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South Africans can Help Save Tourism in Just Three Clicks

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Innovative Platform Gives Locals Access to Tourism Experiences at Affordable Rates

Wednesday, 16 September – Durban Locals Who Wander is an innovative platform built to help kickstart the South African tourism recovery by connecting locals to affordable travel deals in all nine provinces. The platform was launched on the 16th of August 2020 on Facebook and Instagram. Founder, Justin Perumal – a graduate from the University of West London, works his love for nature, technology and sustainable tourism to create tourism companies that connect travellers to alternative travel experience. Locals Who Wander was birthed from a belief that South Africans deserve to experience every part of their country, and that the tourism industry can work together to make experiences and destinations available to locals all-year-round, without compromising occupancies nor revenue.

The travel trade can submit their South African Residents’ rates and packages on the Locals Who Wander website: https://localswhowander.com/.
Travel deals are advertised for free in their respective provincial group which includes the advertiser’s contact details so that locals can book directly. Locals Who Wander do not take any commission or advertising fees. This means products receive their full revenue and travellers maximise on the savings.

South Africans can join the movement and help protect the tourism industry in three clicks:

1. Like the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/localswhowander/
2. Invite your friends and family to grow the movement
3. Join your provincial group to browse local deals

South Africans are the primary custodians of our wildernesses. It is up to locals to protect these precious national assets as well as the vulnerable communities that live alongside them. However, South African Tourism must beg the question; how can citizens protect something they have not experienced? Locals Who Wander is a brand new platform that partners with South Africa’s most beautiful places to give the people of Mzansi access to touristic experience at affordable rates.

“We, as an industry, need to understand that locals represent new markets not smaller margins. Activating domestic tourism is about building a more resilient industry and nurturing generations of custodians. For the longest time, local travellers have been an afterthought. As a result, we have failed to see the many benefits locals have in growing international tourism. Content is the new gold and locals hold the key. More importantly, tourism is experiencing a fundamental shift in how people spend their money — people want to travel as locals do. The sooner we adapt to this the better.” – Justin Perumal, Founder of Locals Who Wander.

The travel bans and lockdown caused by the COVID-19 left the economy in dire straits. StatsSA reported on 8 September that the GDP fell by just over 16.4% between the first quarter and second quarter of 2020, resulting in an annualised growth rate of -51%. It is up to South Africans to help kickstart the economy, and tourism is one of the most fun ways for households to contribute.

Author: Mandisa Magwaxaza
Website: https://localswhowander.com/how-it-works

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