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Weather and climate serve as an important travel motivator, influencing destination choice, the timing of travel, travel expenditures and overall trip satisfaction. Climatic resources are a defining factor in destination attractiveness and are a key element of the natural resource base of a destination that can be classified along a spectrum from ideal to unacceptable. A growing literature has sought to measure, evaluate and assess climate resources for tourism, both generally and for specific tourism market segments. A direct impact of climate change on tourism will be the global redistribution of climatic resources. This would change the length and quality of climate-sensitive tourism seasons, affecting both the temporal and spatial distribution of domestic and international tourism flows and spending. Studies have revealed a generally consistent temporal and geographical pattern of climate change impacts on global tourism. As the 21st century progresses, there is anticipated to be a pronounced shift in thermal comfort (and thereby tourism demand) towards higher latitudes and away from sub-tropical and tropical destinations. This would have a substantial impact on the tourism-intensive economy of the Caribbean, as the vast majority of the region’s attractions are based on weather- and climate-dependent 3S (sun, sea, sand) tourism. However, the assertion that major coastal tourism destinations, such as the Caribbean, will become seasonally ‘too hot’ for tourism has been questioned because the literature has not established what tourists to these regions perceive to be thermally unacceptable for coastal tourism activities. In addition, existing climate and tourism assessments do not account for the microclimatic conditions where tourism activities take place. With the inextricable dependency between 3S tourism and favourable weather conditions in the coastal zone, it is important to understand both how tourists perceive and evaluate climatic resources, particularly those conditions that are most preferred or avoided (i.e., trigger behavioural responses), as well as examine the adaptive climatic range tourists’ can experience within a coastal setting. Such information is a prerequisite if accurate projections are to be made about changes in tourism demand as a result of climate variability or future climate change. This dissertation proposes a conceptual framework that integrates the multiple facets known to influence tourists’ evaluation of climatic resources, as well as tourists’ responses to holiday weather conditions. The research advances weather and climate resource assessments for tourism by improving our understanding of the complex relationship between personal and meteorological parameters that influence tourists’ climatic preferences and thresholds for coastal tourism. This was achieved through concurrent meteorological measurements and in situ surveys with 472 beach tourists in the Caribbean islands of Barbados, Saint Lucia and Tobago. The results from this study reveal that tourists’ optimal and unacceptable climatic conditions are dependent on several interpersonal factors, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) found based on gender, age, and climatic region of origin. Thermal comfort expectations and perceived thermal control were also found to be key contextual considerations that enable beach tourists’ to not only be exposed to, but to prefer, thermal conditions that elicit strong to very strong heat stress. This indicates that conventional evaluation systems of thermal comfort (e.g., PET, UTCI) cannot be applied to 3S tourists without modification. This research also highlights the importance of microclimatic conditions when evaluating weather and climate for tourism, with thermo-physiological comfort varying up to 4°C within a coastal resort setting. The results from this research can be incorporated into existing climate indices and climate change assessments to allow for more robust projections of tourism demand, as well as used in various decision-making contexts by both tourists (e.g., plan best time/place to travel, plan appropriate accommodation, attire, transportation and activity schedule) and the tourism industry (e.g., marketing strategies, risk assessment, operational decision making, infrastructure planning and development).

