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

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

The primary objective of this study was to develop an ecotourism model for South African National Parks. South African National Parks' current ecotourism/tourism management strategies were analysed and it was found that no clear guidelines regarding the development and management of ecotourism in South Africa National Parks exists. As South African National Parks (SANParks) is one of the largest conservation and ecotourism providers in South Africa, and because ecotourism tends to occur in sensitive ecological and human communities, the need for an ecotourism model for South African National Parks is crucial. The absence of such a model will prevent the effective and sustainable management, monitoring and control of ecotourism in South African National Parks. A literature study was conducted into sustainable–, responsible– and ecotourism as well as current national and international policies concerning ecotourism in national parks or nature–based tourism. Sustainable tourism requires that tourism development should be of such a nature that a balance is kept between the economy, socio–cultural environment and the physical environment. This is referred to as the triple bottom line. The goal of sustainable tourism is to maximise the positive impacts and minimise the negative impacts on the just mentioned triple bottom line aspects. Responsible tourism has the same goals as sustainable tourism, but stresses the importance of all stakeholders taking responsibility of ensuring a sustainable tourism industry. It should therefore be seen as a pathway to achieve sustainable tourism, rather than as an end in itself. Ecotourism forms part of the sustainable/responsible tourism paradigm. From the literature, four main pillars were identified on which ecotourism is based, namely: conservation and enhancement of natural and cultural attractions; environmental education; sustainable management practices and the provision of an enlightening tourist experience. The literature review also indicated some principles supportive of the pillars that are important if ecotourism is to take place, namely: natural and cultural environment; local community upliftment; long–term planning; ethical behaviour of all stakeholders; environmentally–friendly practices and tourist satisfaction. Quantitative research was conducted. An explorative research approach was followed by the means of a self–administered questionnaire with the aim of determining the perceptions, of both the demand side (visitors to South Africa National Parks) and from the supply side (managers of South African National Parks) on the subject of ecotourism. Fifty–six (56) constructs pertaining to aspects of ecotourism were measured on a five–point Likert scale. The constructs were based on a literature review regarding responsible– and ecotourism. Sources that were used to a large extent to develop the questionnaire include the works of Frey and George (2010), Saayman (2009), Fennell (2008), Spencely (2008), Björk (2007), Diamantis (2004),DEAT (2003) The questionnaire for the visitor survey was launched on the website of South Africa National Parks during March 2011 and ran for one month. During this time, 993 respondents completed the questionnaire. The same questionnaire was sent via electronic mail to the managers of SANParks, namely regional and general managers, hospitality services managers and managing executives. A total of 25 questionnaires were completed. The results of the empirical research were processed by the North–West University's Statistical Consultation Services (Potchefstroom Campus). The data was analysed by means of the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software programme. Statistical methods that were used include: descriptive statistics; exploratory factor analysis; factor correlation matrix and a t–test. The results of the descriptive statistics revealed that the following ecotourism aspects were rated as most important by visitors: everyone (staff and visitors) has a responsibility to maintain a litter–free environment; animals should not be fed; everyone (staff and visitors) has a responsibility to save water and electricity. The managers, however, rated the following as the most important ecotourism aspects: to ensure managers, staff and contract employees understand and adhere to all aspects of the South African National Parks' policy to prevent negative impacts on the environment and local communities; do not feed the animals; and to comply with all relevant national, provincial and local