Festive season fun!

In a few weeks time the festive season will be upon us. In case you've forgotten, that's the time when the country’s roads are abuzz with holiday makers looking to enjoy their well-earned end of year break. A year of hard work, projects reports, sticky clients, and daunting deadlines finally comes to a simmer. We seek a sanctuary to wind down and hear ourselves think...

The recently held FIFA World Cup did some good work as far as orientating and whetting the appetite of local travelers, with the industry going all out in promoting their products and services.

Like any other project, travelling requires thorough project management and without it one will be stuck in the wrong holiday destination with kids looking at you in anger for failing to organize a good holiday for the rest of the family. And you don't want that, do you!?

The good news is that more and more South Africans are turning to local travel which generates necessary business and drives our economy. SA Tourism’s Sho't Left campaign was launched in August 2007, with the aim of challenging South Africans to "see their world differently," even when visiting family or friends in the own backyard. The campaign brought new perspective on travel, helping to eliminate the perception that tourists only come from abroad.

Sho't Left is aimed at young up-and-coming individuals, independent couples and families. Research into the domestic tourism market indicates that over 5-million South Africans have the resources and desire to travel, which is enough reason to hold thumbs for an improved count. The campaign’s is also aimed at driving job creation and through its various initiatives, train people from underprivileged communities for the industry.

With competition being tighter during the festive season, as a traveller, one must open ears and eyes when seeking better rates from service providers and compare them thoroughly before coming to a decision. It is also important to plan holidays well in advance to make the most of these competitive rates.

The Sho’t Left page on the SA Tourism website has information on affordable holidays and packages, in all nine provinces, each broken down by province or type of getaway - www.southafrica.net/sat/content/en/za/shot-left-home

So whatever you do during the festive season; be it bird watching, fly fishing, bungee jumping, make sure you have a ball. And remember, local is lekker!


By Bongani Mtlhavani