This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the evolution of research on tourism small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to outline future research directions for advancing the field. The study systematically reviewed 102 empirical articles, utilising a hybrid review approach that integrates the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4- SLR) guidelines with bibliometric theoretical frameworks. It also employed the Bibliometrix package in R for science mapping analysis. The findings indicate a rapid growth in research on the technology adoption of tourism SMEs over time. Thematic evolution mapping identified nine distinct themes, such as digital transformation, innovation, and marketing, thereby highlighting key trends within the research field. The study revealed theoretical, contextual, and methodological gaps in existing research and made recommendations for future research directions. By combining bibliometric methods with a longitudinal thematic evolution analysis of technology adoption among tourism SMEs, this study identifies future research avenues and practical strategies to inform stakeholders and policymakers in the tourism SME sector. Show less

This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the evolution of research on tourism small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to outline future research directions for advancing the field. The study systematically reviewed 102 empirical articles, utilising a hybrid review approach that integrates the Scientific Show more

This study examines barriers to and opportunities for the growth and development of the tourist guiding subsector, specifically focusing on gendered perspectives and their role in building inclusive resilience in the tourism sector. Employing a quantitative approach, data were collected from tourist guides (n=434), while descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to examine the gendered differences in tourist guiding. The study revealed gendered disparities in barriers to training and qualification accessibility, regulatory ease and enforcement, tourist-guiding qualification processing, database development, and subsector transformation efforts among tourist guides. Despite revealing obstacles, the study highlighted emerging access to resilience opportunities. Recommendations include implementing training programmes tailored to women’s needs and advocating for policy changes that enhance inclusivity, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and diverse tourism sector. The study contributes to the literature on gendered perspectives and has a societal impact on the empowerment of marginalised groups. Show less

This study examines barriers to and opportunities for the growth and development of the tourist guiding subsector, specifically focusing on gendered perspectives and their role in building inclusive resilience in the tourism sector. Employing a quantitative approach, data were collected from tourist guides (n=434), while Show more

As visa regimes evolve worldwide, South Africa must proactively assess and benchmark its own visa policies to understand their impact on overall tourism demand. This is particularly important considering that visa applications and processing can create an administrative burden and financial costs for potential tourists. To enhance the competitiveness of South Africa as a tourism destination, it is crucial to align with global best practices. This includes being responsive to changes in global immigration policies and leveraging technological advancements to streamline visa processes. Additionally, there is a clear need for tailored visa regimes for individual countries, influenced by public diplomacy and other aspects of international relations. Therefore, data-driven policy decisions are essential. It is essential to further assess the potential impact of South Africa's visa policy on tourism demand, particularly when considering the expansion of tourism source markets through enhanced accessibility to key markets. Show less

As visa regimes evolve worldwide, South Africa must proactively assess and benchmark its own visa policies to understand their impact on overall tourism demand. This is particularly important considering that visa applications and processing can create an administrative burden and financial costs for potential tourists. To Show more

The tourism sector is a vital contributor to South Africa’s economy, driving job creation, foreign exchange earnings, and local development. Niche tourism, encompassing specialised segments such as adventure, cultural, rural, and eco-tourism, is an essential component of this sector, offering unique opportunities for sustainable and inclusive growth. Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) are central to this niche, delivering distinctive products and services that enhance the diversity and competitiveness of the tourism landscape. However, as digitalisation reshapes the global tourism industry, the adoption of digital technologies by niche tourism SMMEs in South Africa remains uneven, with significant barriers hindering their ability to fully leverage its benefits. This research focused on exploring the digital technology adoption landscape of niche tourism SMMEs in South Africa. It aimed to identify the key enablers and barriers influencing digital transformation within this sector. The study also examined the role of digitalisation in fostering innovation, improving operational efficiency, and enhancing market access, ultimately contributing to the growth, resilience, and sustainability of tourism SMMEs. Show less

The tourism sector is a vital contributor to South Africa’s economy, driving job creation, foreign exchange earnings, and local development. Niche tourism, encompassing specialised segments such as adventure, cultural, rural, and eco-tourism, is an essential component of this sector, offering unique opportunities for Show more

