The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic is the third and greatest economic, financial and social shock of the 21st century after 9/11 and the global financial crisis of 2008. The outbreak has been labelled as a ‘black- swan event’ and likened to scenes reminiscent of World War Two as it causes turmoil across the world economy with adverse implications across nearly all sectors of activity and life. The hospitality and tourism sector, including commercial aviation, has experienced amongst the worst socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. In looking forward two differing narratives or schools of thought are emerging in contemporary tourism debates about COVID-19. Both narratives highlight the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic for global tourism albeit differ in terms of what comes or should come next. First, is a ‘resilience school of thought’ which stresses the historical capacity of the tourism sector to cope with or adapt to shocks such as the global financial crisis, SARS, or natural events such as earthquakes or tsunamis. The emphasis is upon the sector’s capacity to return to pre-crisis growth paths. This perspective is one which is projected by much of the tourism industry and the majority of national governments including by the Department of Tourism in South Africa. Second, is a ‘readjustment school of thought’ which emphasizes the need to re-think of the growth at all cost and volume at all cost growth path for tourism which has dominated in recent years and in part is responsible for the current crisis. For this second school COVID-19 is a watershed or turning point for tourism and projects that its impacts will be irreversible as it will fundamentally shift the nature of tourism and human mobility into the future. Therefore, according to several observers, the pandemic represents a paradigm shift in research on tourists’ behaviour and decision-making because what was previously taken for granted may not hold in the COVID-19 era. In common with the rest of the world, the tourism sector of South Africa experienced the radical impacts of COVID-19. Indeed, as is the situation across the world, the pandemic represents a crisis event that potentially is set to transform South Africa’s tourism sector as well as the context in which it functions. Arguably, the magnitude of the pandemic will reshape existing patterns of tourism demand and supply which need to be understood and researched for designing appropriate policy interventions. Domestic tourism is recognised as a beacon of hope and a catalyst for the recovery of the tourism sector as it reopens gradually post COVID-19. This optimistic view on the domestic sector necessitates that the country’s role players reflect on opportunities and challenges that lie ahead to shape the sector’s supply and demand in order to meet the needs of future domestic tourists. On this issue a knowledge gap exists and research is required to understand how COVID-19 has affected the supply and demand of tourism products in South Africa. Show less

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic is the third and greatest economic, financial and social shock of the 21st century after 9/11 and the global financial crisis of 2008. The outbreak has been labelled as a ‘black- swan event’ and likened to scenes reminiscent of World War Two as it causes turmoil across the world economy with Show more

The aim of the study was two-fold: i. to identify and analyse global shifts as well as tourism specific megatrends that impact the tourism sector at a global, regional and local level, from both the demand and supply side of the sector; ii. to develop a framework that will enable the sector to proactively respond to challenges and capitalise on opportunities for future development of sustainable tourism products and services over time. The study was conducted over two phases, the first phase (2018/2019) concentrated on identifying megatrends that affect tourism and assessed the impact of these trends, particularly as they relate to the South African tourism industry. The second phase (2019/2020) focussed on developing a framework that enables the sector to proactively and consistently respond, over time, to challenges and capitalise on opportunities brought about by the megatrends. Show less

The aim of the study was two-fold: i. to identify and analyse global shifts as well as tourism specific megatrends that impact the tourism sector at a global, regional and local level, from both the demand and supply side of the sector; ii. to develop a framework that will enable the sector to proactively respond to Show more

