According to Antoinette Turner, GM of Flight Centre South Africa, there’s a romantic destination to suit every type of traveller in 2026: “Planning a getaway doesn’t have to mean splurging on five-star hotels or first-class flights. It’s about finding the destination that speaks to you as a couple.”

And where better to seek inspiration than the travel specialists? Read on for Flight Centre’s pick of romance-inducing destinations.

Star-crossed lovers

Couples seeking a 2026 adventure away from the crowds can turn their attention to each other (and the stars) with South Africa’s growing list of dark-sky tourism offerings.

“This type of travel focuses on immersive nighttime experiences, and it’s deeply romantic,” says Turner. “Private reserves and lodges across South Africa offer evening game drives, celestial storytelling tours, stargazing, and open-air sleep-outs under the Milky Way.”

Leading the way is Africa’s first International Dark Sky Sanctuary, the !Ae!Hai Kalahari Heritage Park in the Northern Cape, along with Limpopo’s Lapalala Wilderness Nature Reserve (Southern Africa’s first certified Dark Sky Park). However, Kruger and Pilanesberg National Parks also offer easy-access stargazing. Further afield, Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Salt Pans and a Chobe River cruise are also worth considering.

Best for: Adventurous couples ready to set their out-of-office and experience the cosmos together.

Atmospheric sunsets & ancient sites

With Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey hitting cinemas this year, couples can bring the legendary tale of love and epic battles to life by visiting its real-world setting: the ancient city of Troy, located in present-day Turkey.

This destination offers immersive experiences that won’t break the bank, and South Africans can obtain a free e-visa online. Turner notes that just one direct flight from Johannesburg or Cape Town can have couples wandering Istanbul’s bustling souks, exploring ancient ruins (The Aphrodite of Aphrodisias!), or drifting together over Cappadocia in a hot-air balloon.

“If you’re willing to venture slightly further, Greece is a travel match made in heaven, with crimson sunsets, Mediterranean cuisine, and excellent holiday deals on swoon-worthy islands like Mykonos, Santorini, Corfu and Paxos.”

Best for: Adorable duos drawn to history, culture, and each other.

A storybook seaside setting

Tropical getaways remain a perennial favourite for South African couples beyond Valentine’s Day. Topping the list is Zanzibar, offering snorkelling, sunset sailings, and intimate beach lounging with a cocktail or two.

Mauritius, just a four-hour flight from Johannesburg, offers year-round sunshine and hassle-free travel with no visa requirements. The same goes for Phuket in Thailand, where couples can sneak off to an all-inclusive resort and say ‘sawasdee’ to spa time and seaside sprawling.

Closer to home, Mozambique beckons with beautiful beaches and warm Indian Ocean waters perfect for a more laid-back escape. “MSC Cruises also provides three- to four-night all-inclusive sailings to Portuguese Island, allowing couples to savour the romance of the open sea without the stress of planning every detail,” says Turner.

Best for: Sun-worshippers chasing all-day beach vibes.

Wildly romantic mountainscapes

Not quite the moors of Wuthering Heights, but couples can still channel a little of Heathcliff and Catherine’s wild, windswept passion in the Drakensberg.

“For nature-loving romantics, the Berg delivers in spades,” adds Turner. “Towering peaks, winding mountain roads, isiZulu villages, horse rides, padstals, and cosy coffee stops set the scene for slow travel and shared discovery.”

Over in the Western Cape, couples can indulge in an epicurean fantasy, a tiny piece of France right on our doorstep – Franschhoek. Stellenbosch proves equally enticing, with leisurely picnics at Spier Estate and Jordan Wine Estate, where couples can sip fine tipple against those swoon-worthy mountain backdrops.

Best for: Couples craving dramatic landscapes and a touch of whimsy.

To sum it up, if you want to participate in the Valentine’s Day celebrations this month and really want to give him or her something meaningful, you can’t go wrong with the gift of travel.

Even better? Flight Centre’s legendary Travel Expo is back from 19-22 February 2026 at Sandton City.  “If any of these destinations have captured your imagination, come and chat to our travel experts at Flight Centre’s pop-up Travel Expo,” says Turner. “We’re here to help turn your romantic notions into reality – and make 2026 the year you finally escape together.”

Table of Contents

Johannesburg – A consultant flies to a regional hub for a late-week meeting. Their partner joins for the weekend; they use loyalty points to upgrade the room, book a set‑menu Valentine’s dinner on the Saturday evening, and add a day of local exploring before flying home. This is business travel done right.

It’s an open secret that multi-day business travel is less “exciting time away in a new city” and more “lonely and exhausted”. It’s a recipe for decreased productivity and, critically for your business, a negative impact on mental and physical health, says Herman Heunes, GM of Corporate Traveller South Africa.

