Despite it being widely recognised that the Bushmen of southern Africa have the oldest DNA in the world, and that they are the first peoples of the region, their voices are often the last to be heard in matters pertaining to their continued existence. They have faced centuries of ethnocide, dispossession and marginalisation, a situation perpetuated under the new democratic governments of southern Africa. Besides oversimplified and outright inaccurate portrayals of the Bushmen as ‘primitive man’ throughout the period of colonisation, they have more recently been romanticised in idyllic portrayals in tourism marketing. While this has resulted in many deciding to distance themselves from their culture, others who at first eagerly embraced tourism, have been put on show like “animals in a zoo” for tourists to view the ‘exotic and primitive indigenous people of Africa’. This has contributed to a trivialisation and commodification of their culture, with only few success stories. This study traces the history of the Bushmen both in terms of their invidious position in southern Africa and in tourism. It examines two juxtaposing examples of Bushmen tourism ventures and argues that by embracing both the traditional and modern, such ventures can succeed. Show less

Despite it being widely recognised that the Bushmen of southern Africa have the oldest DNA in the world, and that they are the first peoples of the region, their voices are often the last to be heard in matters pertaining to their continued existence. They have faced centuries of ethnocide, dispossession and marginalisation, Show more

Global pandemics have played an enormous role in shaping the tourism landscape. This dissertation focuses on the impact of pandemics on tourism by bringing together the responses to crisis from stakeholders in the 20th and 21st centuries. It examines historical pandemics from the Spanish influenza (1918) to COVID-19 (2019) to compare and identify the trends in policies and their effectiveness. Emphasis is placed on the importance of tourism in global economies and the recovery strategies post-disaster. Tourism-dependent countries are concerned about these disturbances as it leads to a fall in international travel that exacerbates economic problems, especially in developing nations. The research adopts an analytical approach which illuminates both historical policy triumphs and failures to inform future strategies. It draws together aspects from policymakers and stakeholders in order to build a more resilient and adaptable economy that emphasises a need for post-COVID-19 positioning. Various government interventions are considered and conclusions are drawn from both successful and failing methods that could highlight key indicators to assist governments with economic recovery. Finally, the research critiques government responses and suggests ways to improve them to highlight how policymakers should prepare for future crises and indicates how tourism can become more resilient and adaptable post-pandemic. Show less

Global pandemics have played an enormous role in shaping the tourism landscape. This dissertation focuses on the impact of pandemics on tourism by bringing together the responses to crisis from stakeholders in the 20th and 21st centuries. It examines historical pandemics from the Spanish influenza (1918) to COVID-19 (2019) Show more

COVID-19 brought travel as we know it to a complete standstill. At the time it was believed that the impact of the pandemic was unprecedented and that the projected recovery would need to be both different and transformative. This was particularly evident from a product (supply) point of view given the renewed attempts to increase tourists (demand) to destinations. As a result of this hiatus, the travel industry needed to reconsider the shape and form of the tourism product in order to revive and ensure its sustainability. The objective of this investigation is to demonstrate how the product (supply) could be remodelled in a destabilised environment as a contingency plan so as to maintain and sustain tourist arrivals (demand) in the wake of any internal crises and other external emergencies. As a result, this article presents research on a newly devised novel approach to remodel the actual supply-side of the domestic tourism value chain so as to become more resilient and resistant. In principle this remodelling hones in on stimulating the development of a tourism product that takes into account other dimensions that were not formerly or conventionally regarded as part of the hyper-local touristic experience. Show less

COVID-19 brought travel as we know it to a complete standstill. At the time it was believed that the impact of the pandemic was unprecedented and that the projected recovery would need to be both different and transformative. This was particularly evident from a product (supply) point of view given the renewed attempts to Show more

The study focused on enabling small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) survival and growth during and post the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has had devastating impacts on SMMEs that have high levels of vulnerabilities associated with the lack of resources and capacity to respond to disruptions. SMMEs are deemed to be critical to driving entrepreneurship and innovation, economic development and job creation. Supporting tourism SMMEs to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic is not only important for socio-economic development, but is central to ensuring that the tourism sector is on pathways to recovery, sustainability and future resiliency. The theoretical/ conceptual framework (specifically stakeholder, post-structuralist and diffusion theories linked to technology acceptance models) that informs the research reflects the multi-disciplinary and inter-sectorial orientation. A desktop study informed the research that focused on key thematic areas: contextualising the importance of tourism and tourism SMMEs specifically, tourism SMMEs and the COVID-19 pandemic context and trends, the role of tourism SMMEs generally and in South Africa specifically, COVID-19 impacts on SMMEs, and government and tourism SMME responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed methods approach was adopted using both quantitative (404 SMME surveys) and qualitative (12 key informant interviews) methods. The main findings indicate that tourism SMME differ considerably in relation to the location operating from, turnover, the status of the business in terms of formality, number of employees, number of years in operation and activities involved in. Most SMMEs experienced severe turnover and staff losses associated with the pandemic (and in the case of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal compounded by the social unrest as well). Restrictions on travel, social interactions and consumption (including alcohol bans) were key reasons that impacts on demand and thereby the revenues of SMMEs. The most vulnerable businesses in relation to COVID-19 pandemic impacts were micro enterprises since they have limited resources and opportunities to access support. The results suggest that tourism SMMEs are on a recovery pathway. However, some SMMEs will not recover while others are likely to take a longer time to be fully operational. Different and multiple types of SMMEs were adopting a range of tools and measures to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic that included employee changes, business/ organisational adjustments and financial changes. Accessing government and other external support was limited. Small and medium businesses located in urban areas were more likely to be aware of and access external support. This study proposes a tourism SMME recovery framework that uses Drivers, Pressures, State, Impacts and Reponses (DSPIR) model, an awareness campaign and training framework, and the Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological, Ecological and Legal (PESTEL) model. A key recommendation is improvements in the conceptualisation, administration and implementation of financial support provided. Recommendations for implementation are also suggested and include coordination, activity management, knowledge management, resource management, and monitoring and evaluation. Show less

