Good governance is the most important factor in exterminating poverty and stimulating development. South African heritage has the potential to contribute significantly towards the country’s economic development. Cultural Villages were introduced in the South African tourism industry as a contribution to the objective of rural development in order to improve African curio shops and township experiences and to advance diversification. This study was undertaken to investigate Good Governance Principle that can be employed in the Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) to enhance optimise development brought about by the Cultural Villages (CV) in the area. The study is qualitative in nature. The literature reviewed in this study shows that there is a general poor implementation of good governance principles in the governance and management of the cultural villages. The researcher attempted to achieve high validity and reliability by ensuring that the views and arguments advanced by respondents are accurate in that the chosen respondents consisted of operational workers within the municipality and members of the community. The study establishes that there are several challenges that hinder the effective implementation of good governance principles in the local and district municipalities. Other findings of the study include that there is a challenge of poor management of the CVs, lack of public participation and inadequate funding for the CVs. The main finding of the study is that, although good governance plays a significant role in the improvement of development, it has not contributed to the improvement of the development of the CHDM communities. The main recommendation based on this finding is that there should be regular and thorough public participation within the local municipalities about all the developments relating to the cultural villages. Additional recommendations include, inter alia, strong partnerships between the municipality and the communities and accountability.

Push- and pull forces are considered the most important motivational factors in driving tourism demand. Push forces are motivational forces that arise due to the individual’s need to travel, while pull forces are destination attributes which pull the traveller to the specific destination and in doing so they satisfy the need of the traveller. Understanding why people travel, how they go about selecting their holiday destination and why one country is preferred to the other, is vital to the continued success of the tourism industry. The needs and wants of travellers are constantly changing, therefore, it is imperative that tourism businesses excel at developing new products and services which are better suited to the needs of consumers. The primary objective of this study was to determine the push- and pull forces that influence outbound destination choice in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole. The study investigated and analysed how the independent variables (push- and pull factors) influence destination choice (dependent variable). From a comprehensive literature review, a hypothetical model was developed to test the relationships between push-and pull forces and destination choice. Twelve hypotheses were formulated to test the relationship between four push forces, eight pull forces and destination choice. The study sought the perceptions of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole residents and utitised the quantitative research paradigm. A survey was conducted with the aid of a structured self-administered questionnaire, distributed via e-mail and as a hard copy. A combination of convenience- and snowball sampling was utilised. The final sample comprised 302 respondents. The validity of the measuring instrument was ascertained by using exploratory factor analysis. The Cronbach’s alpha values for reliability were calculated for each of the factors identified during the exploratory factor analysis. The top ten destinations visited and intended to be visited were indicated. United Kingdom was the most visited international destination for both leisure and business purposes, while The United States of America was the most popular international destination to visit next for both leisure and business purposes. Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to test the correlation and significance of the relationships hypothesised between the various independent and dependent variables. Three statistically significant relationships were found between the push forces (physical and stature motivators and destination accessibility) and destination choice. Four statistically significant relationships were found between the pull forces (events, natural attractions, political issues and general infrastructure) and destination choice. The empirical findings further confirmed that an inter-relationship between push- and pull forces within destination choice does exist. However, pull forces influence push forces to a larger extent. Analysis of variance calculations were used to identify if significant relationships exist between the twelve demographic variables and nine reliable and valid independent variables. Furthermore, post-hoc Scheffè tests identified where the significant differences occurred between the different categories. Cohen’s d-values were calculated in order to assess the practical significance of the mean scores. A total of sixteen practical significant relationships were identified. Travel companies should compile travel packages and tours that serve the needs of both leisure- and business travellers. They can use social media as a communication- and promotion tool to entice travellers to specific destinations. The business travel packages should be all inclusive and include transportation, accommodation and even entries to events. The visual aids, utilised within the marketing material, should entice travellers to want to visit these destinations, and outline the favourable general infrastructure available. When marketing outbound destinations, travel service providers must pay attention to demographical variables such as gender, age, ethnical affiliation, income and marital status to compile travel packages that satisfy the needs of specific groups.