legislation, regulations, licences and permits as may be required. Six factors were identified from the exploratory factor analysis: Factor 1: Product development; Factor 2: Local community involvement; Factor 3: Environmentally friendly practices; Factor 4: Ethics; Factor 5: Food and activities; Factor 6: Policies. The factors recorded serve as important guidelines for the development and management of ecotourism products in South African National Parks. For instance, the factor with the highest mean value was “ethics”. Visitor respondents felt very strongly that rules and regulations should be adhered to by visitors and that severe penalties should be implemented in the case of non–compliance. This was also the definite view of staff members. The research made the following contributions to the discipline of tourism and specifically ecotourism: * This research presents the first ecotourism model for South African National Parks which can assist park management in creating ecotourism products that provide a sustainable ecotourism experience and secure the future of ecotourism in national parks. * It was the first time that the perception of ecotourism was determined from both a demand and supply side in South Africa National Parks, which assisted in identifying the key factors for ecotourism products from. * The results of this research paved the way for SANParks in the development of an ecotourism policy for South African National Parks. * The results further made a contribution to the future development of a national ecotourism policy for South Africa (which currently does not exist). Such a policy can then be applied to provincial parks, private game reserves and game farms in South Africa. * The research contributed to the development of a sustainable ecotourism rating criteria for South African National Parks to allow them to grow closer to an ideal managed system that is in line with sustainable / responsible management aspects. * The results were presented at the First International Conference on Tourism and Management Studies in the Algarve, Portugal on the 27th October 2011. * A contribution was also made to the literature on ecotourism in terms of clarification of what is expected by the users (tourists) of ecotourism products and what SANParks' managers view as important aspects of ecotourism and how ecotourism should be developed and managed. * Finally, this study contributed to the research concerning national parks in terms of ecotourism development and management. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The primary objective of this study was to develop an ecotourism model for South African National Parks. South African National Parks' current ecotourism/tourism management strategies were analysed and it was found that no clear guidelines regarding the development and management of ecotourism in South Africa National Parks exists. As South African National Parks (SANParks) is one of the largest conservation and ecotourism providers in South Africa, and because ecotourism tends to occur in sensitive ecological and human communities, the need for an ecotourism model for South African National Parks is crucial. The absence of such a model will prevent the effective and sustainable management, monitoring and control of ecotourism in South African National Parks. A literature study was conducted into sustainable–, responsible– and ecotourism as well as current national and international policies concerning ecotourism in national parks or nature–based tourism. Sustainable tourism requires that tourism development should be of such a nature that a balance is kept between the economy, socio–cultural environment and the physical environment. This is referred to as the triple bottom line. The goal of sustainable tourism is to maximise the positive impacts and minimise the negative impacts on the just mentioned triple bottom line aspects. Responsible tourism has the same goals as sustainable tourism, but stresses the importance of all stakeholders taking responsibility of ensuring a sustainable tourism industry. It should therefore be seen as a pathway to achieve sustainable tourism, rather than as an end in itself. Ecotourism forms part of the sustainable/responsible tourism paradigm. From the literature, four main pillars were identified on which ecotourism is based, namely: conservation and enhancement of natural and cultural attractions; environmental education; sustainable management practices and the provision of an enlightening tourist experience. The literature review also indicated some principles supportive of the pillars that are important if ecotourism is to take