In South Africa rural travel ranges from wine making in the Winelands to supernatural attractions like the alleged carnivorous Modimolle mountain in Limpopo, and world-renowned geological marvels like the Bourke’s Luck Potholes and Adam’s Calendar in Ehlanzeni, Mpumalanga.
With such out-of-this-world scenic beauty and intriguing cultural diversity on the cards, there is something to appeal to every kind of leisure traveller and their budget.
Picking your ideal travel experience from such a wide range of options can be a daunting task, but thanks to the current technological advances in the travel market, the best of cultural and rural travel now lives on digital platforms, just like anything else in the modern era.
The question then is, how can tech better help you to experience the best of Mzansi’s isolated rural and cultural travel, and how can you take advantage of tech in your travels?
Tech enhances safety and security during travel
Using tech to buy travel and tourism products and services from a centralised repository, like a digital booking platform, enhances the safety and security aspect of your purchase, says Tshepo Matlou, Head of Marketing and Communications at online booking platform Jurni.
“The digital footprint makes the whole marketing experience safer for customers compared to the old way of doing it – where there would often be a less tangible track record of the transaction. This is seen as a deterrant of crimes like human trafficking and abductions, for example,” says Matlou.
Human trafficking is a crime that has taken prominence in the local media space in recent years due to the rise in cases reported and authorities have implemented strategic ways of fighting the trend.
Booking stays digitally gives you more control
Modern tech gives you control over your own travel preparations, from helping you ensure quality of stay through other traveller reviews, to providing a plethora of options to choose from through online booking platforms.
Matlou adds, “A platform like Jurni eliminates the hassle of having to look up accommodation providers in brochures and magazines, and then having to call them to secure your stay before paying – or alternatively having to pay a travel agent.
“That process was laborious and costly, and it’s almost hard to believe that what often took hours of effort now is something you can do in a minute online.”
Digital accessibility improves competition and the quality of travel products
Modern travellers have become accustomed to the convenience of looking for, and booking, their stays online. For any accommodation provider operating within the tourism space, an effective online presence is therefore a must if they want to remain competitive in the market. Digital convenience will only grow from here on, with travellers becoming ever more reliant on its ease-of-use and the many options it affords.
“Digital accessibility helps travellers to be able to compare products and select a stay closest to what they want, within their budget. It’s also good for the tourism space as a whole – the better the competition in the market, the better the products and services that are out there,” concludes Matlou.
South Africa is at the start of its warmer seasons and with the nourishing Mzansi sun out, there is no better time to go out there and experience the best of local travel.
Image: People enjoying lunch at a village eatery. Image supplied by Jurni and South African Tourism