September is National Tourism Month in South Africa. It’s more than simply trying to get bums into hotel beds; it’s about having fun and exploring, while focussing on what makes our country a worthwhile destination to do that in. South Africa is incredibly blessed when it comes to natural attractions. We have everything from sky craping bergs and forests, to vast deserts and moody oceans; but all of this needs to be sustained if we want future generations to experience them too.

The theme for this year’s Tourism Month is “Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future”. Water is a popular draw card for tourists to South Africa and there is plenty of fun to be had. Inland dams offer a multitude of fishing and water-based activities, waterholes attract wildlife for easy game viewing, wetlands draw nature lovers and birding enthusiasts from far and wide, rivers offer exciting adventures, beaches are a mecca for sun-seekers and water sport enthusiasts; and the oceans reveal a universe of underwater splendour for divers. Whatever it is you can imagine doing in, on, or at a source of water, South Africa probably has it!

South Africa’s diverse coastline stretches more than 2,500 km from the desert-dune border with Namibia on the west, around the rugged southern tip of Africa, to the palm-lined border with Mozambique on the east. No other country has both the icy Atlantic and warm Indian Oceans on their doorstep, let alone the magical underwater world that only exists where these two oceans meet. South Africa has 30 beaches that have been awarded Blue Flag status – an international award for the most pristine and safe beaches – and over 20 of these are found in the Western Cape alone.

More than one million people visited the Western Cape in 2012; a large majority of which were domestic travellers who visited purely for the beaches and natural attractions. And it’s not only the Western Cape that has a lot to offer. A tour along South Africa’s coastline is an exciting adventure of shipwrecks, kelp forests, hiking trails, whale-watching, boat cruises, dingy fishing harbours (where else can you get the freshest fish and chips?), secluded coves, Khoisan middens, penguin colonies, colourful scuba-diving, and brilliant barrelling waves that rank as some of the best surfing spots in the world. Not to forget incredible natural phenomena like the sardine run and red tide, or unique landmarks like the Hole in the Wall, Knysna Heads, and extensive iSimangaliso Wetlands Park. The list just goes on…

Now can you imagine what would happen if we didn’t look after our environment? We wouldn’t have much natural beauty to flaunt and we certainly wouldn’t have much fun visiting these places either. Taking care of our environment shouldn’t be a schlep. It shouldn’t even be a discussion. And in the end, it’s not really about attracting millions of foreigners; it’s about being proud of our land and preserving our natural heritage for the generations that follow us.

Ultimately, tourism and conservation go hand in hand, and we are all responsible for both. Let’s keep the fun in travel by exploring our country and looking after our natural treasures.

What’s your favourite water-based activity or attraction?

Feature image by The Wandering Angel