place, namely: natural and cultural environment; local community upliftment; long–term planning; ethical behaviour of all stakeholders; environmentally–friendly practices and tourist satisfaction. Quantitative research was conducted. An explorative research approach was followed by the means of a self–administered questionnaire with the aim of determining the perceptions, of both the demand side (visitors to South Africa National Parks) and from the supply side (managers of South African National Parks) on the subject of ecotourism. Fifty–six (56) constructs pertaining to aspects of ecotourism were measured on a five–point Likert scale. The constructs were based on a literature review regarding responsible– and ecotourism. Sources that were used to a large extent to develop the questionnaire include the works of Frey and George (2010), Saayman (2009), Fennell (2008), Spencely (2008), Björk (2007), Diamantis (2004),DEAT (2003) The questionnaire for the visitor survey was launched on the website of South Africa National Parks during March 2011 and ran for one month. During this time, 993 respondents completed the questionnaire. The same questionnaire was sent via electronic mail to the managers of SANParks, namely regional and general managers, hospitality services managers and managing executives. A total of 25 questionnaires were completed. The results of the empirical research were processed by the North–West University's Statistical Consultation Services (Potchefstroom Campus). The data was analysed by means of the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software programme. Statistical methods that were used include: descriptive statistics; exploratory factor analysis; factor correlation matrix and a t–test. The results of the descriptive statistics revealed that the following ecotourism aspects were rated as most important by visitors: everyone (staff and visitors) has a responsibility to maintain a litter–free environment; animals should not be fed; everyone (staff and visitors) has a responsibility to save water and electricity. The managers, however, rated the following as the most important ecotourism aspects: to ensure managers, staff and contract employees understand and adhere to all aspects of the South African National Parks' policy to prevent negative impacts on the environment and local communities; do not feed the animals; and to comply with all relevant national, provincial and local legislation, regulations, licences and permits as may be required. Six factors were identified from the exploratory factor analysis: Factor 1: Product development; Factor 2: Local community involvement; Factor 3: Environmentally friendly practices; Factor 4: Ethics; Factor 5: Food and activities; Factor 6: Policies. The factors recorded serve as important guidelines for the development and management of ecotourism products in South African National Parks. For instance, the factor with the highest mean value was “ethics”. Visitor respondents felt very strongly that rules and regulations should be adhered to by visitors and that severe penalties should be implemented in the case of non–compliance. This was also the definite view of staff members. The research made the following contributions to the discipline of tourism and specifically ecotourism: * This research presents the first ecotourism model for South African National Parks which can assist park management in creating ecotourism products that provide a sustainable ecotourism experience and secure the future of ecotourism in national parks. * It was the first time that the perception of ecotourism was determined from both a demand and supply side in South Africa National Parks, which assisted in identifying the key factors for ecotourism products from. * The results of this research paved the way for SANParks in the development of an ecotourism policy for South African National Parks. * The results further made a contribution to the future development of a national ecotourism policy for South Africa (which currently does not exist). Such a policy can then be applied to provincial parks, private game reserves and game farms in South Africa. * The research contributed to the development of a sustainable ecotourism rating criteria for South African National Parks to allow them to grow closer to an ideal managed system that is in line with sustainable / responsible management aspects. * The results were presented at the First International Conference on Tourism and Management Studies in the Algarve, Portugal on the 27th October 2011. * A contribution was also made to the literature on ecotourism in terms of clarification of what is expected by the users (tourists) of ecotourism products and what SANParks' managers view as important aspects of ecotourism and how ecotourism should be developed and managed. * Finally, this study contributed to the research concerning national parks in terms of ecotourism development and management. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

