The research problem was based on the private sector implementation of Responsible Tourism, since 1996, perceived to be slow and challenging (Frey & George, 2010: 107). The South Africa Government proposed Responsible Tourism as the guiding principle for sustainable tourism development (Goodwin, 2011: 138). The problem is compounded by shortcomings identified in the nature of the research conducted about tourism and communities and the methodologies used. Tourism-Community relationships Theory was applied as the conceptual framework of the study. This theory advocates a holistic approach when conducting research about the impacts of tourism, encompassing community perspectives, attitudes, reactions and considerations for the future development and control of tourism (Pearce, Moscardo & Ross, 1996: 2). The insights gained contributed an emic understanding of the keyinformants’ perspectives imparted in their own language. This study is located in the Interpretevist paradigm, underpinned by Constructivist philosophy. Meaning is created through the reality of key-informants, their perspectives and the interaction of individuals in a community (Cresswell, 2014: 8). The Instrumental Case Study Approach (Stake, 1995) contributed an etic perspective in terms of the researcher’s interpretations. The single, qualitative case was applied to gain deeper insights about the phenomenon of Responsible tourism. The case investigated was Stormsriver Adventures (SRA), an eco-adventure tourism business in the Tsitsikamma tourism destination in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. SRA is reputed to be business best practice in its implementation of Responsible Tourism. Data triangulation was established through multiple methods of data collection, namely in-depth interviews with key-informants, documentation sourced from them and researcher observation. Data analysis methods, namely direct interpretation, categorical aggregation, pattern seeking and naturalistic generalisations (Stake, 1995), were used. The member checking process assisted with establishing data triangulation as keyinformants corroborated or dispelled the researcher’s interpretation of data. Findings were structured according to within-case themes, namely SRA’s perspective of its Responsible Tourism practices, the community’s perspective of SRA’s Responsible Tourism practices and perspectives about the future development and control of tourism. The study contributes new theoretical insights through applying the inductive approach to selected findings. Findings indicate that the perspectives of the community are divided. SRA keyinformants conveyed positive economic, social and environmental impacts of SRA’s Responsible Tourism practices. Key-informants not directly linked to SRA raised negative economic impacts and questioned the accuracy of SRA’s marketing messages. Within-case conclusions are that it is not the responsibility of one tourism business that practices Responsible Tourism to achieve sustainability within the tourism destination. To this end it is recommended that SRA and the community find common ground and that the misunderstandings that exist, be addressed. The study concludes that in order to achieve successful Responsible Tourism- Community Relationships, a holistically and integrated approach is required. To this end the recommendations made provide an implementation framework within the context of a tourism destination. The study adds value to the field knowledge about the implementation of Responsible Tourism by the private sector in South Africa and also contributes new knowledge to the field of tourism in terms of the particular methodology used.

Inbound tour operators play a key role in sustainable tourism development, as they are centrally positioned in the distribution chain and provide the link between the supply and demand of tourism products and services. Embedded in this position, inbound tour operators can put pressure on their suppliers to operate more sustainably, while educating their customers on sustainable tourism practices, and influencing consumers’ decision-making before the purchasing of tourism products and services. Inbound tour operators can further implement sustainable tourism practices as part of their business operations. To date, little research has focussed on inbound tour operators’ contribution to sustainable tourism development, especially in a developing country context. Sustainable inbound tour operators can also become certified by a sustainable tourism certification programme to showcase their commitment to sustainability. Various studies have highlighted the history, benefits and issues related to certification programmes, but few studies have investigated the perspective that inbound tour operators have towards sustainable tourism certification programmes. Making use of a qualitative research approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 South African inbound tour operators to investigate and identify the sustainable tourism practices currently being adopted within their organisations. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings produced a list of sustainable tourism practices currently being adopted by inbound tour operators in South Africa. This study proposes that sustainable tourism organisations should become certified by a national or global sustainable tourism certification programme, to prove that they are truly operating sustainably, thus decreasing the effects of greenwashing. In addition, the certification of tourism organisations can assist inbound tour operators in identifying truly sustainable suppliers, fostering the development of a sustainable supply chain management strategy. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Tourism Management / MCom / Unrestricted

