Ker & Downey® Africa > Agent Zone > Central & Eastern Europe Destination Management Company
About Ker & Downey® Africa Central & Eastern Europe DMC
Ker & Downey® Africa Central & Eastern Europe DMC services luxury agencies and boutique tour operators in Central & Eastern Europe. Based in Cape Town, our team offers the highest standard of service to our agents and their valued clients and is led by General Manager Irina Jordaan.
As a Super-Luxury Destination Management Company, Ker & Downey® Africa Central & Eastern Europe DMC strives to introduce Africa to High Net Worth Clients. We specialise in Southern African and East Africa ground-handling services and deliver bespoke itineraries to our agents and their clients.
We deliver the ultimate safari experience to your clients each time they travel by creating unique and life-changing LuxVenture® experiences, ensuring each trip leaves them with the desire to return to Africa.
Our story
In the late 70s, Jeffrey Squire’s passion for Africa set in motion the successful journey of Ker & Downey® Africa. While captaining the Welsh rugby team, Jeff traveled between Wales and South Africa, exposing him to the uniqueness of the country and the potential growth that the African tourism industry had.
The story of his career is iconic, having worked for Orient Express in the early 90s and building their Safari brand (nowadays known as Belmond Safaris), Jeff was headhunted and continued his career working directly with Geoffrey Kent as the head of Southern Africa Operations for Abercrombie & Kent. During this time he managed the opening of the Sanctuary Lodges in Botswana before transferring to their offices in London.
Jeff was determined to return to Africa and founded Thebe Tourism Group in 2002 who purchased the majority shareholding in the Ker & Downey Group in 2003. Having sold his interest in Thebe Tourism Group, Jeff set his focus on building Ker & Downey® Africa into the leading Luxury African DMC it is today.
Our services
01. A Truly Boutique Offering
Ker & Downey® Africa DMC is a small and boutique operation. We only choose to work with the very best and most discerning travel agencies and suppliers. This allows us to tailor our service specifically to the needs of our agent’s clients. It also ensures that our selected partners get the attention to detail they deserve.
02. White Label Solution
Ker & Downey® Africa DMC offers an exclusive white labelling service to each of our agents. From printed materials and itineraries, quotes to personal airport greetings, we will make sure that your clients are in touch with your brand throughout each step of their African journey.
03. Personal Travel Butler Consultant
We are far more than a regular DMC team, we will be with our agents and agent’s clients from the very first contact until the end of their experience on the African continent. On the ground we will be in contact with your clients around the clock, almost like an African based arm of your agency, personalizing all details and showing your clients that we really know about their preferences and desires.
04. Creative Itinerary Design
Everything we do is tailor-made and personalised according to your clients’ profile and expectations. We have a proven formula for success which involves a very detailed conversation at the outset about your clients and what they really want to see and experience during the trip, so we can come up with a unique and life-changing itinerary that fits their profile and delivers a 10/10 experience for you and your client. We are an independent DMC, so we can combine and offer different brands on the same trip, always looking for what’s best for your clients profile.
05. World Class Training Support
We offer regular customised exclusive training for our agent’s and their team. We have a treasure trove of sales and marketing materials designed to help our agent’s guide their client’s choices in and around Africa.
Why book with us
Meet Irina – General Manager, Central & Eastern Europe
Irina Jordaan is the General Manager of Ker & Downey® Africa Central & Eastern Europe DMC. Born in the USSR and based in Cape Town, Irina has worked in the luxury travel industry for over 15 years with experience in both Sales and Marketing. This has attributed her the skills and unique insight into the needs of boutique Central & Eastern Europe tour operators and the needs of their valuable clients. Irina’s passion for service excellence and enthusiasm to showcase the best of Africa to her high networth clients stand her in good stead on her journey to develop and grow the Central & Eastern Europe market at Ker & Downey Africa.
Top destinations
We specialise in ground-handling services across Southern and East Africa.
Botswana
With a combination of flood plains, semi-desert bush, saltpans and expansive savannah grasslands, you are guaranteed to encounter a wide range of wildlife in Botswana.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe will provide you with remarkable encounters with both people and wildlife. The cities are vibrant and the parks and reserves take you off-the-beaten-track to discover rugged wilderness.
South Africa
South Africa didn’t become the tourist hotspot of Africa by accident. It literally has it all – world class wildlife encounters, pristine beaches, buzzing cities and epic thrills.
Tanzania
Tanzania is home to the great migration, Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro crater and the Serengeti – proving exactly why this destination is popular globally as a wildlife and safari must see.
Uganda
Uganda is the gorilla trekking destination for the adventurous and fit. Steep climbs and beautiful valleys reward you with incredible mountain gorilla encounters.
Rwanda
The 3 major national parks of Rwanda offer up an incredible diversity of potential wildlife encounters, from the big game on safari to the 13 species of primates in the forests.
Namibia
Namibia is the land of a thousand landscapes. From the famous dunes of Swakopmund to the the beautiful ocean views along the Skeleton coast, if you’re looking for adventure – this is the place.
Zambia
Zambia offers up some of the best game viewing in Africa, which, combined with the remote and rugged landscapes of the National Parks provides an experience unlike any other destination.
Kenya
Venture into the heart of Africa, where wilderness safaris originated. Kenya boasts
culture, adventure and wildlife experiences that are unique in comparison to any other African or global destination.
Seychelles
With granite boulder shorelines, dense island rainforests and vibrant coral reefs, our Seychelles luxury trips are hard to beat for an island getaway.
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