What prevents South Africans from going on holiday?

 

Did you know that most adult South Africans have never taken a holiday in their own country? SA Tourism has crunched the numbers and seen that the number of domestic trips, total number of domestic travellers and domestic travel spend are even declining.

 

So, what is preventing domestic travellers from taking a holiday in their own country?

 

Affordability is without a doubt the key barrier for South African travellers. They feel their country’s tourism offerings are expensive for the locals – especially during the peak season when everything seems geared towards the international traveller with the strong greenback in his pocket.

 

Although there is not a lot that travel agents can do about their clients’ lack of funds, they can encourage events during the low season. They can advise their clients to book ahead of time, thereby making the cost of the trip easier to ‘digest’ by first paying a deposit. Travel agents can also advise on affordable airfares, and value-for-money accommodation and destinations.

 

That brings us to the second obstacle. South African travellers feel they don’t have enough information about what’s on offer in their own country. They’re keen to expand their horizons and explore unfamiliar destinations. Unfortunately, with only ‘word-of-mouth’ recommendations and no ‘real’ information, they end up going to the usual and same-old destinations.

 

One traveller said: “I can tell you where to find a very nice sushi place in the middle of London but I do not really know about South Africa. I know Margate, Amanzimtoti and all the traditional beach bum places…”

 

The message for travel agents? Make it clear and easy for your clients, and provide them with as much information as possible. For travellers craving information about destinations within their own country, a deal doesn’t necessarily mean price, but rather, the value of the package and the ease of booking it.

 

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