are we loving places to death?

For many of us, travel is a passion, a defining activity. We can’t get enough of it. But are there too many of us? And are we damaging the places we love? While this month’s new-look Getaway focuses on the future of travel, we also need to be mindful of the consequences of overtourism. The UN’s World Tourism Organisation records that there were 1,4 billion international tourist arrivals around the world last year, a figure that is expected to grow by 6% annually. This escalation is due to a host of factors. The rapid growth of an affluent middle class (particularly in China), bucket-shop airlines, the booming cruise-liner industry and the popularity of ‘Instaworthy’ sites has resulted in certain destinations being overrun. In addition, Airbnb and similar online-accommodation portals have meant increased…

getaway

Editor Justin Fox EDITORIAL TEAM Deputy Editor Catherine Hofmeyr Associate Editor Caroline Webb Managing Editor Michelle Hardie Photojournalist Matthew Sterne Intern Gabrielle Jacobs CREATIVE TEAM Art Director Louise Topping Senior Designer Achmat Booley DIGITAL TEAM Digital Content Manager Elise Kirsten Group Web Development Manager Cicero Joseph Webmaster Lizelle Leonard CONTRIBUTORS Darrel Bristow-Bovey, Robyn Daly, Chris Davies, Pippa de Bruyn, Andreas Eiselen, Don Pinnock, Janine Stephen, Chiara Turilli, Jotham van Tonder, Marion Whitehead BUSINESS, SALES AND EVENTS TEAM Sales Director Ryan Nicole Account Managers Elzanne Botes, Jean de Ridder Getaway Gear Joanne Thompson, Patrick Kennedy, Lindi van den Heever Getaway Guide Elzanne Botes Commercial Director (Events) Stephan Herman Group Events Coordinator Nasreen Salie Exhibition Sales Consultant Atikah Hendricks Getaway Travel Tracy Bennett MARKETING, CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTIONS Marketing Consultant Fezeka Galadla Subscriptions Operations Karin Mulder Marketing & Circulation Coordinator Felicia Gertze Administrator Fozia Petersen Interns Austin Fortuin, Ra’eesah Davis DIRECTORS Chief Executive Officer Kevin Ferguson Managing Director Tony Walker Financial Director Lindsey Makrygiannis Production Director Bilqees Allie HR Director…

contributors

LOUISE TOPPING & ACHMAT BOOLEY Getaway Studio Louise and Achmat have spent the last few months immersed in the adventure of redesigning the magazine – reams of paper plastered over the walls and late nights galore. Emerging just before print deadline, they found themselves (if prematurely) looking forward to 2020 and to a more out-of-office experience. CHRIS DAVIES Chris discovered Botswana relatively late in life, on an idyllic Moremi road trip with an old school friend. In the last seven years, he’s returned as often as he can, including six weeks of touring almost every campsite in the Kalahari and writing a 4x4 guide for Getaway. Until February 2019, however, he’d never visited in summer – and now considers the glorious green season Botswana’s most beautiful time of year. DON PINNOCK Don is an investigative…

social media

WE ASKED: What is your must-have travel tech? Can’t leave without a camera! Kirsti Chambers Headlamp. Riaan Boshoff A 12V cellphone charger, 12V mattress pump, the Otocyon reporting tool and Latest Sightings app. Simon Botes Design and colouring apps for long waits. And definitely a powerbank. Saara Mowlana I keep a survival-guide app with first-aid tips on my phone. It has an ‘offline’ mode. Also headphones for my music, podcasts and audiobooks. Sa’eed Masoet As long as I have my toothbrush I’m sorted! Dwayne Gonsalves…

post

SURFIN’ RSA I’ve come into a bit of dosh recently, what with my mom having passed on. So me and Shaz decided to do a bit of a road-trip ‘surfari’ up the coast. Board, wetsuit, rod and beach toys in the back, despite Shaz’s whingeing. And I thought, ’cos my high-school English teacher Mister ‘Dork’ Collins used to tune me I had a ‘way with words’ (mostly the wrong way, he said, but never mind) that I’d write to the Getaway mag and give you okes updates, regularly-ish. So this is numero uno. I said cheers to my surf chinas, packed the Kombi, and we headed out of Kommetjie, round False Bay. The sea was flat as a pancake so no chance of a goef at Kalk Bay reef or Muizies. Nor…

winning letter

SCOOTING SAFARI In July 1959, my friend Bernie ‘Jinja’ Jarmaine and I decided to ride to then-Rhodesia on two Vespa 150cc Grand Sport scooters (pictured right). For the trip, I sprayed mine turquoise and Bernie made his lilac – the colours stood out wherever we went. We left Cape Town on a Saturday at 1pm, reaching Beaufort West by evening and sleeping in a culvert outside the town – what a cold night that was. Three days later we crossed the border at Beitbridge and stayed over at Peters Motel. Four-and-a-half days later we were in Salisbury (now Harare), at my aunt’s house, and being entertained by members of the local Vespa Club. Bernie and I ventured on to Kariba to witness the last coffer dam being blown up, and spent a lovely…