We all know the drill: waiting at airports, transfers, delays, traffic jams, jetlag, long days in meetings, hotel food eaten alone. It’s a drag. Companies have woken up to this, and many are supporting employees who tack a few leisure days on to their business trip, says Herman. Think: Monday is the new Sunday and Thursday is the new Friday.

Human connection

It’s not just about leisure time, though, but how you spend it. And crucially, with whom. Loneliness is now widely described as an epidemic, with younger men especially affected. There is strong evidence that close, in‑person connection is protective for mental and physical health.

The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing published in the UK’s BMJ Journals, for example, found that people with the highest loneliness have about a 30% higher risk of new cardiovascular disease and a 48% higher risk of related hospital admission than the least lonely.

Additionally, a meta‑analysis of 16 longitudinal studies published by the US’s National Library of Medicine, found that loneliness and social isolation are associated with a 32% higher risk of stroke, which is on par with established risk factors like job stress.

In mental health terms, social support consistently predicts lower depression and anxiety.

Of course, business travel can offer its own social rewards – colleagues bonding over delayed flights, discovering hole-in-the wall restaurants together and navigating foreign cities as a team. But an adventure with a loved one? Priceless.

Love is in the air

In a 2024 Deloitte corporate travel study, 41% of travellers said time away from loved ones was a top drawback of business travel. Simultaneously, research into work‑life balance and satisfaction in romantic relationships suggests that spending quality time with a supportive partner significantly lowers the damage of high work stress.

“This supports the idea that using business trips as opportunities for couple time, such as a Valentine’s long weekend around meetings, can strengthen relationships, provided there is deliberate planning and partner inclusion,” says Heunes.

Bringing a partner along on a work trip is both rational choice and preventive care. It replaces evenings alone with shared experiences, turns anonymous hotel time into couple time, and gives the travelling partner a built‑in source of emotional support and stress‑buffering presence.

Instead of date night, plan a Valentine’s Day bleisure date-cation. Convert a solitary three‑night trip into a shared experience, especially around Valentine’s Day.

How to do it

Be transparent. A “stealth trip” or “hush trip” might be tempting – especially if you work remotely – but it can have huge duty of care ramifications. Instead, openly discuss your plans with your boss, team and travel management company (TMC). Your TMC will be able to use their buying power to secure the best rates and upgrades – and ensure details like travel insurance and visas don’t trip you up. Your employer is unlikely to pay for your partner’s flights and excursions – but loyalty points, special rates and negotiated fares can go a long, long way.

Plan the “relationship time” properly. Your partner does not want to spend all their time on their own. Block out one or two non‑negotiable windows for couple time, such as a Valentine’s dinner plus a morning walk, and keep those off‑limits for calls.

Manage expectations; transparency extends to your partner too – be honest about your workload, when you will be working, and when you will be fully present.

Keep logistics as smooth as possible and choose accommodations and locations that serve both purposes. Corporate Traveller’s analysis of longer average stays and their own client communications show a shift towards central, amenity‑rich hotels that are walkable to both meetings and restaurants or cultural sites, which is ideal for squeezing in a Valentine’s lunch or evening out.

Look for hotels with strong WiFi, quiet workspaces, and late checkout, but also easy access to romantic experiences (views, spa, wine bars, or safe evening strolls), so you don’t waste limited shared time.

If you can’t book chunks of couple time, use micro‑moments. Build small rituals into your day, even on days of back-to-back meetings: early morning coffee together, a sunset walk between sessions, or room‑service dessert after you’ve logged off.

Once you’ve made your plans, protect your time. Don’t over‑schedule sightseeing on top of work and add your leisure days at the end of the trip, so your break is not overshadowed by next‑day presentations.

“For more guidance on structuring bleisure travel that works for both your business and your people, speak to your TMC or travel expert about travel policy considerations, duty of care, travel insurance and the accommodation options, rates and excursions that it make it worthwhile,” says Heunes.

-ENDS-

MEDIA CONTACT

For more information about Corporate Traveller, or to interview Corporate Traveller South Africa GM Herman Heunes, call Sonnette Fourie on 081 072 2869 or email sonnette@bigambitions.co.za.    

About Corporate Traveller

Corporate Traveller is a division of the Flight Centre Travel Group, dedicated to saving businesses across Southern Africa time and money. Corporate Traveller has the benefit of being part of the world’s third-largest travel retailer, leveraging its global negotiating strength. It has access to over 50 of the world’s leading airlines and deals with more than 100 000 hotels around the world to guarantee savings for clients. Corporate Traveller provides clear, consolidated reporting of all its clients’ travel activities, helping them to control travel spend and identify opportunities to save costs.

Issued by:

Big Ambitions

Sonnette Fourie

sonnette@bigambitions.co.za

+27 81 072 2869