That shift in mindset – more value-conscious and more willing to ask whether the obvious choice is actually the best one – is exactly the right lens through which to look at Time Out’s 2026 Best Cities ranking. Built on the responses of more than 24,000 locals across 150 cities worldwide, it is the most resident-informed ranking of its kind. And what it reveals, for South African travellers open to looking beyond their usual itineraries, is a set of destinations that deliver extraordinary experiences at a fraction of the cost of the cities that typically dominate South African booking patterns.

Cape Town’s sixth-place ranking (above Tokyo, Seoul, Paris, and Singapore) is proof that South Africans already know what world-class looks like. The question is whether they’re finding it when they travel.

“Right now, South Africans are asking better questions before booking,” says Antoinette Turner, GM of Flight Centre South Africa. “They want to know that their money is really working for them – not just that a destination is popular, but that it will actually deliver value. The cities that come up again and again in that conversation are often not the ones people expected to be considering.”

Porto, ranked 17^th in the world, is one of them. 80% of its residents describe it as “welcoming” and “friendly”. 99% say it’s “cheap to grab a coffee”. Portugal remains one of the most affordable destinations in Western Europe, and the city rewards exactly the kind of unhurried, exploratory travel that South Africans are increasingly drawn to. It is also, for those who have already done Lisbon, a revelation: smaller and considerably more characterful.

Edinburgh, ranked 3^rd globally, is the city that consistently surprises South Africans who expected to love London more. It scored the joint-highest walkability rating of any city surveyed, a 94% approval rating for its food scene, and 91% of its residents report finding genuine joy in their everyday lives there. It is also accessible on existing routes through London or Amsterdam without adding significant travel time or cost.

Kraków, ranked 16^th, is the most compelling value proposition in Europe for South African travellers right now. Retaining its own currency (the Polish złoty) rather than using the Euro, it provides a high-standard, UNESCO-protected historic experience at a fraction of the cost of Western Europe or Eurozone hotspots. Plus, its 87% food scene approval rating and its extraordinary walkability make it a destination that delivers on every measure that matters.

Marrakech, ranked 24^th, is rated by 82% of its residents as a city with a strong sense of community and offers an exciting cultural shift without having to cross into a totally unfamiliar time zone. Just an hour behind South African time, it delivers the immersion of a genuinely different culture with almost no adjustment on arrival, making it a rewarding choice for anyone after a proper change of scene. Just plan ahead, because if you don’t hold one of the pre-qualifying visas (for example, US, UK, Schengen Area, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, or the UAE) you will need to apply directly to the Embassy of Morocco in Pretoria.

None of these cities are obscure. They’re simply underleveraged, chosen less frequently than their quality and affordability warrants. In a year when South African travellers are being more intentional about every rand they spend on travel, that gap between what’s popular and what’s truly worth it is worth closing.

“When budgets are tighter and the world feels less predictable, the instinct is often to book what you know. But the real value in travel right now isn’t necessarily where it always used to be,” says Turner.

“The lesser-known cities on Time Out’s list are not consolation prizes for travellers who couldn’t afford somewhere better. They are, by the measure of the people who live in them, among the most rewarding places on earth. They simply require someone who knows that… and knows how to get you there,” she concludes.

Kenya has long produced the best distance runners on earth. Eliud Kipchoge alone makes the case. But elite athletics is only one layer of what this dopamine-inducing destination offers.

“Let’s put it this way, it’s a good place for travellers who don’t want to sit still,” says Antoinette Turner, GM of Flight Centre South Africa. “Sure, you can run and hike there, but it has plenty more to offer outdoor enthusiasts across the board. What surprises most people is just how much is packed into one destination, and how accessible it all is.”

Here’s what makes Kenya a compelling destination for active South African travellers, according to Flight Centre’s team of Travel Experts.

Iten: Where the best runners train

Known as the Home of Champions, the town of Iten sits at 2,400 metres above sea level in the Rift Valley, offering the perfect elevation for endurance training. Unsurprisingly, it has produced more elite marathon runners than anywhere else on the planet. More and more serious amateur runners are heading there to train at altitude alongside Kenyan athletes, eat simply, sleep well, and come home in better shape than they left.

“Active travellers who go to Iten expecting a challenging training camp often come back talking about how peaceful it was,” Turner adds. “Morning runs on red dirt roads through highland mist. Afternoon rest. Nutritious, whole foods. No distractions.”

