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

The 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 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. The example of a large state-owned asset linked to nature-based tourism, namely Addo Elephant National Park in 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) which 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 caravan parks and camping. 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 UJ 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

The 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 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 “story-scapes” through the interaction between all stakeholders, including story tellers, tourist guides and tourists. 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. This project explored the viability and practicality of considering and incorporating the “Indigenous Story Teller” (IST) into the wider tourist guiding sector of South Africa. It recommends the creation of a new tourist guiding classification to add to the established three levels of tourist guiding already regulated and monitored within the country. It suggests the possible addition of an unit standard which will enable the culture guide to facilitate and provide a platform for the inclusion of the IST in the tourism sector. Culture guides will therefore be elevated to a position where they are enabled to facilitate the inclusion of the IST in the tourism offering and mediate between the IST and the tourist group as an intercultural communicator. They will also need to play the role of a conservator in ensuring that the IST and his/her landscape is preserved, respected and not damaged. In the case study of the Northern Cape the report illustrates that the concept IST refers to a diverse collection of local voices that contribute to the authenticity and integrity of a particular tourist attraction. This model can also be applied generically throughout South Africa with the range of indigenous and marginalised voices that abound. In essence, in this role, the cultural tourist guide becomes a co-creator of the IST experience. 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

The potential of cross-border tourism is a well–established phenomenon in that it multiplies the socio-economic effects in bordering regions. Essentially it promotes the integration of value chains, augments investments and increases tourist flows to a broader and more inclusive region. It also allows for the linking of a number of related tourist attractions into a themed experience which attracts the niche tourist with particular needs. Key to these themed tourist routes is the experiential element which creates meaning for the potential tourist. The report acknowledges that cross-border themed tourism routes are not without their challenges at a number of levels. These include aspects such as the non-alignment of the tourist guiding sectors; the discrepancies in tourism rankings; varied facilities and infrastructures; obstructive regulatory systems; safety concerns; global competitiveness; different currencies; and lack of collaboration. However, it is argued that some of these do have short term mitigations as well as long term solutions which could enable the practice of cross-border themed tourism routes. These can be addressed through: collaboration and partnership; diplomacy and supranational agreements; single regional and regionally accepted currency; investment; harmonisation of visas; harmonisation of standards; and experience diversification. Furthermore, best practice examples indicate that cross-border route experiences have been more successful with the implementation of smaller developmental projects where only a few countries are traversed. Here the enabling environment and collaborative practices have been aligned to suite the specific route. The report argues that Southern Africa has vast potential for cross border themed route experiences and proposes the development of a CBTRE Toolkit which the sector could utilise to creatively diversify the experience dimension of the tourist offering. The report maps out a range of potential avenues of collaborative themed route experiences within the Southern SADC region concluding with an example from film tourism and the case of Black Panther. Show less

The potential of cross-border tourism is a well–established phenomenon in that it multiplies the socio-economic effects in bordering regions. Essentially it promotes the integration of value chains, augments investments and increases tourist flows to a broader and more inclusive region. It also allows for the linking of a Show more

The challenge is recognised for achieving greater ‘inclusion’ in South African tourism, including 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, for programmes to attract more black entrepreneurs into the tourism sector and to own and operate tourism SMMEs. The achievement of inclusive tourism growth requires that 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. National government has introduced a range of initiatives to deepen specifically SMME development in tourism sector, to support wider objectives of transformation and of inclusive growth in tourism. The majority of these existing initiatives are supply-side interventions aimed to enhance enterprise support through, for example, business incubators. Recently, the DoT is 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. The question of leveraging state assets for tourism development was identified by the Department of Tourism in the National Tourism Research Agenda. The University of Johannesburg is undertaking a 3-year research project to examine the potential for leveraging the state assets for a demand-driven approach for inclusive tourism. Year one findings are given from this project using case studies in Pilanesberg and the Overstrand. Show less

The challenge is recognised for achieving greater ‘inclusion’ in South African tourism, including 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, for programmes Show more

Global tourism has grown steadily over the last 60 years and is predicted by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) to reach 1.8 billion international arrivals by 2030. As an economic sector it has outperformed the global economy for the seventh year running, growing by 4.6% against 3%. This has not been the case in South Africa despite the fact that South Africa currently gains the lion’s share of international arrivals to the African continent. According to StatsSA, the contribution of tourism to the economy has declined from 3.3% in 2006 to 2.8% in 2017. Despite this tourism is increasingly being perceived as an important economic driver that can help turn South Africa’s fortunes around. Globally tourism is influenced by shifts and megatrends, and South Africa, as part of this global industry, is also affected by these megatrends. This raises the question of whether South Africa can harness the opportunities presented by these megatrends to stimulate the growth of the tourism sector to contribute more to economic growth in South Africa. The aim of this study was to identify the megatrends that affect tourism globally, to assess the impact of these trends on the South African tourism industry and to develop a number of scenarios that depict the possible direction of tourism in South Africa. The future scenarios provide the alternative directions in which tourism can develop towards 2030 within the context of both certainties and uncertainties in the South African tourism sector. Five major trends were identified using a qualitative approach comprising the analysis of secondary sources and in-depth interviews with tourism industry leaders and policy makers: Economic; Political; Social; Technological and Environmental. Four future scenarios were developed through a consultative workshop. Each scenario depicts the level of competiveness and industry integration that could potentially be achieved under different sets of circumstances with the best-case scenario showing an industry that is highly competitive and fully integrated. Show less

