Согласно стратегии социально-экономического развития Краснодарского края до 2030 года, Краснодарский край является лидером и «локомотивом» развития Южного полюса роста России и демонстрирует очень высокий уровень конкурентоспособности. Согласно международной организации виноградарства и виноделия Россия в рейтинге потребления вина стоит на 7 месте, а по производству –– на 12. Регион Краснодарского края является лидером по объемам производства виноградных вин в Российской Федерации, а именно: 48% от общего объема производства вин в стране. На сегодня доля туристических услуг в структуре выручки винных хозяйств в регионе достигает 15-20% и более. В 2019 году объекты агротуризма Краснодарского края приняли свыше 600 тыс. человек, что на 150 тыс. чел. больше в сравнении с предыдущим годом, из которых каждый третий турист, отдыхающий на Кубани, посетил винодельни и винные центры региона. В концепции развития санаторно-курортного и туристского комплекса Краснодарского края до 2030 года винный туризм обозначается как часть сельского (аграрного) туризма и рассматривается как перспективное направление. Также регион Краснодарского края (группа компаний «Абрау-Дюрсо») представлен как часть Европейского культурного маршрута виноградной лозы и вина «Iter Vitis - Les Chemins de la Vigne». Цель исследования – выявить перспективы развития энотуризма в Краснодарском крае. Цель исследования предполагает решение следующих конкретных задач: - Изучить природные и культурно-исторические ресурсы региона и определить приоритетные направления туризма в Краснодарском крае; - Изучить предпосылки и историю развития энотуризма в мире и выявить его специфику и особенности классификации; - Провести анализ современного состояния сферы энотуризма в странах-лидерах производства и потребления вина и определить уникальность энотуристской отрасли Краснодарского края; - провести экспертизу винодельческих хозяйств Краснодарского края, рассмотрев перспективы развития. Винодельческие предприятия строят планы по развитию инфраструктуры, многие принимают туристов, имеют разнообразные и насыщенные экскурсионные программы. Засаживаются новые виноградники, закрытые малые хозяйства рассматривают перспективу приема малых групп, а для специалистов винной отрасли есть возможность попасть почти на любую винодельню по предварительной договоренности. Регион Краснодарского края заинтересован в продвижении энотуризма, прослеживаются попытки взаимодействия властей с частными хозяйствами. Даже малые винодельни готовы инвестировать в развитие своей инфраструктуры для привлечения новых туристов. В регионе задействуются все возможные механизмы популяризации отрасли винного туризма как на государственном уровне, так и на предпринимательском. / According to the strategy of social and economic development of the Krasnodar Territory until 2030, the Krasnodar Territory is the leader and "locomotive" of the development of the South Pole of Russia's growth and demonstrates a very high level of competitiveness. According to the international organization of viticulture and winemaking, Russia ranks 7th in the wine consumption rating, and 12th in terms of production. The Krasnodar Territory region is the leader in terms of production of grape wines in the Russian Federation, namely: 48% of the total volume of wine production in the country ... Today, the share of tourism services in the structure of revenue of wine farms in the region reaches 15-20% and more. In 2019, the agritourism facilities of the Krasnodar Territory received over 600 thousand people, which is 150 thousand people. more in comparison with the previous year, of which every third tourist, vacationing in the Kuban, visited the wineries and wine centers of the region. In the concept of the development of the sanatorium-resort and tourist complex of the Krasnodar Territory until 2030, wine tourism is designated as a part of rural (agricultural) tourism and is considered as a promising direction. Also, the region of Krasnodar Territory (the Abrau-Dyurso group of companies) is presented as part of the European cultural route of grapevine and wine “Iter Vitis - Les Chemins de la Vigne”. The purpose of the study is to identify the prospects for the development of enotourism in the Krasnodar Territory. The purpose of the study involves the solution of the following specific tasks: - Explore the natural and cultural-historical resources of the region and determine the priority areas of tourism in the Krasnodar Territory; - To study the prerequisites and history of the development of enotourism in the world and identify its specificity and features of the classification; - To analyze the current state of the wine tourism industry in the leading countries in the production and consumption of wine and to determine the uniqueness of the wine tourism industry in the Krasnodar Territory; - to conduct an examination of the wineries of the Krasnodar Territory, having considered the development prospects. Winemaking enterprises are making plans for the development of infrastructure, many of them receive tourists, and have varied and rich excursion programs. New vineyards are being planted, closed small farms are considering the prospect of accepting small groups, and for specialists of the wine industry there is an opportunity to get to almost any winery by prior arrangement. The Krasnodar Territory region is interested in promoting enotourism; attempts are being made to interact between the authorities and private farms. Even small wineries are ready to invest in the development of their infrastructure to attract new tourists. The region uses all possible mechanisms to popularize the wine tourism industry both at the state level and at the business level.