A testament to the earth’s raw sculpting forces, Kenya’s Great Rift Valley is flanked by sloping escarpments, lake shores, and volcanic terrain that get trail runners excited. Routes around Lake Naivasha and Hell’s Gate National Park offer technical, scenic running at altitudes that will test your fitness and reward your effort.

“Hell’s Gate is also one of the few parks in East Africa where you can move at nature’s pace on foot or by mountain bike without a fence between you and the local wildlife,” Turner says. For mountaineers seeking a new frontier, she nudges towards Mount Kenya, topping out at 5,199 metres.

Cycling the highlands

The road from Nairobi into the Aberdare Range delivers a high-altitude adventure through tea plantations (Kenya is the world’s largest exporter of black tea), spectacular waterfalls, and cedar forests.

According to Turner, Kenya’s highlands suit multi-day safari cycling well – there’s enough gradient to make it interesting and enough scenery to justify stopping often. “The roads here are far quieter than anything comparable in Europe, and guided cycling routes are particularly well-established,” she says.

Walking safaris in the Maasai Mara

A walking safari provides an immersive alternative to 4×4 safaris, with all senses engaged. You read animal scat and spoor and move at a slower pace, allowing you to notice things you might miss from a vehicle seat.

“Active travellers opting for walking safaris are often the ones who’ve already done a conventional safari and want something different and more intimate,” Turner says. “This experience requires your full attention combined with physical movement, which is exactly why active and adventurous travellers love it.”

Water sports and kitesurfing

Diani Beach, on Kenya’s south coast near Mombasa, is a world-class kitesurfing destination, promising reliable trade winds, protected coral reefs, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, and more. It is also, frankly, a fine place to do absolutely nothing for a few days, according to Turner.

“Downtime near the ocean delivers what most of us need to reset,” she adds. “The beach delivers on both ends of the activity spectrum: wading through the shallows or deep-sea fishing, depending on what kind of day you’re after. It’s worth the flight to Mombasa via Nairobi from Johannesburg.”

Yes, Kenya. But why now?

The country welcomed about 2.7 million international visitors and 5.2 million intra-African travellers in 2025 (including South Africans, who can enter Kenya visa-free for a period of up to 90 days), demonstrating the depth and diversity of its travel market.

The exchange rate works in South Africans’ favour, too. R1 buys approximately 8.00* Kenyan shillings, so accommodation, guides, and experiences that would stretch a budget in Europe sit comfortably within reach in Kenya.

“Kenya is not a budget destination in the rough-travel sense,” Turner says. “But South Africans get genuine purchasing power there, and that changes what kind of trip is actually possible.”

In short, when it comes to booking a trip to Kenya, don’t walk. Run.

*According to the exchange rate on 15 June 2026

But here’s what the improving global picture hasn’t changed: Africa in July is exceptional. And South Africans who turn their attention to exploring the broader continent this winter will find themselves richly rewarded.

“The irony is that while everyone was watching Europe and waiting for the world to settle down, Africa was delivering some of the most extraordinary travel experiences on the planet,” says Antoinette Turner, GM of Flight Centre South Africa. “June–August is genuinely one of the best months to be on this continent. The wildlife viewing is at its peak, the skies are clear, and there are plenty of opportunities to create those cosy forever-memories with those you love most. Our Travel Experts have been saying this for years. The data is finally catching up.”

Regional African travel surged in 2025 and is a confirmed growth trend for 2026, according to Flight Centre’s Year in Travel 2025 report. Two thirds of South Africans travelled specifically for nature last year, 65% travelled to recharge and escape burnout, and 83% say travel is essential for their mental health. Africa, it turns out, is not a compromise destination. For an overwhelming majority of South Africans, it is precisely the kind of travel that matters most.

Where to go – and why winter is the perfect moment

Kafue National Park, Zambia

Kafue is Africa’s second-largest national park (roughly the size of Wales) and, remarkably, one of its least visited. In winter, the Busanga Plains in Kafue’s remote north flood with game, including lion prides, massive eland herds, and the elusive sitatunga.

“Kafue is the destination I find myself recommending more and more to travellers who’ve done the Kruger and who are ready for something that feels truly undiscovered,” comments Turner. “Clients who go invariably say it’s the trip that changed their benchmark for what a safari can be.”

One of the most compelling reasons to base a winter itinerary around Kafue is what becomes possible immediately afterwards. Proflight Zambia currently operates direct flights from both Lusaka and Livingstone to Maun (the primary gateway to Botswana’s Okavango Delta), running on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays through to the end of October, covering the entirety of peak season. In practical terms, that means a seamless two-country wilderness itinerary is not only possible; it’s straightforward.