As a result of significantly improving relationship between South Africa and China, Chinese tourists traveling to South Africa have become a more noticeable group of travelers. More and more Chinese tourists choose South Africa as a tourism destination; especially Cape Town in the Western Cape region for a variety purposes such as relaxation, business and/or shopping. This research investigates the perceptions and motivation of Chinese tourists coming to the Western Cape region of South Africa. The proposed strategy of promoting the Western Cape region as a travel destination can be made based on the perceptions and motivation of Chinese tourists to the Western Cape. The study focuses on clearly understanding the perception of Chinese tourists by studying tourist behaviour and consumer motivation. The process of decision making and factors impacting on decision making are addressed in the research. A survey questionnaire was administered to Chinese tourists visiting South Africa. The primary data received by questionnaire was analyzed to show what actually Chinese tourists consider Western Cape as a travel destination. The Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) was utilized for analysis of data collected by the questionnaire. These general groups of data are discussed in the research. There are personal information, the motivation for travelling, and perceptions of respondents in the Western Cape region in South Africa.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Technology: Tourism and Hospitality, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / The past decades indicate enormous interest in tourism as a tool for regional economic development. However, it is not always clear if tourism creates a significant contribution to local destination communities, as, in most cases, benefits from tourism emerge slowly and usually accrue to certain groups within the community. This study is driven by the researcher’s desire in determining tourism’s contribution to local community development, and to seek ways in which the local indigenous community can enhance their standard of living through tourism. Hence, increased understanding of tourism’s contribution to community development is necessary to establish strategies to ensure that employees and community receive equal benefits from tourism. Therefore, the study sought to investigate ‘the contribution of tourism to local community development, using Shakaland Zulu Cultural Village (SZCV) as a case. A qualitative and quantitative approach was employed. However, more emphasis was placed on the qualitative approach. The study sample compromised of 84 purposely selected employees of SZCV. The data collected were coded and organised according to the interview questions and were analysed and interpreted according to five analytic categories that were based on the objectives of the study. The findings of the study indicated that: SZCV contributes to local community development; and SZCV has different tourism employment categories that improve the community’s livelihoods in Eshowe, including cultural dancers, cultural chief, traditional herbalist, sangoma, arts and craft workers, chefs, receptionist, reservationist, spaza shop retailer, food and beverage manager, front office manager, maintenance manager as well as cultural manager. The study further revealed that a few respondents received training for their positions; and that the majority of employees are involved in the decision-making process within the SZCV; however, this involvement was not at a strategic level. Furthermore, the study recomended that local community development in Eshowe needs to be improved especially through the diversification of the cultural village. This is attainable by forming a partnership with other tourism business in close proximity to the SZCV that attract a high volume of tourist, to increase the possible benefits to communities that are residing along SZCV. / M

The image of a destination is built by a variety of influences, only some of which can be directly or indirectly attributed to the actions of destination marketing companies. This study proposes to identify, analyze and evaluate the factors that could impact positively and/or negatively on the image of South Africa as a tourist destination among tourists from China.