A major policy challenge in South Africa is for achieving greater ‘inclusion’ in the tourism industry and especially the provision of opportunities for formerly disadvantaged communities to benefit from sector growth. The National Tourism Sector Strategy calls for a broadening of the economic beneficiaries of tourism development and in particular calls for programmes to attract more black entrepreneurs into the tourism sector and to own and operate tourism SMMEs. One aspect of transformation and for expanding inclusivity in South Africa’s tourism economy is through the promotion of SMME development and especially of new entrepreneurship opportunities for Black-owned SMMEs. This can include both direct involvement of black entrepreneurs in tourism or of encouraging preferential usage of Black owned suppliers and the inclusion of SMMEs within supply chains. Overall the challenge of inclusive tourism requires that greater benefits flow to local (black) communities as well as other groups (especially women and the disabled) that formerly remained largely outside of the mainstream of the country’s tourism economy. This said, a 2018 report issued in 2018 by the Department of Tourism concerning the state of transformation in the South African tourism sector suggested that the pace of change is ‘slow’ and ‘concerning’. Since 2000 national government has introduced or supported a range of initiatives to deepen specifically SMME development in tourism sector, to support wider objectives of transformation and of inclusive growth in tourism. These interventions have been geared to address the particular challenges and needs of SMMEs in the tourism sector. Of particular note has been the activities of the Tourism Enterprise Partnership (formerly the Tourism Enterprise Programme) which provided SMMEs with skills development, market access and business support advice. More recent interventions have included the Tourism Support Programme (TSP), a DTI financing initiative which was a sub-programme of the Enterprise Investment Programme launched in 2008. In addition, the Department of Tourism launched its own dedicated SMME support programmes as part of the greater objective of the revised NTSS for 2016-2026 with the goal of ensuring the sustainable development and growth of tourism enterprises that facilitates inclusive participation, job creation as well as strengthening the competitiveness of tourism destinations. The programme accords acknowledgement that “effective enterprise support” would allow for the development of “black tourism related businesses”. Under the Department’s Tourism Enterprise Development Programme there are several focal areas including market access, supplier development, mentorship and coaching, training and development, an information portal, and incubation. Other innovative programme interventions include assistance for the establishment or operations of tourism business incubators The impact of this raft of recent policy initiatives on SMME development in tourism remains to be evaluated. However, it is observed that the majority of these existing initiatives are supply-side interventions aimed to enhance support for tourism SMMEs. Recently, the Department of Tourism has been concerned to complement these supply-side support interventions with a suite of demand-side initiatives. One significant facet of fresh policy thinking towards demand-side interventions is to leverage the potential of state-owned assets for tourism development and in particular for SMME upgrading. A first step towards achieving this objective has been the undertaking of a national audit of such state assets. The Department of Tourism engaged with stakeholders and compiled a partial list of state-owned assets in terms of state-owned land, lodges and attractions. These assets include those of national and provincial government as well as an array of municipal assets. Arguably, the most significant of these assets include those of SANParks, North West Parks and Cape Nature. In addition, one must not overlook the large number of often smaller municipal assets which can include local nature reserves, accommodation complexes, campsites, caravan parks and even a number of lighthouses. The maximisation of these municipal assets can be potentially critical vehicles for assisting tourism-led Local Economic Development particularly in many small towns. The question of leveraging state assets for tourism development was identified by the Department of Tourism as a focus for research in the National Tourism Research Agenda. The University of Johannesburg undertook a 2-year research project to examine the potential for leveraging the state assets for a demand-driven approach for inclusive tourism. The project examined the potential for leveraging the state assets – national and sub-national tiers – for a demand-driven approach for enhanced support and promotion of tourism SMMEs which are owned or operated by black South Africans. This policy focus is in alignment with government objectives for transformation and social inclusion in the tourism sector. The research project involved conducting a number of investigations about the challenge of maximizing state assets in relation to different forms of state assets and by different levels of government. In year one of this project, studies were undertaken of the leveraging of state assets in terms of the Pilanesberg nature reserve in North West province and at the municipal level the leveraging of assets for potential tourism development in the Overstrand Local Municipality, Western Cape. In year 2, parallel investigations were undertaken to those completed in phase one. Another example of a large state-owned asset linked to nature-based tourism, namely Addo Elephant National Park, located in the Eastern Cape Province, was interrogated in terms of questions of leveraging for Black SMME development. In addition, a second locality study was undertaken (also based in the Eastern Cape Province) and focused on King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality. Finally, also as part of phase two, a thematic study was undertaken on the chequered development and potential of municipal resorts, caravan parks and camping. This particular study encompasses a national focus with select case studies. The major conclusion that comes out of the study – and which runs through all the empirical investigations is the under-performance of state assets in relation to inclusive tourism development. Overall, the study argues that there is a fundamental need for improved asset management for tourism and for the development of an asset management framework specifically for tourism assets in South Africa. Show less

A major policy challenge in South Africa is for achieving greater ‘inclusion’ in the tourism industry and especially the provision of opportunities for formerly disadvantaged communities to benefit from sector growth. The National Tourism Sector Strategy calls for a broadening of the economic beneficiaries of tourism Show more

In South Africa, the contribution of the public sector to economic growth cannot be understated. The contribution can take place through several channels, including via the tourism sector. The chained- tourism activities that result from direct government expenditures are characterised in this report as consisting of the public sector-generated tourism value chain. The chained-tourism activities are triggered when a meeting, conference or event requires government personnel to be away from their usual environment for at least 24 hours. Such absence requires that transport and accommodation, as well as food and beverages, be both organised and paid for. Certain suppliers benefit from the government expenditures incurred by providing transport, accommodation, food and beverages, or other services to the travelling government personnel within the value chain. The amended Tourism B-BBEE Sector Code gazetted by the Department of Trade and Industry in November 2015 seeks to ensure that the economic benefits of the booming tourism sector accrue to previously disadvantaged races as well as to the more traditionally privileged. Using government expenditures on tourism-related activities between 2013/14 and 2017/18, and the suppliers registered with the National Treasury, the study examines the value chain of the tourism sector generated from the public expenditures, and it attempts to determine the type of enterprises that benefit from within the value chain. The findings of the study are earmarked to produce policy recommendations that will aid the promotion of economic transformation that are set to enable the participation of previously disadvantaged races in the tourism value chain, particularly in terms of improving access to the procurement channels involved. Show less

