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

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. During the 2016/2017 financial year, the National Department of Tourism (NDT) in collaboration with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) initiated a research study to develop a framework to assess the economic impact of coastal and marine tourism (CMT) in South Africa. Phase 1 of the project focused on conducting a desktop study to review relevant literature which provides a national and international perspective 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 the economic contribution of CMT to South Africa’s tourism sector. Phase 2 of the study which was undertaken in 2017/18 focused on developing and piloting data collection surveys and examining which economic modelling approaches are appropriate to to assess the economic contribution of CMT to South Africa’s tourism sector. Phase 3 of the study will be undertaken in 2018/19 and will involve implementing the framework and conducting a workshop to capacitate stakeholders. The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) took over the project after the completion of Phase 1 given that Prof Urmilla Bob was involved in the project together with Prof Kamilla Swart who was the lead researcher at CPUT and resigned at the end of 2016. 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

Destinations are a key feature of the tourism industry and can be regarded as a combination of all products, services and ultimately experiences provided in a particular area. They are amalgams of tourism products and services, offering an integrated experience to consumers. Traditionally, destinations are regarded as well-defined geographic areas, such as a country, an island or a town. However, destinations can also be interpreted subjectively by consumers depending on their travel itinerary, cultural background, and purpose of visit, educational level and past experience. A destination’s primary resources comprise its climate, ecology, traditions and architecture, which forms the primary attraction, either natural or manmade, while its secondary resources are developments brought in especially for tourists, such as hotels, catering, accommodation, transport and activities. Tertiary resources include the auxiliary services and facilities of the destination such as telecommunication networks, health care and more. Together, these resources contribute to the overall attractiveness of a tourist destination. However, tourist destinations compete with each other for various tourist segments and value added products and services in order to meet the needs of tourists on various aspects of the tourism experience. As tourists experience other destinations which are directly or indirectly in competition, their perceptions of quality and overall performance becomes important to determine, for example, loyalty, repeat visitation or positive word-of-mouth recommendations. Thus to remain attractive and competitive and to attract investment, it is important for destinations, including South Africa, to be involved in a continuous process of developing tourism products, infrastructure and services. Show less

Destinations are a key feature of the tourism industry and can be regarded as a combination of all products, services and ultimately experiences provided in a particular area. They are amalgams of tourism products and services, offering an integrated experience to consumers. Traditionally, destinations are regarded as Show more

The planning, development and management of tourism is a cornerstone for the socio-cultural, economic and natural growth of the tourism industry. In this regard, tourism has come to be known as a major economic force in many countries and regions throughout the world, seeking to increase jobs and thus alleviate unemployment and poverty. It is generally accepted that the growth of tourism depends largely on effective planning, developing and management of resources (facilities and activities), particularly in developing countries so as to escape poverty and inequalities (Wahab, 2000). The major research question in this study is whether there is an adequate legislative framework that effectively addresses issues of planning and development of tourism resources, facilities and activities. What makes some municipalities perform better than others in tourism resource management and development? Are there sufficient planning guidelines that facilitate integrated tourism development approaches? Lastly, what is the role and level of involvement of tourism practitioners and stakeholders in the planning, development and management of tourism resources, facilities and activities. Some other research questions that need to be attended to are as follows: What are the major relationships between national and local policies on tourism resource planning and management?. What levels of tourism planning and management capacity in municipalities need to be identified and improved? What are the existing practitioners and stakeholders‟ perceptions of tourism management and development in the provinces of South Africa? The study is limited to two provinces in South Africa, namely KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, also covering various district and local municipalities within these regions. Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies are used. The total sample size for municipalities in both provinces is 384 respondents. The details of the methodology are discussed later, laying emphasis on the target Show less

The planning, development and management of tourism is a cornerstone for the socio-cultural, economic and natural growth of the tourism industry. In this regard, tourism has come to be known as a major economic force in many countries and regions throughout the world, seeking to increase jobs and thus alleviate unemployment and Show more