Marine tourism has been growing over the years to a diverse and large industry providing for a variety of markets. Across the world tourists enjoy activities of different types including kayaking, scuba diving, snorkelling, surfing and travelling to beaches for leisure reasons. Travelling to coastal towns with the purpose of visiting a beach has always been a great attraction for people across the world. Not only resulting in beaches becoming one of the tourism industry’s biggest markets but also a great contributor to local economies. In 200,1 South Africa adopted the Blue Flag Programme, a beach award which focuses on clean bathing water and pollution free environments. The programme was first established on the French coastline in Europe by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Since then 244 beaches and 208 marinas across 10 countries now boast with a Blue Flag award. The award requires beaches to adhere to four sets of criteria. These are water quality, environmental management, environmental education and information and safety and security. The programme also has specific periods allocated to beaches in which the beach has to meet all the stipulated standards.  Previous research has stated that the programme has great drawing power for tourists.  In contrast, other studies revealed that it has no benefits for the tourism industry, whatsoever.  Some studies have stated that it is a symbol of quality recognised by all across the world. The literature review conducted for this study revealed that the programme holds great benefits for conservation of the environment. Seen from a tourism point of view, however, it is still unclear whether the programme benefits the tourism industry or has any impact on it whatsoever. The primary goal of this dissertation is to determine the influence of Blue Flag status on the decision-making process of beach visitors when they select a beach, thereby determining whether or not the Blue Flag programme adds any value to the tourism industry. A literature review was conducted on important aspects concerning this study, namely the Blue Flag Programme, the tourist decision-making process, travel behaviour of tourists and tourist behaviour, to gain insight into the type of research. Thereafter an empirical study was conducted on six beaches in KwaZulu-Natal which involved the distribution of a self-administered questionnaire. The sampling method used for the study was quantitative, probability sampling with systematic sampling which involved the fieldworkers to approach every second person/group of people on the beach. The survey took place from 28 March to 4 April 2013. A total of 572 usable questionnaires was collected from a sample of 600 beach visitors. The data was captured using Microsoft™ Excel™ 2010 and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 21). Exploratory factor analyses were performed as well as a linear mixed-effect model analysis to analyse the impact of the Blue Flag Programme on tourism. To achieve the goal set for this study, two articles were produced. The aim of chapter 3 (article 1) was to determine the push and pull motives of beach visitors. The results revealed the profile of respondents to be female, married with an average age of 39 years and originating from Gauteng. They have a diploma or degree from a tertiary institute and like to visit the beach for an average of eight nights at a time. To identify the push and pull motives of beach visitors, the travel motives were first identified by means of a principal axis factoring analysis, with Oblimin and Kaiser Normalisation. The aspects yielded three factors, familiarity, family relaxation and escape and beach characteristics. The most important factor was determined to be familiarity. The analysis further revealed two push and two pull motives. The push factors are escape and relaxation (most important push motive) and familiarity. The pull motives are beach attributes (most important pull motive) and cognizance. This article showed that the familiarity of a beach plays an important role as to the motives of beach visitors as well as the fact that visitors to these beaches want to escape and relax away from everyday life. The aim of the chapter 4 (article 2) was to identify the influence of Blue Flag status on visitors’ decision-making when selecting a beach as well as to determine whether any statistically significant differences exist between the visitors to Blue Flag beaches and visitors to non-Blue Flag beaches. A principal axis factoring analysis was conducted to determine the decision-making aspects of beach visitors. This analysis yielded five actors, environmental education, safety and access, cleanliness, landscape and popularity. The most important factor was identified as cleanliness with a mean value of 4.37. Furthermore, a linear mixed-effect model analysis was conducted which identified one statistically significant difference with the factor popularity, which has a p-value of 0.002. No other differences were identified. This study thus found that Blue Flag status does not influence visitors’ decision in selecting a beach. What was interesting was the fact that the aspects which are of importance to beach visitors (such as cleanliness) form part of the criteria on which the programme is based (environmental education and information, environmental management, safety and security and water quality). Thus having Blue Flag status does impact positively on tourism. Since this was the first study of its kind in South Africa, it can benefit all beach destinations in the country. From the findings it is clear that marketing needs to be conducted regarding the Blue Flag programme and the benefits that could be reaped for both the local community and beach visitors. Furthermore, beach management can make use of the motives identified in chapter 3 as well