Vikten av privat sparande har aldrig varit större och samtidigt som den finansiella marknaden har blivit mer riskfylld har fler privatpersoner börjat investera i aktier. Många studier, såväl nationella som internationella, har återkommande gånger visat att den finansiella okunskapen är utbredd och att ett flertal individer saknar grundläggande ekonomisk förståelse för begrepp som har en direkt påverkan på deras privatekonomi. Samtidigt har andra studier återkommande gånger konstaterat att investerare besitter ett allt för högt självförtroende i förhållande till sin faktiska finansiella förmåga, vilket i praktiken kan leda till att individer utsätter sig för betydligt högre finansiella risker än de är medvetna om. I denna studie undersöker författarna relationen mellan den aktieintresserade svenskens uppskattade- och faktiska finansiella förmåga, samt hur den påverkar dennes spar- och riskbeteende gällande deltagande på aktiemarknaden, val av att delegera investeringsbeslut, diversifiering, handelsfrekvens samt spontanitet på aktiemarknaden. Syftet är att undersöka om den uppskattade finansiella förmågan systematiskt varierar med den individens faktiska förmåga samt personlighets karaktäristiska. Vidare syftar studien till att öka investerares medvetenhet om sitt egna beteende för att hjälpa denne att fatta mer genomtänkta investeringsbeslut. Med ett deduktivt angreppssätt och en positivistisk kunskapssyn har författarna genomfört en kvantitativ undersökning på data insamlad via en webbaserad enkätundersökning. Enkäten publicerades i två grupper på Facebook för aktieintresserade individer mellan datumen 11/3–2018 till 20/3–2018. Utifrån den insamlade datan kunde t-test samt regressionsanalyser konstatera att den aktieintresserade svenskens uppskattade finansiella förmåga varierade systematiskt med dennes faktiska finansiella förmåga. Individer med låg finansiell förmåga överskattar sin förmåga medan individer med hög finansiell förmåga underskattar sin förmåga. Testen fann även att överskattningen steg med intresse, ålder, om individen läst en ekonomikurs samt om individen var man. Finansiell förmåga påverkar även investerare att själva fatta investeringsbeslut istället för att delegera uppgiften till utomstående. Inga signifikanta resultat hittades för att nivån på finansiell förmåga eller graden av överskattning påverkade spar- eller riskbeteende. De signifikanta resultat som identifierats angående spar- och riskbeteende är att äldre är mer diversifierade; kvinnor är mer spontana på aktiemarknaden; kvinnor har en högre handelsfrekvens än män; de som läst på universitet är mindre spontana på aktiemarknaden; de som läst ekonomikurs är mer spontana på aktiemarknaden. Utifrån resultatet uppmanar författarna investerare att ifrågasätta sin förmåga och politiker till att se över skol- samt pensionssystemet. Genom att förse elever med finansiell kunskap kan deras övervärderade uppskattning av sin förmåga minska och genom att låta myndigheter ta ett större ansvar för pensionen minskar risken att individens framtida pension försämras på grund av felaktiga investeringsbeslut till följd av individens missuppfattade finansiella förmåga.

M.A. / The study of the two possible routes for the magnetite slurry pipeline between Phalaborwa and Maputo was motivated because of the impact it can have on the environment. Since the early 1970's the environment has become more and more important to the people that live in it. By law any development should by forgone by an Environmental Impact Assessment, and for that reason this study was undertaken. Environmental Impact Assessment (E.I.A.) measures impacts of one or more environmental indicators on the environment. Further more an Environmental Impact Assessment means a national procedure for evaluating the likely impact of a proposed activity on the environment. It is thus a tool used to minimise the impacts of human development on the environment. This tool will be used to compare the two routes and to identify the route with less Environmental Impact. Within the growing field of environmental science and engineering, there is increasing interest in and use of Environmental Assessment (EA). In this form of assessment, the experts evaluate the probable impact of a range of alternative actions that have been proposed in response to a problem, in this case the placing of a pipeline from Phalaborwa to Maputo. Environmental Impacts may be considered in light of economic, social, or security constraints; hence the lightest impact is not necessarily always chosen by planners.