Josias Walubita, Director of Flight Operations at Proflight Zambia, explains:

“The Lusaka–Maun and Livingstone–Maun routes open up an incredible opportunity for travellers who want to experience the very best of southern and central Africa in a single trip. Zambia and Botswana together offer a wilderness combination that is genuinely world-class, and having a reliable, scheduled connection between the two means travellers no longer have to choose between them. We’re proud to be making that journey easier during what is arguably the finest wildlife season on the continent.”

The Okavango Delta, Botswana

The Delta is at its annual flood peak in winter, transformed by waters that have travelled thousands of kilometres from the Angolan highlands to fan out across the Kalahari in one of nature’s most extraordinary spectacles. Islands emerge, channels multiply, wildlife concentrates on elevated ground, and the game viewing becomes almost implausibly good. A mokoro gliding silently through papyrus-lined waterways at dawn is one of the great travel experiences available anywhere on earth right now.

“There’s something about being that immersed in a functioning wilderness, with no signal and no schedule, that does what no European city break can. We’re seeing strong demand for Delta camps this winter, and for good reason,” Turner says.

Walvis Bay, Namibia

Namibia’s desert-meets-ocean landscape is one of the most visually arresting on the continent, and Walvis Bay places you at the heart of it without the crowds that increasingly follow Swakopmund’s rising profile. The lagoon here is one of Africa’s most important wetland sites, home to vast flocks of flamingos that turn the shallows pink at dusk. Dune 7, among the highest sand dunes in Namibia, looms just outside town, and the seal colony at Cape Cross is close enough for a day trip. This is a destination that rewards the traveller who prefers to discover rather than follow.

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Zanzibar has long deserved a direct connection from South Africa, and Airlink has just delivered one – a twice-weekly year-round service from Johannesburg that removes the layover and the guesswork from what was previously a more complicated journey. The island needs little introduction: turquoise waters, powder-white beaches, Stone Town’s labyrinthine spice-scented streets. With frequency increasing to three weekly flights over the peak December period and a Cape Town route launching in October, access to Zanzibar from South Africa has never been simpler.

The global travel conversation is slowly returning to normal. Long-haul routes are reopening, and the familiar pull of European summers is reasserting itself. All of that is excellent news, but it does raise a question worth pondering: when the rest of the world was grounded, distracted, and recalibrating, Africa never stopped being extraordinary.

The travellers who noticed that first are already booked.

The return of these services, beginning this week with Qatar Airways on 16 June and Turkish Airlines on 17 June, significantly enhances global connectivity and visitor access during the traditionally quieter summer months.

Qatar Airways is the first of the three carriers to resume operations to Seychelles this summer, with its return to Seychelles International Airport at Pointe Larue marking the start of an expanded summer schedule. From 16 June 2026, the airline will operate four weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, further strengthening Seychelles’ links through Doha and providing convenient connections to more than 150 destinations worldwide.

Adding to the positive momentum, Turkish Airlines has resumed flights to Seychelles, marking its first summer operation to the destination in three years. Previously, the airline served Seychelles seasonally between late October and March before suspending services during the summer period. The carrier will operate three weekly flights using an Airbus A330-300, connecting Seychelles to Istanbul; one of the world’s largest aviation hubs and a key gateway to Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America.

As Turkish Airlines reintroduces its summer programme, the airline has implemented minor schedule adjustments during the initial launch period for commercial reasons. Until the week commencing 6 July, flights will operate twice weekly on Wednesdays and Sundays. Thereafter, the airline will increase operations with an additional weekly flight on Fridays, bringing the total to three flights per week.

The Russian market will also receive a welcome boost with Aeroflot scheduled to resume services on 8 July 2026. The airline will operate two weekly flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays, restoring additional seat capacity from one of Seychelles’ important source markets and providing greater travel options for Russian visitors seeking direct access to the islands. Commenting on the enhanced connectivity, Seychelles Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer, Ms Vesna Rakic, said:

“At a time of intense global competition for travellers, the decision by Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Aeroflot to expand their presence in Seychelles is a strong endorsement of our destination. Improved air connectivity is key to tourism growth, giving travellers more choice while strengthening access from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Russia.”

