Thesis (MTech (Marketing))--Peninsula Technikon, 2001 / Companies operating in the service industry must take note of three important marketing tasks. The first of these tasks is that companies should realise that they must provide the market with a variety of products. Businesses should therefore furnish the market with a diversified product range. Secondly, customers expect from the business sector to provide them with a quality service that even exceeds their own expectations. Thirdly, to ensure its survival in a competitive environment, the company should improve the productivity of its employees e.g. by improving the level of customer service provided to customers. Kotler (1997: 488) argues that such an improvement in productivity levels of employees can be achieved through employees working more skillfully, increasing the quantity of service by surrendering some quality, industrialising the service, inventing new-product solutions, designing more effective services, presenting customers with the incentive to substitute their own labour for company labour, or using technology to save time and money. Keeping these facts in mind and taking into consideration that tourists have been arriving in South Africa from all over the world for decades, it is of great importance for visitors to South Africa to receive customer service of the highest quality. A tourist travelling in the Republic of South Africa will most probably make use of a local travel agency if they should be in need of any further travel related services. A travel agent representing a particular travel agency, will not be engaged in the sale of travel related services only to tourists, but also to any other consumer interested in making use of the Travel Agencies' services. The Association of Travel Agents' (ASATA) code of conduct stresses that "ach travel agent engaged in the sale of travel-related services direct to consumers shall maintain the highest standard of service possible, complying with all statutory requirements, including those applicable to travel agents and with all provisions of this code" (Business Practices Committee Consumer Code For Travel Agencies, 1994: 5). This thesis is an analysis of the "marketing concept", with specific reference to customer service. It focuses on the top management in the travel agency industry and will be concerned with the degree to which top management is marketing orientated and the influence their marketing-orientated outlook will have on the performance of the travel agency. With marketing being defined as: "the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organisational goals", it must be emphasized that marketing can be seen as, amongst others, the anticipation and satisfaction of customer needs (Boshoff & Terblanche, 2000: 4). This research study would also include a study of the travel agency's level of customer service, which will have a direct reflection on top management's marketing outlook as well as the travel agency's level of performance.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Tourism and Hospitality Management)-Durban University of Technology, 2007 xi, 130 leaves / Tourism is one of the world's major industries and is increasing in importance as a source of substantial employment and of great economical and social benefit to many regions around the world. China has the world’s largest population and it has been predicted that China will become one of the world’s major sources of international travellers in the 21st century. Although the outbound travel industry in China has only been developing in recent years, there has been an increasing number of outbound Chinese going all over the world. South Africa is one of the countries that are beginning to be penetrated by the emerging Chinese outbound traveller market. The purpose of this study is to examine the South Africa inbound tourism industry’s readiness for the increasing Chinese tourist market to South Africa and also to examine South Africa as a secondary international destination for the Chinese traveller. The study also aims to explore the Chinese travellers’ interests and major concerns when travelling to South Africa and the expectations of the inbound tour operators in Shanghai. A purposive sample of 118 respondents from Shanghai’s tourism industry participated in the study.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Master Degree of Technelogy: Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2008. / The South African tourism industry is becoming an important service sector in this country, which is attracting increasing international tourists in recent years. China, as a fast developing country, will be exerting greater influence on the development of tourism worldwide over the next decade. In particular, the impact of rapid growth of China's outbound tourism market has been felt by South Africa. A feature that South Africa's tourism marketers need to understand is the different demographics of the Chinese population and their different perceptions on SouthAfrican tourism. The purpose of this study is to identify, analyze and evaluate factors that could impact positively and/or negatively on the image of South Africa as a tourist destination among prospective tourists from China. It examines the opinions and perceptions of Chinese tourists in Shanghai. The research evaluates the kinds of perceptions and attitudes held by Chinese tourists towards South African tourism. The study was conducted with the assistance of fieldworkers in Shanghai who helped the research complete all the interviews and questionnaires. Data was analysed through the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS), and findings, conclusions, and recommendations are presented. The study provides the recommendations to South African tourism organizations to take into considerationthe seriousness of Chinese tourists' understanding and perceptions towards South Africa as an emerging tourism destination as results indicate that many Chinese tourists do not quite understand South Africa and lack proper knowledge and information. Findings indicated that, although many Chinese tourists do know about South Africa as a tourist destination, they do / M

