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

South Africa is a tourist destination that offers international tourists unique cultural, natural and adventure experiences. The country is one of Africa’s top destinations and features Big Five safari destinations, wine routes, natural experiences, cultural villages, spectacular coastlines among other must-see experiences that appeal to international tourists travelling to the continent. However, the country holds the reputation of one of the highest crime rates in the world and is therefore regarded as a high-risk destination. This negative reputation influences tourism demand and supply directly, as well as indirectly, as it impacts on both jobs and gross income in the industry. It is said that the three primary conditions for the successful development of tourism in a set location are “peace, safety and security”.1 Therefore, without those primary conditions, tourists are likely to be victimized, negatively affecting the image of the country and income derived from tourism. It is the prime responsibility of the tourism sector to safeguard tourists and tourism development in their respective regions. The research focus of this Master’s dissertation in Heritage and Cultural Tourism is on the safety and security concerns in South Africa. In other words, it considers the interrelationship between tourism and crime in the country, by exploring the broader dimensions of tourism security and wellbeing. Show less

South Africa is a tourist destination that offers international tourists unique cultural, natural and adventure experiences. The country is one of Africa’s top destinations and features Big Five safari destinations, wine routes, natural experiences, cultural villages, spectacular coastlines among other must-see experiences Show more

Lighthouses have long been the focus of naval navigation and romantic literature. Until recently, this was seen as the core purpose of the coastal structures, but lighthouses have begun to take on a new role in the sphere of tourism, hosting visitors, overnight tourists and recognising the local history and culture through museums and various eateries. This dissertation seeks to explore the role of coastal and marine tourism internationally, and the positioning of the lighthouses as elements of coastal and marine tourism. Along with the success of Lighthouse Tourism abroad, the prospect of developing Lighthouse Tourism as a form of coastal tourism in South Africa will be analysed. Alongside the study of the potential for pharological tourism, the potential of developing a Lighthouse Tourism trail, similar to those on international coastlines will be examined. These concepts of the historical value of lighthouses, their potential for tourism and route development form the main components of discussion for this dissertation. Show less

Lighthouses have long been the focus of naval navigation and romantic literature. Until recently, this was seen as the core purpose of the coastal structures, but lighthouses have begun to take on a new role in the sphere of tourism, hosting visitors, overnight tourists and recognising the local history and culture through Show more

When the global protests of Black Lives Matter commenced, it showed that the future of what this dissertation terms ‘extreme dissonant heritage’ sites is uncertain and are thus often questionable items on tour itineraries. In comparison, dark heritage sites are shown as more stable long-term sites for tour itineraries. The research explores possible steps to effectively curate extreme dissonant heritage sites to be utilised as tourist products. The thesis considers if the law protects dissonant heritage and not only dark heritage sites. Furthermore, it considers the history of legislation with changes of regimes in South Africa and Russia and its impact on monuments. The challenge is to manage public perception, and to recognise the trade-off that often occurs between public opinion and tourism, which informs decisions to keep or remove dissonant monuments. The thesis uses a comparative approach, exploring these issues in Russia and South Africa. The dissertation commences with a brief history of both countries from the late 1800s, covering heritage legislation and the significance of their global location. The research then turns to a discussion of dark and dissonant heritage sites under the respective regimes. The thesis further considers the central role of public perception of dark and dissonant heritage sites discussing representative monuments and sites from both countries for historical context. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the motives associated with, and steps necessary for, using dark tourism as a management tool for endangered extreme dissonant monuments and recommendations for the challenges dissonant and dark heritage sites face. Show less

When the global protests of Black Lives Matter commenced, it showed that the future of what this dissertation terms ‘extreme dissonant heritage’ sites is uncertain and are thus often questionable items on tour itineraries. In comparison, dark heritage sites are shown as more stable long-term sites for tour itineraries. Show more

The research project focusses on the interface between tourism and transport, with specific reference to South Africa and the two most important modes of transport, namely air and road. The study aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the Tourism-Transport Interface with a view to proposing a scenario/s where this relationship might create opportunities for tourism to prosper post COVID-19. This research followed a three-pronged approach: Firstly, a literature survey was undertaken to review previous studies, both in academia and industry, in order to gain an understanding of the transport and tourism environments. Secondly, a number of discussions were conducted with leaders in the transport and tourism sectors to gain an understanding of the current state of the sector, challenges faced by each sector and their views on the future post-COVID. Thirdly, full-day Future Scenarios Planning Workshops were held to develop a strategic perspective on the future prospects of the aviation and car rental industries. Show less

The research project focusses on the interface between tourism and transport, with specific reference to South Africa and the two most important modes of transport, namely air and road. The study aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the Tourism-Transport Interface with a view to proposing a scenario/s where this Show more

The South African government introduced different policy initiatives to develop tourism in, the country and these tourism policies serve as guidelines for the development of the tourism sector. Municipalities are at the lowest level of Government, and it is where the actual implementation of tourism policies should be taking place. District municipalities and communities globally often face poorly planned development projects resulting from inefficient and ineffective policy and planning implementation. One of the reasons for this is that there is, at times, a lack of participation by key stakeholders. As a result, the study aims was to examine stakeholders' involvement in the development and implementation of tourism-related policies in the O.R Tambo District Municipality (ORTDM). This study adopted a qualitative approach. The research population in this study included the individuals from the district municipality, regional and local tourism organisations, also known as tourism forums, tourism development agencies and the rural planning and economic development departments. Purposive sampling methods complemented by the snowball sampling method were two types of non-probability sampling techniques that were used in this study to identify the research sample from the research population. Consequently, fourteen (14) semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders. A thematic analysis technique was used to analyse the data. Since this study focussed on stakeholders' involvement in the development and implementation of tourism policies at the selected district municipality (ORTDM). The research findings reveal that there are challenges related to lack of stakeholder involvement, lack of political support, poor implementation, as well as underdeveloped infrastructure. Show less

