A&K Sanctuary’s Lara Vancans shares plans for operator’s growing footprint
Q. Tell us more about A&K Sanctuary for agents who may not be familiar with the brand.
A&K Sanctuary was established in the late 1990s and it was very much the embodiment of [Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group founder] Geoffrey Kent’s vision to own the entire guest experience, offering adventure by day and luxury by night. The brand has 13 lodges and camps across East and Southern Africa; four riverboats in Egypt; and a newly launched riverboat on the Peruvian Amazon. Each property or ship is in the best location within the destination, and we work hand in hand with communities. There’s always an opportunity for guests to engage with our Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy initiatives, which is a really important part of the experience.
Q. Why did you decide to relaunch the collection in 2024 and how has this been received?
The [rebrand] from Sanctuary Retreats to A&K Sanctuary was about bringing the portfolio back under the Abercrombie & Kent name, reflecting the depth of our heritage and the fact that these properties are rooted in destinations where we’ve often operated for decades. It also marked a new phase of investment and expansion, with significant refurbishments and new openings across Africa and beyond. In the UK, the response from the travel trade has been very strong. Partners recognise the trusted A&K service behind the brand and there’s real confidence in its evolution, alongside growing excitement about the new developments on the horizon.
Q. How has A&K Sanctuary performed so far this year?
We entered 2026 very strongly. Understandably, we have since seen a slight pause because of everything that is going on [in the Middle East], but we have ambitious goals and high targets and are doing everything we can to meet them. Bookings across a number of our new A&K Sanctuary properties have delivered triple-digit percentage growth year on year, with Gorilla Forest Lodge, an A&K Sanctuary in Uganda standing out as a top performer. We’re 140% up compared to the same time last year. I think this will continue to be a banner property for us. People are turning to Africa, and it’s nice to be able to move guests within the A&K Sanctuary portfolio in destinations where we have multiple properties, such as Botswana, where there are four lodges, and Kenya and Tanzania, which each have three.
Q. What product launches are on the horizon for the brand?
We’re opening Kitirua Plains Lodge, an A&K Sanctuary in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park this month [June], marking our third property in the destination. This lodge will really be our new line in the sand – the embodiment of who we are becoming as a brand. What I’ve heard from the trade is that they really needed something new, super luxurious and well located. The lodge is just 10 minutes from Amboseli National Park Kitirua Gate and about 40 minutes from the airstrip; the location is unbeatable. We also relocated and reopened Ngorongoro Crater Camp, an A&K Sanctuary in Tanzania on June 1. The brand’s fifth riverboat in Egypt – Nile Seray, an A&K Sanctuary – is scheduled to launch at the end of this year, followed by a second Nile riverboat in 2028. Plus, there’s a pipeline of properties in Namibia, Mexico and Utah
Q. Which other destinations would you like to add to A&K Sanctuary’s collection?
For the success of a portfolio like ours, I think circuits are important; it helps [the guest experience] to have multiple lodges [or product] in a location. That said, we are definitely looking at expansion within Latin America. We launched in the region with our 22-guest riverboat Pure Amazon, an A&K Sanctuary in July 2025, and there was always a view to expand beyond Peru, so that’s very much on our radar. The areas where we have just one lodge, such as Okahirongo Elephant Lodge, an A&K Sanctuary in Namibia, and haven’t quite got that circuit, are the destinations we look at and think how we can complement existing properties and build a journey for our guests.
Q. Tell us more about the Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy initiatives that guests can get involved in?
We recently became the first tourism operator in Peru to make a formal agreement with a riverine community, solidifying our commitment to them in a way that isn’t transactional. We’ve invested in children’s health and are ultimately teaching skills to help people create streams of income. One thing that’s really different about the way we operate at Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy is that it is responsive and community-led. It’s hard to put us in a box sometimes, but that’s because our coordinators – we have 22 around the world – in destination are telling us what the community needs. We’re not just doing what we think they want, so our projects can feel quite varied.
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