as the decision-making aspects identified in chapter 4 to increase visitor numbers to the beach and gain competitive advantage. Tailor-made marketing strategies can be implemented which will improve the efforts of beach managers and municipalities as well as managers of the Blue Flag Programme to market the programme and raise awareness. Recommendations are made regarding further study on the Blue Flag programme to identify ways in which awareness of the programme amongst the public can be raised. Similar research can also be conducted on other environmental and tourism award systems, such as the Seaside award. This research contributes to the literature on marine tourism, seeing as this was the first time such a study was conducted in a South African setting. / MCom (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Marine tourism has been growing over the years to a diverse and large industry providing for a variety of markets. Across the world tourists enjoy activities of different types including kayaking, scuba diving, snorkelling, surfing and travelling to beaches for leisure reasons. Travelling to coastal towns with the purpose of visiting a beach has always been a great attraction for people across the world. Not only resulting in beaches becoming one of the tourism industry’s biggest markets but also a great contributor to local economies. In 200,1 South Africa adopted the Blue Flag Programme, a beach award which focuses on clean bathing water and pollution free environments. The programme was first established on the French coastline in Europe by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Since then 244 beaches and 208 marinas across 10 countries now boast with a Blue Flag award. The award requires beaches to adhere to four sets of criteria. These are water quality, environmental management, environmental education and information and safety and security. The programme also has specific periods allocated to beaches in which the beach has to meet all the stipulated standards.  Previous research has stated that the programme has great drawing power for tourists.  In contrast, other studies revealed that it has no benefits for the tourism industry, whatsoever.  Some studies have stated that it is a symbol of quality recognised by all across the world. The literature review conducted for this study revealed that the programme holds great benefits for conservation of the environment. Seen from a tourism point of view, however, it is still unclear whether the programme benefits the tourism industry or has any impact on it whatsoever. The primary goal of this dissertation is to determine the influence of Blue Flag status on the decision-making process of beach visitors when they select a beach, thereby determining whether or not the Blue Flag programme adds any value to the tourism industry. A literature review was conducted on important aspects concerning this study, namely the Blue Flag Programme, the tourist decision-making process, travel behaviour of tourists and tourist behaviour, to gain insight into the type of research. Thereafter an empirical study was conducted on six beaches in KwaZulu-Natal which involved the distribution of a self-administered questionnaire. The sampling method used for the study was quantitative, probability sampling with systematic sampling which involved the fieldworkers to approach every second person/group of people on the beach. The survey took place from 28 March to 4 April 2013. A total of 572 usable questionnaires was collected from a sample of 600 beach visitors. The data was captured using Microsoft™ Excel™ 2010 and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 21). Exploratory factor analyses were performed as well as a linear mixed-effect model analysis to analyse the impact of the Blue Flag Programme on tourism. To achieve the goal set for this study, two articles were produced. The aim of chapter 3 (article 1) was to determine the push and pull motives of beach visitors. The results revealed the profile of respondents to be female, married with an average age of 39 years and originating from Gauteng. They have a diploma or degree from a tertiary institute and like to visit the beach for an average of eight nights at a time. To identify the push and pull motives of beach visitors, the travel motives were first identified by means of a principal axis factoring analysis, with Oblimin and Kaiser Normalisation. The aspects yielded three factors, familiarity, family relaxation and escape and beach characteristics. The most important factor was determined to be familiarity. The analysis further revealed two push and two pull motives. The push factors are escape and relaxation (most important push motive) and familiarity. The pull motives are beach attributes (most important pull motive) and cognizance. This article showed that the familiarity of a beach plays an important role as to the motives of beach visitors as well as the fact that visitors to these beaches want to escape and relax away from everyday life. The aim of the chapter 4 (article 2) was to identify the influence of Blue Flag status on visitors’ decision-making when selecting a beach as well as to determine whether any statistically significant differences exist between the visitors to Blue Flag beaches and visitors to non-Blue Flag beaches. A principal axis factoring analysis was conducted to determine the decision-making aspects of beach visitors. This analysis yielded five actors, environmental education, safety and access, cleanliness, landscape and popularity. The most important factor was identified as cleanliness with a mean value of 4.37. Furthermore, a linear mixed-effect model analysis was conducted which identified one statistically significant difference with the factor popularity, which has a p-value of 0.002. No other differences were identified. This study