ED’S LETTER

People love to travel, even if it’s to faraway and expensive destinations. The global tourism industry is estimated to be worth more than 7 trillion dollars. That’s a 7 with 18 zeros attached to it. If I had to convert that amount into rands and write it out, the zeros would probably fill this page. France, the world’s most popular tourist destination, receives more annual visitors (82 million) than it has citizens (67 million). Even in South Africa, tourism contributes massively to our economy. Out of every 23 people who work in the formal sector, one is employed by the tourism industry. There’s nothing wrong with saving up and travelling overseas – it’s the spice you add to life that makes it better. But while we were busy with this issue, I realised again how little I actually know about South Africa, and how enriching it is to wander around right here at home. I’m specifically referring to Cape Point. I have a vague memory of visiting the nature reserve as a pre-schooler with my parents: It was so windy, my dad didn’t even take out his Nikon FM to snap a picture. This was an unheard of occurrence, since he thoroughly documented most of our family history on 35 mm film. Then… blank. It took me nearly 40 years to return to Cape Point, even though it’s just around the corner from where I live. It’s like living in Nelspruit and never visiting the Kruger! This was a few years ago – I returned to the reserve to hike the Cape of Good Hope trail with my family. To this day, it’s one of the best things we’ve done together. I’ve been back a few times since – for the feature on p 50, but mainly because there’s so much to see and do. Yup, you don’t always have to fly via Dubai to explore the world. The exotic destination you crave is right here, in your backyard.