B-Tech Tourism Management (Vaal University of Technology) / Tourism is one of the fastest growing and largest service industries in the world that occupies the centre of the stage in the socio-economic, environmental and political fields. In South Africa the case is no different where the tourism industry makes a substantial contribution to the country‘s economic growth and almost all nations are in recent times recognizing the importance of tourism and embracing it. Both praised and despised as a development option, rural tourism is increasingly viewed as a remedy, increasing the economic viability of marginalised areas, stimulating social regeneration and improving the living conditions of rural communities. Tourism in the rural areas of developing countries is expanding at a rapid pace and is often a primary means of income in these areas. In many cases, destinations take reasonable advantage of this dynamic industry as a major income, employment, private sector growth and infrastructure development. However, some research endeavours indicate that tourism will never come to dominate all rural areas, particularly in the developing world – there are vast swathes of rural areas for which tourism is not relevant for the foreseeable future. These necessitate the need for the industry to be sustainable. Sustainable tourism development should aim at improving the residents’ quality of life by optimising local economic benefits, protecting the natural and built environment and providing a high-quality experience for visitors. This should also provide a long-term economic linkage between destination communities and industries. It should aim to minimise the negative effects of tourism on the natural environment and improve the socio-cultural well-being of the destination communities. This notion serves as a motivation for this study which aim is to analyse the perceptions of selected tourism stakeholders in the Vhembe district with reference to the community, tourism business owners and local government concerning rural tourism development in this region. Attention was given to the economic, social and environmental influences of tourism by focusing on both positive and negative aspects as well as aspects related to tourism development. The secondary objectives of this study were: (i) to describe different roles, relationships, responsibilities and expectations of stakeholders in tourism by means of an in-depth literature review; (ii) to analyse rural tourism with reference to community involvement in tourism, business contribution, local government support and identify types of resources integral to tourism in the rural areas by means of a literature review; (iii) to empirically analyse the perceptions of selected tourism stakeholders by assessing economic, environmental and social aspects as well as their level of participation, success factors and challenges; and (iv) to draw conclusions and make recommendations on mechanisms that might contribute towards the sustainable development of rural tourism with the focus on relevant stakeholders. To achieve the objectives, this study followed a mixed-method approach where both surveys (quantitative research) and interviews (qualitative research) were conducted. Two surveys were done; one in the community and the second one at tourism businesses in the Vhembe region. It was clear from the results that residents are fairly positive towards the tourism industry and acknowledge the contributions (both economically and socially) to the community and area. There is however room for improving the rural tourism product in order to attract higher numbers of tourists. Government is contributing to the development of the industry but it seems that a lack of skills and marketing campaigns are huge challenges. The business owners are interested in the economic gains from this industry but there is a need for training and mentoring so that the business can grow to such an extent that it becomes an employer to a number of residents. The natural and cultural uniqueness of this area was evident as well as the potential as a tourism attraction. The selected stakeholders however emphasise the importance of cooperation and integrated planning to grow the tourism industry.

Since 1994, the South African Government has developed two strategic policies that embrace the principles of sustainable development: Tourism and Land Reform. Both policies seek redress and economic development for previously disadvantaged black people, but both policies were not integrated to form part of a sustainable development strategy for communities. In terms of the land redistribution programme (as one leg of the land reform programme), the commonage sub-programme has primarily advocated an agrarian style development despite the decline in contribution of agriculture to the Gross Domestic Product. By promoting one development option, other livelihood opportunities such as tourism have not been explored. The White Paper on Tourism (1996) has also recognised the limited integration of local communities and previously neglected groups as an impediment to sustainable tourism development in South Africa. The aim of this study is to provide integrated planning guidelines for sustainable tourism development for commonages in Namaqualand. The study poses the question: What role could sustainable tourism play in commonage projects? In an attempt to fulfil the aim of the study and answer the research question, nine objectives were devised to guide the direction of the study. The objectives primarily focussed on conceptualising land redistribution and sustainable tourism through various local and international case studies in order to draw commonalities and identify negative and positive impacts of these approaches. In so doing, the sustainability of a purely agrarian focus of land reform policies across the global spectrum was brought into question. Various debates concerning the sustainable tourism concept are also considered, including a discussion on its subset ecotourism and sustainable tourism through Community-based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM). The sustainability of tourism in peripheral and desert areas is discussed in the context of the case-study area, Namaqualand, which is recognised geographically and politically as a rural/peripheral area featuring a desert ecosystem. The methodological theory is derived from the Critical Social Science school of thought, which sees the study delving beyond surface illusions to uncover the real structures in order to help people change the world. A six-step case-study approach based on this paradigm was adopted. Six commonage projects and one sustainable tourism project (Rooiberg Conservancy project) were selected through non-probability purposive sampling. In adopting the case-study approach, the study followed six steps: Determination and definition of the research questions <ul> <ol>1. Selection of the cases and determination of the data gathering and analysis techniques</ol> <ol>2. Preparation to collect the data</ol> <ol>3. Collection of the data</ol> <ol>4. Analyses of the data</ol> <ol>5. Formulation of the recommendations based on the results obtained from data.</ol></ul> The synthesis of the literature and empirical research resulted in the formulation of integrated planning guidelines for sustainable tourism on commonages based on the concept of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) approach, as adopted for local government planning in South Africa. The following factors formed the basis for the guidelines:< <ul> -- baseline information; -- vision and goals; -- objectives; -- legislation and control measures; -- impact management and mitigation; -- communication and decision-making; -- implementation including funding incentives; -- monitoring and evaluation; and -- feedback and control.</ul> Limitations of time and finance prevented the researcher from consulting with the appropriate stakeholders on these guidelines in order to obtain their buy-in, but emphasis is placed on the recognition of the guidelines as a framework for comprehensive sector-planning for sustainable tourism development on commonages in Namaqualand. Copyright / Thesis (PhD (Tourism Management))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Tourism Management / unrestricted

