Why do the South African authorities, particularly those involved in tourism, do so little to make the foreign international rail traveller comfortable in our country?
There has been a considerable amount of dialogue, including meetings and quite a lot of pressure from the heritage rail players in South Africa to try to get Spoornet in particular, government in general, and the Heritage Rail Association to actually send out a signal that they want to see tourists visit our country in order to travel around, and in particular in the case of rail and steam enthusiasts actually get involved in enjoying some of the best experiences that can be found anywhere in the world. Sadly there has been hardly a glimmer of interest in these issues by people who should normally embrace them with career enhancing enthusiasm. The bar has been lifted considerably with the publication of the attached article in one of Britain’s most prestigious railway magazines. With a global audience at its fingertips this article will have a significant impact, and unless emergency steps are taken will or perhaps already signals the end of rail and steam tourism in South Africa.
For people with specialised interests that is rather like the end of tourism in the Antarctic because their house has melted. Sad but potentially true.