M.Sc. (Zoology) / A number of chemical substances in mining, industrial, agricultural and domestic effluents are likely to contaminate watercourses. These toxicants have a definite effect on all aquatic life, even at sublethal concentrations. Due to the extensive copper mining activities in the Phalaborwa region, there is concern that the sublethal effect of copper might affect the physiology of fish in the Olifants River, Kruger National Park, Transvaal. Copper can be found as an essential micronutrient in nearly all waters, although anthropogenic sources such as metals from mining and planting industries might produce environmental concentrations causing toxic effects to fish. Several effects of exposure to sublethal concentrations of copper have already been reported in fish, In the present study, the blood coagulation, general haematology, osmoregulation and differential white blood cell counts of the Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus were investigated after the exposures to sublethal concentrations of copper, for a short-term (96 hours) exposure as well as a long-term (four weeks) exposure in experimental flow through systems, at both 29 ± I°C and 19 ± I°C. After the respective sublethal exposures, changes in the values of blood coagulation, general haematology, osmoregulation and differential white blood cell counts were obtained, to determine the effects of the chosen copper concentrations on the blood physiology of O. mossambicus, at 29 + 10 and 19 ± I°C, respectively. After a photographic observation of blood, during all the phases of coagulation was made, it was evident that the exposure to copper, at both temperatures, resulted in delays of the blood coagulation times as well as decreases in the elasticity of the clots that formed. Copper was found to induce haemophilia at 29 ± I°C and 19 ± l°C. whilst at 19 ± I°C it also induced thrombocytopenia. Thus exposure to copper lead to coagulation defects which caused haemorrhage which can eventually cause the death of these fish...

Bacillus anthracis is the causal agent of anthrax which primarily affects ungulates, occasionally carnivores and less frequently humans. The endospores of this soil-borne bacterium are highly resistant to extreme conditions, and under ideal conditions, anthrax spores can survive for many years in the soil. The bacterium is generally found in soil at sites where infected animals have died. When these spores are exposed, they have the potential to be ingested by a mammalian species which could lead to an anthrax outbreak. Anthrax is almost never transmitted directly from host to host, but is rather ingested by herbivores while drinking, grazing or browsing in a contaminated environment, with the exception of scavengers and carnivores consuming infected prey. Anthrax is known to be endemic in the northern part of Kruger National Park (KNP) in South Africa (SA), with occasional epidemics spreading southward into the non-endemic areas. The aim of this study is to identify and map areas that are ecologically suitable for the harbouring of B. anthracis spores within the KNP. Anthrax surveillance data and selected environmental variables were used as inputs to the maximum entropy (Maxent) species distribution modelling method. Five-hundred and ninety-seven anthrax occurrence records, dating from the year 1988 to 2011, were extracted from the Skukuza State Veterinary Office’s database. A total of 40 environmental variables were used and their relative contribution to predicting suitability for anthrax occurrence was evaluated using Maxent software (version 3.3.3k). Variables showing the highest gain were then used for subsequent, refined model iterations until the final model parameters were established. The environmental variables that contributed the most to the occurrence of anthrax were soil type, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), land type and precipitation. A map was created using a geographic information system (GIS) that illustrates the sites where anthrax spores are most likely to occur throughout the Park. This included the known endemic Pafuri region as well as the low lying soils along the Shingwedzi-Phugwane-Bubube rivers and the Letaba-Olifants river drainage area. The outputs of this study could guide future targeted surveillance efforts to focus on areas predicted to be highly suitable for anthrax, especially since the KNP uses passive surveillance to detect anthrax outbreaks. Knowing where to look can improve sampling efficiency and lead to increased understanding of the ecology of anthrax within the KNP. / Dissertation (MMedVet)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Production Animal Studies / unrestricted

Genetic variation, structure and dispersal among Cape buffalo populations from the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi and Kruger National Parks of South Africa Barend Jacobus (Ben) Greyling Doctor of Philosophy (Zoology) Department of Zoology and Entomology Supervisor: Prof. Armanda Slager-Bastos Co-supervisor: Dr. Pim van Hooft 2007 The research reported on in this thesis is aimed at quantifying and qualifying, using a molecular genetics approach, some of the factors that influence the population dynamics of Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer) from the Kruger National Park (KNP) and Hluhluwe-imFolozi park (HiP) in South Africa. Prior to large-scale genotyping of animals sampled from these parks, a high-throughput, cost- and time-effective profiling system was developed. The system, based on a panel of 17 microsatellites (Msats), was found to be quite suitable for the intended application, since it uncovered substantial genetic variation, while exclusion probabilities were