This research study set out to consider the state of community-based tourism (CBT) and to propose solutions to optimize it in a sustainable manner within the South African tourism context. Since its inception in the 1970s, CBT has been heralded as a “panacea” for the economic upliftment of marginalised and disadvantaged communities the world over. In most cases it has been heralded as having numerous benefits and opportunities for communities that are open to participating in this form of tourism by empowering and uplifting them as active participants within the tourism domain. Essentially the objective of CBT was to ensure that the benefits of tourism remain within the said communities as participatory role players, but at the same time has the effect of preserving and sustaining their cultural heritages and environs for the next generation. As such, CBT has the potential to comply with two United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 1, “No poverty” and SDG 8 “Decent work and economic growth”. In the context of CBT, both at a global and local level, there is a recognition of the limitations of what has often been regarded as a “cure-all” for poverty within underprivileged communities. Its success has been questioned, as has its changing nature in different contexts. This notion of CBT as a “fix-all” has been revisited, not only within the context of CBT, but more broadly in the tourism domain. The twenty-first century has witnessed an increase in critical academic scrutiny of what tourism entails and what its impacts are (or rather should be). While the positives regarding the impact of tourism are acknowledged, the negatives have been increasingly highlighted. This tendency has spilled over into the public domain where resistance against tourists and tourism is on the rise which has led to a cautionary, if not ambivalent, approach to the touristic space. It is in this current context and within the context of the reevaluation of CBT that this study positions itself. Within the South African context, it also took cognisance of the realization that CBT has not always been practiced or engaged with in an optimal manner – hence the rationale to suggest solutions to “optimize” the CBT domain. Show less

This research study set out to consider the state of community-based tourism (CBT) and to propose solutions to optimize it in a sustainable manner within the South African tourism context. Since its inception in the 1970s, CBT has been heralded as a “panacea” for the economic upliftment of marginalised and disadvantaged Show more

Tourism is widely recognised as a key driver of economic growth, employment, and social development in South Africa. However, the sector’s full potential remains underutilised due to persistent challenges such as fragmentation, weak coordination, infrastructure deficiencies, and limited evidence-based understanding of how the tourism supply value chain functions. This study, led by the CSIR, represents the first comprehensive mapping and systems analysis of South Africa’s tourism supply value chain. It reconceptualises tourism not as a collection of isolated sectors, but as a dynamic, interconnected system of sub-sectors, stakeholders, and contextual factors that collectively generate value. The research addresses a major knowledge gap by identifying the structures, interdependencies, and behavioural dynamics that underpin value creation within the tourism system. Specifically, it identifies the key sub-sectors that comprise the value chain, the products and services within each, the stakeholders involved, and the relationships that link them. In doing so, the study provides a holistic picture of how tourism functions as a complex adaptive system that underpins South Africa’s competitiveness, resilience, and sustainable development. Show less

Tourism is widely recognised as a key driver of economic growth, employment, and social development in South Africa. However, the sector’s full potential remains underutilised due to persistent challenges such as fragmentation, weak coordination, infrastructure deficiencies, and limited evidence-based understanding of how Show more

Tourism is a vital economic sector in South Africa, as it has the potential to create job opportunities and offer long-term prospects for accelerating GDP growth and fostering an inclusive economy. Tourism assets can be natural, cultural, or any resource that attracts tourists or is a tourism product in a potential site or existing destination. Tourism assets refer to the existing tourism resources within the knowledge of the community. The country has at its disposal several state-owned assets that play a significant role in the economy. Natural and cultural tourism is based on the management and operation of goods as a form of heritage tourism. The need for positive outcomes has generated a growing emphasis on identifying key success factors. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the management, maintenance, and sustainability of state-owned tourism assets in South Africa. The study employed a mixed-methods approach as a research strategy to combine and integrate both quantitative (numerical) and qualitative (descriptive) data within a single study, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the complex research problem than either approach alone could offer. This methodology is rooted in pragmatism, allowing researchers flexibility to address diverse aspects of a research question by leveraging the strengths of both data types for a broader and deeper perspective. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with stakeholders concerning the management, maintenance and sustainability of state-owned tourism assets. The questionnaires were researcher-administered, targeting tourists to ensure a high return rate. The results show that the management and maintenance of state assets must address the need for continuous improvement as well as an interdisciplinary and strategic business perspective. The research findings indicate that some local governments have a poor track record in directing the use of local assets to support tourism growth. However, most local governments are now striving to manage tourism assets optimally to achieve local economic development. Hence, some are considering various options for investing in Public-Private Partnerships or leasing some parts of these parks to private investors. Maintaining state assets is framed as critical for leveraging them to attract visitors and maximise tourism revenue. Degradation or neglect of facilities undermines perceived quality of the tourism product, potentially deterring visitors and investment. Monitoring and evaluation of the assets entail establishing metrics to track visitor numbers, repeat visitation, 2 dwell times at each site, and the economic impacts achieved in adjacent communities. Some Local Governments face a financial crisis, resulting in inconsistent maintenance of facilities. Show less

Tourism is a vital economic sector in South Africa, as it has the potential to create job opportunities and offer long-term prospects for accelerating GDP growth and fostering an inclusive economy. Tourism assets can be natural, cultural, or any resource that attracts tourists or is a tourism product in a potential site or Show more

