The South African spa market is booming and strong growth rates have been recorded for both revenue and visits between 2002 and 2008. As a result of these growth rates, competition among spas is increasing; spa managers and spa marketers therefore have to ensure that their businesses have marketing plans that have sufficiently detailed consumer information in order to allow these businesses to remain competitive in the growing spa industry. Satisfied consumers are probably one of the most important aspects to consider when planning strategies aimed at achieving a competitive advantage in an industry. When consumers are satisfied, they will return and also recommend services to friends and family. In order to ensure consumer satisfaction in the spa industry, spa managers and their marketers should ensure they have sufficient knowledge regarding the descriptive characteristics of their consumers in terms of their demographic and geographic backgrounds, as well as their specific needs regarding spas and spa visits. The method used by businesses to collect the sufficient information regarding their consumers is known as market segmentation. The study followed a descriptive research design, which was supported by a quantitative method of collecting data. The data collection instrument used was a structured self-administered questionnaire. For the purpose of selecting respondents a non-probability sampling procedure was followed and 98 respondents participated in the study. The main aim of this study was to obtain the information necessary for developing personas as basis for market segmentation in Pretoria spas. Quantitative information was therefore collected, which was used to compile the following profile of a typical study population respondent: * The typical study population respondent can be described as a White Generation Y female who is either single or married/living together without any children. She speaks Afrikaans or English and is a full-time employed professional living with between 1 and three family members. She leads a healthy lifestyle, has a high living standard and is willing to travel up to 30km to a spa. Her actual spa visits are less than twice a year, twice a year or once every three months. However, she would like to visit a spa more frequently, such as monthly or weekly. The reason she cannot visit more often is because spa visits are expensive and she does not have time to visit more often. Her major reasons for visiting a spa are to relief/reduce stress, to feel better about herself, for overall wellness or for special occasions such as birthdays, holidays or when she receives a gift card. When visiting a spa she would prefer to go alone, with one or two good friends or with her husband/life partner. Her perception of spa visits is positive for the relieving of stress and the soothing of sore joints and muscles. The buying behaviour of the typical study population respondent will be affected by aspects such as recession or financial difficulty, the reference of a good friend, the recommendation of a family member and friend, information on a website, the professionalism and friendliness of the spa therapists and the types of services a spa offer. The recommendations that can be made to marketers regarding the results of this study are the following: * Spa managers and marketers can use the profile as starting point for the qualitative research that has to follow the quantitative research when developing personas. * The current profile may be used to for developing marketing strategies until personas have been developed. * The collected data may be used to compile profiles to be used as input for further research on other potential markets such as male spa users. / Thesis (M.Com. (Marketing Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The South African spa market is booming and strong growth rates have been recorded for both revenue and visits between 2002 and 2008. As a result of these growth rates, competition among spas is increasing; spa managers and spa marketers therefore have to ensure that their businesses have marketing plans that have sufficiently detailed consumer information in order to allow these businesses to remain competitive in the growing spa industry. Satisfied consumers are probably one of the most important aspects to consider when planning strategies aimed at achieving a competitive advantage in an industry. When consumers are satisfied, they will return and also recommend services to friends and family. In order to ensure consumer satisfaction in the spa industry, spa managers and their marketers should ensure they have sufficient knowledge regarding the descriptive characteristics of their consumers in terms of their demographic and geographic backgrounds, as well as their specific needs regarding spas and spa visits. The method used by businesses to collect the sufficient information regarding their consumers is known as market segmentation. The study followed a descriptive research design, which was supported by a quantitative method of collecting data. The data collection instrument used was a structured self-administered questionnaire. For the purpose of selecting respondents a non-probability sampling procedure was followed and 98 respondents participated in the study. The main aim of this study was to obtain the information necessary for developing personas as basis for market segmentation in Pretoria spas. Quantitative information was therefore collected, which was used to compile the following profile of a typical study population respondent: * The typical study population respondent can be described as a White Generation Y female who is either single or married/living together without any children. She speaks Afrikaans or English and is a full-time employed professional living with between 1 and three family members. She leads a healthy lifestyle, has a high living standard and is willing to travel up to 30km to a spa. Her actual spa visits are less than