Tourism Marketer, Travel Influencer, Blogger, Geocacher, Road Tripper, Husband, Father, Geek,
Proudly South African
Who is Firefly
Firefly the Travel Guy is owner-run by Jonker Fourie, aka Firefly. With more than 25 years experience in the tourism industry, Jonker literally lives, works, breaths, and plays tourism. He has done everything from tourist guiding and destination marketing, social media management, setting up tourism associations, and being in senior management and administration positions in the industry.
Achievements include being a judge for the SA Tourism Lilizela Awards for six years, a past board member of Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism, past vice-chairperson of the Eastern Cape chapter of SATSA, and serving on various Eastern Cape tourism association committees. Jonker is no stranger behind the radio microphone, has been in front of the tv cameras for various magazine and travel shows, have been published in travel magazines, and is an award-winning blogger.
Allow Firefly the Travel Guy to make use of this tourism, hospitality, marketing, and administration experience to help you grow your business, drive traffic to your social media platforms, create more awareness around your product, build relationships and boost bookings.
About the blog
The Firefly Photo Files was born on 9 July 2008. When I first started blogging it was to show off what was then my very limited photographic skills as well as the area I live in. But as with most things this blog (and perhaps even my photography and writing) evolved. The Firefly Photo Files transformed into Firefly the Travel Guy and has become my photographic guide to this beautiful country I live in, its travel destinations, scenery animals, bugs, birds, plants, flowers, history and culture plus some other stuff. A reference guide to (not quite but nearly) everything South African.
The blog includes Port Elizabeth Daily Photo. PEDP was started on 7 November 2007 by Max and Sue Hoppe who was collectively known on the blog as SAM. It was a labour of love to the city and many current and ex-Port Elizabethans got their daily Port Elizabeth fix through their combined camera lenses.
With their 500th post approaching, Max and Sue felt that it was time to call it a day. Knowing his absolute passion for Port Elizabeth, they decided to approach Jonker Fourie (Firefly), a long time PEDP follower and travel blogger in his own right with his blog The Firefly Photo Files, to take over and continue PEDP rather than closing it down. Without hesitation Firefly accepted, took over the blog on 15 March 2009 and is still bringing visitors to the blog their Port Elizabeth fix, though not on a daily basis anymore.
Over the years the Firefly the Travel Guy blog has become the premier online reference guide to attractions, natural and historic sites in and around the Eastern Cape and will endeavour to continue to do so in the future.
Please note that this blog site is published in my personal capacity and all opinions expressed are my own. It does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of my clients or employers and is not sponsored or endorsed by them.
Past work experience
Chief Executive Officer
Emfuleni Corridor Tourism – ECTOUR
(March 2013 – February 2022)
Trade Relations & Leisure Travel Coordinator
Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism
(2007 – 2013)
Tourist Guide
Freelance guide with various tour operators
and
Own tour operator business – Sights and Sounds Tours
(1998 – 2007)