South Africa and the rest of the world currently face an exacerbating threat of environmental degradation, which can be partly ascribed to the fact that some parts of society still place economic growth as a priority over environmental conservation. This study shows that such an approach is only profitable over the short term and actually causes more harm than good. On the other hand, the world is still recovering from the major 2008 global financial crisis. To tip the scale back into balance, it is crucial that economic -, social -, and environmental development be sustainable; from now and into the future. This study recognises that, to achieve sustainable development at all three levels, a transition to a green economy is needed. In essence a green economy requires investment in the environment for the benefit of both society and the economy. This study then goes on to show that ecotourism can be used as a manner to invest in the environment, whilst at the same time uplifting society and improving the economy. Subsequently it is identified as a key driver of a green economy. However, a daunting reality is that ecotourism developments and - activities also threaten the environment. This study therefore argues that ecotourism has to be regulated effectively; otherwise it will not live up to its purpose and may, as a result, curtail South Africa’s efforts of a transition to a green economy, instead of positively contributing to it. This study asks the question: Does South Africa’s environmental legislation provide for the effective regulation of ecotourism? This question is answered by considering whether various relevant pieces of national environmental legislation measure up to certain criteria that is inherent to the effective regulation of ecotourism. Finally this study serves to show that; from an environmental law perspective, and to the extent that this study investigated the ecotourism environment, ecotourism as a phenomenon is regulated effectively in South Africa. However, it appears that there still remains tremendous scope for improvement. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / Tourism generates foreign currency and employment, and proper planning and management benefits the community and environment upon which tourism depends. The study investigated the management of sustainable action plans at selected nature-based attractions in Botswana, namely; Gaborone Game Reserve, Khutse Game Reserves, and Mokolodi Nature Reserve. Purposive, convenience and snowball sampling yielded 25 respondents for semi-structured interviews. Findings highlighted that sustainable action plans, like recycling and engaging local labour, were managed and implemented to a small extent. The conclusions were that the full potential of sustainable action plans management needed to be fully explored. The study recommends government enforcement of policies, master plans and strategies for management of sustainable action plans in nature-based attractions; and decentralisation of public nature-based attractions to allow managers full management of sustainable action plans. Government and private sector should fund management of all nine sustainable action plans, and implement a holistic tourism strategy to retain the quality of tourists’ experiences. / Ezokuvakasha zidala imali yangaphandle kanye nomsebenzi, nokuhlelwa kahle nokuphathwa kahle komphakathi kanye nemvelo lapho ezokuvakasha zincike khona. Ucwaningo lucwaninge ukuphathwa kwezinhlelo zokusebenza ezisimeme ezikhethiwe zokukhangiswa kwemvelo eBotswana, okuyiSiqiwi iGaborone, iSiqiwi iKhutse, nokuGcinwa kweMvelo iMokolodi. Imibonakaliso ekhethwe ngokusekelwe ezilinganisweni zabantu kanye nenhloso yocwaningo (purposive sampling), indlela yokubala nokudweba idatha emele ngokukhetha abantu ngenxa yokukhululeka kokuzithandela kwabo (convenience sampling) kanye nabacwaningi bezokucwaninga abathatha abanye abahlanganyeli ukuze banze ucwaningo (snowball sampling) inikeza abaphenduli abangu-25 ngemibuzo ehleliwe. Okutholakele kubonise ukuthi izinhlelo zokusebenza ezisimeme, njengokuvuselela kabusha nokubandakanya abasebenzi basekhaya, zaphathwa futhi zenziwa ngendlela encane. Isiphetho sasiwukuthi amandla aphelele okuphathwa ezinhlelo zokusebenza ezisimeme kufanele ahlolwe. Ucwaningo