She further added; “We sincerely thank our airline partners for their continued confidence in Seychelles. Their support is essential to maintaining strong international links and driving the success of our tourism industry. We are also encouraged by ongoing discussions within the aviation sector, with the potential for further positive developments in connectivity. While official confirmations are still pending, the outlook is highly promising. Together with our airline and trade partners, we remain focused on driving demand and supporting the long-term success of air services to Seychelles. “

With increased summer capacity from key international gateways, Seychelles is reinforcing its position as one of the most accessible island destinations in the Indian Ocean. Improved air access remains a critical factor in driving visitor arrivals, and the additional capacity provided by these airlines will support demand from multiple markets while offering greater flexibility and convenience for travellers choosing Seychelles.

Some of the continent’s connectivity gaps have narrowed over the past year. Qantas added Perth to Johannesburg, Edelweiss introduced its A350 service to Windhoek, Air Congo announced a Brussels link to Kinshasa, and Ethiopian secured approval to serve Mauritius. If those routes can move from proposal to operation, why do others with similarly strong demand remain unserved?

That question sat at the centre of a discussion at AviaDev Africa 2026 in Gaborone, the continent’s main route development forum, where airlines, airports and tourism bodies meet to build new air links. It was chaired by Natalia Rosa, Project Lead at the Southern Africa Tourism Alliance (SATA).

The panel agreed that none of the stakeholders can make a route work alone. Airports need traffic, tourism boards need visitors and airlines need confidence that travellers have a reason to come. Rosa described it as a relationship, but as Keira Langford-Johnson, Business Development Director at Proflight Zambia, pointed out, not an equal one. The airline carries the risk, committing aircraft, crew and operating costs long before it knows whether demand will materialise.

Those costs do not move with the load. A half-empty aircraft burns much the same fuel as a full one, and no marketing campaign can change that. Airlines therefore look for evidence that demand will persist beyond a route launch. What they need, Langford-Johnson said, is proof that the market can sustain itself once the initial excitement fades. Too often that evidence never reaches the table. “What are people doing after they arrive? Where do they go? How do they move? That’s the data that builds a route,” she said.

Rupert Kraus of Discover Airlines, part of the Lufthansa Group, described a similar approach. Passenger numbers alone are rarely enough. He wants to see broader indicators of growth: hotels being developed, cargo volumes increasing and new industries investing in a destination. “If I only looked at the data in front of me, I’d struggle to justify the route,” he said.

With a limited fleet and a growing list of potential destinations competing for capacity, airlines need confidence that a market can support service over the long term rather than generate short bursts of demand.

The data exists, Kraus argued, yet it remains fragmented. Road transfer operators, charter companies and tourism businesses already collect much of the information airlines need to assess whether a route can succeed: who is travelling, where they are going, when they are travelling and in what numbers. Together, those datasets provide a far richer picture of demand than airlines often receive.

Langford-Johnson illustrated the point with three of Proflight Zambia’s recent routes into Livingstone, Maun and Windhoek, all of which emerged from conversations at AviaDev. None were obvious additions to the network, and Proflight does not launch new routes lightly. What changed was the preparation. Airport authorities, tourism boards and regulators arrived with a 72-page business case covering demand, market potential, operating costs and demographics. When information was missing, the airline asked for it and the partners supplied it. “If you’re not exchanging something, it’s just a meeting,” she said. The partners brought the evidence, helping build the confidence Proflight needed to launch the route.

Gathering the evidence is only part of the process. Keeping stakeholders aligned can be harder. As Tatamo Rakotozafy, Head of Aeronautical Activities at Ravinala Airports, explained, tourism authorities, airports and governments often approach route development with different priorities and measures of success.

The route is more likely to move forward when stakeholders can align around a shared economic objective. That common purpose becomes especially important when political priorities change or commercial pressures emerge.

Rakotozafy was describing alignment within a country. Justice Ofentse, Acting CEO of the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), argued that the same principle applies across borders. Smaller destinations, he said, are often more effective when they approach airlines collectively rather than competing against one another for the same aircraft and investment.

His argument was that the region should present itself as a single market, rather than a collection of individual destinations each making separate pitches to carriers.

One event could supply exactly the evidence airlines keep asking for. The 2027 T20 Cricket World Cup, shared by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, is expected to move more than 340,000 people across the three countries.

As Ofentse suggested, the tournament will test whether the three countries can present themselves to travellers as a connected destination instead of three separate markets.

Bronwen Auret, Chief Quality Assurance Officer at South African Tourism, acknowledged that creating that level of coordination requires effort well beyond the tourism sector. The tournament, however, provides a practical opportunity to bring together air access planning, tourism promotion and regional cooperation around a single event.