thus found that Blue Flag status does not influence visitors’ decision in selecting a beach. What was interesting was the fact that the aspects which are of importance to beach visitors (such as cleanliness) form part of the criteria on which the programme is based (environmental education and information, environmental management, safety and security and water quality). Thus having Blue Flag status does impact positively on tourism. Since this was the first study of its kind in South Africa, it can benefit all beach destinations in the country. From the findings it is clear that marketing needs to be conducted regarding the Blue Flag programme and the benefits that could be reaped for both the local community and beach visitors. Furthermore, beach management can make use of the motives identified in chapter 3 as well as the decision-making aspects identified in chapter 4 to increase visitor numbers to the beach and gain competitive advantage. Tailor-made marketing strategies can be implemented which will improve the efforts of beach managers and municipalities as well as managers of the Blue Flag Programme to market the programme and raise awareness. Recommendations are made regarding further study on the Blue Flag programme to identify ways in which awareness of the programme amongst the public can be raised. Similar research can also be conducted on other environmental and tourism award systems, such as the Seaside award. This research contributes to the literature on marine tourism, seeing as this was the first time such a study was conducted in a South African setting. / MCom (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Este trabalho analisa a expansão do turismo no litoral do Maranhão a partir da apropriação dos fundos territoriais induzida pelo Estado por meio de suas políticas de turismo. Nesse processo, estes espaços são tratados como estoques de território para a expansão da acumulação de capital, meio para futuras expansões de usos hegemônicos do território. Discute-se a particularidade do litoral enquanto espaço apropriado para o lazer, destacando a expansão de seu uso turístico e os processos relacionados à inserção do Maranhão em tal dinâmica. As políticas e os planos dedicados ao desenvolvimento do turismo são apresentados como instrumentos de indução do uso turístico do território, evidenciando o papel do Estado na expansão desta atividade em espaços periféricos. Os municípios de Barreirinhas, Guimarães e Carutapera, identificados como representativos do movimento de expansão em curso e caracterizados por configurações distintas nesse processo, dão base às análises realizadas acerca da apropriação dos fundos territoriais para o turismo no litoral do Maranhão. A análise proposta situa a atividade turística no âmbito do desenvolvimento geográfico desigual, na geografia histórica do capitalismo, tendo como realidade concreta a periferia, onde a expansão do turismo tem encontrado espaço para investimentos em infraestruturas, aplicação de capitais na aquisição de terras, ampliação do mercado de redes hoteleiras, companhias aéreas, agências e operadores de turismo, além de uma série de atividades de cunho especulativo. O uso turístico do território do Maranhão é proposto a partir dos anos 2000 circunscrito prioritariamente ao litoral. O processo de expansão do turismo litorâneo analisado direciona-se para além da capital, São Luís, e seu entorno, consolidando a exploração turística dos Lençóis Maranhenses e induzindo-a em ritmos desiguais aos demais municípios litorâneos, sobretudo àqueles com características ambientais amazônicas. Configura-se assim o Maranhão como a fronteira de expansão do turismo no litoral setentrional do Brasil, processo que se dá acompanhado de diversos problemas, conflitos e contradições. / This study examines the expansion of tourism on the coast of Maranhão from the appropriation of territorial stocks induced by the state through its tourism policies. In this process, these spaces are treated as territory stocks to the expansion of capital accumulation, a form of savings for future expansions of hegemonic use of the territory. We discuss the peculiarity of the coast as an appropriate space for leisure, highlighting the expansion of its touristic use and the process related to the insertion of Maranhão in such dynamics. Policies and plans devoted to the development of tourism are presented as instruments of induction for the touristic use of the territory, highlighting the state\'s role in the expansion of this activity in peripheral spaces. The municipalities of Barreirinhas, Guimarães and Carutapera, identified as representative of the ongoing expansion movement and characterized by different configurations in this process support the analysis about the appropriation of territorial stocks for tourism activity on the coast of Maranhão. This analysis places tourism activity in the context of uneven geographical development, in the historical geography of capitalism, which shows as a concrete reality the periphery, where the expansion of tourism has found room for investments in infrastructure, capital investment in land acquisition, the expansion of market chains linked to hotels, airlines, travel agencies and tour operators, as well as a number of speculative activities. The touristic use of Maranhão\'s territory is proposed since the 2000s, primarily restricted to the coast. The process of expansion of coastal tourism analyzed goes beyond the capital, São Luís, and its surroundings, consolidating the tourist exploitation of Lençóis Maranhenses and inducing it in uneven rhythms to other coastal municipalities, especially those with Amazonian environmental characteristics. So is configured Maranhão as the tourism expansion frontier in the northern coast of Brazil, a process that takes place accompanied by various problems, conflicts and contradictions.

