My name is Claire Roadley and I started Umlingo Travel PR in November 2020, properly launching in April 2021 when international travel reopened, rising from the ashes of the Covid pandemic.

I have over 25 years of experience in Travel PR - promoting tourism to (mostly) Africa in partnership with travel agents, tour operators, airlines and tourist boards. I have longstanding relationships with the key travel writers, publications and editors and have hosted numerous group press trips to some of Africa’s most exquisite hotels and lodges over the years as well as fam trips for the trade.

I am down-to-earth, hard working - and I’m all about the skills, with less of the frills. I firmly believe its a combination of hard-earned relationships and mutual respect that gets the results.

Current clients include:

Bushtops Safari Camps - A family owned collection of safari camps in East Africa including Mara Bushtops in Kenya and Serengeti Bushtops and Roving Bushtops in Tanzania.

Mosetlha Bush Camp - an authentic off grid, rustic eco lodge in the Big 5 Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa with award winning guides and the warmest of welcomes.

Nianova - I am very proud to be working with some incredible, inspiring teams under Nianova,  which includes Tswalu, Fireblade Aviation, Niarra Travel, the JAN group. My focus is predominantly on providing marketing and PR support for Weeva, the new but already multiple-award winning sustainability management SaaS platform designed to help hotels and lodges operate more efficiently.

Onguma Camp Kala - which launched on 1 November 2022 on the fringe of Etosha National Park in Namibia. It is one of five lodges in Onguma with lots of exciting new things coming up. Their Dream Cruiser is a true bucket list experience!

OurAfrica.Travel - I do the PR annually for Africa’s leading digital trade show (recently held 5 - 9 February 2024). This was the third year running I worked with Storm, Allie and their lovely team.

Travel Promoters - I provide PR and social media services for one of the UK’s most dynamic sales representation companies, Travel Promoters, whose portfolio includes Bushtops Safari Camps, The Rare Earth Collection, White Pearl Resorts Mozambique, Madikwe Safari Lodge, Sala Beach House, Babanango, Lalibela Game Reserve, Cheetah Ridge Nambiti, Lanzerac and the Clarendon Collection.

PAST PROJECTS

Recent projects included:

• Tuk South - Umlingo supported Tuk South (pro bono) on a 2-year expedition by tuk tuk from Kenya to Cape Town, raising funds For Rangers and telling sustainability stories as they went.

• Umlingo KZN Collection of lodges in KwaZulu-Natal (Tembe Elephant Park, Isibindi Lodges, Antbear Lodge, Ghost Mountain Inn, Shayamanzi Houseboat and Spionkop Lodge) -I ran a competition for them in lockdown and arranged a couple of media trips for them.

• For Rangers Travel + Adventure, which channels profits into anti-poaching patrols via For Rangers/Save The Rhino International.

• Waltham Place Farm in Berkshire, UK - a 6-month social media project

I also have experience in marketing, copywriting, web design and social media and recently completed an accredited course in Digital Marketing.