This content is brought to you by South African Tourism
Travel in Mzansi is at an all-time high. From January to August, South Africans booked 21.3 million overnight trips, compared to the 8.9 million in the same period last year (2021) and 13.8 million in 2019. In terms of holiday trips, 5.3 million trips were taken from January to August compared to 1.5 million in 2021. On average, trips are booked for three days, and South Africans spend R2,800.
It is clear that South Africa is experiencing the “revenge travel” trend, a global phenomenon where travellers are consuming tourism to make up for lost time during the pandemic and are rediscovering that local is indeed lekker.
Leveraging off this trend, South African Tourism is promoting the Gimme Summer that Sho’t Left campaign to offer South Africans affordable and accessible travel deals. The campaign is set to run throughout the summer travel season, and all tourism industry members are encouraged to upload their deals.
But what exactly are South Africans looking for when it comes to local travel? If you are a wondering how you will attract South African travellers, look no further. Sho’t Left has provided five essential elements South Africans deem important when making traveling plans.
- Budget-friendly travel and activities
This tip is top of the list for a reason. South Africans are willing to travel but with the cost-of-living crises and rising inflation, it is difficult to do so. The world’s largest travel intentions survey conducted by Travel Lifestyle Network revealed that South Africans value budget friendly travel and are opting for local travel due to financial constraints. Make sure your deals and offers suit the South African pocket without compromising on quality.
- Personalisation
Everyone wants to feel like they are special, and this is no different for travellers. People crave flexible experiences tailored to their needs otherwise it just wouldn’t be for them. Offer your guests a customer-oriented service in order to meet and exceed their expectations. You should not only tailor consumer experiences, but also marketing strategies so that your efforts are reaching your preferred audience.
- Less fuss
Consumers are looking for more convenient ways to do everything, from making payments to booking flights. Convenience is the name of the game in all facets of life. The same goes for travelling. An estimated 700 million people will make a booking online by 2023. When it comes to booking preferences, South African travellers are aligned with global trends so give them a seamless, efficient and digital booking system.
- Staycations
Although staycations gained popularity during the pandemic, research suggests this global travel trend is here to stay. A staycation is when travellers travel domestically, often involving day trips, exploring local restaurants and attractions. Travellers often opt for staycations for the change of scenery. Travellers feel safe and secure when travelling close to home.
- On the grid stays
By on the grid, we are definitely referring to our current power challenges. South Africans experience enough loadshedding when they’re at home and would understandably prefer accommodation options that will not require them to light candles that aren’t just for setting a romantic atmosphere.
Here are some things tourism businesses should know about uploading deals on the Sho’t Left platform:
- Tourism businesses can upload deals and packages from tourist attractions and activities, accommodation establishments, airlines, and car rentals
- Registration is free
- There is no limit to how many deals can be registered
- To be part of the Gimme Summer campaign and all other Sho’t Left campaigns, deals can be added, edited and even removed at any time from the platform.
It is clear, South Africans are eager to travel and summer is the best time to do it. Give them a reason to book, Visit https://deals.southafrica.net and register for Gimme Summer that Sho’t Left campaign today.
All deals that are loaded will be available to South Africans on www.shotleft.co.za.
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