The study focused on enabling small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) survival and growth during and post the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has had devastating impacts on SMMEs that have high levels of vulnerabilities associated with the lack of resources and capacity to respond to disruptions. SMMEs Show more

Urban tourism has become an important sector within the global tourism industry as it is able to serve a range of tourists, satisfy their needs, and exceed their expectations. The urban environment usually is seen as “standing alone” with regards to the operational aspects of tourism, however, it has become increasingly recognised as an integral part of the tourist experience. With this in mind, the City of Cape Town has become an increasingly popular urban tourism destination on the African continent. The City of Cape Town’s unique geographical location and history has had a significant influence on its tourism industry and contributed to the development of various tourism sectors, each with their own attractions and experiences in and around the city. As a result, urban tourism in all its facets increased the City of Cape Town’s share of the global tourism industry and made it a more attractive domestic and international urban tourist destination largely in part to the public-private partnership between the City of Cape Town (municipality) and Cape Town Tourism (official marketing organisation for Cape Town). Cape Town Tourism has also been invited to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to serve on the Destination and Business Council and present this public-private tourism model at its annual general meeting. Consequently, the immense diversity of Cape Town’s tourism sectors and its tourism model has contributed to its popularity as an urban tourism destination with an exemplary urban tourism product that could be adapted and transferred to other African cities. Show less

Urban tourism has become an important sector within the global tourism industry as it is able to serve a range of tourists, satisfy their needs, and exceed their expectations. The urban environment usually is seen as “standing alone” with regards to the operational aspects of tourism, however, it has become increasingly Show more

Tourism is widely considered to be a viable vector for sustainable socio-economic development on the African continent due to the integrative nature of its value chain (forward and backward linkages with suppliers and service providers), as well as economic multiplier effect (tourism receipts, export products, employment creation, local economic development) (Matiza & Slabbert, 2019). However, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced moratorium on domestic and international travel, tourism demand decreased significantly. The tourism industry received no income or visitors for several months, negatively influencing the value chain and labour market. It is true that a number of strategies were implemented to curb the effect of restrictions on the travel and tourism industry, such as pivoting from international to domestic tourism, allowing limited travel, providing support to the industry, etc. However, these strategies cannot guarantee a quick and complete recovery of the tourism industry. Added to this, the continuous uncertainty about the management of such a pandemic demands a future view of how to ensure that the South African tourism industry does not face the same challenges and is more prepared to ensure the sustainability and resilience of this industry. Based on a mixed-method approach, both the supply (qualitative research) and demand (quantitative research) sides of the industry were reviewed in the development of a resilience model for the tourism industry where specific actions and reactions of government, industry role players, and tourists guide the resuscitation of the industry. A two-phased model resulting from the research will yield immediate results that will direct the decisions taken by the government and the industry. Show less

Tourism is widely considered to be a viable vector for sustainable socio-economic development on the African continent due to the integrative nature of its value chain (forward and backward linkages with suppliers and service providers), as well as economic multiplier effect (tourism receipts, export products, employment Show more

