Postponing rather than cancelling is one of the kindest things you can do for the tourism industry right now. One in twenty-two South Africans work in the tourism industry, and they need you, now, more than ever. There are so many people involved in making your safari an unforgettable experience, please help them by deferring your trip to a later stage.
For every eight tourists visiting South Africa, one permanent job is created. Postponing your safari will not only help these people retain their jobs, but will have a greater positive impact on the entire surrounding community.
Tourism helps spread wealth throughout our beautiful country, and is often the only form of economic activity in an area. A perfect example is the Greater Kruger National Park region where the average employee supports up to ten people!
Thornybush is continuing with our Family Food Parcel Project. We are working closely with Nourish Eco Village in order to help alleviate some of the financial burden on so many of our community members during this time. The loss of one job has huge repercussions and the effects are widespread, anything you can do to help ease this stress is hugely appreciated.
Tourism is essential in developing sustainability, conserving the natural environment and protecting our wildlife. Most safari lodges and game reserves are working towards the same goal: protecting Africa, her wildlife, her ecosystems, and her communities.
It’s a fact that the COVID pandemic is threatening our wildlife and protected areas. Without guests in our lodges and tourism into the Greater Kruger National Park region, many people have already lost their jobs, and if tourism does not open up soon, more loss will follow. This leads to food shortage where the only option is to poach wild meat from within the reserve boundaries.
Tourism also contributes a substantial amount to wildlife and conservation projects which helps to fight against organized poaching rings. The collapse of the tourism industry means that there are fewer ‘eyes on the ground’, not just because anti-poaching efforts have lost funding, but also because having game viewers out with guests, helps to deter opportunistic threats from poachers.
Maybe you have been planning your perfect, once in a lifetime, dream safari – or your return trip to a favourite South African destination, or perhaps you are going to explore a new part of the Greater Kruger National Park region. Do not let all that planning go to waste. We totally understand and sympathise with the immense disappointment you must feel not being able to make your special trip as planned, but cancelling your holiday does not have to mean cancelling your dreams.
Postponing gives you something to look forward to, a light at the end of the tunnel. A study done and published by the Applied Research in Quality of Life shows that planning a holiday and looking forward to it, creates almost as much joy and happiness as actually doing it! And besides, we are not going anywhere. The African sunsets will still be breathtaking, the animals will still be roaming around, continuing with their normal life, our guides will still offer enriching game drives, our meals will still be delicious. So, please, be patient, keep on dreaming, and continue to make your plans.
One thing is for sure: We will all travel again, the human need to explore is too great. When the time comes for us to resume our lives in the new normal, we will all venture back into the world with real enthusiasm and hearts full of gratitude. Then, we will be here waiting for you, ready to show you all the wonders that South Africa has to offer.
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