There is more to travel than just being a "hammock potato". Travellers seeking meaningful experiences when they visit destinations is a growing global trend. The experiences are meant to enrich the visitor while travelling as well benefit local communities.
“Social-impact tourism” is one form of this, where travellers may engage in a social enterprise or cultural exchange, heading to places to assist disadvantaged communities or to be exposed to a culture different to their own. This may be as “voluntourism”, where visitors often pay to volunteer to work in communities, usually with NGOs, or spiritual tourism such as travelling on pilgrimages or visiting retreats, a variety of experiential activities that are potentially life-changing.
Leaving things better
Cape Town is ideal for this kind of travel – in fact, according to Enver Duminy, CEO at Cape Town Tourism, this trend may be enjoying global attention now, but it has been thriving locally for many years. “Cape Town is a great place to seek meaning through travel experiences”, he says. “We have opportunities for visitors to engage with local communities, and for both visitors and communities to benefit.”
“It is often said that one should leave a place as one found it, but, in this case, the opportunity is there to leave a place in a better state than it was prior to visiting”, he continues, “a visit to the Mother City is bound to have an impact on you as a visitor, but with this travel trend you have a chance to have an impact on your destination.”
Working while on your break
“Meaningful experiences aren’t just for gap-year students, adults are realising the importance of expressing their personalities and sharing their passions while on a break. What is poignant is that travel is generally viewed as a break from work, while these visitors are working on their break. The exchange is mutually beneficial, however, and we appreciate the social impact of this kind of travel”.
Duminy points out that social enterprise can relate to working with disadvantaged communities, working in the fields of responsible tourism and sustainability and also in providing expertise or mentorship for young professionals in various industries. “We have many visitors partnering with organisations locally to work within townships or on urban development projects, and value this contribution to the creation of an improved city for locals and visitors alike”.
Retreats and pilgrimages are a slightly different form of meaningful tourism, but one that is also present in the city, with mosques, kramats, synagogues, churches, temples and other places being visited, providing a spiritual element for tourists. The historical and cultural relevance of these is part of the multi-cultural significance of Cape Town, home to many religious communities.
“Meaningful experiences mean different things to different people,” Duminy states, “whether you are walking the Cape Camino, coaching kids at soccer or building a house for a family, you will not leave unchanged”, he concludes.