Thesis (B. Tech. (Tourism management))--Vaal University of Technology. / In recent years there has been a considerable interest in the cultural aspect of tourism (Reisinger & Turner 2003:1 ). Culture in its various forms and dimensions has a significant impact on tourism planning and development, management and marketing. Unfortunately literature that examines the impact of culture on tourism concentrates mostly on expressions of material forms of culture such as the arts, music, architecture or crafts. Research regarding the variables of national cultures such as values, perceptions, rules of behaviour and satisfaction has been neglected. The importance of cultural variables for tourist holiday experiences is important and affects satisfaction and consequently repeat visitation. Thus the cultural variables which influence the quality of the interpersonal interaction between tourists and hosts, can significantly add to tourist holiday experiences and satisfaction. The past few years has witnessed a dramatic change in the composition and nature of domestic tourism in South Africa (Futter & Wood 1997:1 ). Black tourists are emerging as the largest travelling group within South Africa and it is important to the tourism industry that cultural variables of this group be examined. Tourism has experienced a growing internationalization and considerable attention has been paid to the issue of cultural diversity as a result of this growth in international travel. Tourism is a service industry where people from all nationalities meet and the crossing of different cultures takes place. This cross-cultural interaction leads to socio-cultural impacts which affect both the tourist and the host community. By understanding the cultural characteristics of various travelling groups to and around South Africa, socio cultural impacts will be minimised and the benefits of tourism can be appreciated. The target group for this study was black tourists to Vanderbijlpark. This is a large domestic tourism group and understanding the cultural characteristics of this group will enable the tourism industry to better plan, develop and market specific tourism packages. Research for this study was undertaken at a jazz festival in Vereeniging. Field workers randomly interviewed respondents using a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of five sections, namely demographic particulars, personal values, rules of behaviour, perceptions and satisfaction. The data was analysed to provide information regarding the cultural characteristics of the black tourism market in Vanderbijlpark. Respondents were categorised using the demographic data, the culture sections of the questionnaire were analysed in order to give descriptive results of each of the cultural variables. Each variable was analysed to determine its importance to respondents, thus categorising respondents according to their cultural characteristics. A factor analysis was completed in order to synthesise the large amount of data and for each cultural variable smaller, more descriptive factors were identified and used to describe the black tourism market in Vanderbijlpark.

The tourism climate index (TCI) provides information on the levels of comfort for tourism activity based on the climate of a destination. This index has been widely used to quantify the impacts of climate change on tourism at a diversity of destinations. The index is calculated based on the monthly averages of seven variables. To apply this index in South Africa, meteorological datasets of each variable were obtained from the South African Weather Service for 18 locations across South Africa. Each location is climatically distinct and relies on the tourism sector to generate social and economic development within the region. The 18 study sites, are influenced by differences in elevation, the Benguela and Agulhas currents, found along the west and east coast of the country respectively, and by the temporal scale at which summer and winter rainfall occurs across the country. Various data limitations resulted in the need for an adapted tourism climate model in order to calculate the climate suitability of all the chosen locations. The annual mean TCI scores for the period 2005-2014, reveal excellent to ideal climate suitability for tourism at the majority of the locations, with TCI scores ranging between 80.20 and 93.00. However, for the same period, East London, Port Nolloth and Belfast have annual average TCI scores between 74.88 and 79.20, which indicates that their climate suitability is considered to be very good. During the period 2005-2014, the majority of the locations experienced an increase in their climate suitability for tourism. Mean Monthly TCI scores indicate seasonal variations in the climate suitability of destinations across the country. These results suggest that Durban and St Lucia have the most favourable climate conditions for tourism during winter; while Cape Town, Paarl, Port Elizabeth, East London, Port Nolloth and Knysna have the most favourable climate conditions for tourism during summer; and Bethlehem, Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Kimberley, Ladysmith, Nelspruit, Pilanesberg, Pretoria, Polokwane, and Belfast have the best climatic conditions for tourism during spring and autumn. The difference in average TCI scores across the country and the rate at which these TCI scores change over temporal scales highlights the need for constant monitoring of the climate suitability in these regions, particularly because they are reliant on the tourism sector. Rainfall and average thermal comfort had the most negative influence on the annual mean TCI scores, whilst daytime thermal comfort had the most positive influence on the same TCI scores. Tourism academics and researchers in South Africa were interviewed and they perceive climate change to be a social issue that will only impact the South African tourism sector in the future. The perceptions of the tourism academics and researchers are important as they are often the first people to engage with information pertaining to issues about tourism in South Africa. Although none of the respondents could provide a clear indication of when they perceive climate change to have an impact on the South African tourism sector, the majority of them believe that that TCI can be used as a tool to quantify the impacts of climate change on the tourism sector. This would improve the capacity of tourism stakeholders to adapt to the resultant impacts. However, most of the tourism academics and researchers clearly stipulated that the TCI should be used in conjunction with current climate change and tourism research in the country

