South Africa: The Journey That Stays With You

Some destinations are easy to sell because everyone already knows why they want to go. Others become successful because the itinerary surprises people.

South Africa manages to do both.

And that is exactly what makes it such an interesting travel program for a Chamber of Commerce or nonprofit organization.

Every week, when I look at a destination, I try to view it through two different sets of eyes.

First, as a traveler:

Would I want to go?

Second, as someone who has spent much of my career working with Chambers and nonprofit organizations:

Will members want to go, and does the program have the ingredients needed to become a successful source of member engagement and non-dues revenue?

When I traveled on our Taste of South Africa and Safari program, I realized very quickly that this wasn't simply another trip.

It was one of those journeys that stays with you long after you've unpacked the suitcase.

Nelson Mandela Suddenly Becomes More Than a Name in a History Book

You can read about Nelson Mandela.

You can watch documentaries about apartheid.

You can understand intellectually what happened in South Africa.

And then you go there.

Walking through Soweto, seeing Mandela's former home on Vilakazi Street and later standing on Robben Island, where he spent 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment, changes everything.

Then you see the cell.

It is remarkably small.

Standing there, imagining the years of incarceration and then considering the reconciliation Mandela later championed, was one of those travel moments when everyone becomes just a little quieter.

For me, this is what separates sightseeing from a true Journey of Discovery.

I don't want our travelers simply to photograph South Africa. I want them to understand a little more about the people, history, economy, and culture that created the country they are visiting.

That educational component also matters when you are offering a program under the name of a Chamber or nonprofit organization. It gives the journey substance beyond simply taking a vacation.

Cape Town: A City That Keeps Giving You Reasons to Reach for Your Camera

Then there is Cape Town.

Mountains, ocean, colorful neighborhoods, fascinating history and one of the world's most recognizable natural landmarks, Table Mountain, all seem to have been squeezed into one extraordinary city.

Cape Town and Johannesburg are unmistakably African cities, yet both reflect generations of African, European, Asian and indigenous influences.

You begin to realize there isn't one simple South African story.

There are many.

And from a Chamber perspective, that variety matters.

One challenge of group travel is that people don't necessarily travel for the same reasons. One person may be fascinated by history, another by culture, another by food and wine, and another simply wants wildlife and spectacular scenery.

South Africa gives all of them a reason to say yes.

Diamonds Are Educational. At Least That's What I Told Myself.

Because commerce and economics are part of understanding any destination, our journey also introduces travelers to South Africa's long connection with the diamond trade.

Now, I am perfectly capable of attending an educational discussion about diamonds purely for academic purposes.

Unfortunately, somewhere between learning about geology, cut, clarity, and carat, my shopping instinct kicked in.

Apparently, I become an extremely enthusiastic student when the educational material sparkles.

But these experiences are part of what makes the program interesting. You aren't simply looking at South Africa; you are learning about industries and events that helped shape its economy and history.

Then Come the Penguins

Just when South Africa has given you Mandela, Table Mountain, dramatic coastlines and diamonds, along come the penguins.

At Boulders Beach, African penguins wander around with the confidence of creatures who understand perfectly well that thousands of visitors have come specifically to see them.

They are noisy.

They are slightly chaotic.

And they are absolutely adorable.

I attempted to have a conversation with several of them.

They appeared completely uninterested in my opinions and preferred shouting among themselves.

In other words, it wasn't entirely unlike certain business meetings I have attended over the years.

Stellenbosch: Now This Is My Kind of Continuing Education

The journey then takes us into the beautiful Cape Winelands and Stellenbosch.

Rolling vineyards, mountain scenery, historic architecture and wine.

Very good wine.

South Africa has been producing wine for centuries, and Stellenbosch is at the heart of that tradition. Here you sample everything from wonderfully crisp whites to bold reds, while learning about an industry that plays an important role in the country's agricultural and tourism economy.

This is another reason I think the itinerary works particularly well.

There is substance to it.

But it is also enormous fun.

History in the morning.

Wine in the afternoon.

I believe that's called a balanced education.

And Then Africa Changes the Rules Completely

As a child, my parents took me to safari parks.

Years later, as a parent myself, I did the same thing with my own children.

I always enjoyed them.

But nothing can really prepare you for seeing animals actually living wild in Africa.

At Pilanesberg National Park, suddenly there are no traditional zoo barriers and no carefully landscaped exhibits.

You're sitting in a 4x4.

And you're in their world.

Pilanesberg is home to the renowned Big Five, together with giraffe, zebra, hippo and an extraordinary variety of African wildlife.

There is something almost prehistoric about scanning the landscape and suddenly seeing an elephant moving through the bush.

Or a giraffe.

Or noticing that your driver has suddenly stopped and everyone in the vehicle is now staring silently in the same direction.

Cameras come out.

People whisper.

And grown adults become excited children again.

That, for me, is the magic of safari.

And again, from the perspective of a Chamber or nonprofit CEO, this is important.

These are the experiences travelers talk about when they return home.

And those stories become some of the best promotion you can have for the next program.

Surely That Is Enough? Apparently Not.

For travelers wanting one final adventure, there is the optional extension to Victoria Falls.

And what an ending.

First comes a sunset cruise along the Zambezi River.

As we drifted along, watching the African sun disappear across the water, my mind went back to the old black-and-white adventure films I watched growing up.

I half expected Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan to swing across the river at any moment, wrestling a crocodile while the rest of us calmly finished our drinks.

Fortunately, the crocodiles stayed where they belonged.

Then comes Victoria Falls itself.

You hear it before you fully appreciate it.

Water.

Mist.

Noise.

And sheer scale.

It is one of those natural spectacles that photographs simply cannot reproduce.

Then someone mentioned the famous Devil's Pool, where, at the appropriate time of year and under controlled conditions, people can sit astonishingly close to the edge of the falls.

I love adventure.

I love activity.

I will try most things once.

But there was absolutely no chance I was getting into Devil's Pool.

I have spent most of my life trying not to go over waterfalls.

I saw no compelling reason to abandon that policy in Africa.

I was perfectly happy to admire the bravery or questionable judgment of others from a considerably safer distance.

Why Does All of This Matter to a Chamber or Nonprofit CEO?

Because the strongest affinity travel programs do more than fill seats on an airplane.

They give members another reason to engage with the organization.

They create shared experiences.

They bring people together outside the normal business environment.

And, when structured correctly, they can also create a meaningful source of non-dues revenue.

But there is another important ingredient.

The destination has to generate excitement.

South Africa has an unusually powerful combination of recognizable landmarks, important history, spectacular scenery, wildlife, food, wine, culture and genuine adventure.

That breadth lets a Chamber market the program to a much wider cross-section of its membership.

One traveler may dream about safari.

Another wants Cape Town.

Someone else wants the wine country.

Another may have always wanted to see Victoria Falls.

They can all find their reason to travel within the same program.

South Africa Gives People Stories

Ultimately, I think that may be the best test of any successful Chamber or nonprofit travel program.

Months after your travelers return home, will they still be talking about it?

Will they remember standing outside Nelson Mandela's cell?

Will they talk about the penguins at Boulders Beach?

The vineyards of Stellenbosch?

The first elephant, lion, or Leopard they saw moving through the African bush?

The sunset over the Zambezi?

Or perhaps the slightly mad person in their group who decided Devil's Pool seemed like a perfectly sensible place to go swimming?

South Africa gives people stories.

And after experiencing this journey myself, I believe that is exactly what a great travel program should do.

It shouldn't simply show your members another part of the world.

It should bring them home seeing the world just a little differently.

And to me, that is what Quest Voyager is all about.