Este trabalho analisa a expansão do turismo no litoral do Maranhão a partir da apropriação dos fundos territoriais induzida pelo Estado por meio de suas políticas de turismo. Nesse processo, estes espaços são tratados como estoques de território para a expansão da acumulação de capital, meio para futuras expansões de usos hegemônicos do território. Discute-se a particularidade do litoral enquanto espaço apropriado para o lazer, destacando a expansão de seu uso turístico e os processos relacionados à inserção do Maranhão em tal dinâmica. As políticas e os planos dedicados ao desenvolvimento do turismo são apresentados como instrumentos de indução do uso turístico do território, evidenciando o papel do Estado na expansão desta atividade em espaços periféricos. Os municípios de Barreirinhas, Guimarães e Carutapera, identificados como representativos do movimento de expansão em curso e caracterizados por configurações distintas nesse processo, dão base às análises realizadas acerca da apropriação dos fundos territoriais para o turismo no litoral do Maranhão. A análise proposta situa a atividade turística no âmbito do desenvolvimento geográfico desigual, na geografia histórica do capitalismo, tendo como realidade concreta a periferia, onde a expansão do turismo tem encontrado espaço para investimentos em infraestruturas, aplicação de capitais na aquisição de terras, ampliação do mercado de redes hoteleiras, companhias aéreas, agências e operadores de turismo, além de uma série de atividades de cunho especulativo. O uso turístico do território do Maranhão é proposto a partir dos anos 2000 circunscrito prioritariamente ao litoral. O processo de expansão do turismo litorâneo analisado direciona-se para além da capital, São Luís, e seu entorno, consolidando a exploração turística dos Lençóis Maranhenses e induzindo-a em ritmos desiguais aos demais municípios litorâneos, sobretudo àqueles com características ambientais amazônicas. Configura-se assim o Maranhão como a fronteira de expansão do turismo no litoral setentrional do Brasil, processo que se dá acompanhado de diversos problemas, conflitos e contradições. / This study examines the expansion of tourism on the coast of Maranhão from the appropriation of territorial stocks induced by the state through its tourism policies. In this process, these spaces are treated as territory stocks to the expansion of capital accumulation, a form of savings for future expansions of hegemonic use of the territory. We discuss the peculiarity of the coast as an appropriate space for leisure, highlighting the expansion of its touristic use and the process related to the insertion of Maranhão in such dynamics. Policies and plans devoted to the development of tourism are presented as instruments of induction for the touristic use of the territory, highlighting the state\'s role in the expansion of this activity in peripheral spaces. The municipalities of Barreirinhas, Guimarães and Carutapera, identified as representative of the ongoing expansion movement and characterized by different configurations in this process support the analysis about the appropriation of territorial stocks for tourism activity on the coast of Maranhão. This analysis places tourism activity in the context of uneven geographical development, in the historical geography of capitalism, which shows as a concrete reality the periphery, where the expansion of tourism has found room for investments in infrastructure, capital investment in land acquisition, the expansion of market chains linked to hotels, airlines, travel agencies and tour operators, as well as a number of speculative activities. The touristic use of Maranhão\'s territory is proposed since the 2000s, primarily restricted to the coast. The process of expansion of coastal tourism analyzed goes beyond the capital, São Luís, and its surroundings, consolidating the tourist exploitation of Lençóis Maranhenses and inducing it in uneven rhythms to other coastal municipalities, especially those with Amazonian environmental characteristics. So is configured Maranhão as the tourism expansion frontier in the northern coast of Brazil, a process that takes place accompanied by various problems, conflicts and contradictions.