twice a year, twice a year or once every three months. However, she would like to visit a spa more frequently, such as monthly or weekly. The reason she cannot visit more often is because spa visits are expensive and she does not have time to visit more often. Her major reasons for visiting a spa are to relief/reduce stress, to feel better about herself, for overall wellness or for special occasions such as birthdays, holidays or when she receives a gift card. When visiting a spa she would prefer to go alone, with one or two good friends or with her husband/life partner. Her perception of spa visits is positive for the relieving of stress and the soothing of sore joints and muscles. The buying behaviour of the typical study population respondent will be affected by aspects such as recession or financial difficulty, the reference of a good friend, the recommendation of a family member and friend, information on a website, the professionalism and friendliness of the spa therapists and the types of services a spa offer. The recommendations that can be made to marketers regarding the results of this study are the following: * Spa managers and marketers can use the profile as starting point for the qualitative research that has to follow the quantitative research when developing personas. * The current profile may be used to for developing marketing strategies until personas have been developed. * The collected data may be used to compile profiles to be used as input for further research on other potential markets such as male spa users. / Thesis (M.Com. (Marketing Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

A triathlon can be described as the combination of the three athletic competencies swimming, cycling and running where each of the items is performed in a specific order and vary in distance. A triathlon is a very select sport that only attracts specific participants, seeing that constant training is necessary in order to improve fitness and skill in the three different disciplines. Being a triathlete involves a substantial amount of physical and psychological stress over several hours of continuous activity. Therefore the key aspects that drive this study are the following: * The uniqueness of triathlons and triathletes makes it important to research certain aspects such as: Who these participants are? Why they participate in triathlons? And why do they return to the event each year? * Currently most triathlon research is done in countries such as United States of America, Australia, Germany and Japan. There are also numerous studies done on triathletes, although most of these studies focus on physiological and medical aspects of these athletes. * To the best of the author’s knowledge no other study in South Africa has focused on profiling triathletes and gaining knowledge on what differentiates these participants from other endurance sport athletes. * As there is currently a deficiency of information regarding triathletes in South Africa it becomes imperative to research this market through market segmentation. With the latter in mind, the main purpose of this study was to apply market segmentation on triathletes that participate in Ironman South Africa, the only full-length Ironman held on the African continent. In order to achieve this goal a destination-based survey took place during the registration process of participants at The Boardwalk Convention Centre and Spa in Port Elizabeth. A total of 425 completed questionnaires were used in the study. An in-depth literature study was also done to review different aspects of triathlons and triathletes, including the unique nature of the sport and participants as well as analysing previous literature concerning the characteristics of triathletes. Literature also explored market segmentation and the different variables used to segment triathletes and other endurance sport athletes. From literature it became clear that motives to participate and frequency of participation could be useful in segmenting sport participants. These two variables were applied to Ironman South Africa in two separate articles. In Article 1 motives to participate was applied as a market segmentation variable. It was found that triathletes were motivated by seven motivational factors including: Challenge, Inner vie, Health and fitness, Intrinsic achievement and control, Event novelty, Group affiliation and socialisation and lastly, Respect and risk. Based on these motives three distinct clusters of triathlon participants were identified: Devotees, Enthusiasts and Aspirationals. The participants in each cluster showed statistical significant differences with regard to their motives, while age was the only variable with significant socio-demographic differences between the clusters. In Article 2, frequency of participation was used to segment Ironman South Africa participants. Significant differences were found between first time and repeat participants based on the variables: demographic, behaviour and motives to participate. Four segments were identified at Ironman South Africa based on the number of times they have previously participated in the event. The frequent flyer concept was applied which resulted in the dividing of the four participant segments into different loyalty segments. The segments were the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum segment. Three marketing strategies were developed, firstly for the Bronze and Silver segments (these two segments shared similar characteristics), secondly for the Gold and Platinum segments also sharing corresponding characteristics and lastly, a marketing strategy to expand triathlons in South Africa. The information obtained from the two market segmentation variables led to an array of recommendations to attract and retain participants to Ironman South Africa events. Also recommendations focus on how to expand triathlon events in South Africa. Significant contributions were made to literature regarding the profile of the Ironman South Africa participants and how these triathletes compare to other endurance sport athlete. / MCom (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