luphakamisa ukuqiniswa kwezinqubomgomo kuhulumeni, izinhlelo ezinhle kanye namasu okuphathwa kwezinhlelo zokusebenza ezisimeme ezikhethiwe zokukhangiswa kwemvelo; kanye nokwabiwa kwamandla okukhangayo okusekelwe emphakathini ukuvumela abaphathi ukuphatha ngokugcwele kwalezi zinhlelo. Uhulumeni kanye nezimboni ezizimele kufanele baxhase ukuphathwa kwazo zonke izinhlelo zokusebenza ezisimeme eziyisishiyagalolunye, futhi basebenzise uhlelo lwezokuvakasha oluphelele ukugcina isipiliyoni sabavakashi sisezingeni. / Toerisme genereer buitelandse valuta en werkverskaffing, en behoorlike beplanning en bestuur is tot voordeel van die gemeenskap en omgewing waarop toerisme staatmaak. Die studie het die bestuur van volhoubare aksieplanne by geselekteerde natuurgebaseerde besienswaardighede in Botswana, naamlik die Gaborone, Khutse en Mokolodi Natuurreservate, ondersoek. Doelbewuste, gerief- en sneeubalsteekproefneming het 25 respondente vir semigestruktureerde onderhoude opgelewer. Volgens die bevindings, is volhoubare aksieplanne soos herwinning en die gebruik van plaaslike arbeid, tot ’n mate bestuur en geïmplementeer. Die gevolgtrekking was dat die volle potensiaal van volhoubare aksieplanbestuur verken moet word. Die studie het regeringstoepassing van beleide, meesterplanne en strategieë aanbeveel vir die bestuur van volhoubare aksieplanne in natuurgebaseerde besienswaardighede; en die desentralisasie van openbare natuurgebaseerde besienswaardighede om bestuurders toe te laat om hierdie planne ten volle te bestuur. Die regering en die privaat sektor behoort die bestuur van al nege die volhoubare aksieplanne te befonds, en 'n holistiese toerismestrategie te implementeer om die gehalte van toeriste-ervarings te behou. / Transport Economics, Logistics and Tourism / M. Com. (Tourism Management)

South Africa and the rest of the world currently face an exacerbating threat of environmental degradation, which can be partly ascribed to the fact that some parts of society still place economic growth as a priority over environmental conservation. This study shows that such an approach is only profitable over the short term and actually causes more harm than good. On the other hand, the world is still recovering from the major 2008 global financial crisis. To tip the scale back into balance, it is crucial that economic -, social -, and environmental development be sustainable; from now and into the future. This study recognises that, to achieve sustainable development at all three levels, a transition to a green economy is needed. In essence a green economy requires investment in the environment for the benefit of both society and the economy. This study then goes on to show that ecotourism can be used as a manner to invest in the environment, whilst at the same time uplifting society and improving the economy. Subsequently it is identified as a key driver of a green economy. However, a daunting reality is that ecotourism developments and - activities also threaten the environment. This study therefore argues that ecotourism has to be regulated effectively; otherwise it will not live up to its purpose and may, as a result, curtail South Africa’s efforts of a transition to a green economy, instead of positively contributing to it. This study asks the question: Does South Africa’s environmental legislation provide for the effective regulation of ecotourism? This question is answered by considering whether various relevant pieces of national environmental legislation measure up to certain criteria that is inherent to the effective regulation of ecotourism. Finally this study serves to show that; from an environmental law perspective, and to the extent that this study investigated the ecotourism environment, ecotourism as a phenomenon is regulated effectively in South Africa. However, it appears that there still remains tremendous scope for improvement. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Sesotho / Scuba diving is a popular marine recreational activity along the eastern and southern coast of Africa. This region is characterised as the East African Marine Ecoregion (EAME) and is known for its richness in marine fauna and flora, including some of the Indian Ocean‟s most diverse and abundant coral reef ecosystems, making it a popular destination for scuba divers. The future of the scuba diving industry has come under threat as a result of environmental, social, political and economic impacts, and there is a need to better understand how these external risks impact on scuba diving tourism businesses in the EAME. Empirical evidence suggests that external risks, both international and domestic, have