If the planning is done well, she argued, it could also generate valuable data on how visitors moved through the region and where demand was concentrated.

Those patterns are the evidence airlines keep asking for. Whether the region can bring them together into a convincing demand case may determine which of its long-discussed routes finally move from proposal to schedule.

The panel recording can be viewed here.

JOHANNESBURG – The UAE has lifted its airspace restrictions, the US-Iran ceasefire appears to be holding (as of 18 May 2026), Emirates has restored 96% of its global network, other Gulf carriers (including Etihad, Qatar and Saudia) continue to rebuild operations, and capacity constraints are gradually settling. By most operational measures, things are looking up.

Traveller confidence is a different story.

As Mummy Mafojane, General Manager of FCM South Africa, explains, geopolitical conflict – including fresh drone attacks – continues to impact travel decisions, with travel managers rerouting travellers, changing itineraries, delaying non-essential trips and taking a hard look at their duty of care policies.

What business travellers are actually feeling

South Africans are fairly resilient by nature. Covid, years of load shedding, economic volatility and the loss of more than one domestic carrier have produced travellers that know how to roll with disruption.

“But business travel complicates the picture,” says Mafojane. “When your company sends you somewhere, a grounded flight is more than an inconvenience. It can quickly become a question of duty of care, insurance, work and family obligations, corporate liability and personal safety, all at once.”

Global Rescue’s recent Traveller Sentiment and Safety Surveys show that 56% of travellers are more concerned about personal safety than a year ago. The travel risk and crisis organisation also found that:

• 82% of travellers express some level of concern about personal security risks abroad, including kidnapping, extortion and violent crime;
• 38% describe today’s travel risk as unpredictable;
• 36% believe international travel is more dangerous than it was before 2020; and
• 31% of seasoned travellers say illness or injury abroad is their biggest concern for 2026, followed by civil unrest or terrorism at 21%.

Can bosses still dictate where and when staff travel?

Legally, in South Africa, the short answer is yes: employers can generally direct where and when employees travel for work, provided the request is reasonable and aligns with the employment contract. In return, they must cover the costs, ensure safe working conditions and respect the employee’s fundamental rights.

Practically, duty of care has evolved well beyond a clause in an employment contract. ISO 31030, the international standard for travel risk management, now sets a benchmark courts use to judge whether an employer acted reasonably.

It requires senior leadership ownership (where the organisation’s appetite for risk is defined, documented, signed off at the top and reviewed regularly), pre-trip risk assessment, real-time tracking and a credible incident response plan. It also explicitly covers psychological wellbeing, not only physical safety.

For South African employers, it means that travel decisions can no longer be made in isolation from the traveller. A reasonable instruction is one that has been thought through, risk-assessed, properly supported and openly discussed with the person being sent.

“Travellers want clarity, choice and a sense that someone has thought carefully about the trip before they board,” says Mafojane. “The companies getting this right have moved from a purely compliance mindset to a conversation. Pre-trip briefings, transparent route options, and a clearly understood escalation path are no longer nice-to-haves; they are the foundations of a strong travel programme.”

The trust “signals” travellers are looking for

For Mafojane, the levels of disruption experienced in late February/early March proved that human-led crisis response – with experienced travel managers at the helm – isn’t going anywhere.

“Automated tools are brilliant, and they certainly speed up our response time, but travellers still turn to human support in times of genuine disruption,” says Mafojane. “A 24-hour line answered by an experienced consultant remains a valuable feature of a corporate travel programme.”

Reliable, consistent technology also builds trust over time.

“Travellers lose confidence quickly when booking systems, itinerary tools, expense platforms and tracking apps fail – or tell them different things,” says Mafojane. “An integrated system, from booking platform to traveller app, should be a reliable source of information. It’s an important aspect of duty of care.”

Finally, more than a passing nod to traveller wellness and wellbeing. Travellers notice the difference. Flexibility on rebooking, openness to bleisure (combining business and leisure travel) where it makes sense, proper pre-trip briefings that cover what to do when things go wrong, and post-trip recovery time are the markers that read as genuine care.

“The programmes that will thrive over the next year are the ones that focus on traveller confidence,” says Mafojane. “Get that right, and the rest follows.”

**ends**

For more information about FCM Travel call Sonnette Fourie on 081 072 2869 or email sonnette@bigambitions.co.za.

About FCM Travel:

FCM Travel, the flagship corporate travel brand at Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), is the business travel partner of choice for large national, multinational and global corporations. We are an award-winning global corporate travel management company ranking as one of the top five by size around the world. We operate a global network which spans more than 100 countries, employing over 6000 people.