The goal of this study is to develop a sustainable tourism strategy for the Soshanguve Township. The motivation for this study arose out of the acute developmental challenges facing many township communities in South Africa, mainly due to the absence of economic opportunities. This results in a high unemployment rate, poverty and an elevated number of crime incidences. A sustainable community tourism strategy could alleviate this situation by availing itself of the opportunities presented by the booming tourism industry to the Soshanguve township, and other communities with similar characteristics. To this end, a firm conceptual framework was laid through the review of literature on the tourism system and indicators of sustainability, tourism development planning, tourism development in South Africa, and community tourism. Literature on the tourism system was instrumental in conceptualising the components required for tourism development to take root in Soshanguve township, namely the potential demand for Soshanguve tourism (including tourists’ region of origin), the infrastructure and services required for visitors en route to the destination, and the readiness of the local community and tourism industry in Soshanguve for tourism development (products, facilities and services). The concept of sustainability and indicators thereof are explored in order to provide a benchmark for monitoring tourism development in Soshanguve, and to ensure that the gains from tourism are preserved for the future. Literature on tourism development planning provided the necessary organisational dimension needed to avoid chaotic development and any potential negative impacts. Furthermore, an analysis of tourism development in South Africa was instrumental in positioning the Soshanguve tourism development strategy within the national, regional and local government context. Finally, the community tourism development component provided vital input from existing research on community tourism initiatives. The research paradigm was both quantitative and qualitative. Following the exploratory research approach, three surveys were conducted by means of self-administered questionnaires. The aim was to explore the demand side of the Soshanguve tourism product through a survey of potential visitors to the Soshanguve township, as well as the supply side through a survey of residents of Soshanguve (ascertaining perceptions of tourism impacts on their community) and another survey of tourism business managers (to assessing product availability and quality). This process was complemented by a qualitative study by means of interviews with three community leaders to explore in greater detail the unique selling points in Soshanguve, tourism planning issues, and the objectives of tourism development in the community. The following literature sources constituted the pillars of the questionnaires, World Economic Forum, 2008:38; Keyser, 2008:37; Simpson, 2008:1 and Oyola et al., 2012:662-665. The interview questions were largely drawn from tourism planning literature (Commonwealth of Australia, 2004:7; Lee, 2012:2; Chi & Dyer,2010; Nunkoo & Ramkissoo, 2011). The demand side questionnaire was administered to 401 (N) visitors to City of Tshwane between the 23rd and 27th of September 2013. These were considered to be potential tourists to Soshanguve because these visitors were in the Pretoria Central Business District which is just about 45 kilometres away from Soshanguve. The second survey (supply side) was administered to 429 (N) residents of the Soshanguve community between 5th October 2013 and 9th October 2013. The product managers’ questionnaire was administered to all 29 (N) managers of tourism businesses identified in Soshanguve from 11th October 2013 to 16th of October 2013. Finally, interviews with the three community leaders were held between the 28th of September 2013 and the 10th of October 2013. The data collected was processed by the Statistical Consultation Services of the North-West University (Potchefstroom campus) using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software programme. The results were analysed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, factor correlation analysis, Spearman’s rank correlations, ANOVA tests and t-tests. The results of the descriptive analysis revealed the travel behaviour of the visitors as highly favourable to day visits with most holidays lasting between two and three days. The majority of respondents used hotel accommodation and arrived at the destination by car. The greatest motivation for taking a holiday was to relax, with the most preferred holiday activity being to visit historical places, followed closely by appreciating nature. The most important determinant of the holiday destination choice was finances, with security featuring next. It was also evident that most of the visitors were not familiar with townships around the City of Tshwane as just about half of them had visited a township in the past. The greatest motivation for visiting a township was to experience traditional dance, drama and music. The study further conducted three factor analyses on visitor motivations for taking a holiday, visitor holiday activities, and holiday destination choice determinants. The exploratory factor analysis identified five factors in the travel motivations (socio-cultural motivators, interpersonal motivators, physical motivators, status motivators, and recovery motivators), four factors among the preferred activities (adventure activities, cultural activities, social activities, and outdoor activities), and five factors among the holiday destination choice determinants (familiarity, physical well-being, economic factors, safety and recommendations/references). The factor correlation matrix revealed no significant correlations between them, although there were visible correlations between the socio-cultural motivators for taking a holiday and recovery motivators. The same could be said of adventure activities and cultural activities. The t-test indicated no significant differences between visitors who had previously been to the township and those who had not. Regarding the results