No description available.

Syftet med den här studien är att öka kunskapen om naturfotografers natursyn. Studien baseras på kvalitativa intervjuer med sex naturfotografer. Som teori används Hannigans typologi över 1900-talets utveckling av miljödiskurser som inkluderar den arkadiska dis- kursen, ekosystemdiskursen och rättvisediskursen. Naturfotografi är ett exempel på den arka- diska diskursen, och min studie visar att det är den starkaste diskursen inom det naturfoto- grafiska fältet även om vissa fotograferar dessutom ansluter sig till ekosystemdiskursen och rättvisediskursen. Den arkadiska diskursen påverkar både hur naturfotografer konstruerar naturen och utvecklingspotentialen för naturfotografin. Den utveckling som Hannigan ser som en samhällelig utveckling över tid av diskurserna kan också ses som en individuell utveckling hos fotograferna. Efter en tids fotograferande börjar man röra sig ifrån den arkadiska diskursen och ifrågasätta idén om den vackra naturbilden. / The aim of this study is to increase the knowledge of nature photographers’ view on nature. The study is founded in qualitative interviews with six nature photographers. Hannigans typology of environmental discourse development during the twentieth century is used as theory for the study, including the arcadian, ecosystem and social justice discourse. Nature photography is an example of the arcadian discourse and my study shows that it is the strongest discourse in the field of nature photography, although some nature photographers also adhere to the ecosystem and social justice discourses. The arcadian discourse affects both how nature photographers construct nature and the potential for development of nature photography. The development of discourses over time that Hannigan sees in society can also be seen in individual photographers; following some time of photographing they move from the arcadian discourse and start questioning the beautiful nature photography as a concept.

The objectives of this work were to analyze and to compare the visitors of the immediate surroundings of two protected areas in the State of Paraná: the National Park of Superagüi and the Ecological Station “Ilha do Mel”, both islands. There was applied a questionnaire with 37 qualitative and quantitative questions. The questionnaire consisted of five parts: sociodemographic characteristics; trip characteristics; environmental conscience and attitudes; favorite activities and motivation; and perception of the destiny. The data were collected through personal interviews that in the average took from 20 to 30 minutes. 327 questionnaires were applied in Superagüi; in the period of December of 1998 to May of 2000, and 392 on the Ilha do Mel, in the period of April of 2000 to June of 2000. There are significant differences among the visitors of the two islands, this practically in all the researched characteristics. The public of the Ilha do Mel is significantly younger, what influences in several other variables, such as: civil status; education degree; and employment situation. 84% of the visitors of Ilha do Mel heard about it through friends/family, while in Superagüi only 67%. Ilha do Mel, for being a tourist destiny already for a longer time and the easy access, receives a larger number of people with repeated visits. Tourism was trip objective to a larger portion of the visitors of Ilha do Mel; in compensation they were observed significantly more researchers in Superagüi. Visitors’ environmental conscience can be considered high on both islands, but the one of the visitors of Ilha do Mel was inferior to Superagüi. Fewer respondents knew that the place they visited is a protected area. The value of the entrance fee that they are willing to pay was significantly smaller, as well as the disposition to follow the rules in favor of the conservation of nature. The interest in social and environmental subjects was significantly higher among the visitors of Superagüi. They were also willing to pay more for the use of environmental sane techniques than the respondents on Ilha do Mel. The interest in practicing the 25 tourist activities was significantly different between the two places. The comparison of the visitors’ attitude towards to problems showed that a part of the interviewees in Superagüi is much less inconvenienced with problems linked to the infrastructure that reduce the comfort during the stay, confirmed this fact by the smaller importance they give to items of tourist infrastructure. Among the visitors of Superagüi there was an accentuated concern with the improvement of the quality of the host community's life, fact not noticed on Ilha do Mel. In terms of motivation, it was shown that the visitors of Superagüi have larger appreciation to the natural and cultural values and the escape of the stress of the city than the ones of Ilha do Mel. There was also accomplished a benefit segmentation, showing that it is possible to identify distinct segments among the visitors of the same place. In Superagüi they were identified the following clusters: 1) the indifferent ones; 2) the non-sociable adventurers; 3) the sociable adventurers; 4) the enthusiasts; and 5) the non-sociable naturalists. On Ilha do Mel there were identified five different clusters: 1) the sociable adventurers; 2) the pure naturalists; 3) the enthusiasts; 4) the indifferent ones; and 5) the cultural naturalists.