FCM are transforming the business of travel through our empowered and accountable people who deliver 24/7 service and are available either online or offline. Leveraging FCM’s negotiating strength and supplier relationships in conjunction with our tailored business travel programs, our expertise delivers more for our clients where it matters most to them.

Visit us at www.fcmtravel.co.za

Issued by: Big Ambitions

Contact: Sonnette Fourie

Tel: +27 81 072 2869

Email: sonnette@bigambitions.co.za

Proflight Zambia has launched a new seasonal service linking Lusaka and Livingstone, Zambia, to Maun, Botswana, creating the first direct aviation corridor between Victoria Falls and the Okavango Delta. The route operates three times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays via the BAE Jetstream 41 from May to October 2026, covering the full peak safari season across both destinations.

South African travellers can book the entire journey – from Johannesburg or Cape Town through to Maun – as a single through-ticket on one Proflight Zambia reservation. Johannesburg travellers fly daily into Lusaka, overnight, and continue to Maun the following morning. Cape Town travellers fly directly into Livingstone, spend time at Victoria Falls, and depart to Maun on a subsequent service, making the journey itself as much a part of the experience as the destinations.

Until now, combining Victoria Falls with the Okavango Delta in a single itinerary required routing back through Johannesburg, adding cost, time, and unnecessary complexity to what is a natural geographic pairing. The new service eliminates that entirely.

Captain Josias Walubita, Chief Pilot and Director of Flight Operations at Proflight Zambia, says the route addresses one of the most persistent frustrations for Southern African safari travellers.

“South African travellers have always understood that Victoria Falls and the Okavango Delta belong in the same itinerary – the geography makes it obvious. What has held them back is the aviation infrastructure to make it practical. With this route, we are opening up a safari corridor that makes one of the world’s great multi-destination wildlife journeys genuinely accessible for the first time.”

The new corridor makes possible what is arguably Southern Africa’s most compelling safari itinerary: Zambia’s South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi, and Kafue National Parks combined with Victoria Falls, then onward to the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, and the Makgadikgadi Pans.

Peak season accommodation across both destinations books out quickly. Tickets are available now through Proflight Zambia’s sales offices, via travel agents, or online at flyzambia.com.

These defining features remain the same, but this year, something has shifted in where people are choosing to go and what they want to do when they get there.

“We’re seeing a genuine and growing appetite for experiences that deliver something beyond game drives,” says Antoinette Turner, General Manager, Flight Centre South Africa. “Local travellers are choosing unhurried safaris that prioritise ecological integrity and active participation over passive observation.”

Flight Centre’s Global PR Survey reinforces this. South African travellers rank the most likely of any market globally to prioritise restful, sustainable holiday experiences.

The conversation is simultaneously happening at an industry level. At World Travel Market (WTM) Africa this year, one of the most debated sessions, Nature on Demand: The High Cost of Instant Gratification in African Wildlife Tourism, took direct aim at ambiguous conservation and the high-turnover safari model that has long dominated parts of the market.

Kgomotso Ramothea, CEO, African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA®), confirmed the message: “When wildlife tourism optimises purely for guaranteed sightings and fast turnarounds, the ecosystems bearing that weight eventually pay for it. The alternative now is deliberate, more embedded experiences, which is gaining serious ground.”

This shift is playing out across the continent in ways that feel both subtle, yet significant. Below are some examples of where travellers are turning their attention this year, according to Flight Centre’s Travel Experts.

Madikwe, South Africa

Madikwe Game Reserve is malaria-free and sees a fraction of the traffic that the Greater Kruger corridor does. That alone makes it worth considering this season. For guests who want to do more than just observe, Morukuru Family offers a “Safari with a Purpose” add-on.

According to Co-Founder and Co-Owner, Ed Zeeman, visitors aren’t simply briefed on conservation here; they are immersed in the objectives and outcomes. This means understanding how animal tracking data informs protection strategies on the ground and spending hands-on time with researchers and anti-poaching units. 

“This is not a staged conservation theatre experience,” he says. “Collaring happens whether guests are there or not. What the package offers is access. Guests may find themselves at eye level with a darted lion while a veterinary team fits a tracking collar, or in the field during a rhino notching procedure.”

South Africa’s Waterberg region

The malaria-free Marakele National Park sits inside the UNESCO Waterberg Biosphere, just four hours from Johannesburg. It’s consistently underreported in South African travel media, which makes it worth exploring this safari season.