The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused unprecedented socio-economic impacts and, at the same time, raised awareness of the role social and environmental sustainability needs to play in our everyday life and economic activities. Despite the significant negative impacts of the pandemic on tourism in South Africa, the crisis provides an opportunity to transform value chains towards responsible consumption and production needed for a sustainable and inclusive recovery of the sector. Rural tourism is ideally placed to respond to this. With our unique, diverse and unspoilt rural areas there are a wealth of opportunities for small, medium and micro enterprises to grow and develop sustainable tourism products in rural contexts. However, in doing so, tourism growth in rural areas needs to be decoupled from the depletion of natural resources and contribute towards livelihoods and wellbeing of communities through the growth of local economies. Within the rural tourism sector, local economic development and environmental protection should not be seen as opposing forces—they should be pursued together as aspirations that can and should be mutually reinforcing. The purpose of this study was to systematically gain an understanding of the rural tourism value chain to identify transformation opportunities for a sustainable, resource efficient and inclusive growth path post COVID-19. The study involved mapping the rural tourism value chain by identifying all the economic activities and the associated tourism enterprise service providers that lead to value creation. Further to this, the interconnected value creation relationships between the varies rural tourism activities were identified followed by the interconnected relationships that lead to socio-economic value and environmental concerns. This whole value chain analysis provided an understanding of how value is pervasive throughout the rural tourism value chain specifically the implications of this value on rural communities and the environment. Lifecycle inventories that investigated the components of each value creating rural tourism activity, enabled the identification of all the social and environmental aspects of the services provided by the rural tourism service providers. Secondary data was then used to identify hotspots (priority areas) in the value chain specifically in terms of resource use, emissions and effluents, and solid waste. The hotspots on the rural tourism value chain include: greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from vehicles travelling to and around rural areas; use of energy in rural tourism products; sourcing of food and beverage; food waste; lack of capacity in waste infrastructure to deal with solid and hazardous waste; water use; and unsustainable harvesting of natural resources. Strategic interventions that support the sustainable transition of these hotspots were determined. These interventions include aspects promoting efficient use of natural resources, SMME development and inclusivity. The strategic interventions which include short, medium and long-term priorities will need to be developed into a transition framework for action. Show less

The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused unprecedented socio-economic impacts and, at the same time, raised awareness of the role social and environmental sustainability needs to play in our everyday life and economic activities. Despite the significant negative impacts of the pandemic on tourism in South Africa, the crisis Show more

Urban tourism has become an important sector within the global tourism industry as it is able to serve a range of tourists and contribute to the local economy. The urban environment usually is seen as “standing alone” with regards to the operational aspects of tourism, however, it has become increasingly recognised as an integral part of the tourist experience. Within this context, this study set out to investigate the phenomenon of urban tourism and its impact in both the City of Cape Town, a coastal urban destination and legislative capital of South Africa, and the City of Tshwane, an inland urban destination and administrative capital of South Africa. Hence, this study will focus on both capital cities’ respective tourism industries, initiatives and strategies. Through this, it aims to identify criteria and actions implemented in each local case study for comparison and evaluation in order to determine whether the City of Cape Town’s approach to tourism development can be considered as a sustainable urban tourism development model for the City of Tshwane. Show less

Urban tourism has become an important sector within the global tourism industry as it is able to serve a range of tourists and contribute to the local economy. The urban environment usually is seen as “standing alone” with regards to the operational aspects of tourism, however, it has become increasingly recognised as an Show more

The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on the global tourism industry. Evidence indicates that the recovery will need to be both different and innovative, especially from a product (supply) point of view given the renewed attempts to increase tourists (demand) to destinations. This research report argues that the pandemic has inevitably become the catalyst to compel the tourism domain to reconsider, redefine, reimagine, reignite and reinvigorate the sector in ways that have not been conceived of before. In essence, this amounts to what we term the “remodelling” – in other words radically and fundamentally changing and altering – tourism. From a practical point of view, there is a general consensus globally that the “restarting” of tourism within this prevailing environment needs to turn to the local domestic tourism domain as the starting point. In order to elevate domestic tourism it is argued that the focus needs to be on the product (supply). The key concern of this research report is therefore to devise a manner in which the product within the context of the domestic tourism market in South Africa can be remodelled within a COVID-19 environment. This study focuses on a novel approach to the actual product within the local domestic domain. This remodelling honed in on encouraging and stimulating the development of a tourism product that takes into account other dimensions and aspects that were not conventionally regarded as part of the tourism offering. By focussing on the product, this research argues that you can remodel the supply in order to have a knock-on effect in terms of demand at a local or domestic level in order to resuscitate tourism. It is within this South African domestic tourism ambit that Show less

The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on the global tourism industry. Evidence indicates that the recovery will need to be both different and innovative, especially from a product (supply) point of view given the renewed attempts to increase tourists (demand) to destinations. This research report argues that Show more

This chapter focuses on a case study in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, home to one of the oldest indigenous peoples in the world, the //Khomani San. It will explain how a strategy can be developed to engage with, while at the same time monitoring the inclusion of ISTs within the tourism domain. Besides creating a procedure to incorporate these community voices into the tourist experience, the relationship is addressed between ISTs, tourist guides and tourists. It will argue that a mutually beneficial relationship needs to be in place for the effective involvement of ISTs in the broader heritage tourism realm. This will transform the tourist experience and understanding and enhance the position and place of the indigenous community within the heritage tourism sector in a sustainable manner. Show less

This chapter focuses on a case study in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, home to one of the oldest indigenous peoples in the world, the //Khomani San. It will explain how a strategy can be developed to engage with, while at the same time monitoring the inclusion of ISTs within the tourism domain. Besides creating Show more