an effect on the tourism industry as a whole. However, limited research has been conducted on the impact of such external risks on the dive tourism industry specifically. Existing research has also focused extensively on environmental risks rather than on how external risks of a political, economic and social nature affect dive operator sustainability in the EAME. Most studies have also focused on the demand side (divers) as opposed to the supply side (dive operators). In addition, as dive tourists have greater flexibility to change their destination should risks arise, this threatens the success of dive operators in higher risk areas. To address these problems, the primary objective of the research undertaken sought to comprehensively identify the impact of external risks (environmental, economic, social and political) on dive operators in four countries within the EAME from a supply-side perspective. In order to achieve the primary objective, the following secondary objectives were achieved: 1. Identified scuba diving tourism operators in the EAME and their scope of operation. 2. Determined the external risks most relevant to dive operators in the EAME and assessed their level of impact. 3. Compared the individual external risks experienced by each of the countries in the EAME (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa) using a cross-case analysis. 4. Assessed the perception of dive operators regarding whether external risks would influence a dive tourists decision to travel to the dive operators area of operation in the EAME ii The study consisted of two phases. Phase 1 comprised structured interviews with a select group of dive operators to gain insight into the external risks most prevalent in the scuba diving industry, as well as to assist in developing a quantitative structured survey (Phase 2), which was subsequently completed by dive operators in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa. Data was imported into SPSS for quantitative statistical analysis. From the primary data collected, the major findings from this study determined that current economic and political risks have the greatest impact on dive operators in the EAME, and this trend is expected to continue. Environmental degradation of coral reefs, while not seen as a threat at present, constitutes a key threat for the near future. The greatest influences expressed in terms of risk categories impacting on dive tourism are domestic economic risks, international economic risks, domestic political risks and international political risks. A cross-case analysis conducted on the four countries concluded that external risks have varying effects within the different countries. Finally, the results indicated that external risks significantly influence a dive tourist's decision to travel to the EAME. By identifying and assessing the external risks that have an impact on dive operators in the EAME, this research contributes to knowledge on the dive tourism industry in the EAME, as well as dive tourism further afield and the wider field of tourism management. The study's findings create awareness of the effect that external risks have on dive operators in the region. A conceptual framework was developed which encompasses external risks in the scuba diving industry. Risk radars, risk maps and colour-coded tables were further outputs this study which can assist businesses, society and economies in responding to current and future threats and crises in a more informative and intuitive way. This can be achieved by implementing risk management strategies to mitigate or reduce exposure to external risks; strengthening stakeholder involvement along the tourism value chain; and stressing the need for government involvement towards the protection of the environment and promotion of small business growth in the region. Future research can include a wider view of the marine tourism industry and other areas of the Blue Economy. / Skubaduik is 'n gewilde mariene ontspanningsaktiwiteit langs die oos- en suidkus van Afrika. Hierdie streek staan bekend as die Oos-Afrika Mariene Ekostreek (East African Marine Ecoregion, EAME) en is bekend vir sy rykheid aan mariene fauna en flora, insluitende sommige van die Indiese Oseaan se mees diverse en welige koraalrif-ekostelsels, wat dit 'n gewilde bestemming vir skubaduikers maak. Die toekoms van die skubaduikbedryf word bedreig weens die impak van omgewings-, sosiale, politieke en ekonomiese gebeure, en daar is 'n behoefte om beter te verstaan hoe hierdie eksterne risiko's skubaduiktoerisme-besighede in die EAME beïnvloed. Empiriese bewyse suggereer dat eksterne risiko's, internasionaal