Technological advancement and digitalisation within the tourism economy have become increasingly important cornerstones for the continued development and growth of the sector. However, despite the growing recognition of the importance of digitisation of SMMEs in the tourism sector, there are still obstacles to effectively implementing and leveraging digital technologies to enhance competitiveness and sustainability. This results in tourism SMMEs not optimally serving the interests of tourists, thereby hindering the overall competitiveness of destinations. This study investigated the tourism SMME digital technology adoption landscape in South Africa and the potential innovation opportunities to enhance their development, growth, and sustainability. The study adopted a quantitative-dominant mixed-methods research design, following a three-stage approach to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the research phenomenon and to provide multiple perspectives on the digital landscapes of tourism SMMEs in South Africa and how to foster the digital transformation of these enterprises for sustained and resilient growth. Firstly, a systematic literature review was conducted to understand the tourism SMMEs’ technology adoption landscape. Secondly, a quantitative approach, using surveys, was used to gather data from registered tourism SMMEs in South Africa, specifically from the owners of tourism SMMEs across the provinces of the Free State, Gauteng, North West, Northern Cape, and Western Cape. These SMMEs were selected from the main tourism subsectors, including accommodation, attractions and activities, travel services, food and beverage services, and meetings, exhibitions, and special events. Lastly, a qualitative approach was employed during which semi-structured interviews were conducted with key personnel at government departments responsible for tourism SMMEs development and support. Multiple sampling techniques (stratified, purposive, and snowballing) were adopted for the quantitative and qualitative approaches. Findings from the systematic literature review revealed a growth in tourism SMMEs studies in terms of articles published and cited from 2005 to 2024, and the evolution of themes centres around digital transformation, innovation, digital marketing, and developing countries from 2015 to 2024. Findings from the surveys reveal that tourism SMMEs are dominated by micro enterprises and SMMEs that have been operating for more than 10 years, indicating long-established businesses. Show less

Technological advancement and digitalisation within the tourism economy have become increasingly important cornerstones for the continued development and growth of the sector. However, despite the growing recognition of the importance of digitisation of SMMEs in the tourism sector, there are still obstacles to Show more

This study examined the role of Community-Based Tourism Initiatives (CBTIs) in addressing poverty and unemployment, assessing community participation, and evaluating associated benefits and challenges in Mkhuhlu, South Africa. A qualitative design was adopted, employing seven in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions with residents, with data analysed through thematic content analysis (TCA). Findings reveal that CBTIs generate tangible benefits, including temporary employment, entrepreneurial opportunities, supplementary household income, and the preservation of cultural heritage. However, systemic barriers such as weak governance, lack of accountability, financial instability, exclusion from decision-making, and seasonal fluctuations significantly constrain long-term sustainability. In practice, CBTIs require a transition towards community-centred models that institutionalise transparent governance and equitable benefit-sharing. At the policy level, there is a need to strengthen institutional frameworks and foster inclusive multi-stakeholder partnerships. The study contributes theoretically by applying Social Exchange Theory (SET) to a rural South African context, illustrating how trust, reciprocity, and perceptions of fairness shape community participation. Its broader value lies in underscoring governance and participation as decisive factors for transforming CBTIs into sustainable drivers of rural empowerment and resilience. Show less

This study examined the role of Community-Based Tourism Initiatives (CBTIs) in addressing poverty and unemployment, assessing community participation, and evaluating associated benefits and challenges in Mkhuhlu, South Africa. A qualitative design was adopted, employing seven in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions Show more

Digital transformation and innovation have become pivotal in enhancing the competitiveness and sustainability of the tourism sector. Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), which form the backbone of tourism destinations, particularly in South Africa, play a vital role in the sector's transformation and serve as a livelihood pillar, particularly in job creation and entrepreneurial development. Despite the increasing recognition of the need for digitalisation, many tourism SMMEs face significant barriers to effectively utilising digital technologies. As such, the study investigates the drivers for and challenges of technology adoption by SMMEs, using quantitative data gathered from tourism SMME owners through stratified, purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Descriptives and multivariate tests were performed. The study highlights the prominent digital tools adopted, as well as their benefits and challenges. Findings revealed significant differences among tourism SMMEs’ perceived benefits driving technology adoption and challenges of using digital technologies by level of experience. The insights offer valuable guidance to develop targeted strategies that foster innovation, resilience and sustainable growth within the tourism industry. Show less

Digital transformation and innovation have become pivotal in enhancing the competitiveness and sustainability of the tourism sector. Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), which form the backbone of tourism destinations, particularly in South Africa, play a vital role in the sector's transformation and serve as a Show more