A triathlon can be described as the combination of the three athletic competencies swimming, cycling and running where each of the items is performed in a specific order and vary in distance. A triathlon is a very select sport that only attracts specific participants, seeing that constant training is necessary in order to improve fitness and skill in the three different disciplines. Being a triathlete involves a substantial amount of physical and psychological stress over several hours of continuous activity. Therefore the key aspects that drive this study are the following: * The uniqueness of triathlons and triathletes makes it important to research certain aspects such as: Who these participants are? Why they participate in triathlons? And why do they return to the event each year? * Currently most triathlon research is done in countries such as United States of America, Australia, Germany and Japan. There are also numerous studies done on triathletes, although most of these studies focus on physiological and medical aspects of these athletes. * To the best of the author’s knowledge no other study in South Africa has focused on profiling triathletes and gaining knowledge on what differentiates these participants from other endurance sport athletes. * As there is currently a deficiency of information regarding triathletes in South Africa it becomes imperative to research this market through market segmentation. With the latter in mind, the main purpose of this study was to apply market segmentation on triathletes that participate in Ironman South Africa, the only full-length Ironman held on the African continent. In order to achieve this goal a destination-based survey took place during the registration process of participants at The Boardwalk Convention Centre and Spa in Port Elizabeth. A total of 425 completed questionnaires were used in the study. An in-depth literature study was also done to review different aspects of triathlons and triathletes, including the unique nature of the sport and participants as well as analysing previous literature concerning the characteristics of triathletes. Literature also explored market segmentation and the different variables used to segment triathletes and other endurance sport athletes. From literature it became clear that motives to participate and frequency of participation could be useful in segmenting sport participants. These two variables were applied to Ironman South Africa in two separate articles. In Article 1 motives to participate was applied as a market segmentation variable. It was found that triathletes were motivated by seven motivational factors including: Challenge, Inner vie, Health and fitness, Intrinsic achievement and control, Event novelty, Group affiliation and socialisation and lastly, Respect and risk. Based on these motives three distinct clusters of triathlon participants were identified: Devotees, Enthusiasts and Aspirationals. The participants in each cluster showed statistical significant differences with regard to their motives, while age was the only variable with significant socio-demographic differences between the clusters. In Article 2, frequency of participation was used to segment Ironman South Africa participants. Significant differences were found between first time and repeat participants based on the variables: demographic, behaviour and motives to participate. Four segments were identified at Ironman South Africa based on the number of times they have previously participated in the event. The frequent flyer concept was applied which resulted in the dividing of the four participant segments into different loyalty segments. The segments were the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum segment. Three marketing strategies were developed, firstly for the Bronze and Silver segments (these two segments shared similar characteristics), secondly for the Gold and Platinum segments also sharing corresponding characteristics and lastly, a marketing strategy to expand triathlons in South Africa. The information obtained from the two market segmentation variables led to an array of recommendations to attract and retain participants to Ironman South Africa events. Also recommendations focus on how to expand triathlon events in South Africa. Significant contributions were made to literature regarding the profile of the Ironman South Africa participants and how these triathletes compare to other endurance sport athlete. / MCom (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Literature indicates that events like a wine festival have many role players involved that need each other for them to be successful. The more role players there are, the more complex the event becomes, as in the case of the Wacky Wine Festival which is spread over 48 wine farms. The most important role players are the visitors and wine farmers that represent the demand and supply side of the festival. Local enterprises, wine farmers and the festival organisers put a lot of effort into the event, such as their time, money and skills. It is essential for these role players to know that they will get a return on their investment and for the host community to know that the festival will make a contribution to their local economy. Furthermore, literature indicates that the festival can improve the economic position of the role players by targeting the high spending market through intensive marketing that focuses on this particular segment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of the Wacky Wine Festival to the local economy and to compile a profile of the heavy spender. To achieve the latter, a quantitative study was carried out by means of two surveys via questionnaires that were handed out to both the visitor and wine farmer. The data was then captured in Microsoft© Excel©. In Article 1 (Chapter 