In South Africa, the contribution of the public sector to economic growth cannot be understated. The contribution can take place through several channels, including via the tourism sector. The chained- tourism activities that result from direct government expenditures are characterised in this report as consisting of the public Show more

A major policy challenge in South Africa is for achieving greater ‘inclusion’ in the tourism industry and especially the provision of opportunities for formerly disadvantaged communities to benefit from sector growth. The National Tourism Sector Strategy calls for a broadening of the economic beneficiaries of tourism development and in particular calls for programmes to attract more black entrepreneurs into the tourism sector and to own and operate tourism SMMEs. One aspect of transformation and for expanding inclusivity in South Africa’s tourism economy is through the promotion of SMME development and especially of new entrepreneurship opportunities for Black-owned SMMEs. This can include both direct involvement of black entrepreneurs in tourism or of encouraging preferential usage of Black owned suppliers and the inclusion of SMMEs within supply chains. Overall the challenge of inclusive tourism requires that greater benefits flow to local (black) communities as well as other groups (especially women and the disabled) that formerly remained largely outside of the mainstream of the country’s tourism economy. This said, a 2018 report issued in 2018 by the Department of Tourism concerning the state of transformation in the South African tourism sector suggested that the pace of change is ‘slow’ and ‘concerning’. Since 2000 national government has introduced or supported a range of initiatives to deepen specifically SMME development in tourism sector, to support wider objectives of transformation and of inclusive growth in tourism. These interventions have been geared to address the particular challenges and needs of SMMEs in the tourism sector. Of particular note has been the activities of the Tourism Enterprise Partnership (formerly the Tourism Enterprise Programme) which provided SMMEs with skills development, market access and business support advice. More recent interventions have included the Tourism Support Programme (TSP), a DTI financing initiative which was a sub-programme of the Enterprise Investment Programme launched in 2008. In addition, the Department of Tourism launched its own dedicated SMME support programmes as part of the greater objective of the revised NTSS for 2016-2026 with the goal of ensuring the sustainable development and growth of tourism enterprises that facilitates inclusive participation, job creation as well as strengthening the competitiveness of tourism destinations. The programme accords acknowledgement that “effective enterprise support” would allow for the development of “black tourism related businesses”. Show less

A major policy challenge in South Africa is for achieving greater ‘inclusion’ in the tourism industry and especially the provision of opportunities for formerly disadvantaged communities to benefit from sector growth. The National Tourism Sector Strategy calls for a broadening of the economic beneficiaries of tourism Show more

Coastal and Marine Tourism (CMT), as part of the oceans economy, offers significant development opportunities that can contribute to job creation and sustainability. However, that there are limited national and international best practices to assess the economic impacts of CMT. Furthermore, there are no specific accepted methodological approaches to assess the economic impacts of CMT within a country context. This Phase 3 component of this research builds on Phases 1 and 2 of the project to develop a framework to assess the economic impacts of coastal and marine tourism in South Africa. Phase 1 (undertaken in 2016/2017) was a desktop study which included a review of the relevant literature which examined national and international perspectives to identify best practices and current trends with regard to assessing the economic impacts of CMT in order to inform the development of a framework to assess CMT’s contribution to South Africa’s tourism sector. This Phase also identified appropriate economic indicators and models, specifically Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA), Input-Output (I-O), Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), general equilibrium models and time-series forecasting methods. Phase 2 of the study which was undertaken in 2017/2018 focused on developing and piloting data collection surveys and examining which economic modelling approaches were appropriate to assess the economic contribution of CMT to South Africa’s tourism sector. Show less

Coastal and Marine Tourism (CMT), as part of the oceans economy, offers significant development opportunities that can contribute to job creation and sustainability. However, that there are limited national and international best practices to assess the economic impacts of CMT. Furthermore, there are no specific accepted Show more

