News just in: Leisure Travel is a GO in South Africa!

My wanderlust has never been happier to be tempted, than it is today. Relieved hospitality establishments have been pouring their feelings of elation onto our timelines – along with a merry cascade of property reintroduction’s and specials.

If you are of the privileged flock like myself, who can find ways to part with tiny bits of disposable income (in perpetual forage of “moments” and experiences), today’s announcement unlocking national leisure travel within certain Level 3 parameters, is a celebration of nearly bankable possibility – to skim the fringes of a pre-pandemic world, as well as being an opportunity to recover & thrive in (don’t judge my buzz-word use but its apt) “the new normal”.

I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.

Robert Louis Stevenson

The South African tourism sector has not been faring well at all these past few months.

The preventative measures in place against the spread of Covid-19 here, were somewhat rigorous at times, and fundamentally economically detrimental to all the industries at large. A fact too, which rankles locals, is that South Africa’s travel industry really depends on the millions of foreign tourists who flock to our nearly year-round sunny shores, and who pay the frankly exorbitant fares for our fine experiences (marketed entirely to foreigners too) – which are never adjusted in deals, for the locals who also wish to indulge.

While empathy has been plenty during this time, many potential local customers to the floundering travel industry, have provided actionable Intel on how hospitality establishments could steadily regain some footing until their perceived ideal clients are allowed back into South Africa safely.

I know my money is going to good hotel deals, that offer real value for my itty bitty South African money.

Anyway, with the announcement by Tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, that there would be several changes to lockdown rules for tourism, it revealed that:

• Leisure travel within ones province (state), is permitted.
• AirBnB’s and other similar short-term rental sharing options are still prohibited.
• Later curfew of 22h00 is a go – meaning restaurants may run an undisturbed dinner service.
• Alcohol sales remain prohibited.
• Tour operations in open-top vehicles, is the solely permitted guided tour option.

So, for today: I toast to travel being added back into my working and lifestyle repertoire.

What’s a Travel Writer without actual travel – a nostalgic vagabond?

Olwethu-Thando Klaas

Anyway, preparing myself mentally for a Staycation or ten, with an Architectural Digest moment in my tiny loft.

Cocktails and faux couture come together on my soft furnishings, as I browse my older 2020 copies of Conde Nast Traveller (because new editions are also slow to trickle back into stores, thanks to the lockdown hindering imports).

I haven’t been doing nothing much during isolation, except for: mind my business, staying in my own lane, and enjoying my content.

What you been up to?

By the way: If I ever become an Magazine Editor, or announced as a Creative Director – this is the shot to publish right here! 😂