Poor PR at Travel Indaba
The travel indaba expo was held in Durban last week.
One of the best things about being in media is the experience. It's also – without question – one of the worst things. You get invited on a 'trip' only to be used as an unpaid PR intern.
Case in point: the travel indaba expo in Durban last week by SA National Parks, a government entity.
On paper, this sounded like an informative jaunt into the travel industry's current state.
What did we get? A press release with legs and a suspicious agenda. The experience kicked off with what should've been casual introductions and insightful chats with experts.
Some were warm while others looked at us like we'd wandered there without permission.
'Please wait for a formal introduction from SANParks comms,' they barked. Protocol, darling. Then came the kicker. We were flown down 'to interview the CEO' But just before the presser, we were informed: 'No interviews. Just bring your smartphones. We need photos of a memorandum being signed.'
ALSO READ: Are more South Africans travelling again since the pandemic? Tips for travel agencies to stay ahead
In case you forgot what press freedom looked like – it certainly wasn't there.
There's a curious irony in how government bodies treat the media: they invite us, then act like we crashed the party.
We had to hunt for the SANParks stand ourselves, no signage, no greeting, just cold shoulders. The staff seemed less interested in hosting and more in herding. Disdain dripped from every interaction.
The press conference, which started late, only drove the point home. The panel? A testosterone-heavy line-up in a country that loves to parade the word 'transformation' like a shiny medal. Where were the women? The fresh voices? Instead of engagement, we got indifference. Instead of collaboration, condescension.
It's a shame, because if government entities truly want their message heard, they must start by treating the messengers like professionals, not intruders.
Oh, and for the record: the Nigerian PR firm that hosted us in Dubai for the Dubai expo? Respectful, transparent, and professional.
Maybe we can swap a rhino for a few manners.
NOW READ: Travel alert: Two less visa-free entries for SA passport holders
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
20 hours ago
- The Citizen
Photos: Snow confirmed in parts of SA
Snow fell across several regions of South Africa this morning as a powerful winter storm moves across the country, confirming forecasts of one of the most widespread snow events in years. Pretoria Rekord reports that snow blanketed high-lying areas of the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Lesotho on this morning, as temperatures plunged and eager snow chasers flooded social media with photos of the winter spectacle. The heaviest snow is still to come — with over 50cm expected in places like Barkly East and Afri Ski by tomorrow. Vox Weather's Michelle du Plessis says the system will intensify as it develops into a cut-off low, dragging freezing levels lower and setting the stage for heavy snow over mountain ranges, including the Drakensberg, Southern Lesotho and parts of KZN, where the deepest accumulations are expected. With social media buzzing among snow hunters eager to see the snow, forecasters warn that travel conditions could become hazardous, especially on mountain passes and rural roads. Authorities urge South Africans to prepare for widespread frost, strong winds and icy conditions today and into next week, and to closely monitor updates as forecasts continue to evolve. Here is where you will find snow: In the Western Cape: Matroosberg Cederberg Swartberg In the Northern Cape: Nuweveld and Roggeveld mountain, including Sutherland Great Karoo High-lying areas in Cape provinces: Around Fraserburg Loxton Murraysburg Richmond Noupoort Colesberg Burgersdorp Aliwal North Molteno and surrounds Lesotho could experience snow depths exceeding 50cm tomorrow, particularly around Afri Ski, and the Eastern Cape may expect between 50cm of snow over the southern Drakensberg and nearby towns, including Barkly East. A mixture of snow/ice, rain and sleet is possible over the southern and eastern Free State: Bethlehem Warden Heilbron Reitz Memel Reddersburg Trompsburg and surrounding towns This includes the north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape, around Postmasburg and Kuruman. Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service has issued a Yellow Level 1 warning for damaging coastal winds from Saldanha Bay to Cape Agulhas, and icy road conditions are expected across several interior districts, especially around Beaufort West. With snowfall already likely over Lesotho and nearby areas today, and heavier falls predicted through next week, South Africans are advised to monitor updates closely and prepare for travel disruptions, icy roads and sudden temperature drops. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
21 hours ago
- The Citizen
Snow confirmed in parts of SA – here are the photos