A major policy challenge in South Africa is for achieving greater ‘inclusion’ in the tourism industry and especially the provision of opportunities for formerly disadvantaged communities to benefit from sector growth. The National Tourism Sector Strategy calls for a broadening of the economic beneficiaries of tourism development and in particular calls for programmes to attract more black entrepreneurs into the tourism sector and to own and operate tourism SMMEs. One aspect of transformation and for expanding inclusivity in South Africa’s tourism economy is through the promotion of SMME development and especially of new entrepreneurship opportunities for Black-owned SMMEs. This can include both direct involvement of black entrepreneurs in tourism or of encouraging preferential usage of Black owned suppliers and the inclusion of SMMEs within supply chains. Overall the challenge of inclusive tourism requires that greater benefits flow to local (black) communities as well as other groups (especially women and the disabled) that formerly remained largely outside of the mainstream of the country’s tourism economy. This said, a 2018 report issued in 2018 by the Department of Tourism concerning the state of transformation in the South African tourism sector suggested that the pace of change is ‘slow’ and ‘concerning’. Since 2000 national government has introduced or supported a range of initiatives to deepen specifically SMME development in tourism sector, to support wider objectives of transformation and of inclusive growth in tourism. These interventions have been geared to address the particular challenges and needs of SMMEs in the tourism sector. Of particular note has been the activities of the Tourism Enterprise Partnership (formerly the Tourism Enterprise Programme) which provided SMMEs with skills development, market access and business support advice. More recent interventions have included the Tourism Support Programme (TSP), a DTI financing initiative which was a sub-programme of the Enterprise Investment Programme launched in 2008. In addition, the Department of Tourism launched its own dedicated SMME support programmes as part of the greater objective of the revised NTSS for 2016-2026 with the goal of ensuring the sustainable development and growth of tourism enterprises that facilitates inclusive participation, job creation as well as strengthening the competitiveness of tourism destinations. The programme accords acknowledgement that “effective enterprise support” would allow for the development of “black tourism related businesses”. Under the Department’s Tourism Enterprise Development Programme there are several focal areas including market access, supplier development, mentorship and coaching, training and development, an information portal, and incubation. Other innovative programme interventions include assistance for the establishment or operations of tourism business incubators The impact of this raft of recent policy initiatives on SMME development in tourism remains to be evaluated. Show less

A major policy challenge in South Africa is for achieving greater ‘inclusion’ in the tourism industry and especially the provision of opportunities for formerly disadvantaged communities to benefit from sector growth. The National Tourism Sector Strategy calls for a broadening of the economic beneficiaries of tourism Show more

The aim of the study is two-fold: i. to identify and analyse global shifts as well as tourism-specific megatrends that impact the tourism sector at a global, regional and local level, from both the demand and supply side of the sector; ii. to develop a framework that will enable the sector to proactively respond to challenges and capitalise on opportunities for future development of sustainable tourism products and services over time. The study is conducted over two phases, the first phase (conducted in the period 2018/2019) concentrates on identifying megatrends that affect tourism and assesses the impact of these trends, particularly as they relate to the South African tourism industry. This report is based on the outcomes of the first phase of the study. The second phase (to begin in 2019/2020) will focus on developing a framework that will enable the sector to proactively and consistently respond to challenges and capitalise on opportunities over time. Show less

The aim of the study is two-fold: i. to identify and analyse global shifts as well as tourism-specific megatrends that impact the tourism sector at a global, regional and local level, from both the demand and supply side of the sector; ii. to develop a framework that will enable the sector to proactively respond to challenges Show more

New trends, opportunities and challenges form part of Tourism as a rapidly growing globalised industry. In the midst of these is an increasing need for product diversification and global competitiveness.1 This study explores some of these new trends and challenges in the form of relatively recent concepts in tourism literature, namely: “Cross-border tourism”; “Route tourism”, “Special interest / Niche tourism” and “tourist experiences”. Show less

New trends, opportunities and challenges form part of Tourism as a rapidly growing globalised industry. In the midst of these is an increasing need for product diversification and global competitiveness.1 This study explores some of these new trends and challenges in the form of relatively recent concepts in tourism literature, Show more

In recent years storytelling has gained increasing attention as a global marketing trend and development tool in the tourism industry. Studies have shown that a “real” or “fictive” story associated with a destination or its peoples has the distinct ability to give the specific area an advantage over its competitors, while still simultaneously providing the tourist with a more valuable and “unique” experience.This essentially means marketing domestic and international tourist destinations as “storyscapes” which creates a “commercial environment” for stories to be narrated, co-produced, shaped and transformed. It occurs through the interaction between all stakeholders, including story tellers, tourist guides and tourists. This process and newly found interest in storytelling as an essential tool, has allowed destinations (and their peoples) to more competitively compete within the “experience economy” of the tourism industry. This capitalises on the tourist’s adherent need for a more authentic story behind the tourism product, along with the tourist’s interest of how this “unique” story was acquired, created and then ultimately conveyed in an understandable and meaningful way. It allows tourists to basically become “co-producers” of their own memorable experience through their own personal interactions with tangible and intangible objects within a specific setting. Show less

In recent years storytelling has gained increasing attention as a global marketing trend and development tool in the tourism industry. Studies have shown that a “real” or “fictive” story associated with a destination or its peoples has the distinct ability to give the specific area an advantage over its competitors, Show more