of the supply side analysis, the focus was on the residents of Soshanguve, the tourism product managers in the community, and interviews with the community leaders. The descriptive statistics revealed that many residents had a strong attachment to their community as they would not consider living elsewhere. Generally, they have a positive perception of tourism impacts on their community, as most of them agree that tourism development would be beneficial to both the community and themselves. The product managers think business has been good, but the quality of the products is questionable considering that most of the tourism businesses neither belong to an industry association for peer evaluation nor have received any grading. Results of the qualitative study indicated that even though there is a tourism product development plan for Soshanguve at the City of Tshwane tourism office, none of the community leaders interviewed was aware of this. This seems to suggest that the public consultation process was either not followed or was flawed. The interviews also unearthed the rich history, natural environment and cultural heritage of the Soshanguve people. Finally, a factor matrix analysis was performed on the perceptions of the residents on the impacts of tourism development on their community and the general tourism business success factors in Soshanguve. Five impact factors (economic, social, infrastructure, environmental, and recreational) were identified with the factor correlation analysis revealing visible correlations between infrastructure and recreation/entertainment. An ANOVA test was conducted to determine if there are any correlations between the community attachment of respondents and their perceptions of tourism impacts. No significant correlations were found. The exploratory factor matrix analysis on the general tourism industry success factors yielded six factors, namely facilities and services, communication tools, access, visibility, human resources, and safety. The factor correlation analysis indicated no significant correlations between the factors. The key contributions of this study can be noted as follows: * The development of a pioneer sustainable community tourism strategy for Soshanguve, in particular and townships in general; * The proposed inclusive stakeholder consultative approach in the development of sustainable township tourism; * The holistic approach to tourism destination planning that takes into consideration the tourists origin region, conditions in the transit route region and the host destiantion; * Finally, the application of methodological triangulation in township tourism research. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Ecological travel (ecotourism) is the “next big thing”. To experience nature up close and personal is to backpack off the beaten track and these days this is the “hippest” way to travel. Ecotourism is seen as the most excelling fragment of tourism and The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) views tourism in an unspoilt natural area (ecotourism) as the fastest growing concept of the tourism industry. Ecotourism has evolved into speciality travel; including an assorted – and often confusing – collection of events and tourism types, for example bird watching, methodical study, photography, diving and trekking. Ecotourism takes place in unspoilt natural areas, lodges and conservation areas such as national parks. South African National Parks, (SANParks), whom manages a system of parks, and signifies the indigenous fauna & flora, landscapes and associated cultural heritage of the country. National parks offers facilities for overnight tourist, with a range of accommodation, in arid, coastal, mountain and bush veld habitats. A variety of incomparable adventure tourism opportunities, for example game viewing, bush walks, canoeing and exposure to cultural and historical experiences are offered by these national parks. SANParks’ objectives are the insurance of protection, conservation and management of the protected areas for the purposes they were declared. The key aspect of SANParks’ management operations is ecotourism. The three areas that the management of parks cover are general management which include finance and marketing; conservation management which consists of wildlife counting, sales of wildlife, environment etc. and ecotourism management which includes aspects such as camps, accommodation, game drives and picnic areas. Because ecotourism as an important aspect of park management and is one of SANParks’ core pillars, the main concern is which strategies and policies are in place in order to provide tourists with an ecotourism experience within South African National Parks? Tourism products (especially accommodation products) need to recognize that customers (tourists) have certain expectations and these expectations must be met. One way in meeting these expectations is to adhere to tourists’ perceptions and satisfaction as well as to provide a quality service. It is also seen as one of the most important influences on productivity and profit of a tourism organisation. One approach to obtain customer satisfaction and meeting expectations is to implement a grading/rating system. When managers and owners of accommodation and tourism products want to convince tourists of the quality of the organisation or tourism product that is being presented, a classification or rating system plays an important role to communicate this vital issue. South Africa has various rating systems / schemes, however there are no acknowledged rating systems for ecotourism products in South Africa National Parks. The shortcomings of these current rating systems are that they rate mostly the hospitality and accommodation sectors. These criteria’s tend to focus on the following: building exteriors, bedrooms, bathrooms, public area, general facilities, general services, housekeeping services, additional facilities and responsible environmental and business practices. None of these schemes focus primarily on ecotourism principles. These systems need to be adapted for nature/wildlife products and the problem that this study will address is to develop an ecotourism rating system for South African National Parks. It is essential to have a rating system in place to compete in the global world where ecotourism and green aspects are important and to deliver a valuable service. Therefore the problem that this research will addresses, is to develop an ecotourism rating system for South Africa National Parks. The research approach used in this study included quantitative methodologies. An explorative research approach was followed through an online questionnaire with the aim of determining the perceptions of visitors about the perceptions of