2) the sales multiplier effect and an analytical framework were used to determine the contribution of the festival to the host community. In Article 2 (Chapter 3) different tests and analyses were used to compile a profile of the heavy spender such as the K–means clustering, Chi–Squared, the Mann–Whitney non–parametric test and an ANOVA analysis. The results from Article 1 (Chapter 2) showed that the Wacky Wine Festival had an positive economic contribution of an estimated R29.9 million to the host community`s economy. From a demand and supply point of view, the visitors contributed R15.4 million and the wine farmers R6 million. From the results, it could be derived that the festival had low leakages in comparison with other festivals. iii The results from Article 2 (Chapter 3) indicated that the heavy and low spenders differ in terms of gender, language, age, occupation, number of people paying for in travelling group, residence and number of days spent at the festival. It was clear from the results that if the festival organisers and wine farmers focus marketing strategies on the high spending segment, this can lead to a R10 million increase in the Wacky Wine Festival’s revenue, thus improving the economic contribution of the event to the local economy of Robertson. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Literature indicates that events like a wine festival have many role players involved that need each other for them to be successful. The more role players there are, the more complex the event becomes, as in the case of the Wacky Wine Festival which is spread over 48 wine farms. The most important role players are the visitors and wine farmers that represent the demand and supply side of the festival. Local enterprises, wine farmers and the festival organisers put a lot of effort into the event, such as their time, money and skills. It is essential for these role players to know that they will get a return on their investment and for the host community to know that the festival will make a contribution to their local economy. Furthermore, literature indicates that the festival can improve the economic position of the role players by targeting the high spending market through intensive marketing that focuses on this particular segment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of the Wacky Wine Festival to the local economy and to compile a profile of the heavy spender. To achieve the latter, a quantitative study was carried out by means of two surveys via questionnaires that were handed out to both the visitor and wine farmer. The data was then captured in Microsoft© Excel©. In Article 1 (Chapter 2) the sales multiplier effect and an analytical framework were used to determine the contribution of the festival to the host community. In Article 2 (Chapter 3) different tests and analyses were used to compile a profile of the heavy spender such as the K–means clustering, Chi–Squared, the Mann–Whitney non–parametric test and an ANOVA analysis. The results from Article 1 (Chapter 2) showed that the Wacky Wine Festival had an positive economic contribution of an estimated R29.9 million to the host community`s economy. From a demand and supply point of view, the visitors contributed R15.4 million and the wine farmers R6 million. From the results, it could be derived that the festival had low leakages in comparison with other festivals. iii The results from Article 2 (Chapter 3) indicated that the heavy and low spenders differ in terms of gender, language, age, occupation, number of people paying for in travelling group, residence and number of days spent at the festival. It was clear from the results that if the festival organisers and wine farmers focus marketing strategies on the high spending segment, this can lead to a R10 million increase in the Wacky Wine Festival’s revenue, thus improving the economic contribution of the event to the local economy of Robertson. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Arts festivals form a large part of the South African culture originally as many local communities began to share their culture with visitors by means of arts festivals. This has grown into a large industry that has tremendous financial gain for the hosting communities. With over 500 arts festivals each year in South Africa alone, visitors are certain to find a festival to satisfy their specific needs and wants. Therefore, with so many genres available, each festival has created its own niche market and loyal customer base. An extensive literature study was conducted for the purpose of this thesis and it was found that research of small to medium arts festivals has been neglected. This finding motivated the main theme of this research. As mentioned earlier, there are so many genres available that the festival organisers may experience difficulty when deciding what to offer and how many genres to offer in order to still be sustainable and attract a sufficient number of visitors. Furthermore, the large number of arts festivals organised each year makes it increasingly difficult for festivals to build a loyal client base. First-time visitors can be converted into repeat visitors if the marketing strategy is precise. Repeat visitors, as stated in the literature, results in a sustainable income for each festival. Another question that motivated the research was the location of the three arts festivals (Innibos, Vryfees, and Kierieklapper). Three arts festivals in three provinces makes an interesting study to determine whether there is a difference in the three types of visitors that they attract and the spending patterns at each festival. While addressing the problems stated above, this study produced the following three articles: * Article 1: ―Determinants of spending at Vryfees with a focus on genres‖. * Article 2: ―First-time versus repeat visitors at Innibos Arts Festival‖. * Article 3: ―Role of location in the attendance and spending of festinos‖. Article 1 investigates spending determinants