The first large group of Dutch people went on holiday last weekend, and the next group is just around the corner. The Dutch are heading in droves to a destination in the Netherlands, abroad, or are enjoying their summer holiday at home.

Summer holiday goMICE in full swing!

goMICE continues to operate as normal, even though a few colleagues are currently on holiday. I wrote previously already that we're not really noticing the holiday period yet. Applications are still coming in and we're doing some very nice incentive travel and Events preparing. Relatively fewer groups are departing during these two months, but from September onwards it will be buzzing again!

Bespoke group holidays

Did you know that goMICE also arranges custom group holidays? These requests often come from our partnerships with clients who want a tailor-made trip for a private or family group (more than 10 participants). Think of a round trip through the USA, South America, or Africa.

This year too, we have had the pleasure of organising a number of wonderful trips for some of our clients. Destinations such as South Africa, We've had the pleasure of working on trips to the Emirates and the U.S.A., but also a tour of Europe for a family celebrating a jubilee together. Grandpa and Grandma are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and are treating the entire family to a European tour. How cool is that!

It's wonderful to be able to develop something like this, and even more wonderful when they return satisfied! And why do they choose goMICE? The daughter of the grandparents has been bringing groups to us for years for the company she works for. When her grandparents mentioned their idea, she immediately suggested asking us at goMICE if we could organise this too. It's great how something like this can happen!

Your upcoming holiday

For myself, there's also a big trip in the pipeline to witness the world's greatest migration in Tanzania's Serengeti. I'll soon be leaving for a fantastic destination with my family. A safari in Tanzania has been on our bucket list for years.

The wish to go on safari with my family was born years ago, when young Anita was still leading world tours. I’ve written before that after my studies, I spent 6 years leading (world) tours with Americans. I would travel for 3 months with a group of 50 people and journey through many continents with them. It was hard work and I had to be a jack of all trades, but what an experience it was. And so, Africa and Tanzania were always part of the 3-month package.

My decision in Tanzania

Tanzania is a special destination for me. The last time I was in Tanzania, I decided to say goodbye to my nomadic lifestyle after 6 years. I still remember sitting at the Ngorongoro Crater, enjoying the setting sun, the overwhelming nature and, of course, all the wildlife. I was moved to tears watching the sunset, feeling sad and happy at the same time.

I had a group of 50 people in tow, but for the first time I knew my travels had to come to an end. Not only was it time for me to start my career in the Netherlands, but for the first time in all those years I felt alone and I made two decisions there. The first decision was that I would soon inform my employer that I wanted to stop leading tours, and the other decision was that I would want to visit Tanzania with my family at least once later on. Of course, I didn't know then if I would even have a family, as I didn't have a boyfriend or partner yet, because no man enjoyed it when I went off on a three-month trip again. While all my friends were settling down, that world passed me by for years.

Years later, I found my current husband and we have a lovely family, and now the time has come! We're going to Africa, Tanzania, and Zanzibar. I'm very curious what it will be like after all these years in Tanzania. For years, I've been able to tell exciting stories to my then still young children and my husband. Our sons are now 13 and 15 years old and are ready for this trip. I'm particularly looking forward to the moment I will see the place again where I made the decisions mentioned above. I think I might feel the same emotions then, because Tanzania is stunningly beautiful, and when you get to witness that with your family, you feel privileged.

Have a lovely summer holiday

In any case, this is my last blog post before the summer holidays, and I have also written this to wish all readers, relations, followers, and clients a very wonderful holiday! I therefore wish you all a very nice summer (holiday). Set off well prepared, wherever you are going, and most importantly, return in good health.

Directly after my holiday, I have a number of exciting inspections scheduled. Almost immediately after my holiday, I'll be flying to a number of southern destinations. On the agenda are Milan, Mallorca, Sicily, Sardinia, Athens, Dubai and Qatar. This is to provide groups with unforgettable trips, organised by goMICE! Because even though I'm no longer the “young” Anita, it's still in my heart and soul to give people unforgettable experiences. I'll do anything for that, and so too will ONS team van goMICE! Of course, I will report back to you on that again in the next blogs.

Enjoy the summer, wherever you may be!