respondents regarding the importance of specific ecotourism principles. These constructs were determined through a literature review. The sources consulted included the following: De Witt, 2011; Du Plessis, 2010; Geldenhuys, 2009:5; Saayman, 2009:70; Fennell, 2008:23; Blamey, 2001:12; Eagles, 1996; Dingwall and Gordon, 1996. The questionnaire was distributed electronically on the SANParks’ website. Data collection took place during April 2013. A total of 308 responses were received during the period of data collection. The results of the empirical quantitative data was analysed by the Statistical Consultation Services at the North-West University by means of the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software programme. The statistical methods utilised included descriptive statistics and causal research. The descriptive statistics includes the demographic profile of respondents, the principles of ecotourism, the factor analysis and the factor correlation matrix. The causal research includes the t-test and the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results of the descriptive data indicated that the language most spoken by the respondents was primarily English followed by Afrikaans. The greater number of respondents was married and live in Gauteng. They were well educated with a diploma or degree. Most of the respondents were Wild Card holders and supports conservation organisations, such as Rhino Conservation, followed by SA Wildlife, SANParks Honorary Rangers, Green Peace, UNITE against poaching and World Wide Fund for Nature. Respondents’ understanding of responsible ecotourism is conserving and protecting nature, has a low impact on the environment and has an educational travel experience in any environment. The key principles of ecotourism, namely conservation of nature, conservation of culture, community involvement, environmental education, tourist satisfaction, responsible tourism practices, environmental education, tourist satisfaction, responsible tourism practices, role players participating in ecotourism – the tourist and accommodation and were rated based on a five point Likert scale. The principles that were rated with the highest mean values included: water sources are protected (4.83); tourists are told not to touch or disturb birds and animals (4.76); correct disposal of waste, including cigarette butts, into allocated waste bins is encouraged (4.73); dripping taps are fixed immediately (4.70) and noise is limited in natural areas (4.70). The exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the principles identified, they were as follows: Conservation of nature had five factors namely, Conservation; Controlled development; Environmental friendly; Alien plants; Water saving measurements. Conservation of culture had two factors namely, Local community involvement; Benefit for community. Community involvement had two factors namely, Benefits; Education for community. Environmental education had only one factor namely, learning experiences. Tourist satisfaction also had one factor namely, Tourist satisfaction. Responsible tourism practices had three factors namely, recycling and environmental friendly practices; Interaction with nature; Responsible practices. Tourist participation in ecotourism had one factor namely, Informed tourist. Accommodation had three factors namely, Eco-friendly practices and development; Touch the earth lightly; Environmental friendly accommodation. Group statistics namely t-tests and ANOVA’s were performed to determine whether there were any significant differences between the factors identified from the ecotourism principles. The ttest was used to compare the socio-demographic aspects, namely home language (English and Afrikaans) with all the ecotourism principles. The t-test was used to compare behavioural aspects, namely Wild Card holders (Yes and No) with all the ecotourism principles. This were done to determine if the respondents’ opinions differ about principles in terms of Wild Card holders or non- Wild Card holders. The ANOVA was tested for socio-demographic aspects of respondents namely, marital status. The ANOVA was tested for socio-demographic aspects of respondents namely, level of education. The research made the following contributions to the field of ecotourism. These contributions are made in three categories namely, literature, methodology and practical contributions: * It is the first time that literature about ecotourism are combined to identify principles and constructs. All rating criteria was investigated to do this. * First time that different rating systems regarding ecotourism was identified, analysed and compared to each other. * Added to the literature on future trends of ecotourism which will assist in the planning and development of ecotourism products as well as rating systems. * The rating system can assist in future ecotourism development in protected areas as the most important principle for ecotourism have been identified. * The research contribute to more environment friendly development of ecotourism accommodation products * It is the first time that all relevant aspects of ecotourism was identified and developed into questionnaire that test ecotourism rating constructs and principles. * The research also contribute to the fact that one knows what are the ecotourism constructs that are seen as important by the visitor to national parks. The empirical results also determined statistical differences of the constructs and principles regarding socio-demographic and behavioural aspects of the visitors to national parks in South Africa. * This was the first time that a specific rating system was developed for South African National Parks. * This rating system can also be adapted to other conservation areas such as game reserves and game farms. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The goal of this study is to develop a sustainable tourism strategy for the Soshanguve Township. The motivation for this study arose out of the acute developmental challenges facing many township communities in South Africa, mainly due to the absence of economic opportunities. This results in a high unemployment rate, poverty and an elevated number of crime incidences. A sustainable community tourism strategy could alleviate this situation by availing itself of the opportunities presented by the booming tourism industry to the Soshanguve township, and other communities with similar characteristics. To this end, a firm conceptual framework was laid through the review of literature on the tourism system and indicators of sustainability, tourism development planning, tourism development in South Africa, and community tourism. Literature on the tourism system was instrumental in conceptualising the components required for tourism development to take root in Soshanguve township, namely the potential demand for Soshanguve tourism (including tourists’ region of origin), the infrastructure and services required for visitors en route to the destination, and the readiness of the local community and tourism industry in Soshanguve for tourism development (products, facilities and services). The concept of sustainability and indicators thereof are explored in order to provide a benchmark for monitoring tourism development in Soshanguve, and to ensure that the gains from tourism are preserved for the future. Literature on tourism development planning provided the necessary organisational dimension needed to avoid chaotic development and any potential negative impacts. Furthermore, an analysis of tourism development in South Africa was instrumental in positioning the Soshanguve tourism development strategy within the national, regional and local government context. Finally, the community tourism development component provided vital input from existing research on community tourism initiatives. The research paradigm was both quantitative and qualitative. Following the exploratory research approach, three surveys were conducted by means of self-administered questionnaires. The aim was to explore the demand side of the Soshanguve tourism product through a survey of potential visitors to the Soshanguve township, as well as the supply side through a survey of residents of Soshanguve (ascertaining perceptions of tourism impacts on their community) and another survey of tourism business managers (to assessing product availability and quality). This process was complemented by a qualitative study by means of interviews with three community leaders to explore in greater detail the unique selling points in Soshanguve, tourism planning issues, and the objectives of tourism development in the community. The following literature sources constituted the pillars of the questionnaires, World Economic Forum, 2008:38; Keyser, 2008:37; Simpson, 2008:1 and Oyola et al., 2012:662-665. The interview questions were largely drawn from tourism planning literature (Commonwealth of Australia, 2004:7; Lee, 2012:2; Chi & Dyer,2010; Nunkoo & Ramkissoo, 2011). The demand side questionnaire was administered to 401 (N) visitors to City of Tshwane between the 23rd and 27th of September 2013. These were considered to be potential tourists to Soshanguve because these visitors were in the Pretoria Central Business District which is just about 45 kilometres away from Soshanguve. The second survey (supply side) was administered to 429 (N) residents of the Soshanguve community between 5th October 2013 and 9th October 2013. The product managers’ questionnaire was administered to all 29 (N) managers of tourism businesses identified in Soshanguve from 11th October 2013 to 16th of October 2013. Finally, interviews with the three community leaders were held between the 28th of September 2013 and the 10th of October 2013. The data collected was processed by the Statistical Consultation Services of the North-West University (Potchefstroom campus) using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software programme. The results were analysed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, factor correlation analysis, Spearman’s rank correlations, ANOVA tests and t-tests. The results of the descriptive analysis revealed the travel behaviour of the visitors as highly favourable to day visits with most holidays lasting between two and three days. The majority of respondents used hotel accommodation and arrived at the destination by car. The greatest motivation for taking a holiday was to relax, with the most preferred holiday activity being to visit historical places, followed closely by appreciating nature. The most important determinant of the holiday destination choice was finances, with security featuring next. It was also evident that most of the visitors were not familiar with townships around the City of Tshwane as just about half of them had visited a township in the past. The greatest motivation for visiting a township was to experience traditional dance, drama and music. The study further conducted three factor analyses on visitor motivations for taking a holiday, visitor holiday activities, and holiday destination choice determinants. The exploratory factor analysis identified five factors in the travel motivations (socio-cultural motivators, interpersonal motivators, physical motivators, status motivators, and recovery motivators), four factors among the preferred activities (adventure activities, cultural activities, social activities, and outdoor activities), and five factors among the holiday destination choice determinants (familiarity, physical well-being, economic factors, safety and recommendations/references). The factor correlation matrix revealed no significant correlations between them, although there were visible correlations between the socio-cultural motivators for taking a holiday and recovery motivators. The same could be said of adventure activities and cultural activities. The t-test indicated no significant differences between visitors who had previously been to the township and those who had not. Regarding the results of the supply side analysis, the focus was on the residents of Soshanguve, the tourism product managers in the community, and interviews with the community leaders. The descriptive statistics revealed that many residents had a strong attachment to their community as they would not consider living elsewhere. Generally, they have a positive perception of tourism impacts on their community, as most of them agree that tourism development would be beneficial to both the community and themselves. The product managers think business has been good, but the quality of the products is questionable considering that most of the tourism businesses neither belong to an industry association for peer evaluation nor have received any grading. Results of the qualitative study indicated that even though there is a tourism product development plan for Soshanguve at the City of Tshwane tourism office, none of the community leaders interviewed was aware of this. This seems to suggest that the public consultation process was either not followed or was flawed. The interviews also unearthed the rich history, natural environment and cultural heritage of the Soshanguve people. Finally, a factor matrix analysis was performed on the perceptions of the residents on the impacts of tourism development on their community and the general tourism business success factors in Soshanguve. Five impact factors (economic, social, infrastructure, environmental, and recreational) were identified with the factor correlation analysis