sowel as plaaslik, 'n invloed op die toerismebedryf as 'n geheel het. Beperkte navorsing is egter gedoen oor die impak van sulke eksterne risiko's op spesifiek die duiktoerisme-bedryf. Bestaande navorsing het ook uitvoerig gefokus op omgewingsrisiko's eerder as hoe eksterne risiko's van 'n politieke, ekonomiese en sosiale aard duik-operateur-volhoubaarheid in die EAME beïnvloed. Die meeste studies het ook gefokus op die aanvraagkant (duikers) in teenstelling met die aanbodkant (duik-operateurs). Verder, omdat duiktoeriste meer buigsaamheid het om hulle bestemming te verander indien risiko's voorkom, bedreig dit die sukses van duik-operateurs in hoë-risiko-gebiede. Om hierdie probleme te hanteer is die primêre doel van die navorsing wat gedoen is om op omvattende wyse die impak van eksterne risiko's (omgewing, ekonomies, sosiaal en polities) op duik-operateurs in vier lande in die EAME te identifiseer uit 'n aanbodkant-perspektief. Om die primêre doelwit te behaal, is die volgende sekondêre doelwitte bereik: 1. Skubaduik-toerisme-operateurs in die EAME en hulle operasionele omvang is geïdentifiseer. 2. Die eksterne risiko's wat die relevantste vir duik-operateurs in die EAME is, is bepaal en hulle vlak van impak is geassesseer. 3. Die individuele eksterne risiko's wat deur elkeen van die lande in die EAME (Kenia, Tanzanië, Mosambiek en Suid-Afrika) ervaar is, is vergelyk deur die gebruik van 'n kruisgeval-analise. 4. Die persepsie van duik-operateurs wat betref of eksterne risiko's 'n duiktoeris se besluit sal beïnvloed om na die duik-operateur se operasionele gebied in die EAME te reis, is geassesseer. Die studie het uit twee fases bestaan. Fase 1 het gestruktureerde onderhoude met 'n geselekteerde groep duik-operateurs behels om insig te kry in die eksterne risiko's wat die algemeenste in die skubaduikbedryf voorkom, en om te help om 'n kwantitatiewe gestruktureerde peiling (fase 2) te ontwikkel, wat gevolglik deur duik-operateurs in Kenia, Tanzanië, Mosambiek en Suid-Afrika voltooi is. Data is ingevoer in SPSS vir kwantitatiewe statistiese analise. Uit die primêre data wat ingesamel is, het die belangrikste bevindings van hierdie studie bepaal dat die huidige ekonomiese en politieke risiko's die grootste impak op duik-operateurs in die EAME het, en daar word verwag dat hierdie tendens sal voortduur. Die omgewingsagteruitgang van koraalriwwe, hoewel dit nie tans as 'n bedreiging beskou word nie, is 'n sleutelbedreiging vir die nabye toekoms. Die grootste invloede wat uitgedruk is as risiko-kategorieë wat 'n invloed op duiktoerisme het, is plaaslike ekonomiese risiko's, internasionale ekonomiese risiko's, plaaslike politieke risiko's en internasionale politieke risiko's. 'n Kruisgeval-analise wat op die vier lande uitgevoer is, het bevind dat eksterne risiko's wisselende uitwerkings binne die verskillende lande het. Laastens het die resultate aangedui dat eksterne risiko's 'n duiktoeris se besluit om na die EAME te reis, aansienlik beïnvloed. Deur die eksterne risiko's te identifiseer en te assesseer wat 'n impak op duik-operateurs in die EAME het, dra hierdie navorsing by tot kennis oor die duiktoerismebedryf in die EAME, asook duiktoerisme verder weg en die wyer veld van toerismebestuur. Die studie se bevindings skep 'n bewustheid van die uitwerking wat eksterne risiko's op duik-operateurs in die streek het. 'n Konseptuele raamwerk is ontwikkel wat eksterne risiko's in die skubaduikbedryf omvat. Risiko-radars, risiko-kaarte en tabelle wat volgens kleur gekodeer is, was verdere uitsette van hierdie studie wat besighede, die gemeenskap en ekonomieë kan help om te reageer op huidige en toekomstige bedreigings en krisisse op 'n meer ingeligte en intuïtiewe manier. Dit kan bereik word deur risikobestuurstrategieë te implementeer om blootstelling aan eksterne risiko's te mitigeer of te verminder; belanghebberbetrokkenheid op die toerismewaardeketting te versterk; en om die behoefte vir regeringsbetrokkenheid by die insluit. / Ho sesa tlasa metsi a lewatle ke mosebetsi o tsebahalang haholo wa boithabiso ba lewatle haufi le mabopo a ka botjhabela le borwa ba Afrika. Sebaka sena se kgethollwa e le lefatshe la bophelo ba mawatle a Afrika Botjhabela (EAME) mme se tsejwa ka leruo la sona la diphoofolo tsa lewatle le dimela, ho kenyelletsa le tse ding tsa diphedi tse fapaneng tsa lewatle la Indian, e leng se etsang hore e be sebaka se tumeng bakeng sa batho ba sesang tlasa lewatle. Bokamoso ba indasteri ya ho tola tlasa lewatle bo kotsing ka lebaka la tshusumetso ya tikoloho, kahisano, dipolotiki le moruo, mme ho na le tlhokahalo ya ho utlwisisa hantle hore dikotsi tsena tsa kantle di