This summer, as travellers from the UK, Europe, and other parts of the world book holidays to South Africa, many wonder if the industry will forget about its domestic travellers.
Travel and tourism companies in South Africa wove attractive prices and experiences into domestic travel for the past year and a half.
Will it remain the same during this summer period?
Tshepo Matlou, head of marketing and communications at Jurni, told IOL Travel that the SA travel sector should not neglect local travellers now that the international travellers were resuming travel to the country.
“The pandemic has taught us to appreciate domestic travellers and the impact they have in making the travel industry successful.
“We need to keep up the momentum and continue to showcase local experiences and hidden gems that they can enjoy in their country.
“We need to show them that they need not travel far to enjoy one-of-a-kind attractions,” he said.
Matlou said Jurni was in the process of launching a new travel platform that allows the industry to list their experiences on their site for free.
He said they aim to showcase that the country offers experiences to suit all pockets.
“We started with inviting smaller businesses, especially ones in small towns, to showcase their products that we hope will attract local and international travellers.
“One of our main focuses is to highlight rural and township experiences,” he said.
Support local
Matlou said that SA is well marketed, which can entice both the local and international markets.
“We have so much to offer.
“We need to continue with our marketing efforts so we can lure domestic, regional and international guests.
“We want the summer season to be our best one yet.
“While we must entice local travellers, we urge them to choose to travel within the country.
“There’s plenty of hidden gems to showcase and waiting to be explored,” he said.