Snow confirmed in parts of SA – here are the photos Snow has officially fallen across several regions of South Africa this morning as a powerful winter storm moves across the country, confirming forecasts of one of the most widespread snow events in years. Snow blanketed high-lying areas of the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, and Lesotho on Sunday morning, as temperatures plunged and eager snow chasers flooded social media with photos of the winter spectacle. The heaviest snow is still to come — with over 50cm expected in places like Barkly East and Afri Ski by Monday. Vox Weather's Michelle du Plessis said the system will intensify as it develops into a cut-off low, dragging freezing levels lower and setting the stage for heavy snow over mountain ranges, including the Drakensberg, Southern Lesotho, and parts of KwaZulu-Natal, where the deepest accumulations are expected. With social media already buzzing among snow hunters eager to witness the event, forecasters warn that travel conditions could become hazardous, especially on mountain passes and rural roads. Authorities urge South Africans to prepare for widespread frost, strong winds, and icy conditions on Sunday and into next week, and to closely monitor updates as forecasts continue to evolve. Here is where you will find snow: In the Western Cape: Matroosberg, Cederberg, Swartberg In the Northern Cape: Nuweveld and Roggeveld mountain including the town of Sutherland, the Great Karoo The high-lying areas in the Cape provinces: around Fraserburg, Loxton, Murraysburg, Richmond, Noupoort, Colesberg, Burgersdorp, Aliwal North, Molteno and surroundings. Lesotho could experience snow depths exceeding 50cm on Monday, particularly around Afri Ski, and in the Eastern Cape may expect between 50cm of snow over the southern Drakensberg and nearby towns. Including Barkly East. A mixture of snow/ ice rain and sleet is now possible over southern and eastern Free State: Bethlehem, Warden, Heilbron, Reitz, Memel, Reddersburg, Trompsburg and surrounding towns. It includes north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape, around Postmasburg and Kuruman. Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service has issued a Yellow Level 1 warning for damaging coastal winds from Saldanha Bay to Cape Agulhas, and icy road conditions are expected across several interior districts, especially around Beaufort West. With snowfall already likely over Lesotho and nearby areas by Sunday and heavier falls predicted through next week, South Africans are advised to monitor updates closely and prepare for travel disruptions, icy roads, and sudden temperature drops. Also read: Snow expected in Gauteng next week Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Snow hunters… Here's where to see snow this weekend
Snow hunters… Here's where to see snow this weekend Snow hunters across South Africa are on high alert as weather models indicate more than 50cm of snow could blanket parts of the country in the coming days, making this one of the most widespread winter events in years. Pretoria Rekord reports that a powerful cold front will strike the Western Cape today, spreading bitterly cold, wet and windy weather across the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State and beyond — with snow expected in eight of the nine provinces, including parts of Pretoria and the southern Highveld of Gauteng by Monday, depending on model shifts. According to Vox Weather's Michelle du Plessis, the system will intensify as it develops into a cut-off low, dragging freezing levels lower and setting the stage for heavy snow over mountain ranges, including the Drakensberg, Southern Lesotho and parts of KZN, where the deepest accumulations are expected. With social media already buzzing among snow hunters, forecasters warn that travel conditions could become hazardous, especially on mountain passes and rural roads. Authorities urge South Africans to prepare for widespread frost, strong winds and icy conditions into next week, and to closely monitor updates as forecasts continue to evolve. Here is where you will find snow: In the Western Cape: Matroosberg Cederberg Swartberg In the Northern Cape: Nuweveld and Roggeveld mountain Sutherland Great Karoo High-lying areas in the Cape: Around Fraserburg Loxton Murraysburg Richmond Noupoort, Colesberg Burgersdorp Aliwal North Molteno and surrounds Lesotho could experience snow depths exceeding 50cm on Monday, particularly around Afri Ski, and in the Eastern Cape may expect between 50cm of snow over the southern Drakensberg and nearby towns, including Barkly East. A mix of snow/ice, rain and sleet is possible over the southern and eastern Free State: Bethlehem Warden Heilbron Reitz Memel Reddersburg Trompsburg and surrounding towns, including the north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape, around Postmasburg and Kuruman The South African Weather Service has issued a Yellow Level 1 warning for damaging coastal winds from Saldanha Bay to Cape Agulhas, and icy road conditions are expected across several interior districts, especially around Beaufort West. With snowfall already likely over Lesotho and nearby areas by tomorrow, and heavier falls predicted through next week, South Africans are advised to monitor updates closely and prepare for travel disruptions, icy roads and sudden temperature drops. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
