, Costa Rica and Colombia.<\/p>\n To celebrate the new program, Cox & Kings is offering travel advisors the chance to win a $10,000 personal travel voucher, with eligible bookings made until the end of January.<\/p>\n The Sydney showcase also featured presentations from four international AKTG specialists who travelled to Australia to share destination insights with the trade.<\/p>\n They included Akash Baijnath of A&K East & Southern Africa, Eric Andrews of Ecoventura Galapagos, Harriet Fisher of A&K Europe and Lidia Gallo of A&K Nordics.<\/p>\n The specialists highlighted the group\u2019s local knowledge, exclusive access and on-the-ground connections, which Haberle said were central to delivering exceptional experiences for travellers.<\/p>\n The event also marked the first Australian trade presentation from Ecoventura, showcasing its luxury expedition offering in the Galapagos.<\/p>\n Haberle emphasised the importance of having local teams available not only to create unique itineraries but also to support travellers when things go wrong.<\/p>\n Alongside its product expansion, A&K is investing in a new booking and operational system designed to improve efficiency for Australian travel advisors.<\/p>\n The group is gradually migrating its tailor-made journeys onto the new platform, with the transition expected to continue over the coming months.<\/p>\n \u201cDocumentation will be so much better than what you\u2019ve had before. Turnaround times will be so much better than what you\u2019d have before,\u201d Haberle said.<\/p>\n She acknowledged the transition could involve some short-term challenges but said the investment would ultimately improve the experience for the trade.<\/p>\n The showcase concluded with a preview of A&K\u2019s new brand video, reflecting the group\u2019s continued investment in its luxury travel portfolio and global expansion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n kabarsula SLOT <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group (AKTG) has unveiled ambitious global expansion plans, including new luxury…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kabarsula"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3563"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3563\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Cox & Kings comeback takes A&K by surprise<\/strong><\/h2>\n
International experts take centre stage<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Technology overhaul promises faster turnaround times<\/strong><\/h2>\n