Global tourism has grown steadily over the last 60 years and is predicted by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) to reach 1.8 billion international arrivals by 2030. As an economic sector it has outperformed the global economy for the seventh year running, growing by 4.6% against 3%. This has not been the case in South 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, a desktop study funded by the National Department of Tourism (NDT) revealed that there are limited national and international best practices to assess the economic impacts of CMT. To examine the economic impacts of CMT in South Africa, surveys were implemented with demand-side (tourists/ users/ customers) and supply-side (the accommodation sector, CMT business owners, retail outlets and tour operators) coastal and marine stakeholders. This presentation presents the descriptive analysis of survey results from key stakeholder groups. The results are used for the economic modelling as well which used the Input-Output (I-O) model and Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) approaches. A proportionate targeted sampling approach was used to survey 3 031 tourists/ users/ customers, 125 accommodation establishments, 125 restaurants and retail outlets, 94 CMT business owners and 66 tour operators. The surveys were undertaken in KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Eastern Cape. CMT locations in these provinces were purposively chosen and persons systematically selected. The demographic profile of tourist/ user/ customer respondents indicate diversity in terms of gender and historical racial groups with most having post-matric qualifications and having higher than average incomes. The majority of these respondents were also overnight and day visitors. The majority of respondents participated in in multiple CMT activities. This shows high levels of interest in CMT products/activities. CMT locations also have repeat visitors and attract new visitors. There was also high levels of satisfaction among visitors with CMT activities and experiences. Most respondents spent on food and drinks and travel. The highest average spend by tourists was for travel and accommodation during visit to South Africa. Shopping as well as food and drinks also had relatively high average spend. In terms of the supply-side stakeholder key findings, most of these businesses were operational for more than 10 years. The months regarded as high and low season were similar for all stakeholders with occupancy rates/ number of clients and average spend per client rates being substantially higher during high compared to low seasons. Research challenges were noted, especially in relation to undertaking fieldwork in Northern Cape and interviewing supply-side stakeholders. These issues were also raised during the piloting phase of the research. Differences were noted in terms of expenditure patterns among the stakeholders. However, the highest average expenditure was generally for salaries/ wages followed by capital expenditure. In terms of use of service providers/ suppliers, the highest was for restaurants and retail establishments followed by tour operators and accommodation establishments. Among all the stakeholders who used service providers, most were locally-based which indicates support for local businesses which is a key component of the transformation agenda. However, few service providers were identified as being black or female-owned. In relation to employment trends, the results show that accommodation establishments employed the most staff and CMT businesses the least. Most staff were locally-based. No discernible gender differences emerged. Africans are employed the most in many businesses which is important given that this is the main equity target group. The importance of developing a standardised framework to measure, monitor and manage the economic impacts of CMT in South Africa remains. This research will inform the development of a framework for CMT. 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, a desktop study funded by the National Department of Tourism (NDT) revealed that there are limited national and international best practices to assess the 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 overall aim of the study was to develop a market analysis framework that can be used by different tourism stakeholders to inform product development, infrastructure development and investment facilitation, with particular reference to the local level. Market analysis is critical in attracting tourism investment as investors are likely to put their money where both demand and supply analysis has been conducted in order to get return on their investment. The market analysis framework consists of a sequential iterative process with seven (7) steps. Each step represents the main components and sub-components for determining the market feasibility of a tourism project. A Workbook was developed to provide guidelines for a funding applicant to effectively structure the information and data on the market analysis in a funding application as well as to provide the funding body with an effective tool for evaluation of the funding application in terms of the market analysis. Information and data was gathered using ‘diagnostic’ tools, the purpose of which is to collect as much relevant data as possible. Information relevant to the project was written up in the Workbook. The diagnostic tools were designed to ‘flag’ potential challenges which could either lead to project dismissal or adjustments/interventions to overcome challenges that have been identified. Data was gathered via secondary and primary sources. Information gathered must be interpreted and condensed into the required format for a project proposal. Show less

The overall aim of the study was to develop a market analysis framework that can be used by different tourism stakeholders to inform product development, infrastructure development and investment facilitation, with particular reference to the local level. Market analysis is critical in attracting tourism investment as investors 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, a desktop study funded by the National Department of Tourism (NDT) revealed that there are limited national and international best practices to assess the economic impacts of CMT. It was evident from the desktop study that there were no specific accepted methodological approaches to assess the economic impacts of CMT within a country context. The extension of this component of the research entails piloting a framework (including the identification of key economic indicators, development of data collection tools and identification of appropriate economic models) to inform the development of a framework to assess CMT’s contribution to South Africa’s tourism sector. This presentation provides an overview of the piloting processes undertaken and reflects on the challenges and opportunities to assess the economic impacts of CMT. The methodological approach adopted was the implementation of stakeholder survey-based data collection tools. The key stakeholders identified were coastal and marine tourists/ users/ customers and CMT business (including the accommodation sector, CMT business owners, retail outlets and tour operators). The challenges in terms of data collection included ensuring a geographical and representative spread across all four coastal provinces, willingness to participate, quality of data collected (especially in relation to self-completion surveys) and the length of the surveys. Access to stakeholder contact details also emerged as a challenge. Finally, key recommendations in terms of developing the framework will be shared based on the piloting undertaken. For example, the piloting also revealed the need to revise some of the questions and rethink the number and types of stakeholders from whom primary data needs to be sourced. The importance of developing a standardised framework to measure, monitor and manage the economic impacts of CMT in South Africa remains. This research will inform the development of a framework for CMT. 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, a desktop study funded by the National Department of Tourism (NDT) revealed that there are limited national and international best practices to assess the Show more