Mindful consumption and slow travel are some of the trends changing the consumer psyche of today’s traveller, says Grant Thornton Deputy CEO and leader for Travel, Tourism and Leisure, Gillian Saunders.

Speaking at the SANParks Investment Summit earlier this month, Saunders said the days of “sun, sea and sand” were gone. The trend is away from mass tourism and characterised by “anti-consumerism” and a declining trust in brands. Instead, travellers’ new psyche is characterised by self-expression. “People that travel are looking for different experiences.”

Saunders added that today’s travellers were more mindful of their carbon footprint and were looking for ways to offset this footprint and also for ways to give back. Millennials, in particular, were looking for experiences where they could give back to destinations.

Saunders was optimistic about the future of tourism to Africa. She said that international arrivals were projected to reach 1,8 billion by 2030, while arrivals to emerging economies were expected to see the greatest growth. The steepest growth is expected to be in leisure tourism. Saunders also pointed out that the number of high-nett-worth individuals was growing, particularly in Asia.

She said cheaper transport was a key aspect to driving tourism growth, adding that this was particularly challenging in Africa and South Africa. She suggested that Africa’s tourism growth could be better, describing tourism in South Africa as “bumbling along”.

According to Saunders, growth in South Africa’s tourism sector could be propelled by a more “joined up” government. Key areas that need addressing include the perception of safety and security in the country, ease of access – including more easily accessible visas, addressing challenges around child travel requirements and better air access – more cohesive destination marketing, improved ground transport networks, a reduction of red tape and addressing skills shortages.