Different ways travellers can maximise the use of tech in their rural and cultural travels in Mzansi.
South Africa has a lot to offer when it comes rural travel.
Options range from exploring wine making in the Winelands to supernatural attractions like the mythical carnivorous Modimolle mountain in Limpopo, and world-renowned geological marvels like the Bourke’s Luck Potholes and Adam’s Calendar in Ehlanzeni, Mpumalanga.
According to online booking platform Jurni, picking your ideal travel experience from such a wide range of options can be a daunting task but thanks to the current technological advances in the travel market, the best of cultural and rural travel now lives on digital platforms.
The question then is, how can tech better help travellers experience the best of South Africa’s isolated rural and cultural travel.
Tech enhances safety and security during travel
Jurnit’s head of marketing Tshepo Matlou believes that that using tech to buy travel and tourism products and services from a centralised repository, like a digital booking platform, enhances the safety and security aspect of your purchase.
“The digital footprint makes the whole marketing experience safer for customers compared to the old way of doing it, where there would often be a less tangible track record of the transaction. This is seen as a deterrent o crimes like human trafficking and abductions, for example.” said Matlou.
Booking stays digitally gives you more control
Matlou says modern tech gives you control over your own travel preparations, from helping you ensure quality of stay through other traveller reviews, to providing a plethora of options to choose from through online booking platforms.
“A platform like Jurni eliminates the hassle of having to look up accommodation providers in brochures and magazines, and then having to call them to secure your stay before paying, or having to pay a travel agent.
“That process was laborious and costly, and it’s almost hard to believe that what often took hours of effort is now something you can do in a minute online.”
Digital accessibility improves competition and the quality of travel products
Matlou says modern travellers have become accustomed to the convenience of looking for, and booking, their stays online so, for any accommodation provider operating within the tourism space, an effective online presence is a must if they want to remain competitive in the market.
“Digital accessibility helps travellers compare products and select a stay closest to what they want, within their budget. It’s also good for the tourism space as a whole – the better the competition in the market, the better the products and services that are out there,” said Matlou.
Read the latest issue of IOL Travel digital magazine here.