. The oceans economy offers significant development opportunities for sectors such as sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, renewable marine energy, marine bio-prospecting, maritime transport and marine and coastal tourism as indicated by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD. Marine and coastal tourism has great potential to unlock sustainable socio-economic development, generate multifarious benefits for local communities and the nation, and simultaneously contribute to protecting and conserving biodiversity of marine and coastal environments in South Africa and developing countries more generally. The theoretical framework for this study is based on the New Public Governance theory, which is premised on the acknowledgement that apart from the government, various public and private institutions can be centres of power on different levels, as long as their authority of power is recognized by the public. To explore such multiple centres of power, Stakeholder theory is used. Lastly, the study is theoretically and conceptually informed by the use of Common property resource theory. The information derived from the literature and policy review as well as primary data collection will be analysed thematically according to key themes, notably the opportunities and challenges of governance and coordination of coastal and marine tourism; the level of accessibility, transparency and effectiveness in coastal and marine tourism; how marine and coastal tourism could be sustainably governed and coordinated at national, provincial and local levels; level of engagement of key public and private stakeholder bodies whose policies and actions impact on coastal and marine tourism development; implementation of national policies and governance processes at the local level; and the effectiveness of local governance capacity and community engagement structures. The methodology for this research firstly involves conducting a desk-top study to examine relevant literature as well as to identify international best practices and national and sector specific (cruise tourism, beach tourism and events, adventure tourism, accommodation and facilities, etc.) trends in the South African context. This is followed by a critical policy review and primary data collection based on a case study approach. Personal and telephonic semi-structured interviews will be undertaken with purposively sampled key informants, who hold positions in the community, government and tourism business. In addition, a structured questionnaire survey will be used to gain responses from randomly sampled tourism businesses (focusing on direct users of marine and coastal tourism). The research was screened by the UKZN Research Ethics Committee in terms of the university research ethics code. All relevant ethical measures were put in place for the purpose of the research and protecting the participants. The findings of the study identify certain key blockages and challenges in the current policy implementation processes and governance structures. They include issues of coordination, communication, and consultation. Although there is tourism legislation that reflects local roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, the current legislation needs to be enhanced to ensure that certain regulations do not hold back costal and marine tourism development. Show less

. The oceans economy offers significant development opportunities for sectors such as sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, renewable marine energy, marine bio-prospecting, maritime transport and marine and coastal tourism as indicated by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD. Marine and coastal tourism Show more

Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy in South Africa aims to accelerate the inclusion of black people into the economy through company ownership, human resources, and enterprise and community development. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA, 2012) indicate that 91 per cent of South Africa’s 52 million people is comprised of black people. Persons of black African origin comprise 79 per cent of the population, 9 per cent are Coloured, and 2.5 per cent are of Asian origin. Yet economic wealth is held by a white population representing 9 per cent of the population. Therefore, government insists that the pace of transformation, and implementation of B-BBEE policy in the private sector, including the tourism sector, is slow and needs addressing. The tourism sector, one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world, was identified as a priority sector for economic development and implementation of B-BBEE policy in South Africa. In line with global conventions, the Amended Tourism B-BBEE code (2013) groups’ components of the tourism value chain into three main sub-sectors. These sub-sectors are firstly Accommodation, then Hospitality and Related Services; and thirdly, Travel and Related Services. Show less

Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy in South Africa aims to accelerate the inclusion of black people into the economy through company ownership, human resources, and enterprise and community development. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA, 2012) indicate that 91 per cent of South Africa’s 52 million people Show more

