"In a world beset by conflict and division, peace is one of the cornerstones of the future. Peace parks are building blocks in this process, not only in our region, but potentially in the entire world." These words of the l ate- former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa on the concept of Peace Parks, underl ines their importance beyond the na tural into the human domain . This disser ta tion focusses on an understanding o f Peace Parks or Transfrontier Conservat ion Areas (TFCAs) in the context of southern Africa and shows how c ol laboration can be used as a tool for the development o f these a re as . T h e t hr ee m ai n a im s of “TFC As ” are t o co nse rv e bio lo gic al d iversity, crea te a plat form for pover ty allevia tion and most importantl y, to promote a culture of peace amongst all nati ons i nvol ved in their development. In order to address this concept, the Great Limpopo Transfront ier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) i s used as an example of how South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe are col laborating their ef for ts towards common goals in terms of biological conserva tion and pover ty alleviation as wel l tou rism and economic development . I n sum, this dissert ation ana lyses col laboration and cooperation in depth as a tool f or t our ism development wi thin the context of t ransfrontier conservation areas in sout hern Africa. / Dissertation (MHCS)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Historical and Heritage Studies / MHCS / Unrestricted

Para el logro de un desarrollo sano es de vital importancia contar con un equilibrio económico en los diferentes rubros de la actividad productiva de las ciudades hermanas (CJS- ELP) y no sólo concretarse al ámbito de la 'maquila'. Si bien el turismo como una opción es viable, su incorporación como forma activa para otras regiones económicas del mismo estado no se ha presentado, de manera que la búsqueda de alternativas para atraer visitantes es aún un desafío para la actividad turística de Juárez-El Paso. La interrogante para los inversionistas y el gobierno es cómo encaminar los esfuerzos en la actividad turística que permitan un crecimiento armónico en la región binacional.La nvestigación, plantea valorar el fenómeno del turismo transfronterizo y se acomete una aproximación de las condiciones reticulares de los actores- stakeholders del turismo de la actividad turística en la frontera México - Estados Unidos bajo un entorno de inseguridad, mediante el análisis del caso de las ciudades hermanas de Ciudad Juárez - El Paso. Los objetivos específicos del examen reticular permiten concebir una relación entre la conformación de redes dinámicas en un espacio territorial fronterizo con potencialidades de alianzas, colaboración y cooperación en un destino binacional. / To achieve healthy development is essential to have an economic balance in the different areas of productive activity in the sister cities (CJS-ELP) and not only realized the scope of the 'maquila'. While tourism is a viable option, its incorporation as a proactive manner to other economic regions of the state has not been submitted, so that the search for alternatives to attract visitors is still a challenge for tourism in Juarez - El Paso. The question for investors and the government is how to direct efforts in tourism to allow balanced growth in the binational region. The research raises assess the phenomenon of cross-border tourism and begin an approximation of the reticular conditions of the actors- stakeholders in tourism in the Mexico - United States under a climate of insecurity, by analyzing the case of sister cities of Ciudad Juárez - El Paso. The specific objectives of the reticular review design allow a relationship between the formation of dynamic networks in a territorial area bordering potential partnerships, collaboration and cooperation in a bi-national destiny.

The growth in Laos’ economy has been increasingly important in terms of consumption and tourism within Thailand. Currently, however, few studies have attempted to develop a marketing strategy for regional retailers in this emerging nation. This research is concerned with developing an appropriate marketing strategy that balances supply and demand within this regional market. Given that marketing relies heavily on understanding consumer behaviour, the objectives of this study are, first, to develop a cross-border shopper taxonomy in a regional market using benefit segmentation. In order to develop this marketing strategy, the research identified consumer expectations in order to explore how to achieve a competitive advantage that matches consumer needs with the available supplies. This cross-border shopping taxonomy provides a starting point for a holistic evaluation that will assist retailers in making marketing decisions. The study then attempts to understand the current market situations and marketing in practice from the perspective of suppliers. After assessing the correspondence between demand and supply, recommendations on strategic marketing are offered to Thai retailers at the end of the investigation. This study employed both quantitative and qualitative research methods, with 337 questionnaires and seven in-depth interviews. The survey was conducted in Thailand between December 2013 and January 2014. The data were collected from three provinces in the northeast region of Thailand that share a border with Laos: Nongkhai, Mukdahan and Nakorn Phanom. These provinces have high potential in respect to both tourism and retail developments. In addition, the seven interviewees with retailers and policy planners examined the implementation of market segmentation and marketing strategies. The data from the interviews was interpreted and compared with the quantitative data in order to investigate the correspondence between supply and demand. In order to classify cross-border shoppers, the major statistical analyses used were EFA and cluster analysis based on benefits sought. Segments were profiled with travel behaviour, shopping behaviour and demographic variables. ANOVA and MANOVA were employed to test differences between groups. After that, the research explored expectations through the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) in order to identify priorities for developing a competitive advantage. The results show that cross-border shoppers in the regional markets of Thailand consist of four segments: the Enthusiastic shoppers, the Leisure-tourist shoppers, the Product-focused shoppers and the Practical shoppers. These segments relate to the benefits sought, and correlate with different demographic variables, shopping activities and consumption patterns. Moreover, they have different expectations towards place attributes which are important for designing a marketing strategy that is suitable to each segment. Unfortunately, the interviewees from the supply side provided less marketing response to the cross-border tourist marketing. The implications of the findings are, first, that benefit segmentation is associated with demographic variables, shopping activities and expenditures. In addition, the evidence suggests some misunderstandings on the part of suppliers in respect to cross-border demand. The evaluation of demand and supply contributed recommendations for the design and management of effective marketing strategies for cross-border shoppers in this emerging nation.