A dissertation of limited scope submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters of Recreation and Tourism in the Department of Recreation and Tourism at the University of Zululand, 2009. / Coastal tourism development strategies are a new phenomenon in the world of community development and community conservation. The development of tourism products as compared to their conservation, is an ongoing debate, which has been tackled by many tourism scholars. The management of natural and cultural environments is of utmost importance in the development of ecotourism in places such as the Town of St Lucia, as well as in the St Lucia Estuary. This research study, therefore, sought to assess on comparative basis the conservation and commercialisation [commodification] of tourism resources, paying particular attention to the application of coastal tourism development strategies. In other words, the research study involves identifying key management practices and strategies that would contribute to the conservation of tourism resources. In this regard the basic objectives of this study include the following: (a) To reveal the extent to which stakeholders understand the meaning and importance of tourism development in the Town of St Lucia. (b) To find out if the coastal tourism resources in the study area are adequately supplied. (c) To determine the level to which tourism management and development strategies are employed or utilised in the study area. (d) To find out which ecotourism policy approach the stakeholders favour for the study area, between conservation as compared to the commercialisation [commodification]. (e) To establish how stakeholders perceive the existence and application on tourism development policies in the study area. (f) To establish the extent to which the local community benefits from ecotourism related activities or practices. The government and municipal authorities believe that tourism could enhance the development of rural areas on an ecologically and economically viable basis and improve the quality of life of the local people. The study has several hypotheses in this regard, and has utilised the qualitative and quantitative approach in collecting, analysing and interpreting data. In fact, data was analysed through use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to establish frequency tables, bar graphs, and cross-tabulations in representing statistical data. The findings of the study included the following: (a) the stakeholders were found to have a good understanding of the meaning and importance of ecotourism development; (b) the supply of coastal tourism resources was found to be inadequate; (c) the tourism management and development strategies were not up to the required standard; (d) the stakeholders favoured the policy of conservation as compared to that of commercialisation or commodification; (e) the existence and application of tourism development policies were found to be inadequately implemented; (f) the ecotourism benefits for the local community were found to be available and adequate. Finally, the emerging conclusion of the study was that, notwithstanding that the stakeholders favoured the policy of conservation, they were of the view that ecotourism management and development strategies, as well as community beneficiation, were not up to the required and expected standard in the study area.

Research question: What do dive tour operators perceive to be contributing factors for environmental change in coastal zones? Purpose: The aspiration is that the study will advance the understanding of factors impacting coastal zones in order to support achievements for Agenda 2030, Goal 14, Life Below Water. The purpose of the field study is therefore to investigate what aspects impact coastal zones through the case of the coastal zones in Moalboal. The study’s perspective is from workers within dive tour operations.  Method: The study was conducted through a qualitative strategy and an inductive approach. The empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews with dive tour operators. Additionally, observations were used to add further insight into the phenomenon.  Conclusion: This study concluded that dive tour operators have similar perceptions of the impacts on the environment, however, the degree to which each participant mentioned each factor varied. The research resulted in eleven factors that contribute to environmental change in the coastal zones in Moalboal. The conclusion ends by highlighting that environmental change is an important aspect that concerns the dive tour operators.

In thirty years, the number of second homes for recreation fishers in coastal Terrebonne Parish has grown from 244 in the late 1970s to an estimated 2,500 in 2005. This thesis considers the ramifications of the tourism boom along the parish's historically isolated and undeveloped coastline. Four coastal communities are examined: (1) Montegut, Pointe-aux-Chenes and Isle de Jean Charles; (2) Cocodrie and Chauvin; (3) Dulac; and (4) Dularge and Theriot. The research question is twofold: Why has coastal tourism been allowed to develop in the fragile wetlands that protect residents from dangerous storms?; and What does tourism development mean for the indigenous American Indian and Cajun people who live along the coast? The author argues the proliferation of recreation fishing camps has had a serious dislocating effect on coastal Terrebonne's population, and the ongoing development of the tourism industry will devastate culturally rich bayou regions.