The South African government introduced different policy initiatives to develop tourism in, the country and these tourism policies serve as guidelines for the development of the tourism sector. Municipalities are at the lowest level of Government, and it is where the actual implementation of tourism policies should be taking Show more

This article examines the impact of new technologies on the field of tourist guiding. It has been found throughout the preliminary research that a large gap in this field exists in academic literature. It is therefore important to study the role of the tourist guide in this era of emerging technologies, both in and outside the museum spectrum, to better understand the future place that tourist guiding will have in the tourism industry. Different types of new technologies are examined in relation to the field of tourist guiding, and the various benefits and limitations of these technologies are also discussed. It can be argued that only when embracing the positive aspects of both new technologies and tourist guiding can one offer tourists the best experience in the digital age. This realisation can greatly impact the way in which tourism managers design tourist experiences and tourist guides interact with both technology and tourists. Show less

This article examines the impact of new technologies on the field of tourist guiding. It has been found throughout the preliminary research that a large gap in this field exists in academic literature. It is therefore important to study the role of the tourist guide in this era of emerging technologies, both in and outside Show more

Despite the rich geological heritage encompassed within the Kruger National Park (KNP), the unemployment rate and poverty levels remain high for local communities abutting the northern part of the park. This study focused on the northern part of the KNP because no study has been conducted to identify and locate geoheritage sites and due to high unemployment rates and poverty levels in that area compared to the southern part of the park. The primary purpose of this research was to investigate and evaluate the potential for geotourism to contribute towards social sustainability and more effective local community development. Geotourism is an emerging research field and South Africa holds some fascinating geological heritage; however, geotourism has been under researched. Therefore, it was important to examine the potential for geotourism to effectively contribute towards local development. Considering that the national government of South Africa through the National Development Plan (NDP) and National Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS) recognises tourism as one of the growth pillars for poverty alleviation and job creation, geotourism can contribute towards this as one of the potential solutions. Social sustainability and stakeholder framework theories linked to the concept of sustainable development allowed examination of geotourism and its potential contribution to local sustainable development in the context of this study. This study used a four phased mixed research methodology (qualitative and quantitative) to investigate the potential for geotourism development as a secondary market to supplement the current tourism market (wildlife viewing) and to examine the geotourism potentiality to assist in addressing unemployment and poverty. The first phase was a database inventory development, field ranking, evaluation and prioritisation of geoheritage sites using six indicators (geotourism value, cultural value, ecological sensitivity, accessibility, development requirements, and currently available academic literature) of 15 potential geoheritage sites. The collected field data was converted into Microsoft word and excel documents for analysis. Furthermore, excel data with geographic information and values of the six indicators of 15 geoheritage sites was imported into GIS software in order to produce evaluation and prioritisation maps. The second phase entailed semi-structured interviews (qualitative) with 16 key participants which included local community leaders (2), local residents (2), SANParks officials (4), National Department of Tourism government officials (3), local high school tourism teachers (2), Limpopo conservation agency (1) and tourism operators (2). Content analysis was used to analyse the transcripts of semi-structured interviews in order to identify the emerging themes and sub-themes to understand the perceptions of all participants towards geotourism and local social sustainability. The third phase of the research was an online survey (quantitative) of 105 valid respondents and the collected data was statistically analysed in order to understand the perceptions of respondents towards geotourism and local social sustainability. Thereafter, the findings from the first three phases of the study were analysed and interpreted together so as to draw conclusions based on divergence and convergence of findings (fourth phase). In this context, qualitative analysis and statistical analysis of results helped to draw conclusions and recommendations of the research. In conclusion, it was evident from the findings that the northern part of KNP is enriched with precious potential geoheritage sites that can be utilised for geotourism development towards achieving social sustainability, especially of local communities abutting the northern part of the park. However, geotourism has not been developed and introduced as a new tourism market segment at the KNP. The theoretical supplement from this study is that geotourism can contribute towards achieving social sustainability, especially of local communities. Fundamentally, this study shows that previous social sustainability literature lacks focus and has been limited on integrating local culture into social sustainability frameworks. As such, this case study suggests that stakeholder theory and geotourism can be used as tools in reintegrating local culture, understanding social sustainability and towards social sustainability. This study reinforces the theory of social sustainability, stakeholder and geotourism by revealing that local communities abutting the northern part of the KNP and other stakeholders could potentially benefit through socio-economic benefits (income/ employment, community well-being, cultural and shareholding benefits, tour operating, tour guiding, economic growth, supply of goods and services, accommodation and retail businesses), educational benefits (upskilling of tour guides, training of local communities and creating awareness among different stakeholders), and environmental benefits emanating from geotourism development at the KNP. It is therefore recommended that SANParks and/or government immediately introduce geotourism as a new tourism market at the northern part of the KNP. It is recommended that SANParks and/or government should ensure that local communities in the northern part of the KNP are effectively consulted and involved in the planning and decision-making process regarding development and introduction of new tourism products such as geotourism. Furthermore, SANParks and/or government should ensure that there is collaborative stakeholder engagement among all role players, local communities and tourists have access to the geoheritage sites inside the park and local communities benefit from geotourism. The findings of this study intend to assist SANParks, local community leaders, the private sector (including existing tour operators) and government departments in achieving a national database of geoheritage sites to ultimately be associated with sustainable geotourism activity led by local communities. Show less

Despite the rich geological heritage encompassed within the Kruger National Park (KNP), the unemployment rate and poverty levels remain high for local communities abutting the northern part of the park. This study focused on the northern part of the KNP because no study has been conducted to identify and locate geoheritage 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”. 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