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

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 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

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

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

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

In common with the rest of the world, the tourism sector of South Africa experienced the radical impacts of COVID-19. 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. Little knowledge exists to understand how COVID-19 has affected the supply and demand of tourism products in South Africa. It is against the background of the rolling COVID-19 pandemic, its devastating impacts for tourism and of initiatives for re-igniting demand focused on domestic tourism that this research was undertaken. The aim of the study is to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the demand and supply of tourism products, with a view to propose interventions to meet the needs of tourists, particularly domestic tourists, post COVID-19 through an approach of undertaking case studies of local destinations offering a different mix of tourism products. The research involved a demand-side and supply-side analysis. The demand-side involved a desktop review of existing international literature relating to COVID-19 and consumer travel intentions. Material from 23 countries was accessed to reveal several themes about risk perceptions and consumer travel intentions as well as of changing demand preferences in the context of the continuing COVID-19 crisis. The supply-side of the research was done through the approach/lens of undertaking case studies of local destinations each of which offers a differing mix of tourism products and thus of challenges/opportunities. Three locality case studies were undertaken of tourism product clusters focused on Bela-Bela, Limpopo, Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga and Overstrand, Western Cape. Across these areas, 60 interviews were undertaken with key private sector tourism product owners. The interview schedule was designed to determine the issues of COVID-19 impacts including responses of enterprises, their challenges and potential support requirements/interventions to address any opportunities in relation to domestic tourism. From the demand-side and supply-side analysis, the results from this investigation point to a total of 13 policy recommendations for the Department of Tourism in addressing the impact of COVID on changing tourism demand and supply. Overall, the analysis and research findings provide the foundations of an evidence base to inform the Department of Tourism of policy opportunities in order to shape the tourism sector’s supply and demand for meeting the needs and changing demands of (especially) South African domestic tourists in the COVID-19 environment. Show less

In common with the rest of the world, the tourism sector of South Africa experienced the radical impacts of COVID-19. 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. Little knowledge exists to Show more

The overall aim of the study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the Tourism-Transport Interface in South Africa with a view to proposing a scenario where this relationship might create opportunities for tourism to prosper post COVID-19. The research followed a three-step process beginning with a systematic description, based on literature and secondary data, of the overall tourism/transport interface and the modes of transport, with particular reference to air and road transport. Thereafter, interviews with senior stakeholders in the airline, bus/coach and car rental industries were conducted, with these outcomes supplemented by available statistics, providing some insight into the impact of COVID-19 on the relevant sectors. The third step in the research method was to conduct scenario planning workshops with leaders in the aviation (completed), car rental (completed) and coach/bus travel (pending) sectors. The research underscores the integral nature of transport to tourism as the enabler of accessibility to, and connectivity within, South Africa as a tourist destination. The transport/ tourism interface is shown to be a highly interdependent system influenced strongly by demand, policies, infrastructure and inter-modality. While history has had a strong influence on modal choice for tourism purposes in South Africa, current pre-COVID challenges in the transport sector such as consumer behavior, transport policies and regulations, infrastructure and resource limitations are affecting international, regional and domestic tourism. One of the biggest challenges in reporting on the impact of transport for tourism and vice versa is the lack of focused data which can reflect the true nature of the interdependence of tourism and transport. Taken from various primary and secondary sources and from an international, regional and domestic perspective, this study found that most transport modes used for tourism purposes have been under pressure with little to no growth over the past number of years (pre-COVID). Rail travel as an option for tourists has decreased substantially, both regionally and domestically, there has been no real growth in coach/bus travel and declining growth in the car rental market. Private motor vehicles remain the most used for domestic tourism, particularly for purposes of VFR but the shortcomings in focused research data remains problematic in drawing accurate conclusions on this market. Show less

The overall aim of the study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the Tourism-Transport Interface in South Africa with a view to proposing a scenario where this relationship might create opportunities for tourism to prosper post COVID-19. The research followed a three-step process beginning with a systematic description, 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