African airlines could cash in on BBC 'Africa' series

African airlines could soon witness a boom in tourist bookings on flights from the UK as Sir David Attenborough's 'Africa' series, currently being shown on BBC One, prompts a spike in Africa holiday bookings.

Since Sir David Attenborough’s ‘Africa’ aired for the first time on BBC One, searches for holidays to African destinations have risen by 310%, according to online independent travel agency sunshine.co.uk.

The travel company said it has witnessed a rise in searches and bookings for holidays in Africa, with Cape Town, Morocco and Tunisia front runners for trips to the continent.

Other popular searches have included West Africa, African Safari, Egypt, Congo, Gambia, Cape Verde and Kenya.

Actual holiday bookings for African destinations have increased by 37% since the first episode of ‘Africa’ was aired, when again compared to bookings made through the site in the average month.

Chris Clarkson, co-founder of sunshine.co.uk, said: “Whilst destinations such as Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt and resorts in Tunisia have been family favourites for some time now, we think Sir David’s ‘Africa’ has certainly sparked an interest amongst holidaymakers for holidays more in the heart of Africa. The scenery on the program is breathtaking and it’s not hard to see why so many people are looking into experiences such as safaris now, given the wildlife theme of the show."