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I was reminded again this week of why it is so important to remain constantly abreast of global developments and trends in one’s industry, as one can often find that one area of growth could be a possible solution to another area of challenges. A typical case in point was illustrated by two separate articles I read, one highlighting the phenomenal growth in experiential travel and the other on the need to find solutions to the imbalance in the geographical spread of inbound tourism in South Africa.
Experiential travel continues to flourish
A Skift publication entitled ‘Why the need for play is reshaping the travel industry’ talks about the continuing phenomenal growth of ‘experiential’ travel and to clarify what this is the article says ‘’While travellers once chose their destinations first and then researched what they might do there, now they’re more likely to choose an exciting thing to do and build a trip around that activity.’’ This is, apparently most pronounced amongst Millennials and Gen Z travellers, indicating that it is the future of travel, and the article goes on to underline this with ‘’72 % of travellers said entertainment, sports, and cultural experiences have become more important to them over the last five years. Experiences also inspire higher spending: Two-thirds of travellers are willing to pay more for experience-driven trips.’’ In essence, the days of booking a bus tour to view the sights and stay at a few posh hotels are soon to be a thing of the past. Now travellers want to immerse themselves in an experience where they can interact and of which they can become a part – or at which they can just play, like theme park destinations. In my book, these are exactly the kinds of activities that SA offers in abundance, but to get to the point of the article, I need to talk about the SA tourism challenge.
SA tourism reflects an imbalance of favoured destinations
An enlightening article, I read from the ‘Daily Southern and East African Tourism Update’ had this to say ‘’While overall inbound tourism sits at just under 82% of 2019 levels, the distribution of visitors is highly concentrated in just two key regions: Cape Town and the Kruger National Park. Meanwhile other provinces – despite offering exceptional tourism experiences –continue to struggle. If we are to surpass pre-pandemic numbers and drive sustainable tourism growth, we must ask: How do we expand geographical spread and ensure a more balanced recovery?’’ Well, it’s a good question, and the article goes on to offer many solutions but I believe this surge in experiential travel might assist us to find a solution.
North, South East and West – we have so much to offer
As much as we take great pride in what Cape Town and our magnificent Kruger National Park have to offer, there is plenty for those who want to immerse themselves in something deeper in other areas. In Gauteng, we have the amazing Cradle of Mankind. This is said to be the dawn of civilization, and from a spiritual, cultural and historical viewpoint, this is a unique experience. Just down the road, we have the famous ‘Las Vegas’ of South Africa – the fabulous Sun City casino and resort complex. For those who want to ‘play’ in every sense of the word, this uniquely African playground offers everything and is for the most part fully booked by locals, but more international tourists would visit if it were more prominently advertised.
Similarly, we have backpacker adventure tours and magnificent hiking trails in and along the famous Garden Route. Here too we have world-class Zip-lining experiences and the highest Bungee jump in the world. Mpumalanga and Kwa-Zulu Natal alos have so much to offer anyone who wants to become a part of all the amazing cultural opportunities we have to offer – or just play to their heart’s content.
Off the beaten track I have always believed that the best of Africa is to be found off the beaten track, experiencing its challenges, savouring its unique cuisine and mingling with its people to feel the deep sense of oneness (Ubuntu) that emerges from our great melting pot of cultures. This is the real South Africa that we need to present to the world and in so doing, I do believe that experiential travel growth could be one solution to the imbalances in SA Travel and Tourism.
LIDIA FOLLI
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
