Air Mauritius has launched the Mauritius Stopover Plus Travel Package, which offers passengers up to two complimentary nights in Mauritius as part of their journey.

Air Mauritius regional manager, Southern Africa and Latin America, Carla da Silva, said: “Being a global carrier with an effective footprint in Australia, India, China, Malaysia, Europe, Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, it is key for Air Mauritius to promote its beyond Mauritius destination strategy.”

Depending on the connectivity, Air Mauritius will pay for passengers to spend a night on the island on either a bed-and-breakfast or half-board basis. Passengers can choose to extend their stopover by adding an extra night or two.

The Mauritius Stopover Plus Package lets passengers choose from approximately 16 hotels, ranging between three and five stars, and located on the west, east, north and south coasts. Urban hotels in Port Louis have also been included to meet the needs of corporate travellers wishing conduct business meetings, en route to London, Paris, Australia, Malaysia, etc.

“While the new stopover package is a tremendous value-add to all our passengers, as well as a unique selling point for the airline, seamless connectivity is still available on certain routes. Consumers can thus choose not to make use of the offering, or enjoy it on one leg of their journey only.

“A family of four, can expect to save as much as R5 500, at the current rate of exchange. So why not book now and expand your holiday horizons to include quad biking, cycling, abseiling, snorkelling, scuba diving, archery and mountain climbing, to name but a few,” said Carla.

Boschendal, between Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, is launching a new farm-stay experience in South Africa’s Winelands region fromDecember 15.

In line with its vision to restore its legacy, renovated Cape Dutch labourer cottages bring to life the working farm, where visitors’ experience will be about connecting with the land, its produce and its heritage.

Guest cottages are rural yet contemporary and are ideal for families, groups of friends and couples, ranging from a five-bedroom Rhodes Cottage, a National Heritage Site built by Sir Herbert Baker for Cecil Rhodes, to the Orchard Cottages, a series of one- and two-bedroom cottages with an outdoor dining area for braais, a large swimming pool and a setting among the plum trees. Adjacent to the historic Werf, the seven one-bedroom Werf cottages are within walking distance of the restaurant and deli.

Also being restored is Boschendal’s Cape Dutch Werf, which incorporates the original Manor House. A farmshop and deli in the original wagon house will offer breakfasts, light seasonal lunches and afternoon teas. It will stock wholesome farm produce and delicatessen products that include Boschendal extra virgin olive oil, Black Angus beef home-made bread, jams and preserves. Picnic baskets can also be made up for guests.

The Werf Restaurant will offer tasting of naturally grown produce from Boschendal’s bio-friendly farms to pair with its wines from the 200-year-old Cape Dutch Cellar. At lunchtime the help-yourself harvest table will see chefs, led by executive chef Christian Campbell, putting the final touches to meals at interactive food counters.

With access to Boschendal’s 2 200ha farm, guests staying in the cottages can join farm and history tours, follow trails through orchards, stopping off to pick pears, plums and citrus fruits, depending on the season. There are mountain biking trails, wine tasting and cellar tours, and trout fishing and swimming in the dams.

According to the WTM Global Trends Report 2014 in association with Euromonitor International, many emerging tourism destinations in Africa have identified surfing as a target market, released World Travel Market on Monday.

Estimates suggest that some 35 million people across the world are regular surfers. Traditionally more popular in the Americas, Europe and Australasia, surfing is also growing in popularity across African countries, benefiting intra-regional and domestic travel. The WTM Global Trends Report 2014 suggests that “combining a surf holiday with traditional African tourist attractions such as safaris is an effective way for travel retailers to attract older surfers who are prepared to spend more”.

However, concerns over the possible spread of the Ebola virus could have a negative impact.

South Africa has an established reputation with the international surfing community but other countries are gaining a foothold. Sierra Leone hosted a week-long competition and festival this September while Ghana will host the Africa Surf Series next year.

Some specialist tour operators are already active in the region the report reveals. Family surfing holidays in Madagascar, Zanzibar and Mozambique are available from South African tour operator All Aboard Travel, while UK-based Errant Surf includes Morocco, Ghana, South Africa and Mozambique among its surf adventures itineraries. Other countries with potential include Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cape Verde and Senegal.

The International Surfing Association has made expansion of the sport on the continent a major priority, aiming to stimulate and develop local economies by increasing tourism and creating new jobs.

“If surf tourism is developed in a sustainable fashion, it can lead to improvements in health care, education, job opportunities and infrastructure,” said the association’s Africa adviser Sean Brody. “Additionally, the sport of surfing acts as a catalyst for peacekeeping, since the youth have a positive activity to focus on.”

Euromonitor International, Head of Travel and Tourism, Caroline Bremner added: “Overall, we see tourism in Africa benefiting from solid economic expansion and a strengthening transport infrastructure in terms of hotel openings and flight connections. Surfing can capitalise on this and be a significant driving force for development across the continent’s coastal communities.”