The Rise of the Weekend Getaway
ALLES magazine feature article
Why South Africans Are Travelling Closer to Home
There was a time when the word “holiday” seemed to imply a major event. A week or two away. Months of saving. A carefully planned itinerary. Long hours on the road—or a flight to somewhere far away. But there is another way to travel. For many South Africans, a short getaway can provide something just as valuable: a break from ordinary life. You do not necessarily need to travel hundreds of kilometres or spend a fortune to experience a change of scenery. Sometimes, getting away for a couple of nights is enough to interrupt the usual routine and give you the opportunity to slow down, reconnect and experience somewhere different.
That idea is particularly relevant during Tourism Month. The Department of Tourism’s 2026 Tourism Month campaign is encouraging South Africans to discover their own country, including through day trips, weekend getaways and journeys to destinations they may normally drive past without exploring. The department’s message for the month is centred on growing South Africa’s tourism sector while making domestic travel more accessible and encouraging people to take a
“Sho’t Left” and explore what is closer to home.
The Appeal of Two Nights Away
A Friday afternoon departure and Sunday return may not sound like much, but two nights in a different environment can change the rhythm of an entire weekend. Instead of waking up at home and immediately thinking about laundry, household jobs, errands and everything waiting for you on Monday, you might wake up beside a dam, on a farm, in the bushveld, near the coast or in a small town you have never properly explored.
There is also something different about knowing that the getaway is short. A weekend away does not require weeks of leave from work or an elaborate itinerary. You can pack what you need, get into the car and head somewhere within a few hours of home. For families, this can make a short trip easier to organise around school schedules and other responsibilities, while couples or friends may find that even a single night away provides a welcome change of pace.
The destination does not necessarily need to be famous or far away. In fact, part of the appeal can be discovering places that are surprisingly close to home. A quiet guesthouse, a campsite, a farm stay, a nature reserve or a small-town restaurant can feel like a completely different world when you have stepped away from your usual surroundings.
Perhaps that is what makes the weekend getaway so appealing. You are not necessarily travelling to see how much you can fit into a holiday. You are travelling to step out of your normal routine for a little while. Sometimes, two nights are enough to sleep somewhere different, eat somewhere new, spend uninterrupted time with the people you love and return home feeling as though you actually had a break.
South Africa Has Plenty to Discover
Domestic travel is sometimes treated as the less exciting alternative to international travel, particularly when holidays are often associated with boarding a plane and visiting somewhere completely unfamiliar. But South Africa’s geography makes it possible to experience remarkably different landscapes without ever leaving the country.
Within the country’s borders are mountain ranges, coastlines, bushveld, wetlands, forests, farms, small towns, wildlife destinations and heritage sites, each offering a different kind of experience. A family living inland can spend a weekend beside the ocean, while someone living near the coast can head towards the mountains or bushveld. Even within the same province, there can be destinations that feel completely removed from everyday life.
The Department of Tourism’s Tourism Month programme specifically highlights the range of destinations available across South Africa, from coastal regions to small towns, villages and lesser-known destinations. In 2026, the department has also placed particular emphasis on encouraging South Africans to discover places they may have overlooked and to share those experiences with others.
The challenge is sometimes simply making the decision to explore them. We can spend years driving past a sign for a nature reserve, farm stall, heritage site or small town without ever stopping to find out what is there. A weekend getaway provides an opportunity to finally take that turn.
Experience Over Luxury
A weekend away does not have to involve an expensive hotel, a five-star restaurant or a carefully planned schedule. In many cases, the most memorable parts of a trip can be surprisingly simple.
For one family, the highlight might be fishing together at a quiet dam. For another, it might be spending an evening around a campfire while the children run around outside. Someone else may prefer a peaceful guesthouse, a long breakfast and an afternoon spent walking through a small town. A couple might choose a hiking trail, while a group of friends might spend the weekend cooking together and simply enjoying being somewhere different.
This is where the idea of experience becomes more important than luxury. The accommodation is part of the trip, but it does not necessarily have to be the main attraction. What matters is having an opportunity to do something different from what you normally do at home.
A simple weekend can therefore become memorable because of the people you spend it with, the places you discover and the experiences you share. Sometimes, the best part of a getaway is not what you bought, but what you did.
Every Rand Has a Story
Domestic tourism also has an economic effect beyond the traveller. When people book accommodation, eat at local restaurants, visit attractions and purchase products from small businesses, their spending supports the people and businesses that provide those services.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has emphasised that domestic tourism is an important part of South Africa’s tourism economy and has encouraged South Africans to spend their tourism money within the country. At the launch of Tourism Month 2026, she highlighted the way tourism connects communities, entrepreneurs and businesses, while pointing to the importance of making domestic travel more affordable and accessible.
This means that a weekend away can have a wider impact than simply giving one family a break. Choosing a locally owned guesthouse, buying something from a small business, eating at a local restaurant or paying for an activity can help keep money moving through the destination you visit.
The traveler gets a change of scenery, while the businesses and communities providing those experiences get an opportunity to benefit from that visit. In this way, exploring closer to home can become part of supporting the country’s broader tourism industry.
Perhaps We Need More Small Holidays
A single major holiday can be wonderful, especially when it has been planned and saved for over a long period. But there is also something appealing about creating several smaller opportunities to escape throughout the year. Instead of waiting months or even years for one big trip, a family might find ways to build shorter breaks into the ordinary calendar.
A long weekend in spring could mean a trip to the countryside, while a summer camping weekend could provide an opportunity to spend time outdoors. A winter weekend in the mountains could offer a completely different experience, and a spontaneous day trip could turn an ordinary Saturday into something memorable when the budget allows.
These smaller trips may also make travel feel more achievable. Not everyone can afford an international holiday or take two weeks away from work, but exploring a destination a few hours from home can still create that sense of escape. It encourages people to look at their own province, their neighbouring provinces and the places they pass every day with fresh eyes.
Perhaps that is the real appeal of travelling closer to home. A holiday does not necessarily have to be measured by how far you travelled, how much you spent or how many attractions you managed to see. Sometimes it can be measured by something much simpler: whether you came home feeling rested, connected and ready to return to everyday life.
South Africa already has an enormous variety of places to discover. Perhaps all that is needed is the willingness to take the turnoff, explore somewhere new and see what is waiting a little closer to home.
