Domestic tourism: The magic on your doorstep

Department of Tourism Director-General Victor Tharage says the tourism sector needs to do more than just encourage South Africans to travel in their own country.

“We need to inculcate a love of travel as an extension of nation-building and social cohesion, and highlight the vast value chain that the sector supports. The lull in travel brought about by the pandemic has also seen a sharp uptake in tech-savvy enterprises that has demonstrated resilience and innovation.

“To tip the scales in favour of recovery, we focused sharply on the second pillar of the sector’s recovery plan to reignite demand. There has been a paradigm shift in tourism demand since the start of the pandemic, from international to domestic travel.

“The modest income the sector earned during the worst of the lockdown was mainly derived from increased domestic travel. Therefore, domestic marketing efforts will be intensified and the department and South African Tourism, in partnership with the private sector, will undertake several domestic marketing campaigns,” explains Tharage.

These will include marketing of various attractions, deal-driven campaigns and digital engagements aimed at reaching all South Africans.

“To ensure that attractions are more accessible to South Africans, a dual pricing system is being discussed with our sector partners.”

Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) CEO Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa says the private sector has proactively marketed existing specials on various platforms, including online channels.

He says South Africans should be more open to exploring their own country. “We have to thoroughly explore to learn about each other’s cultures, especially given that we are such a diverse nation and so vast in terms of landscape and possible experiences,” he says.

Tshivhengwa believes there are many hidden gems in the country that would appeal to South Africans who usually go on overseas holidays. The international travel restrictions present the perfect opportunity to travel domestically – and to enjoy the many discounts currently available.

TBCSA says the tourism sector has been successful in implementing Covid-19 protocols. “This is important because currently, the biggest marketing tool is ensuring that the tourism sector is safe, and people are comfortable travelling around the country.

“Tourism is fun, dynamic and vibrant but, at the same time, it supports a complex yet thriving tourism ecosystem and provides thousands of direct and indirect jobs. “All sectors feed into tourism in building a strong brand,” Tharage says.

“Tourism is everybody’s business. While economically tourism keeps our pockets filled, it also soothes the soul and nurtures the spirit. Let your wanderlust be ignited and enjoy the many unique attractions that South Africa has to offer. Be a tourist in your own country and rediscover your South Africa today!”

Tourism and heritage

South Africa commemorates both Heritage and Tourism months in September and with a growing interest in cultural tourism, the two celebrations are as intertwined as Hermanus and whales or Kruger and the Big 5.

– Cultural tourism: This refers to cultural aspects that are of interest to visitors, including the customs and traditions of people, their heritage, history and way of life (White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa, 1996).

– Heritage: Heritage is the sum total of wildlife and scenic parks, sites of scientific and historical importance, national monuments, historic buildings, works of art, literature and music, oral traditions and museum collections and their documentation, which provides the basis for a shared culture and creativity in the arts (White Paper on Arts and Culture,1996).

The theme for Tourism Month 2021 is ‘Tourism for inclusive growth’, which highlights the importance of the meaningful participation of all South Africans in the tourism economy.