that influence visitor expenditure on the different genres offered at the Vryfees Festival in Bloemfontein, based on a survey conducted in 2011. The research is based on the notion that different genres have different spending patterns. Article 2 focuses on the differences and/or similarities between first-time and repeat visitors at the Innibos Arts Festival as an alternative approach to market segmentation. Lastly, the third article focuses on three different arts festivals in three different locations in South Africa. The research was conducted by means of a visitor survey at the three arts festivals during the same year with questionnaires administered at Innibos (428), Vryfees (336), and Kierieklapper (202) respectively. The most significant contributions of this study can be summarised as follows: * the tourist spending behaviour in regards to the difference between first-time and repeat visitors is significant and can be considered an important spending determinant; * the tourist spending behaviour in terms of length of stay between first-time visitors and repeat visitors is significantly different, suggesting that familiarity with the destination (as the repeat visitors are) has an important impact; * different locations attract their own type of tourists and certain locations receive a higher economic injection than other provinces do because of the type of festival held. All three arts festivals attract mainly Afrikaans speaking attendees; and for the first time, a comparative study has been conducted on three arts festivals targeting the Afrikaans speaking community. Additionally, this is the first time a comparative study was conducted on three small to medium arts festivals located in three different provinces; and * the developed spending model described in the last chapter of this thesis can assist the festival organisers with future festival marketing to improve their income and marketing strategy. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Arts festivals form a large part of the South African culture originally as many local communities began to share their culture with visitors by means of arts festivals. This has grown into a large industry that has tremendous financial gain for the hosting communities. With over 500 arts festivals each year in South Africa alone, visitors are certain to find a festival to satisfy their specific needs and wants. Therefore, with so many genres available, each festival has created its own niche market and loyal customer base. An extensive literature study was conducted for the purpose of this thesis and it was found that research of small to medium arts festivals has been neglected. This finding motivated the main theme of this research. As mentioned earlier, there are so many genres available that the festival organisers may experience difficulty when deciding what to offer and how many genres to offer in order to still be sustainable and attract a sufficient number of visitors. Furthermore, the large number of arts festivals organised each year makes it increasingly difficult for festivals to build a loyal client base. First-time visitors can be converted into repeat visitors if the marketing strategy is precise. Repeat visitors, as stated in the literature, results in a sustainable income for each festival. Another question that motivated the research was the location of the three arts festivals (Innibos, Vryfees, and Kierieklapper). Three arts festivals in three provinces makes an interesting study to determine whether there is a difference in the three types of visitors that they attract and the spending patterns at each festival. While addressing the problems stated above, this study produced the following three articles: * Article 1: ―Determinants of spending at Vryfees with a focus on genres‖. * Article 2: ―First-time versus repeat visitors at Innibos Arts Festival‖. * Article 3: ―Role of location in the attendance and spending of festinos‖. Article 1 investigates spending determinants that influence visitor expenditure on the different genres offered at the Vryfees Festival in Bloemfontein, based on a survey conducted in 2011. The research is based on the notion that different genres have different spending patterns. Article 2 focuses on the differences and/or similarities between first-time and repeat visitors at the Innibos Arts Festival as an alternative approach to market segmentation. Lastly, the third article focuses on three different arts festivals in three different locations in South Africa. The research was conducted by means of a visitor survey at the three arts festivals during the same year with questionnaires administered at Innibos (428), Vryfees (336), and Kierieklapper (202) respectively. The most significant contributions of this study can be summarised as follows: * the tourist spending behaviour in regards to the difference between first-time and repeat visitors is significant and can be considered an important spending determinant; * the tourist spending behaviour in terms of length of stay between first-time visitors and repeat visitors is significantly different, suggesting that familiarity with the destination (as the repeat visitors are) has an important impact; * different locations attract their own type of tourists and certain locations receive a higher economic injection than other provinces do because of the type of festival held. All three arts festivals attract mainly Afrikaans speaking attendees; and for the first time, a comparative study has been conducted on three arts festivals targeting the Afrikaans speaking community. Additionally, this is the first time a comparative study was conducted on three small to medium arts festivals located in three different provinces; and * the developed spending model described in the last chapter of this thesis can assist the festival organisers with future festival marketing to improve their income and marketing strategy. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014