Community tourism puts local culture on the map

Money is tight and many people have had to sacrifice their annual holiday to pay bills and meet expenses. The thing is that while holidays are perceived as a luxury it is very important to take a break from the pressures of daily life. Literally getting away from it all can bring stressed out families and couples back together and revive flagging spirits beaten down by escalating costs. It’s a vicious circle, unless you follow the example set by four women who hail from Durban.
Now, it can be argued that Durbanites shouldn’t need to go away for a holiday because everything that holiday makers want is right on their doorstep. But nothing beats expanding your horizons and the women were determined to see the Eastern and Western Cape. Budgets were a primary concern, however, so, instead of hitting the major cities like Knysna, Port Elizabeth, Hermanus, and Cape Town they decided to take the road less travelled.
One of their destinations was a remote village in the Eastern Cape with one small guest house where they got to spend one night and one day immersing themselves in South African culture while seeing the sights around the southern Drakensberg Mountains. The experiment was, by all accounts, a resounding success. Monica Matthewson, one of the ladies on the holiday, said, “What made it particularly interesting were the surroundings. The African-themed accommodation was modest and immaculately kept, the food good … But what I enjoyed most was the insight into the life of an African village. Here we could watch the goats being herded along the road and observe women carrying water to their homes. It was a tranquil, rural experience.”

Community tourism The phenomenon is called “community tourism” and it has become a priority within the South African tourism industry. An article on iol.co.za refers to the Sho’t Left marketing campaign, which shines the spotlight on areas that would ordinarily pass beneath the average tourist’s radar. The campaign was itself inspired by the UN World Tourist Organisation’s (UNWTO) view that endorsing and supporting local culture will come to play an increasingly important role in international tourism.
Life has become so fast paced that people will seek increasingly remote holiday destinations just to get away from the constant bombardment of information, technology and media.
It’s circular, however, as all the information and technology available make it easier to learn about and get interested in other cultures and ways of life. Community tourism then becomes an important educational and social tool as people gain greater understanding of cultures they would ordinarily not experience. It makes people see other people as people and interrupts “us” and “them” type thinking.
There is, of course, a proviso, as stated by Taleb Rifai, UNWTO secretary general. Rifai has warned that community tourism initiatives need to be properly planned so that increased tourist numbers don’t have a negative impact of the communities and environments in which they are implemented. “It is more important than ever that all tourism development be guided by the principles of sustainable development,” he said.