The park occupies a transition zone between the country’s dry west and wetter east, which produces unusual biodiversity: rare yellowwood and cedar trees, and what is considered one of the world’s largest breeding colonies of Cape vultures. Days here are structured around stillness rather than volume, with stargazing and astronomy tours, bush walks led by FGASA-accredited field guides, and river-based exploration via Marataba Game Lodges’ Miss Mara water safari.

“People don’t just want proximity to wildlife,” says Robert More, Custodian and CEO, MORE Collection. “They want to understand the systems that sustain it. Safaris here centre less on ticking off species, and more on understanding wildlife behaviour, terrain, and seasonal rhythms.”

Tanzania’s Olduvai Gorge

Delving into the mysteries of Olduvai Gorge reinforces that a safari in Africa doesn’t have to revolve around animal sightings alone. Set within the Great Rift Valley, this significant paleoanthropological site was made famous by the discovery of fossils and tools from early hominids. It offers a different kind of safari immersion, one that tells deeply human stories about the past, while prompting questions about our place in the world today.

“Many travellers don’t know about it; others are slowly catching on. It makes for an intriguing and scenic slowed-down stopover between the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti. If you’re lucky, you might even get to watch archaeologists working on an active dig,” comments Turner.

Olduvai Gorge reflects exactly what travellers are now looking for in safari add-ons, and aligns with findings from Go2Africa’s latest State of Safari report, which highlights a rising demand for low-density, high-immersion experiences.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya

In Kenya’s conservancies, traveller access is increasingly tied to community-owned land models, where tourism revenue directly supports local livelihoods. These aren’t new ideas, but they’re becoming more visible, and South African safari-goers are taking an interest in the realities of land management, community partnerships, and conservation-led storytelling.

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a good example of this. It began as a working cattle ranch and is now home to the last surviving northern white rhinos and the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa. This destination departs from the traditional safari template with unique offerings such as specialised birding walks, lion tracking, and an interactive experience with bloodhounds trained to sniff out wildlife threats. There’s also the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, established in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute, where guests can learn about the rescued chimps in residence.

“What connects Ol Pejeta and the above-mentioned destinations and activities is a shift in what travellers consider worth paying for,” Turner says. “The modern safari is becoming less transactional and more relational, rewarding patience. It asks more of the traveller: attention, time, curiosity, and in return, it offers something deeper than spectacle.”

The dry season is soon arriving, and South Africans are already booking. But unlike previous years, those decisions are being shaped by a clearer set of priorities.

“This isn’t a shift just in where safaris happen, but in how they’re experienced, and as this season unfolds, that distinction is becoming the defining feature of Africa’s modern safari,” Turner concludes.

Table of Contents

Third annual Media Awards celebrate excellence in African travel journalism across five categories.

Cape Town: Africa Travel Week (ATW) has announced the winners of its 2026 Media Awards, honouring the journalists, photographers and content creators bringing Africa’s travel and tourism stories to global audiences.

Now in its third year, the ATW Media Awards received a record number of entries – over 170 across five categories: Sustainability Feature Award, Visual Tourism Award, Tourism News Award, Destination Feature Award and the Young Talent Award. All were evaluated by a world-class judging panel comprising wildlife photographer and Canon ambassador Ellie Rothnie, Kojo Bentum-Williams of VoyagesAfriq, Barry Nield of CNN Travel, Divia Thani of Condé Nast Traveller and Tom Hall of Lonely Planet.

“These awards exist to shine a light on the storytellers who shape how the world sees Africa,”says Olivia Gradidge, Marketing Manager (WTM Africa & ILTM Africa) at RX Africa, the host and architect of Africa Travel Week. “The quality of entries this year reflects the depth of talent working in African travel media, and we congratulate every finalist and winner.”

2026 ATW Media Awards Winners

Sustainability Feature Award

Gold: Bella Falk, BBC Wildlife Magazine – Dog Stars: On the Trail of African Wild DogsSilver: Savanna Strauss, Rewilding Southern Africa – Rewilding Giants

Bronze: Tafadzwa Mwanengureni, Minority Africa – They Escaped Their Husbands. Then They Took on Poachers.

