You’ve just checked plane ticket prices. Perhaps you’ve printed copies of your passport. And depending on your personality, you’ve either compiled a comprehensive packing list or ignored the thought of packing, only for it to be brought up the night before in a rigorous 2am rush. Whatever kind of traveler you may be, the excitement of going somewhere new is building.

And in a people across the ocean, in a country marked by its contrasts, the excitement of welcoming is building. A history of racial injustice and pain is fit together with a modern society in the fabric of South Africa. Joyfully wearing their culture and the still visible wounds of Apartheid, the South African people are eager to welcome you to their home.

This is the feeling the students of West Chester University’s Honors College are met with upon arrival for their international service learning trips (as detailed in Journey to South Africa, or J2SA). Partnering with Embrace South Africa tours, the tourism that follows is one of education and personal growth. Notable stops such as the District Six Museum, local wineries, safari excursions, or the majestic Table Mountain give a broad scope of South Africa’s history and beauty. These are also some of the more popular tourist spots which the post-Apartheid government has used as a means to build up a more favorable image of the country.

South Africa has come to rely on tourism in many ways. Bringing people into the country to admire the natural beauty and rich history is one of the greatest opportunities for economic growth, cultural preservation, and personal reflection. The money brought in by tourist efforts has helped to stabilize the economy and provides jobs for people like Deon Kitching, owner and operator of Embrace South Africa tours. The stories that are shared at each stop ensure the preservation of South African history as those who pass through return home and tell others what they learned and experienced. And as we share the country’s rich culture and history, we are forced to look inward and see how our own lives have been changed.

The tourism industry in South Africa is one of the greatest catalysts for increasing admiration for a people or place perhaps quite different from ourselves and what we have known. J2SA and Embrace South Africa tours have striven to deepen this effort to something more meaningful. They create tours that inspire action. The uniqueness of South Africa from other tourist destinations is found in its apparent disparity. Between poverty and wealth, joy and sorrow, peace and violence - juxtaposition can be seen at every turn. Many times, tourism only involves stops at well-known monuments in well-lit cities. Cameras in hand, we are eager to see beauty and perhaps capture it to share with our friends and family back home. Deon Kitching and assistant Anwill Valentine include these experiences in their tours. However, a more complete picture of the country is formed as they also stop in more rural areas, including service opportunities in some of South Africa's most impoverished towns. Incongruity stems in our minds and if we don’t ignore it, we will leave with a better understanding of the country and its people, and a desire to have a part in its story.

The goal of these trips is not to be good tourists, but as stated in Chapter 3 of the J2SA book, to be travelers, that is, globally minded citizens:

Tourists keep the culture at arm’s length. Travelers, on the other hand, reflect on their own ethnocentric assumptions, make themselves familiar with the cultural and historical context, connect with local people, and, perhaps most importantly, get out of their comfort zones.

Coming close not only to the beauty and advancements, but also to the pain and personal hardship of its people is what it takes to truly know a place. This is certainly the case for South Africa and can be largely attributed to tour companies like Embrace South Africa who bring both sides to light. So for that trip that you’re planning, with the ticket you just bought - it means so much more than to just visit a place’s famous locations. It is an opportunity to be welcomed to a place in all its facets, and to let each one impact you.