D. Tech. Tourism Management / South Africa is widely regarded as one of the best adventure destinations on the African continent. However, here and elsewhere, sustainability is a pressing issue in any tourism context. Therefore, adventure tourism destinations need guidance on the best ways to succeed and to be sustainable. The objective of this study was to propose a framework of indicators that are specifically formulated for sustainable adventure tourism. In order to achieve this objective, a literature survey of pertinent issues in this field was conducted, followed by an empirical study. Firstly, profiling of the destination (Waterval Boven) was conducted followed by determining respondents' knowledge of a number of pertinent iconic sustainable tourism organisations. Hereafter the sustainable tourism indicators were categorised into economic, social and environmental groups.

M. Tech. Tourism and Hospitality Management / The focus of this study was to determine tourists' preferences of the content of packaged tours in the Mahikeng area. Packaged tours are designed without really knowing whether such tours will be purchased. The preferences of tourists differ in terms of all the components of tourism incorporated into packaged tours. Preferences can be influenced by the reasons of travelling. Tour operators play a significant role in designing and selling tourism packages. It is therefore crucial for them to recognise the preferences of current and potential customers. Knowing tourists' preferences before crafting tour packages will enable tour operators to save money and will also contribute to the successful selling of packaged tours.

This study was designed to investigate the meaning of the concept of tourism among black South Africans in general and black urban dwellers in particular. The aims of the study were as follows: (a) To look at how black urban dwellers engage in tourist activities. (b) To look at what black urban dwellers understand by the concept of tourism. (c) To find out what places and tourist destinations black people prefer to patronise. (d) To establish the distances black people travel to reach tourist destinations. (e) To focus on the quality of the experiences black people gain at tourist destinations. (f) To gain knowledge about the modes of transport black people use to reach tourist destinations. The dimensions, which pertain to the expression of tourism, were connected. This connection was done in such a way as to reflect on those features of tourism experience which are common amongst urban blacks, and those, which differ for a variety of social and economic reasons. The data presented and analysed in this investigation was gathered from two sources. Quantitative data was collected from a sample of 580 urban black dwellers from several black townships. Qualitative data was collected from 30 families who reside at Esikhawini township. The principal hypothesis of the study is that tourism is not popular among black South Africans mainly because of economic constraints, and a legacy of discriminatory legislation, discriminatory attitudes, as well as the unattractiveness to black tourists of tourist destinations. The sub-hypotheses are as follows: (a) Blacks prefer to visit places where they can be accommodated by friends and relatives. (b) Blacks regard visits to friends and relatives who stay long distances from them as part of tourism. (c) Black people's experience of tourism is more regional than national. (d) Black people prefer to visit urban destinations than rural areas. (e) There are clearly identifiable dimensions of black people's participation in tourism and tourist experience which are common amongst urban blacks. The most important conclusions of the study are: (a) Black urban dwellers understand tourism to mean the practice of travelling for recreation. (b) Black urban dwellers prefer to visit destinations where they can be accommodated by friends and relatives. (c) Black urban dwellers' experience of tourism is more regional than national. (d) Black urban dwellers are mostly attracted to urban destinations than rural areas. (e) Black urban dwellers' tourist experiences have been grossly affected by the policy of apartheid which prohibited them from visiting certain destinations and deprived them of disposable income. The study sheds light on the perceptions and involvement of black urban dwellers in tourism. The investigation of the meaning and expression of tourism among urban blacks is a valuable exercise if tourism is to be made accessible to all South Africans regardless of race, colour and creed. Key words: Tourism, Tourist, Urban Black, Tourist Attraction, Tourism Experience, Tourism Destination. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1999.