Travel

A family holiday is judged by its own rules. A beautiful view helps, but so does a decent breakfast; a lovely room is good, but space for the kids is better. New review data suggests South Africa passes more of those tests than it fails, with a few stubborn exceptions.

Tourism, as the Minister of Tourism put it, remains a human business. South African Tourism is acting on that by inviting travel trade partners, product owners and SMMEs to join two platforms in North and Central Europe in January 2027, one aimed at consumers and one at the trade. Applications close on Thursday, 1 October 2026 at 17:00 SAST.

A new Thailand Pass offers up to 40% off, with no minimum spend. For the traveller who likes a holiday to begin at the airport and keep giving, Emirates Holidays has unveiled the Thailand Pass, a bundle of shopping, dining and leisure privileges for guests booking the destination.

Gauteng has launched a digital platform that treats a visit as the start of something bigger. The Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA), on behalf of destination GAUTENG, has unveiled the Visit Gauteng Mobile App, a Digital Marketplace and the I Love Gauteng Online Shop.

There's a reason Joburg feels different this time of year and it's not just the jacarandas. Gauteng Tourism (officially Visit Gauteng, but let's be real, nobody calls it that at the club) has kicked off spring with something bigger than a seasonal marketing push. Think less "here's our September campaign" and more "we've built a whole operating system for how the province sells itself to the world."

Virtual and augmented reality are transforming digital experiences. Explore how VR and AR innovations are shaping gaming, education, healthcare, and entertainment for immersive engagement.