M.Comm. / Tourism development has the potential to have significant impacts on the environment. To ensure that tourism is sustainable into the future there needs to be a balance between tourism development and environmental concerns. The move towards sustainable tourism development requires that there be a closer co-operation among four very different stakeholders. These stakeholders include the tourism business, the environment, the host population, and the tourist. The main purpose of this research was to identify, at the Kruger National Park, the levels of awareness and understanding of the concept of sustainable tourism development amongst the four stakeholders. Also are identified are their viewpoints on how to achieve sustainable tourism development, their efforts to ensure it, and the role that marketing can play to ensure sustainable tourism development. This study, being exploratory in nature, made use of in-depth interviews (a qualitative technique) to gather the needed primary data. In-depth interviews were conducted at the Kruger National Park with representatives from the various stakeholder groups. Observation of physical aspects and people behaviours were used to supplement the in-depth interviews. Overall, it was found that most groups are aware of the need to balance environmental concerns with tourism development. Tourists however, are less aware of concepts such as sustainable tourism development than the other stakeholders It is was found that in some cases there is a lack of communication between some of the various stakeholders on various issues. The respondents in this case thought that the other stakeholders might disagree with them on certain issues when in fact their ideas were similar. Strong emphasis is being placed on developing relationships with the local communities and involving them in the decisions that affect them. It is realised that these local communities can have a major impact on the larger ecosystem around the park and could eventually destroy tourism if they are ignored. Local communities need to benefit from the existence of the park. Overall, the respondents do not have a clear understanding of what marketing entails or the contribution it can make to ensuring sustainable tourism development. Marketing is viewed by most as simply selling bed-nights. The marketing function at the Kruger National Park is ineffective and not given the support or attention it requires to operate effectively. For marketing to play a significant role at the park serious attention needs to be given to redesigning the entire marketing department. It is absolutely essential that tourism be developed in an environmentally sustainable manner to ensure the industry's future existence. Marketing of the park needs to be done in a manner that will not lead to the environment being exploited. Marketing, apart from simply selling the park, can play an important role in developing a conservation ethic amongst tourists and potential tourists. This educational role extends to the youth of the country who are the future tourists, tourism developers and conservationists.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Tourism and Hospitality Management)-Durban University of Technology, 2007 xi, 130 leaves / Tourism is one of the world's major industries and is increasing in importance as a source of substantial employment and of great economical and social benefit to many regions around the world. China has the world’s largest population and it has been predicted that China will become one of the world’s major sources of international travellers in the 21st century. Although the outbound travel industry in China has only been developing in recent years, there has been an increasing number of outbound Chinese going all over the world. South Africa is one of the countries that are beginning to be penetrated by the emerging Chinese outbound traveller market. The purpose of this study is to examine the South Africa inbound tourism industry’s readiness for the increasing Chinese tourist market to South Africa and also to examine South Africa as a secondary international destination for the Chinese traveller. The study also aims to explore the Chinese travellers’ interests and major concerns when travelling to South Africa and the expectations of the inbound tour operators in Shanghai. A purposive sample of 118 respondents from Shanghai’s tourism industry participated in the study.

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.

Thesis (MA VA (Visual Arts))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Please refer to full text for abstract.

B.Tech. (Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Faculty of Human Sciences), Vaal University of Technology / The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between marketing effectiveness and the marketing mix of guesthouses in the Vaal Region. This goal was achieved by firstly exploring the application of marketing and marketing effectiveness in the tourism industry through a literature study. Based on the literature study a questionnaire was developed and a survey conducted to analyse the marketing mix as well as marketing effectiveness of guesthouses and the relationship between these two as possible factors influencing both. Marketing is a very important management function in any business. It is a process focused on matching the right customer with a certain product or service in order to satisfy their wants and needs. Marketing can create a competitive advantage for organisations which influences the success and longterm profitability of the organisation. The marketing approach for small organisations differs from that of larger organisations due to limited resources, lack of specialist expertise and a limited impact in the marketplace. Smaller organisations such as guesthouses seem to handle marketing in a more informal and unstructured manner and thereby underestimating the value and role of marketing. Marketing is directly influenced by the application of the four Ps, namely product, price, place and promotion. The planning and application of the four Ps, however, contributes to successful marketing. The question is whether guesthouse owners realise this. Research was undertaken at the guesthouses in the Vaal Region to determine the relationship between the marketing mix and marketing effectiveness through the eyes of the consumer, since they need to react to the marketing material. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed of which 451 were completed by the visitors. v Firstly, the data was used to compile tables and graphs to interpret the descriptive data: demographic profile of respondents, travel preferences of respondents, a descriptive view of the marketing mix elements and the effectiveness of marketing for guesthouses. Secondly, by means of a factor analyses, the marketing mix elements were grouped according to price, place, product, promotion (advertising) and promotion (contact), and the marketing effectiveness elements were grouped according to quantity control and quality control. Product was found to be the most important element of the marketing mix and quality control was found to be the most important element of marketing effectiveness. Thirdly, no significant differences were found on the marketing mix elements and the marketing effectiveness factors and gender and marital status. The spearman rank order correlations revealed that older people consider product as a marketing mix element to be less important. Frequent travellers consider promotion (advertising), promotion (contact) and quality control to be less important. Lastly, definite correlations were found between the marketing mix elements and the marketing effectiveness factors. This implies that even smaller guesthouses should implement the marketing mix elements which can assist in improving the marketing effectiveness of the guesthouse. Guesthouses will yield better results when implementing the marketing mix effectively. This study contributes to the information that already exists concerning the marketing mix and marketing effectiveness but more in terms of the relationship between the two.

Thesis (M. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State