Thesis (MA (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Tourism development is a complex process which many researchers have attempted to understand from various social science perspectives. This study adopts a geography approach to analyse tourism development in the Inhambane Coastal Zone (ICZ) by using the Miossec (1976) and the Butler (1980) models as basic frameworks for analyses. Although both models were found to be useful, they require more accurate data than what was generally available for the ICZ. Before the country’s independence in 1975, Mozambique was considered one of many premier tourism destinations in Southern Africa and the tourism sector had played an important role in the economy of the country. The 16 years period of internal conflict (1976- 1992) resulted in a rapid decline in the performance of the sector. Since the end of the armed conflict in 1992 and the democratic transition, a slow recovery of the tourism sector in Mozambique has set in. Tourism facilities for accommodation and leisure activities have increased considerably over the last ten years, despite the absence of any integrated tourism planning. In this study questionnaire surveys of tourist establishment representatives and local residents as well as focus group discussions and interviews were conducted to acquire primary data to analyse the evolution of the ICZ as a tourist destination during the period 1992 to 2008. In addition, secondary sources such as reports, tourism plans, tourism statistics and maps of the study area were used. It was found that tourism is developing slowly in the ICZ and the opening up (or rediscovering) of the zone as a destination remains limited due to the slow development of infrastructure in general. The tourism nodes are in different stages of their destination life cycle and the local residents living in the seven communities react differently toward tourism development. The ICZ has not progressed further than phase two in Miossec’s model. The Miossec model was found a suitable tool for analysing tourism development in the ICZ but it remains a challenge to identify both the evolutionary stage of the ICZ as a destination and the stage of each tourism node. The study also found that local residents in the ICZ expressed positive views about tourism development but they are still not satisfied with the current benefits they acquire from the current development status of tourism in the zone. / AFRIKAANS SUMMARY: Baie navorsers het reeds gepoog om die komplekse proses van toerisme-ontwikkeling vanuit verskeie sosiaal-wetenskaplike benaderings te verstaan. Hierdie studie volg ʼn geografiese benadering ten einde toerisme-ontwikkeling in die Inhambane Kussone (ICZ) met behulp van die Miossec (1976) en Butler (1980) modelle as basiese raamwerke te analiseer. Alhoewel beide modelle as bruikbaar bevind is, benodig hierdie modelle meer akkurate data as wat algemeen vir die ICZ beskikbaar is. Voor die land se onafhanklikheid in 1975, was Mosambiek gereken as een van vele vername toerisme bestemmings in Suidelike Afrika en die toerisme sektor het ʼn belangrike rol in die ekonomie van die land gespeel. Die 16 jare lange interne konflik (1976-1992) het tot ʼn snelle agteruitgang van die sektor se prestasie gelei. Sedert die einde van die gewapende konflik in 1992 en die oorgang na ʼn demokrasie, het die toerisme sektor in Mosambiek ʼn stadige herstel beleef. Toerisme fasiliteite vir akkommodasie en ontspanningsaktiwiteite het, ten spyte van die afwesigheid van geïntegreerde toerisme beplanning, aansienlik toegeneem. In hierdie studie is daar deur middel van ‘n vraelysopname aan verteenwoordigers van toerisme verwante besighede en plaaslike inwoners, asook fokus-groep besprekings primêre data in gesamel ten einde die evolusie van die ICZ as toeriste bestemming gedurende die tydperk vanaf 1992 tot 2008 te analiseer. Daarbenewens is sekondêre bronne soos verslae, toerisme planne, toerisme statistieke en kaarte van die studiegebied gebruik Daar is bevind dat toerisme in die ICZ stadig ontwikel en dat die herontdekking van die sone as bestemming beperk bly as gevolg van die stadige ontwikkeling van die infrastruktuur in die algemeen. Die toerisme nodusse is in verskillende stadia van hulle individuele bestemmingsiklusse, en die plaaslike inwoners in die sewe gemeenskappe reageer verskillend teenoor toerisme ontwikkeling. Die ICZ het nie verder as fase twee van die Miossec model gevorder het nie. Daar is ook vasgestel dat die Miosec model ʼn gepaste instrument is vir die analise van toerisme ontwikkeling in die ICZ, maar dit bly ʼn uitdaging om die evolusionêre stadium van die ICZ as ‘n bestemming in geheel asook die stadium van elke toerisme-nodus te kan identifiseer. Die studie het ook bevind dat plaaslike inwoners van die ICZ positiewe menings oor toerisme ontwikkeling het, maar nog steeds nie tevrede is met die huidige voordele wat hulle uit die huidige ontwikkelingstatus van toerisme in die sone ontvang nie.