HoorSê

/in /by

Wil jy glo ! Ek lees hierdie week ‘n artikel raak waarin beweer word dat Suid-Afrika as mees gesogde toeristebestemming aangewys is in ‘n onlangste internasionale reisigersopname. Whatthe… wat weet die deelnemers wat ons nie weet nie…of wat weet hulle NIE ?! Eish ek weet darem nie of ek hierdie land sal kies as my #1-bestemming nie.

Díe besigheid trek my in twee. Die skepties in my herinner my, hoe gereeld ek as toergids, met ooglopende lof die land teenoor toeriste besing het, terwyl die wete aan ons misdaad, barbaarse hebsug, nyd en ‘dit-gaan-net-oor-myself-houding’ omtrent my keel toedruk. Wel, miskien het díe kortasemgeid darem die lofsange effe verdoof.

BUT on the other hand, Darren, wil ons seker, desperaat, elke Jan-Rap-en-sy-maat wat ‘n aalmoesie kan uitdeel van die buiteland af verwelkom, teen lugruim-‘oopstel’tyd; toerisme suig allermins, tans, aan die kurkdroë speen en die prognose is beroerd. Die moét-sien- en ander fantastiese bestemmings in die land hou hulle asems op, werkers in díe bedryf – sommige van hulle liefdesarbeiders (labour of love) – oorweeg Buffelsgras vir ‘n dieët, en museums en monumente word vergete kasarms van eensamheid.

Yay ! Ons het nou wel ‘Overtourism’ – die moderne konsep van ‘die samedromming van meer besoekers as wat die bestemming kan hanteer, in terme van impak op die inwoners in die onmiddellike omgewing’ – van ‘n aantal besienswaardighede betyds vermy, ironies, danksy die virus, maar wie’s óns om te oordeel, díe wat mag oorleef en díe wat moet sink? Staan saam en druk deur, stoere toerismevolk !

Hearsay – ‘In God we trust’

/in /by

I’ve not followed the Trump vs Corona saga; in fact, I’ve hardly scanned the surface of the issue. So I stand corrected, understanding that his nonchalant, blasé approach; almost laughing-off of the matter has an overwhelming bunch of critics (and supporters?) blowing smoke from their nostrils (right ?). Trump probably doesn’t care a rat’s arse

but if he did feel he’d care for a response, I guess the great American motto: ‘In God we trust’ might have sufficed for a back-at-ya tongue lash ? Come to think of it, Trump’s Brazilian counterpart certainly seems also to be a true Believer.

Fresh forward

/in /by

I’m in awe. We got a booking today! It’s only for 1 January but even so, it’s a near miracle; someone (Someone ?) out there sees light, and life, after Corona. I saw, in recent weeks, extraordinary resilience in an industry and its people. In spite of the ugly Covid-19 spiked sword dangling precariously over us, the likes of SATSA and TBCSA (tourism governing bodies) and many of its members have been at work, caucusing and super-humanly putting together safety protocols and ‘way forward’ plans for when tourism returns to our shores.

This, while I find myself in a deep, dark, most pessimistic rut, sporting the opposite ‘not in a million years…well, 1 year, at least’, outlook and a ‘why bother now if we’re going to be potting around the doldrums forever?’ grin.

I salute you, governing body officials and workers, for your commitment to your lore and to tourism in South Africa while others languish in their shells as the horizon seems light years away.

Fresh forward…