Township Tours are in demand when it comes to the tourism industry in South Africa – but obviously there are also voices against the township tourism equalling it with a zoo visit and feeling ashamed of the unhinged curiosity some tourists display while being on such a visit.
HOPE Cape Town has always understood that visitors are part of the mission statement. We are not only walking with people in South Africa, but we are also trying to bridge the gap in allowing tourists and visitors to walk with us for some hours. In doing so, we believe we can add value to the experience on both sides – allowing an encounter which enriches all participating.
We don’t have a kiddie’s choir, nor there are flowers to hand over. There are stories to tell, people to meet and to witness a world, often so far apart from the place visitors are coming from. There are days with lots of activities and days when the path is slow and unexciting. Whatever it is – that’s the reality we have to offer.
In a world, which especially in Europe thrives on fortifying borders and seeing migrants as a threat, it is essential to create understanding for realities and the real picture often lost in transition in the news. We have therefore to create spaces of social impact, social encounters and social understanding. We have to create spaces for humanity, but also allowing to witness developments in environmental questions which will shape the future of the world. A melting pot of experiences of different kinds – a bridging facility – a point of reference reminding us of the most important things in life.
HOPE Cape Town wants to shape this aspect of work in the near future – watch the space to learn more about ‘bringing worlds together’.
Filed under: Africa, HOPE Cape Town Trust, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment, South Africa, The Nex - Indawo Yethu, Africa, cape town, experience, HOPE Cape Town, HOPE Cape Town Trust, learning, south africa, table mountain, tourism, travel, visitor
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