Tourism activities have a direct and indirect impact on the environment. Global acknowledgement of this issue resulted in the introduction of responsible tourism programmes at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the result of which were Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration which articulated the main principles for sustainable development in the 21st century (WTTC et al., 2002). In 1999, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) established the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (GCET) to achieve responsible and sustainable tourism. The Global Code of Ethics is a set of principles designed to guide key players in tourism development including governments, the travel industry, communities and tourists. Most importantly, it aims to help maximise the sector’s benefits while minimising its potentially negative impact on the environment, cultural heritage and societies across the globe. Recently, the United Nations declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. According to the National Responsible Tourism Strategy (NDT, 2012), South Africa was the first country to explicitly include responsible tourism in its national policy, the 1996 White Paper on Development & Promotion of Tourism in South Africa. The Responsible Tourism Handbook defines responsible tourism as a tourism management strategy in which the tourism sector and tourists take responsibility to protect and conserve the natural environment, respect and conserve local cultures and ways of life, and contribute to stronger local economies and a better quality of life for local people (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), 2003). Show less

Tourism activities have a direct and indirect impact on the environment. Global acknowledgement of this issue resulted in the introduction of responsible tourism programmes at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the result of which were Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration which articulated the main principles for Show more

The core message of Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens (WSNBG) is the enjoyment of nature “where luscious nature welcomes visitors and the rushing water of the Witpoortjie Waterfall, gushing from a height of 70 metres, soothes and revitalises careworn city-dwellers.” Overall the site is beautiful and had a number of positive observations such as the interesting and unique layout of different garden sections, the Garden invites visitors to explore, very friendly and helpful staff, ample space for visitor numbers and ease of movement through a pristine environment. Some of the negative observations related to limited ablution facilities, problematic access to visitors that make use of public transport (taxi and bus routes about 3km from entrance) and limited branded signage enroute to the site. Show less

The core message of Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens (WSNBG) is the enjoyment of nature “where luscious nature welcomes visitors and the rushing water of the Witpoortjie Waterfall, gushing from a height of 70 metres, soothes and revitalises careworn city-dwellers.” Overall the site is beautiful and had a number of Show more

Mapungubwe serves both as National Park and World Heritage Site (inscribed in ethnic3) due to its extraordinary contribution to the country and the world’s historical and natural heritage. Activities include bird watching, game viewing (the big five), tree top walks overlooking the Limpopo River, guided heritage walks to Mapungubwe (Jackal) Hill, rock art walks, night drives, and the Vhembe Wilderness trails. From a positive perspective, amongst others, it was observed that staff members are mostly helpful and professional with some exceptions, walkways are universally accessible, picnic areas have sufficient facilities and there is adequate signage. Some issues have to be addressed such as greater availability of information, extension of the parking area at reception, limited restaurant menu, limited variety of goods at curio shop and lack of children’s activities. Show less

Mapungubwe serves both as National Park and World Heritage Site (inscribed in ethnic3) due to its extraordinary contribution to the country and the world’s historical and natural heritage. Activities include bird watching, game viewing (the big five), tree top walks overlooking the Limpopo River, guided heritage walks to Show more

iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a unique site with international significance as a Heritage site. It contains pristine beauty and offers visitors a variety of experiences. The diversity of landscapes makes it appealing to different visitor types, from adventure seekers to family holiday goers and nature lovers. It has the potential to be a world class experience. Elements from the site observation were not conducive to the image of iSimangaliso as a tourist attraction. With some areas branding is visible, but in others not, to the extent that tourists do not always know that they are in a unique Heritage site. Confusion is created when moving through the different entry gates for iSimangaliso versus KZN Wildlife, with fees differing, separate permits having to be obtained. The quality of infrastructure and service delivery also differs across the different sections of the Park; being old and rundown in some areas, while modern and new in others. There is a clear difference between properties managed by iSimangaliso versus KZN Wildlife. This can impede on visitors’ image and perceptions about the Park as a holistic, well run attraction. Show less

iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a unique site with international significance as a Heritage site. It contains pristine beauty and offers visitors a variety of experiences. The diversity of landscapes makes it appealing to different visitor types, from adventure seekers to family holiday goers and nature lovers. It has the Show more