About Dawn Jorgensen

Dawn Bradnick Jorgensen is the incidental Tourist

Dawn Jorgensen

‘Impact travel brings me closer to the things that matter, the people and how they’d like their stories told without compromise to the beautiful places that I find myself in.’

As a traveller with a deep love for the environment; on this award-winning blog, as well as in numerous print and online publications – I share stories and photographs, accommodation reviews and discoveries from my international and local travels, as well as details of conservation campaigns that I support. From gorilla trekking in Uganda, tree planting in Zambia, turtle rescue in Kenya, crampon hiking in Patagonia and setting up a temporary home in Lisbon, my focus remains on sustainable tourism, as well as highlighting ways that we can enjoy this beautiful world without detriment. Beyond this, my writing covers various topics from reporting live on the Cape2Rio yacht race, to lifestyle trend predictions and consulting on best sustainable travel practices.

Additional Professional Work Experience

  1. Consulting in Sustainable Marketing Strategies, Copywriting, Content Creation, Social Media and Tour Packages for numerous tourism companies across Southern and East Africa.
  2. I was appointed official media partner for the Cape2Rio Yacht Race 2020, covering all stories as they unfolded with the 22x crew’s departure from Cape Town, travelling to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to meet the boats and report with interviews and stories that focussed on the brave human factor of this iconic southern Atlantic Crossing.
  3. Cape Town Legends as Producer | Content Creation (2019). Collaborating with a group of creatives to bring you Cape Town Legends, showcasing 20 individuals in video, photos and words, as we learnt what drives them, and in turn, inspires us. My role was as producer, management, curation and website design.
  4. Author for ThailandSA blog and all published content and blog posts. (2016 to date)

Further Representation and Campaign Work

  • Cape Town Chapter Leader for Global Movement Travel Massive. (April 2014 to end 2018)
  • Founder member of African Bloggers Network, established to professionalise the blogging world.
  • Speaker on Travel Blogging at the Indaba Travel Bloggers Conference in Durban in May 2015.
  • Speaker at the eTourism Summit in Cape Town in September 2015.
  • Speaker on The Use of Bloggers and Influencers at Sports Events at SETE2016 in October 2016.
  • Speaker on Working with Bloggers and Influencers at Big Connect event in November 2017.
  • Speaker and panellist at WTM Africa, April 2018.
  • I am a regular guest on numerous radio stations and on the SABC3 TV Morning Expresso.
Regular pro bona work with Conservation Action Trust | Greenpop | Blood Lions | Penguin Promises | Seals of Namibia and the co-founder of the #AnimalRightsInTourism movement. I have worked with Swiss Airlines, South African Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines and Turkish Airlines, Switzerland Tourism, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Trafalgar Travel, Travel Corporation, Treadright Foundation and Reunion Island Tourism promoting their routes, offerings and philosophies as well as numerous local DMO’s and PR Agencies including Rovos Rail, Manley Communications, Lesley Simpson Communications, Cheapflights UK, Five Star PR, Theresa Gibbons PR and many more. Within South Africa, I collaborate on numerous campaigns with MySchoolMyVillageMyPlanet.

44 Countries Visited

South Africa. Botswana. Lesotho. Namibia. Zimbabwe. Zambia. Kenya. Tanzania. Rwanda. Uganda. Reunion. Mauritius. Mozambique. Madagascar. Benin. Cape Verde Islands. Italy. Belgium. France. Vatican City. England. Ireland. Switzerland. Turkey. Greece. Israel. The Netherlands. USA. Mexico. Argentina. Uruguay. Honduras. Singapore. Indonesia. Vietnam. Thailand. Germany. Ethiopia. Austria. Morocco. Portugal. Bosnia and Herzegovina. India. Brazil. Last travel destination: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Next travel destination: Hopefully, Portugal.

“Travel. It leaves you speechless then turns you into a storyteller” Ibn Battuta

Awards and Accolades.

  • Listed as one of South Africa’s Amazing Women Over 40 Awards finalists
  • Interviewed for the Earth Chats Podcast on ‘Advocating for a Better World as The Incidental Tourist.’
  • Included in The Wonder Women of African Travel by Travelhouseuk.
  • Winner Cape Winelands District Municipality 6th Annual Mayoral Tourism Awards, a discretionary award for individual achievement in tourism (2017)
  • Listed Top 5 Fantastic South African Blogs You Should be Following on Howl Mag
  • Listed Top 10 Travel Bloggers Who Love to Visit Cape Town by Secret Cape Town.
  • Included on Huffington Post’s list of ‘7 SA Travel Bloggers to Follow On Instagram’.
  • Finalist: Africa Travel Blogs Award 2018.
  • Interview on State of Digital Publishing about the evolution and growth of The Incidental Tourist since inception.
  • Host at the 2017 African Responsible Travel Awards with Better Tourism Africa.
  • Listed Top 10 South African Travel Bloggers to Follow on CometoCapeTown.com.
  • Listed Top 10 African Travel Blogs by Africa.com
  • Listed Best Travel Blog in Africa, Runner Up 2016, African Blogger Awards.
  • SA Travel Bloggers Award. Winner Most Seasoned Traveller and Shortlisted in 3 Categories.
  • Top 100 Travel Blogs for Serious Wanderlust by Asher Fergusson.
  • Winner of the Travelstart Travel Writing competition with my piece on Benin – My African Queen.
  • 7 fabulous female travel writers to follow.
  • SA’s Top Female Travel Blogger by IOL.
  • Africa Travel Blog 2018 Finalist.
  • Listed Top 10 South African Travel Bloggers by VOLO.
  • Listed Top 6 South African Travel Blogger by Overland Tours.
  • Listed as  Top Instagram influencer in South Africa by Talkwalker.
Professional Membership – SAFREA Membership Number: SAF02926.

A more in-depth look at Dawn Jorgensen

In 2010, after more than a decade of professionally designing dream holidays as well as taking many myself, I founded The Incidental Tourist with the express purpose of sharing my love for travel with others. Over the years my work has evolved to include a sustainable-living and environmental message. As I advocate for a better world and become an increasingly conscious traveller, I have become acutely aware of the responsibility that I have to do the right thing by my readers and the companies that I work with. In my writing, I create a mix of content that will please those simply wanting to scroll through photographs and be inspired to travel, to a reader seeking detailed advice on the destinations that I have visited. Alongside this, I work in curating experiences for incoming visitors to Southern Africa, do a lot of freelance writing and a great deal of travelling. I am also available as a consultant to travel companies on sustainable and ethical travel practices. When not travelling or writing, the home takes the shape of an intimate townhouse on the Bloubergstrand side of Cape Town where I delight in quiet time, lots of yoga and long ocean walks with my two dogs Tuscan and Sienna Storm. Do contact me at dawn@theincidentaltourist.com for my full media kit and rates, and to discuss ways of working together. Also, should you have any feedback or questions? Join me on my social media channels at the links below. Thank you for your interest, and mostly for reading. Yours, Dawn x.

Wanderlust: An irresistible desire to travel, mostly to understand one’s very existence.’