Something’s gone seriously wrong in this country, and I wish I knew what it was.

But whatever it is, we South Africans have our backs are up against the wall - and each one of us needs to do something. Fast.

The wave of xenophobic violence that’s hit us over the past few days is shocking and saddening and I condemn it - although, considering the conditions that many people still face in their daily lives, I think I can understand it.

Yesterday at a public forum I heard an impassioned plea from a black man who lives in the Garden Route (a rural area, in case you didn’t know) and who’s taken on the job of trying to help other previously disadvantaged people break into the tourism industry. They face almost impossible odds: everything seems, he said, to be reserved for the select few - in a select few regions of the country.

“If you think white people are sick of hearing about black economic empowerment, you should know how sick of hearing about it black people are,” he said - especially when all they hear is talk. And there’s no action.

And then on the 7th of May, I wrote in This Tourism Week about the xenophobia of homophobia and I railed against a certain pastor in Knysna who’s been leading a campaign to destroy the town’s annual Pink Loerie Carnival.

You’ll recall that I asked the question: “Can tourism cure - or does it cause - xenophobia?”

I don’t think I answered myself in that article, but I’ve given my question a lot of thought since then - and my conclusion is that tourism needs to actively work to fight xenophobia. We have the ability to do it, too - because tourism is all about moving people around and introducing ourselves to each other.

So here’s my three-point strategy (and I don’t mind if you - or the government - want to adopt it. No royalties required):

1.    Write to everybody I know (it won’t cost me much and I’ve got the internet - the most powerful communications tool ever created);
2.    Think about how I can help my neighbours access the tourism industry and its markets (after all, I’ve got the experience);
3.    And try my damndest to implement my thoughts.

And here’s what I’ll write:

“The xenophobic violence that’s hit our country in the last few days has saddened me, and although it may be understandable in a way (if you really think about it), it’s not acceptable to me - and nor is it acceptable to the overwhelming majority of my fellow South Africans.

“South Africa is the country that created some of the world’s greatest conciliators, social activists and heroes. Conciliators like ex-president and political prisoner Nelson Mandela and Archbishop and ‘Rabble Rouser for Peace,’ Desmond Tutu. AIDS activists like Zackie Achmat and Edwin Cameron. Heroes like AIDS victim Nkosi Johnson and many, many more. And the many millions of small, unsung people - conciliators, social activists and heroes all - who have dedicated their lives to improving ours.

“And did any of them ever stop to ask whether they should work for the common good ONLY because we’re South Africans?

“No. Their question has always been: “are you human - like me?”

“If you’re thinking of visiting us, know that the overwhelming majority of South Africans - millions and millions and millions of us - want to welcome you. Because you are, like us, humans all.

“South Africa has overcome bigger obstacles in the past; and as long as we remember the examples of the people who brought us democracy without putting us through a bloody civil war, we’ll overcome this one too.

“In the name of your humanity and mine, I condemn xenophobia, racism and all forms of intolerance.”

Now if you wouldn’t mind copy-and-pasting this message into your own e-mails - and sending it on to all your contacts - we can collectively start pushing back against the people who, by setting out to make victims of the outsider, succeed only in harming us all.

(And by the way - on the question of helping small and micro enterprises to access the market - I was going to write today about www.whl.travel. It’s a site that offers SMMEs and large corporations equal entry to travel markets through e-commerce - and as far as anybody can tell, it’s the first to actively engage micro enterprises [like for instance, home-stays in Khayelitsha] in this way. But the urgency of events forced me to change my mind - so we’ll talk about www.whl.travel another day).

Spread The News - And Have A GREAT Tourism Week!