in excess of 0.999 and a random match probability of 6.5 x 10-17 was obtained. Inter-population level analyses revealed that the two populations were significantly differentiated (Msat data: FST = 0.159; mtDNA data: FST = 0.275), while little or no differentiation could be demonstrated among most herds and subpopulations. It seems that while drift has played a major role in divergence of the two populations, gene flow is the primary driving force behind the maintenance of genetic variation among herds and subpopulations. A striking feature was that HiP exhibited significant lower levels of genetic variation than KNP, which is reflected by the fact that a mere 4 haplotypes could be found in HiP compared to 34 identified in KNP. The absence of geographic partitioning and small genetic distances separating the haplotypes may be attributed to genetic contact between the respective populations in the distant past. The reduced levels of genetic variation in HiP may be the remnants of the rinderpest bottleneck. HiP also displayed signals of a population contraction, while KNP is in equilibrium and seems to have retained substantial levels of genetic variation. HiP also experienced a steady decline in genetic variation from 1986 to 2004, while sex-biased dispersal was less pronounced in HiP than in KNP, possibly due to the lack of mtDNA diversity and the small size of the park. The results presented here provide valuable baseline information for making conservation management decisions from a genetic point of view. / Thesis (PhD (Zoology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Zoology and Entomology / unrestricted

This thesis reports on the number of individuals in Macrotermes natalensis (Hav.) colonies, their biomass and food consumption in the northern Kruger National Park (KNP). The ecology of M. natalensis is largely undocumented despite the abundance of colonies in southern African savannas. New approaches to mound excavation, sub-sampling and data management are introduced. Via the intracolonial demography of colonies the contribution of each caste in number or proportion is determined. Using this information in combination with body mass and mound density data, biomass per unit area has been computed indicating the importance of this termite in synecology. The measurement of food consumption gives further insight as to how much litter is removed, fragmented and redistributed as nutrients in the ecosystem. Mounds were completely excavated, termites collected by means of vacuuming, and colony size estimated by sub-sampling. It was estimated that, on average, small mounds contain more than 5 000, medium mounds more than 45 000, and large mounds more than 200 000 individual termites. A highly significant relationship between total number of individuals (N ) and mound height (h ) was found, given by lnN = 7.893 + 1.093h (r = 0.92). The proportion of soldiers was found to change as colonies grew larger. In order to derive biomass estimates, a statistical bootstrap procedure was carried out using three databases: body mass, colony population sizes and mound density. Live biomass for small, medium and large mounds was found to be 0.17, 1.40 and 4.16 kg. Dry/wet body mass ratios were established for workers (23.7 %), major soldiers (20.3 %), minor soldiers (35.3 %), nymphs (17.1 %), king (35.4 %) and queen (20.8 %). Average live and dry biomass was calculated to be 0.51 kg/ha (0.051 g/m2) and 0.11 kg/ha (0.011 g/m2). Geology, geomorphology, elevation, local relief, soil patterns and annual rainfall were the abiotic factors shown to be most influential in determining termite biomass, either directly or indirectly. Termite biomass is high in undulating areas where the elevation is 250-400 m, where granitic and rhyolitic soils occur, and where annual rainfall is high (650-700 mm) in the context of the region. Major workers fetch woody litter outside the nest through ingestion into the section of the crop and gizzard. Gut contents were dried, weighed, ashed and reweighed. The ash mainly represents soil particles. The ash-free mass of food that is consumed during a single foraging trip by a foraging individual is 0.166 ± 0.009 mg (CI). Frequency of foraging trips between the mound and food source was observed using translucent tubing. The annual food consumption is given by the formula 365mnp/t , where m = individual mass of ashed crop-gizzard contents, n = number of foraging major workers, p = daily foraging period, and t = individual time spent between nest and food source. Food consumption of this termite in the northern KNP is calculated to be 20.2 kg/ha/yr. It is shown that termites are primary decomposers and contribute to litter fragmentation and the recycling of nutrients into the soil. This thesis gives greater insight into aspects such as colony development, biomass investment and resource utilization of M. natalensis in the northern KNP. / Dissertation (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Zoology and Entomology / unrestricted