Visual Tourism Award

Gold: Wiktoria West, Rewilding Southern Africa – Eastern Chimpanzee

Silver: Bella Falk, Passports & Pixels – Ugandan Group of Dancers

Bronze: Aaron Fishbein – The Basotho Herdsman

Tourism News Award

Gold: Jane Gatwiri, NTV Kenya – Twigas on Transit

Silver: Morgan Barnard, Social Safari Africa – Marriott International was preparing to open its new Ritz-Carlton Safari Camp in Kenya’s Maasai Mara

Bronze: Dale Hes, Tourism Update – AI’s Gatekeeper Role: A Threat to African Tourism

Destination Feature Award

Gold: Sam Kemp, National Geographic Traveller UK – Sierra Leone: After the Storm

Joint Silver: Charlotte Wigram-Evans, National Geographic Traveller – Uganda:We are One

Joint Silver: Lorna Parkes, National Geographic Traveller UK – Kenya: Natural OrderBronze: Victor Ayeni, Punch Newspapers – Nigeria: Sango’s Festival Where Ancient Rites Ignite Fire, Thunder

Young Talent Award

Gold: Shereefdeen Ahmad, The Liberalist – How Schengen Visa Denials Are Shutting Africans Out of the Global Stage

Silver: Savanna Strauss, Rewilding Southern Africa – Is Silence Going Extinct?

Bronze: William Muthama, K24 Digital – List of KWS Parks and Reserves You Can Visit for Free on Saturday

“In a media environment flooded with AI-generated content and deepfakes, what we saw in these entries was a reminder of why real journalism still matters,” says Dorine Reinstein from Big Ambitions, ATW’s PR partner. “”The 2026 winners represent the very best of that community: writers, photographers and journalists producing pieces that were grounded, well-researched and honestly told.”

The 2026 ATW Media Awards were presented at the end of Day 1 of WTM Africa during Africa Travel Week.

For media enquiries, contact Sonnette Fourie on +27 81 072 2869 or sonnette@bigambitions.co.za

-ENDS-

Issued by: Big Ambitions 

Contact: Sonnette Fourie

Tel: +27 81 072 2869 

Email: sonnette@bigambitions.co.za 

Notes to editors:

About CBISN
CBISN is a leader in market intelligence and capacity-building services for those engaging with the Chinese outbound tourism market. Their partnership with WTM Africa aims to provide African stakeholders with actionable insights and tools to welcome and serve Chinese visitors more effectively.

Now in its 33nd year, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. Held annually at the Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2024 spanned 12 halls, making it the largest edition to date. The event attracted over 47,000 attendees and more than 35,000 visitors (including 6,000+ high-value buyers) and over 2,550 exhibitors and representatives from over 161 countries. In 2025, ATM will expand to 13 halls, growing across all sectors, and will continue to be a crucial gathering for the global travel and tourism industry. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai

ATM takes place from 4 – 7 May 2026, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai.
https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html

Arabian Travel Week is a week-long festival of events alongside Arabian Travel Market 2025. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes Start-Up Competition, Influencers’ Event, GBTA Business Travel Forums, and ATM Travel Tech. The event also features ATM Buyer Networking and a series of country forums.

https://www.wtm.com/arabian-travel-week/en-gb.html

About RX

RX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 42 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit www.rxglobal.com.

About RELX

RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 36,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. *Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors

World Travel Market (WTM) Portfolio comprises leading travel events and online portals across four continents. The events are Arabian Travel Market, WTM London, WTM Latin America and WTM Africa.

WTM London is the world’s most influential travel & tourism event for the global travel community. The show is the ultimate destination for those seeking a macro view of the travel industry and a deeper understanding of the forces shaping it. WTM London is where influential travel leaders, buyers and high-profile travel companies gather to exchange ideas, drive innovation, and accelerate business outcomes.

Next event: 3 to 5 November 2026 at ExCel London

http://london.wtm.com/

WTM Latin America is held annually in São Paulo and attracts more than 29,000 tourism professionals during the three-day event. The event offers a qualified content combined with networking and business opportunities. In its most recent edition, in 2024, WTM Latin America maintained its focus on the effective generation of business and managed to secure the early scheduling of more than six thousand meetings that were held between buyers, travel agents, and exhibitors.  WTM Latin America contents are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Next event: 14 to 16 April 2026, Expo Center Norte, São Paulo, Brasil
latinamerica.wtm.com

WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2024, WTM Africa facilitated more than 10 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 8% compared to 2023 and welcomed more than 10 thousand visitors (unaudited), 25% more than 2023.

Next event: 13 to 15 April 2026 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town http://africa.wtm.com/

About ATW Connect:  Africa Travel Week’s digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology. https://atwconnect.com/

WTM Global Hub, is the WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub. https://hub.wtm.com/