ama jwang dikgwebo tsa bothori bo amanang le ho sesa tlasa lewatle EAME (Mabatoweng a Afrika Botjhabela a diphedi tsa mawatle). Bopaki bo hlakileng bo fana ka maikutlo a hore dikotsi tsa kantle, tsa matjhaba le tsa lehae, di na le tshwaetso indastering ya bohahlauli ka kakaretso. Leha ho le jwalo, dipatlisiso tse fokolang di ile tsa etswa mabapi le sefutho sa dikotsi tse jwalo tsa kantle indastering ea bohahlaudi ba ho sesa ka ho kgetheha. Dipatlisiso tse teng di boetse di tsepamisitse maikutlo haholo ka dikotsi tsa tikoloho di sa shebe hore na dikotsi tsa kantle tsa dipolotiki, tsa moruo le tsa kahisano di ama jwang ho tsitsisa tshebetso ho EAME. Diphuputso tse ngata di boetse di tsepame lehlakoreng la tlhokahalo (disesi) ho fapana le lehlakore la diphallelo (batho ba sesang). Ho phaella moo, jwalo ka ha disesi tsa bahahlaudi di ena le maemo a mangata a ho fetola dibaka tsa bona ha ho hlaha dikotsi, sena se senya katleho ya disesi dibakeng tse nang le dikotsi tse ngatanyana. Ho rarolla mathata ana, sepheo se ka sehloohong sa dipatlisiso tse entsweng di ile tsa leka ho lemoha ka ho hlaka sefutho sa dikotsi tsa kantle (tikoloho, moruo, kahisano le dipolotiki) ho disesi dinaheng tse nne tse ka hare ho EAME ho tloha lehlakoreng la phepelo. E le ho finyella sepheo se ka sehloohong, dipheo tse latelang di ile tsa fihlellwa: 1. Ho kgetholla basebeletsi ba bahahlaudi ba ho sesa lebatoweng la EAME le tsela ya tshebetso ya bona. 2. Ho etsa qeto ya dikotsi tse ka ntle tsa bohlokwa ho tsamaisa ba disesi ho EAME le ho hlahloba boemo ba tsona ba tshusumetso. 3. Ho bapiswa dikotsi tse ka ntle tsa naha ka nngwe ho EAME (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique le Afrika Borwa) ho sebedisa dintlha tsa ho hlahloba diketsahalo. 4. Hlahloba maikutlo a disesi mabapi le hore na dikotsi tse ka ntle di tla susumetsa qeto ya bahahlaudi ba ho etela sebakeng seo ba sebetsang ho sona ho EAME Thuto e ne e ena le mekgahlelo e mmedi. Mokgahlelo wa 1 o ne o ena le dipuisano tse hlophisitsweng le sehlopha se kgethilweng sa basebetsi ba disesi ho utlwisisa dikotsi tse ka ntle tse atileng haholo indastering ya ho sesa, le ho thusa ho ntlafatsa tlhahlobo e entsweng ka bongata (Phase 2), e ileng ya qetella e phethilwe ke basebetsi ba disesi Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique le Afrika Borwa. Lesedi le ile la kenngwa ka SPSS bakeng sa tlhahlobo ya dipalopalo. Ho tswa leseding la motheho le bokelletsweng, diphuputso tse kgolo tsa thuto ena di bontshitse hore dikotsi tsa moraorao tsa moruo le tsa lipolotiki di na le tshusumetso e kgolo ho ba sebetsang e le basebetsi ba disesi EAME, mme mokgwa ona o lebeletswe hore o tswele pele. Ho senyeha ha tikoloho ya dimela/diphedi tsa lewatle, ha ho sa nkuweng e le tshoso hona jwale, ke tshoso e ka sehloohong bakeng sa nako e tlang. Tshusumetso e matla ka ho fetisisa e hlalositsweng ka mekgahlelo ya dikotsi tse amang tsela ya ho etela dibaka tsa bohahlaudi ke dikotsi tsa moruo wa lehae, dikotsi tsa matjhaba tsa moruo, dikotsi tsa dipolotiki tsa lehae le dikotsi tsa matjhaba tsa dipolotiki. Phuputso e entsweng dinaheng tse nne e qetile ka hore dikotsi tsa ka ntle di na le diphello tse fapaneng dinaheng tse fapaneng. Qetellong, diphello di bontshitse hore dikotsi tsa ka ntle di susumetsa haholo qeto ya mohahlaudi wa ya sesang tlasa lewatle ho etela EAME. Ka ho kgetholla le ho hlahloba dikotsi tse ka ntle tse nang le tshwaetso basebetsing ba disesi EAME, dipatlisiso tsena di tlatsetsa tsebong lefapheng la bohahlaudi ba ho ho sesa tlasa lewatle dibakeng tsa EAME, ha mmoho le bahahlaudi ba ho sesa ka ho phatlalla tsamaisong ya bohahlaudi. Diphuputso tsa thuto di etsa hore ho be le tlhokomediso ya phello ya ka moo dikotsi tse ka ntle di nang le kameho disesing sebakeng seo. Ho na le moralo o ileng wa etswa o kenyeletsang dikotsi tsa kantle indastering ya ho sesa tlasa lewatle. Diwaelese tse nkgellang dikotsi, dimmapa tsa dikotsi le ditafole tse nang le mebala di ne di boetse di hlahisa thuto ena e ka thusang dikgwebo, setjhaba le moruo ho arabela dikotsing tsa moraorao le tsa nakong e tlang ka ditsela tse rutang le tse nang le tsebo. Sena se ka fihlellwa ka ho kenya tshebetsong maano a tsamaiso ya kotsi bakeng sa ho fokotsa ho pepeseha dikotsing tsa kantle; ho matlafatsa tshebetsong ya bankaseabo motjheng wa bohlokwa wa bohahlaudi; le ho totobatsa tlhokahalo ya ho nka seabo ha mmuso ho sireletsa tikoloho le tshehetso ya kgolo ya dikgwebo tse nyenyane sebakeng seo. Phuputso ya nako e tlang e ka kenyelletsa pono e pharaletseng ya indasteri ya bahahlaudi ba lewatle le dibaka tse ding tsa Blue Economy. / Environmental Sciences / M. Com. (Tourism Management)