The growth of the ecotourism industry has resulted in increased demand for ecotourism and, consequently, the demand for one of the most renowned ecotourism destinations in South Africa, the Kruger National Park. Eco-tourists are highly educated and expect information-rich experiences which can be addressed with interpretation services. Previous studies indicated that the Kruger National Park‟s management neglects the importance of interpretation and, thus, the expectations of interpretation services exceeded the actual experience thereof. Additionally, the Kruger National Park is faced with a decline in public funding and consequently shifted their focus to ecotourism management to support successful conservation management of the park. Interpretation, however is not only considered to be an important educational tool that addresses visitors‟ expectations for educational services, but also contributes to national parks‟ conservation mandate since it influences visitors‟ behaviour to be more in line with respect for the environment, philanthropic support for conservation and general environmental behaviour. Clearly the Kruger National Park should address interpretation services with the aim of addressing visitor expectations but also to contribute to conservation management. The aim of this study is therefore to develop an interpretation framework for the Kruger National Park. To achieve this aim, this study made use of a self-administered questionnaire which was distributed in the southern and northern regions of the park during December 2011 and June 2012 respectively. Only one questionnaire per travelling group was distributed and resulted in 855 completed questionnaires for this study. Furthermore, the aim of the study was realised by means of several objectives. The first objective was to conduct a thorough literature analysis on the components, theories and goals related to interpretation within ecotourism related products. This was accomplished in Chapter 2 and provided a conceptual framework which was tested in the subsequent chapters to provide an interpretation framework for the Kruger National Park. The second objective explored all the methodological considerations for the subsequent chapters (i.e. articles). Due to the limited space available in the articles, Chapter 3 provided additional information or methodological considerations not captured in the articles of the study. The third objective of this study determined the interpretation expectations and experiences of visitors to the Kruger National Park. This was done in Chapter 4 of the study. Factor analyses revealed visitors‟ expected and experienced interpretation services and compared these factors by means of paired sample t-tests for the park as a whole as well as between the northern and southern regions of the park. The results revealed that there is a gap between visitors‟ expectations and experiences with interpretation services of the park, however, there are no significant differences between the northern and southern regions‟ interpretation services. In addition to determining the visitors‟ expectations and experiences with the Kruger National Park‟s interpretation services; the fourth objective determined market segments for the Kruger National Park based on expected interpretation services. This was accomplished in Chapter 5 of the study by means of cluster analyses (i.e. hierarchical and non-hierarchical) that revealed four distinct markets (i.e. Inquisitive, Eager, Comfort and Quasi-interested seekers). A factor analysis also determined several motivations for visitors to visit the Kruger National Park and by means of ANOVAs and Chi-square analyses, the differences between the market segments based on socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics as well as motivations, expected and experienced interpretation services were determined. The fifth objective of this study determined whether the Kruger National Park‟s interpretation services have an impact on the visitors‟ behaviour to be more in line with the park‟s conservation practices and was accomplished in Chapter 6. This chapter made use of structural equation modelling to determine the multiple relationships between expected interpretation services as well as attitudes and behaviour. Results revealed that visitors to the Kruger National Park are inclined towards positive attitudes towards conservation practices but that the current interpretation services influenced the attitudes as well as the behaviour of visitors negatively and needs to be addressed. Lastly, the results of this research suggest several recommendations for the Kruger National Park as explained in Chapter 7 of this study. Clearly the Kruger National Park needs to address the gap between interpretation expectations and experiences by planning for interpretation in the form of a policy or strategy. The interpretation policy or strategy should also be re-evaluated and amended periodically since visitor‟s needs and markets change. An interpretation framework is presented for the Kruger National Park based on the results of this study to address the current dilemmas of the park in terms of interpretation. Not only did this study provide practical contributions to the Kruger National Park but made several distinct contributions. An interpretation framework was developed that can not only assist the Kruger National Park but which also contributes to the body of knowledge on the topic and can also assist other ecotourism destinations in the same position as the Kruger National Park. This study also confirmed a general classification of interpretation services as well as suggested interpretation typologies that can be used for future ecotourism research. Since there was no guideline available to segment interpretation visitors, this study also made a methodological contribution by proving that expected interpretation can be a viable segmentation base and that the selection of a variable should be based on statistical calculations. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The tourism industry is an extremely competitive industry which is mainly caused by the ever changing needs of tourists. However, despite the constant change in tourist behaviour, violent terrorist attacks on countries across the globe and the weakening of the world economies, the tourism industry showed significant growth over the last few decades. The fast growth rate of tourism has also lead to the tourist being more aware of ecotourism destinations and the key role these destinations play in conserving the natural and cultural environments in the midst of globalisation and urbanisation. The pressure on ecotourism destinations such as national parks is increasing as more and more natural land are being taken up for urban development. In the case of South African National Parks (SANParks), the decrease in government funding pressurizes the resources and national parks have to identify ways to generate their own income through tourism activities. SANParks manages 22 national parks across South Africa with the aim to conserve South Africa’s biodiversity, provide recreational activities for tourists and build long-term relationships with the local communities to enhance the communities’ quality of life. Hence, in order to remain competitive it is important to determine the parks' competitive advantages. Therefore the aim of this study was to develop a competitiveness model for SANParks by using the Kruger National Park as case study. The Kruger National Park is not only one of the largest and most recognised national parks in the world, but also boasts with a large variety of fauna and flora, variety of accommodation facilities such as bush lodges, chalets and camping facilities as well as various tourist activities. The literature review indicated that destinations differ from each other and therefore ecotourism destinations such as national parks would have a distinct set of competitive advantage factors. However, these factors can only be determined if the needs of tourists are anticipated and park specific products and services are developed to satisfy the needs of visitors to the park and ultimately lead to tourist loyalty. Once a competitive position has been established, a national park can obtain benefits such as an increase in tourist numbers and revenue delivery of high quality products and services at the park as well as trigger a higher quality of life for the local community. If managed accordingly, the park might experience sustainable growth as well as increased profit margins. The data for the study was collected by means of a questionnaire survey at four of the Kruger National Park's rest camps during the period 26 December 2013 and 4 January 2014 which is the festive season in South Africa. The rest camps that were included in this survey were Olifants (74 questionnaires); Skukuza (213 questionnaires); Lower Sabie (98 questionnaires) and Berg-&-Dal (51 questionnaires). A total of 436 completed questionnaires were administered and further analysed. Descriptive statistics were used to profile the respondents while two factor analyses were done on the competitive advantage factors and tourist motives for travelling to the Park. The factor analyses identified five competitive advantage factors of which Wildlife Experiences and Marketing and Branding were regarded as the most important factors. The other three competitive advantage factors were Accommodation and Retail, Visitor Management and Suprastructure and Amenities. Four motivational factors were identified namely Experience and Relaxation, Lifestyle, All-Inclusive Destination and Value. The identified factors were further used in an ANOVA analysis and the results showed that socio-demographic characteristics such as home language, province of residence, level of education and marital status have all significant differences based on the five competitive advantage factors as well as the four motivational factors The t-test analysis presented a few statistical significant differences between the independent variables or group of individuals. These differences were based on the respondents’ demographic and behaviour characteristics with regards to the competitive advantage and motivational factors. However, the strongest statistically significant differences were based on the behavioural characteristics of tourists travelling with children to the Park, Wild card holders, tourist reading magazines, previous visits to the Park and differences between tourists making use of chalets and camping facilities. A Structural Equation Model was applied to confirm the results that were obtained from the analyses. The SEM indicated that tourists’ motivations have a significant influence on the factors that tourists identified as competitive advantage factors for the Kruger National Park. This research made three distinct new contributions. Firstly, competitive advantage factors were specifically identified for ecotourism based destinations such as national parks from a demand side. Also, the tourists motivation for travelling proved to hugely influence these competitive advantage factors. Secondly, a competitiveness model was developed specifically for national parks within South Africa. The proposed model could assist national parks across South Africa to obtain a competitive advantage among its competitors based on park specific factors. Lastly, the concept of competitiveness has not yet been applied within the ecotourism and nature-based tourism destinations context. This study described the concept of competitiveness with the focus on national parks as ecotourism destinations and the aspects that need to be taken into consideration when analysing the concept in such a context. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The growth of the ecotourism industry has resulted in increased demand for ecotourism and, consequently, the demand for one of the most renowned ecotourism destinations in South Africa, the Kruger National Park. Eco-tourists are highly educated and expect information-rich experiences which can be addressed with interpretation services. Previous studies indicated that the Kruger National Park‟s management neglects the importance of interpretation and, thus, the expectations of interpretation services exceeded the actual experience thereof. Additionally, the Kruger National Park is faced with a decline in public funding and consequently shifted their focus to ecotourism management to support successful conservation management of the park. Interpretation, however is not only considered to be an important educational tool that addresses visitors‟ expectations for educational services, but also contributes to national parks‟ conservation mandate since it influences visitors‟ behaviour to be more in line with respect for the environment, philanthropic support for conservation and general environmental behaviour. Clearly the Kruger National Park should address interpretation services with the aim of addressing visitor expectations but also to contribute to conservation management. The aim of this study is therefore to develop an interpretation framework for the Kruger National Park. To achieve this aim, this study made use of a self-administered questionnaire which was distributed in the southern and northern regions of the park during December 2011 and June 2012 respectively. Only one questionnaire per travelling group was distributed and resulted in 855 completed questionnaires for this study. Furthermore, the aim of the study was realised by means of several objectives. The first objective was to conduct a thorough literature analysis on the components, theories and goals related to interpretation within ecotourism related products. This was accomplished in Chapter 2 and provided a conceptual framework which was tested in the subsequent chapters to provide an interpretation framework for the Kruger National Park. The second objective explored all the methodological considerations for the subsequent chapters (i.e. articles). Due to the limited space available in the articles, Chapter 3 provided additional information or methodological considerations not captured in the articles of the study. The third objective of this study determined the interpretation expectations and experiences of visitors to the Kruger National Park. This was done in Chapter 4 of the study. Factor analyses revealed visitors‟ expected and experienced interpretation services and compared these factors by means of paired sample t-tests for the park as a whole as well as between the northern and southern regions of the park. The results revealed that there is a gap between visitors‟ expectations and experiences with interpretation services of the park, however, there are no significant differences between the northern and southern regions‟ interpretation services. In addition to determining the visitors‟ expectations and experiences with the Kruger National Park‟s interpretation services; the fourth objective determined market segments for the Kruger National Park based on expected interpretation services. This was accomplished in Chapter 5 of the study by means of cluster analyses (i.e. hierarchical and non-hierarchical) that revealed four distinct markets (i.e. Inquisitive, Eager, Comfort and Quasi-interested seekers). A factor analysis also determined several motivations for visitors to visit the Kruger National Park and by means of ANOVAs and Chi-square analyses, the differences between the market segments based on socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics as well as motivations, expected and experienced interpretation services were determined. The fifth objective of this study determined whether the Kruger National Park‟s interpretation services have an impact on the visitors‟ behaviour to be more in line with the park‟s conservation practices and was accomplished in Chapter 6. This chapter made use of structural equation modelling to determine the multiple relationships between expected interpretation services as well as attitudes and behaviour. Results revealed that visitors to the Kruger National Park are inclined towards positive attitudes towards conservation practices but that the current interpretation services influenced the attitudes as well as the behaviour of visitors negatively and needs to be addressed. Lastly, the results of this research suggest several recommendations for the Kruger National Park as explained in Chapter 7 of this study. Clearly the Kruger National Park needs to address the gap between interpretation expectations and experiences by planning for interpretation in the form of a policy or strategy. The interpretation policy or strategy should also be re-evaluated and amended periodically since visitor‟s needs and markets change. An interpretation framework is presented for the Kruger National Park based on the results of this study to address the current dilemmas of the park in terms of interpretation. Not only did this study provide practical contributions to the Kruger National Park but made several distinct contributions. An interpretation framework was developed that can not only assist the Kruger National Park but which also contributes to the body of knowledge on the topic and can also assist other ecotourism destinations in the same position as the Kruger National Park. This study also confirmed a general classification of interpretation services as well as suggested interpretation typologies that can be used for future ecotourism research. Since there was no guideline available to segment interpretation visitors, this study also made a methodological contribution by proving that expected interpretation can be a viable segmentation base and that the selection of a variable should be based on statistical calculations. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The tourism industry is an extremely competitive industry which is mainly caused by the ever changing needs of tourists. However, despite the constant change in tourist behaviour, violent terrorist attacks on countries across the globe and the weakening of the world economies, the tourism industry showed significant growth over the last few decades. The fast growth rate of tourism has also lead to the tourist being more aware of ecotourism destinations and the key role these destinations play in conserving the natural and cultural environments in the midst of globalisation and urbanisation. The pressure on ecotourism destinations such as national parks is increasing as more and more natural land are being taken up for urban development. In the case of South African National Parks (SANParks), the decrease in government funding pressurizes the resources and national parks have to identify ways to generate their own income through tourism activities. SANParks manages 22 national parks across South Africa with the aim to conserve South Africa’s biodiversity, provide recreational activities for tourists and build long-term relationships with the local communities to enhance the communities’ quality of life. Hence, in order to remain competitive it is important to determine the parks' competitive advantages. Therefore the aim of this study was to develop a competitiveness model for SANParks by using the Kruger National Park as case study. The Kruger National Park is not only one of the largest and most recognised national parks in the world, but also boasts with a large variety of fauna and flora, variety of accommodation facilities such as bush lodges, chalets and camping facilities as well as various tourist activities. The literature review indicated that destinations differ from each other and therefore ecotourism destinations such as national parks would have a distinct set of competitive advantage factors. However, these factors can only be determined if the needs of tourists are anticipated and park specific products and services are developed to satisfy the needs of visitors to the park and ultimately lead to tourist loyalty. Once a competitive position has been established, a national park can obtain benefits such as an increase in tourist numbers and revenue delivery of high quality products and services at the park as well as trigger a higher quality of life for the local community. If managed accordingly, the park might experience sustainable growth as well as increased profit margins. The data for the study was collected by means of a questionnaire survey at four of the Kruger National Park's rest camps during the period 26 December 2013 and 4 January 2014 which is the festive season in South Africa. The rest camps that were included in this survey were Olifants (74 questionnaires); Skukuza (213 questionnaires); Lower Sabie (98 questionnaires) and Berg-&-Dal (51 questionnaires). A total of 436 completed questionnaires were administered and further analysed. Descriptive statistics were used to profile the respondents while two factor analyses were done on the competitive advantage factors and tourist motives for travelling to the Park. The factor analyses identified five competitive advantage factors of which Wildlife Experiences and Marketing and Branding were regarded as the most important factors. The other three competitive advantage factors were Accommodation and Retail, Visitor Management and Suprastructure and Amenities. Four motivational factors were identified namely Experience and Relaxation, Lifestyle, All-Inclusive Destination and Value. The identified factors were further used in an ANOVA analysis and the results showed that socio-demographic characteristics such as home language, province of residence, level of education and marital status have all significant differences based on the five competitive advantage factors as well as the four motivational factors The t-test analysis presented a few statistical significant differences between the independent variables or group of individuals. These differences were based on the respondents’ demographic and behaviour characteristics with regards to the competitive advantage and motivational factors. However, the strongest statistically significant differences were based on the behavioural characteristics of tourists travelling with children to the Park, Wild card holders, tourist reading magazines, previous visits to the Park and differences between tourists making use of chalets and camping facilities. A Structural Equation Model was applied to confirm the results that were obtained from the analyses. The SEM indicated that tourists’ motivations have a significant influence on the factors that tourists identified as competitive advantage factors for the Kruger National Park. This research made three distinct new contributions. Firstly, competitive advantage factors were specifically identified for ecotourism based destinations such as national parks from a demand side. Also, the tourists motivation for travelling proved to hugely influence these competitive advantage factors. Secondly, a competitiveness model was developed specifically for national parks within South Africa. The proposed model could assist national parks across South Africa to obtain a competitive advantage among its competitors based on park specific factors. Lastly, the concept of competitiveness has not yet been applied within the ecotourism and nature-based tourism destinations context. This study described the concept of competitiveness with the focus on national parks as ecotourism destinations and the aspects that need to be taken into consideration when analysing the concept in such a context. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015