revealing visible correlations between infrastructure and recreation/entertainment. An ANOVA test was conducted to determine if there are any correlations between the community attachment of respondents and their perceptions of tourism impacts. No significant correlations were found. The exploratory factor matrix analysis on the general tourism industry success factors yielded six factors, namely facilities and services, communication tools, access, visibility, human resources, and safety. The factor correlation analysis indicated no significant correlations between the factors. The key contributions of this study can be noted as follows: * The development of a pioneer sustainable community tourism strategy for Soshanguve, in particular and townships in general; * The proposed inclusive stakeholder consultative approach in the development of sustainable township tourism; * The holistic approach to tourism destination planning that takes into consideration the tourists origin region, conditions in the transit route region and the host destiantion; * Finally, the application of methodological triangulation in township tourism research. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Ecological travel (ecotourism) is the “next big thing”. To experience nature up close and personal is to backpack off the beaten track and these days this is the “hippest” way to travel. Ecotourism is seen as the most excelling fragment of tourism and The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) views tourism in an unspoilt natural area (ecotourism) as the fastest growing concept of the tourism industry. Ecotourism has evolved into speciality travel; including an assorted – and often confusing – collection of events and tourism types, for example bird watching, methodical study, photography, diving and trekking. Ecotourism takes place in unspoilt natural areas, lodges and conservation areas such as national parks. South African National Parks, (SANParks), whom manages a system of parks, and signifies the indigenous fauna & flora, landscapes and associated cultural heritage of the country. National parks offers facilities for overnight tourist, with a range of accommodation, in arid, coastal, mountain and bush veld habitats. A variety of incomparable adventure tourism opportunities, for example game viewing, bush walks, canoeing and exposure to cultural and historical experiences are offered by these national parks. SANParks’ objectives are the insurance of protection, conservation and management of the protected areas for the purposes they were declared. The key aspect of SANParks’ management operations is ecotourism. The three areas that the management of parks cover are general management which include finance and marketing; conservation management which consists of wildlife counting, sales of wildlife, environment etc. and ecotourism management which includes aspects such as camps, accommodation, game drives and picnic areas. Because ecotourism as an important aspect of park management and is one of SANParks’ core pillars, the main concern is which strategies and policies are in place in order to provide tourists with an ecotourism experience within South African National Parks? Tourism products (especially accommodation products) need to recognize that customers (tourists) have certain expectations and these expectations must be met. One way in meeting these expectations is to adhere to tourists’ perceptions and satisfaction as well as to provide a quality service. It is also seen as one of the most important influences on productivity and profit of a tourism organisation. One approach to obtain customer satisfaction and meeting expectations is to implement a grading/rating system. When managers and owners of accommodation and tourism products want to convince tourists of the quality of the organisation or tourism product that is being presented, a classification or rating system plays an important role to communicate this vital issue. South Africa has various rating systems / schemes, however there are no acknowledged rating systems for ecotourism products in South Africa National Parks. The shortcomings of these current rating systems are that they rate mostly the hospitality and accommodation sectors. These criteria’s tend to focus on the following: building exteriors, bedrooms, bathrooms, public area, general facilities, general services, housekeeping services, additional facilities and responsible environmental and business practices. None of these schemes focus primarily on ecotourism principles. These systems need to be adapted for nature/wildlife products and the problem that this study will address is to develop an ecotourism rating system for South African National Parks. It is essential to have a rating system in place to compete in the global world where ecotourism and green aspects are important and to deliver a valuable service. Therefore the problem that this research will addresses, is to develop an ecotourism rating system for South Africa National Parks. The research approach used in this study included quantitative methodologies. An explorative research approach was followed through an online questionnaire with the aim of determining the perceptions of visitors about the perceptions of respondents regarding the importance of specific ecotourism principles. These constructs were determined through a literature review. The sources consulted included the following: De Witt, 2011; Du Plessis, 2010; Geldenhuys, 2009:5; Saayman, 2009:70; Fennell, 2008:23; Blamey, 2001:12; Eagles, 1996; Dingwall and Gordon, 1996. The questionnaire was distributed electronically on the SANParks’ website. Data collection took place during April 2013. A total of 308 responses were received during the period of data collection. The results of the empirical quantitative data was analysed by the Statistical Consultation Services at the North-West University by means of the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software programme. The statistical methods utilised included descriptive statistics and causal research. The descriptive statistics includes the demographic profile of respondents, the principles of ecotourism, the factor analysis and the factor correlation matrix. The causal research includes the t-test and the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results of the descriptive data indicated that the language most spoken by the respondents was primarily English followed by Afrikaans. The greater number of respondents was married and live in Gauteng. They were well educated with a diploma or degree. Most of the respondents were Wild Card holders and supports conservation organisations, such as Rhino Conservation, followed by SA Wildlife, SANParks Honorary Rangers, Green Peace, UNITE against poaching and World Wide Fund for Nature. Respondents’ understanding of responsible ecotourism is conserving and protecting nature, has a low impact on the environment and has an educational travel experience in any environment. The key principles of ecotourism, namely conservation of nature, conservation of culture, community involvement, environmental education, tourist satisfaction, responsible tourism practices, environmental education, tourist satisfaction, responsible tourism practices, role players participating in ecotourism – the tourist and accommodation and were rated based on a five point Likert scale. The principles that were rated with the highest mean values included: water sources are protected (4.83); tourists are told not to touch or disturb birds and animals (4.76); correct disposal of waste, including cigarette butts, into allocated waste bins is encouraged (4.73); dripping taps are fixed immediately (4.70) and noise is limited in natural areas (4.70). The exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the principles identified, they were as follows: Conservation of nature had five factors namely, Conservation; Controlled development; Environmental friendly; Alien plants; Water saving measurements. Conservation of culture had two factors namely, Local community involvement; Benefit for community. Community involvement had two factors namely, Benefits; Education for community. Environmental education had only one factor namely, learning experiences. Tourist satisfaction also had one factor namely, Tourist satisfaction. Responsible tourism practices had three factors namely, recycling and environmental friendly practices; Interaction with nature; Responsible practices. Tourist participation in ecotourism had one factor namely, Informed tourist. Accommodation had three factors namely, Eco-friendly practices and development; Touch the earth lightly; Environmental friendly accommodation. Group statistics namely t-tests and ANOVA’s were performed to determine whether there were any significant differences between the factors identified from the ecotourism principles. The ttest was used to compare the socio-demographic aspects, namely home language (English and Afrikaans) with all the ecotourism principles. The t-test was used to compare behavioural aspects, namely Wild Card holders (Yes and No) with all the ecotourism principles. This were done to determine if the respondents’ opinions differ about principles in terms of Wild Card holders or non- Wild Card holders. The ANOVA was tested for socio-demographic aspects of respondents namely, marital status. The ANOVA was tested for socio-demographic aspects of respondents namely, level of education. The research made the following contributions to the field of ecotourism. These contributions are made in three categories namely, literature, methodology and practical contributions: * It is the first time that literature about ecotourism are combined to identify principles and constructs. All rating criteria was investigated to do this. * First time that different rating systems regarding ecotourism was identified, analysed and compared to each other. * Added to the literature on future trends of ecotourism which will assist in the planning and development of ecotourism products as well as rating systems. * The rating system can assist in future ecotourism development in protected areas as the most important principle for ecotourism have been identified. * The research contribute to more environment friendly development of ecotourism accommodation products * It is the first time that all relevant aspects of ecotourism was identified and developed into questionnaire that test ecotourism rating constructs and principles. * The research also contribute to the fact that one knows what are the ecotourism constructs that are seen as important by the visitor to national parks. The empirical results also determined statistical differences of the constructs and principles regarding socio-demographic and behavioural aspects of the visitors to national parks in South Africa. * This was the first time that a specific rating system was developed for South African National Parks. * This rating system can also be adapted to other conservation areas such as game reserves and game farms. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This thesis focuses on identifying hindrances of achieving a sustainable tourism development on a base of a World Heritage Site. Using a case study of the World Heritage Site Falun Great Copper Mountain, the thesis assesses the situational context by using qualitative methods. Five semi- structured interviews with influential stakeholders were conducted to get an inside view of the current situation and to identify site-specific issues. The thesis identifies a number of factors that determine the successful implementation of measures leading towards sustainable tourism in the long-run; the most important being the lack of clear guidelines for the whole destination and no holistic planning approach within the municipality. The thesis concludes that despite the increased pressures towards establishment of sustainable tourism, the concept remains challenging to operationalize for the World Heritage Site without frameworks and tools from UNESCO.

The purpose of this report has been to answer the following questions: - To what degree do visitors in Kiruna, take their environmental impact into caution when travelling? - In what way does ecotourism have an impact on the local ecosystems? - What does the future look like in terms of sustainable tourism in Kiruna?This report initially starts by explaining the meaning of ”Sustainability” and the subject is then being placed in relation to tourism. A web-based survey was sent to people who visited Kiruna during the winter 2015/2016. The visitors answered questions regarding their choices of transportation, accommodation and activities during their stay. A survey did also take place among the tourism companies within Kiruna. The participants answered questions regarding sustainable tourism. The results shows that the environment is not being prioritized in any further extent. However, European travelers and travelers from outside of Europe tend to prioritize their environmental impact in a higher grade than Swedish travelers. The interest in sustainable tourism among companies in Kiruna was shown to be high. However, in the present time, it is not being practiced in a large scale. When it comes to sustainability, the companies are requesting better marketing and information from the municipality. Even though the interest of participating in sustainable tourism has shown to be low among the visitors, a bright future can still be seen in the area.