The growth of the ecotourism industry has resulted in increased demand for ecotourism and, consequently, the demand for one of the most renowned ecotourism destinations in South Africa, the Kruger National Park. Eco-tourists are highly educated and expect information-rich experiences which can be addressed with interpretation services. Previous studies indicated that the Kruger National Park‟s management neglects the importance of interpretation and, thus, the expectations of interpretation services exceeded the actual experience thereof. Additionally, the Kruger National Park is faced with a decline in public funding and consequently shifted their focus to ecotourism management to support successful conservation management of the park. Interpretation, however is not only considered to be an important educational tool that addresses visitors‟ expectations for educational services, but also contributes to national parks‟ conservation mandate since it influences visitors‟ behaviour to be more in line with respect for the environment, philanthropic support for conservation and general environmental behaviour. Clearly the Kruger National Park should address interpretation services with the aim of addressing visitor expectations but also to contribute to conservation management. The aim of this study is therefore to develop an interpretation framework for the Kruger National Park. To achieve this aim, this study made use of a self-administered questionnaire which was distributed in the southern and northern regions of the park during December 2011 and June 2012 respectively. Only one questionnaire per travelling group was distributed and resulted in 855 completed questionnaires for this study. Furthermore, the aim of the study was realised by means of several objectives. The first objective was to conduct a thorough literature analysis on the components, theories and goals related to interpretation within ecotourism related products. This was accomplished in Chapter 2 and provided a conceptual framework which was tested in the subsequent chapters to provide an interpretation framework for the Kruger National Park. The second objective explored all the methodological considerations for the subsequent chapters (i.e. articles). Due to the limited space available in the articles, Chapter 3 provided additional information or methodological considerations not captured in the articles of the study. The third objective of this study determined the interpretation expectations and experiences of visitors to the Kruger National Park. This was done in Chapter 4 of the study. Factor analyses revealed visitors‟ expected and experienced interpretation services and compared these factors by means of paired sample t-tests for the park as a whole as well as between the northern and southern regions of the park. The results revealed that there is a gap between visitors‟ expectations and experiences with interpretation services of the park, however, there are no significant differences between the northern and southern regions‟ interpretation services. In addition to determining the visitors‟ expectations and experiences with the Kruger National Park‟s interpretation services; the fourth objective determined market segments for the Kruger National Park based on expected interpretation services. This was accomplished in Chapter 5 of the study by means of cluster analyses (i.e. hierarchical and non-hierarchical) that revealed four distinct markets (i.e. Inquisitive, Eager, Comfort and Quasi-interested seekers). A factor analysis also determined several motivations for visitors to visit the Kruger National Park and by means of ANOVAs and Chi-square analyses, the differences between the market segments based on socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics as well as motivations, expected and experienced interpretation services were determined. The fifth objective of this study determined whether the Kruger National Park‟s interpretation services have an impact on the visitors‟ behaviour to be more in line with the park‟s conservation practices and was accomplished in Chapter 6. This chapter made use of structural equation modelling to determine the multiple relationships between expected interpretation services as well as attitudes and behaviour. Results revealed that visitors to the Kruger National Park are inclined towards positive attitudes towards conservation practices but that the current interpretation services influenced the attitudes as well as the behaviour of visitors negatively and needs to be addressed. Lastly, the results of this research suggest several recommendations for the Kruger National Park as explained in Chapter 7 of this study. Clearly the Kruger National Park needs to address the gap between interpretation expectations and experiences by planning for interpretation in the form of a policy or strategy. The interpretation policy or strategy should also be re-evaluated and amended periodically since visitor‟s needs and markets change. An interpretation framework is presented for the Kruger National Park based on the results of this study to address the current dilemmas of the park in terms of interpretation. Not only did this study provide practical contributions to the Kruger National Park but made several distinct contributions. An interpretation framework was developed that can not only assist the Kruger National Park but which also contributes to the body of knowledge on the topic and can also assist other ecotourism destinations in the same position as the Kruger National Park. This study also confirmed a general classification of interpretation services as well as suggested interpretation typologies that can be used for future ecotourism research. Since there was no guideline available to segment interpretation visitors, this study also made a methodological contribution by proving that expected interpretation can be a viable segmentation base and that the selection of a variable should be based on statistical calculations. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The tourism industry is an extremely competitive industry which is mainly caused by the ever changing needs of tourists. However, despite the constant change in tourist behaviour, violent terrorist attacks on countries across the globe and the weakening of the world economies, the tourism industry showed significant growth over the last few decades. The fast growth rate of tourism has also lead to the tourist being more aware of ecotourism destinations and the key role these destinations play in conserving the natural and cultural environments in the midst of globalisation and urbanisation. The pressure on ecotourism destinations such as national parks is increasing as more and more natural land are being taken up for urban development. In the case of South African National Parks (SANParks), the decrease in government funding pressurizes the resources and national parks have to identify ways to generate their own income through tourism activities. SANParks manages 22 national parks across South Africa with the aim to conserve South Africa’s biodiversity, provide recreational activities for tourists and build long-term relationships with the local communities to enhance the communities’ quality of life. Hence, in order to remain competitive it is important to determine the parks' competitive advantages. Therefore the aim of this study was to develop a competitiveness model for SANParks by using the Kruger National Park as case study. The Kruger National Park is not only one of the largest and most recognised national parks in the world, but also boasts with a large variety of fauna and flora, variety of accommodation facilities such as bush lodges, chalets and camping facilities as well as various tourist activities. The literature review indicated that destinations differ from each other and therefore ecotourism destinations such as national parks would have a distinct set of competitive advantage factors. However, these factors can only be determined if the needs of tourists are anticipated and park specific products and services are developed to satisfy the needs of visitors to the park and ultimately lead to tourist loyalty. Once a competitive position has been established, a national park can obtain benefits such as an increase in tourist numbers and revenue delivery of high quality products and services at the park as well as trigger a higher quality of life for the local community. If managed accordingly, the park might experience sustainable growth as well as increased profit margins. The data for the study was collected by means of a questionnaire survey at four of the Kruger National Park's rest camps during the period 26 December 2013 and 4 January 2014 which is the festive season in South Africa. The rest camps that were included in this survey were Olifants (74 questionnaires); Skukuza (213 questionnaires); Lower Sabie (98 questionnaires) and Berg-&-Dal (51 questionnaires). A total of 436 completed questionnaires were administered and further analysed. Descriptive statistics were used to profile the respondents while two factor analyses were done on the competitive advantage factors and tourist motives for travelling to the Park. The factor analyses identified five competitive advantage factors of which Wildlife Experiences and Marketing and Branding were regarded as the most important factors. The other three competitive advantage factors were Accommodation and Retail, Visitor Management and Suprastructure and Amenities. Four motivational factors were identified namely Experience and Relaxation, Lifestyle, All-Inclusive Destination and Value. The identified factors were further used in an ANOVA analysis and the results showed that socio-demographic characteristics such as home language, province of residence, level of education and marital status have all significant differences based on the five competitive advantage factors as well as the four motivational factors The t-test analysis presented a few statistical significant differences between the independent variables or group of individuals. These differences were based on the respondents’ demographic and behaviour characteristics with regards to the competitive advantage and motivational factors. However, the strongest statistically significant differences were based on the behavioural characteristics of tourists travelling with children to the Park, Wild card holders, tourist reading magazines, previous visits to the Park and differences between tourists making use of chalets and camping facilities. A Structural Equation Model was applied to confirm the results that were obtained from the analyses. The SEM indicated that tourists’ motivations have a significant influence on the factors that tourists identified as competitive advantage factors for the Kruger National Park. This research made three distinct new contributions. Firstly, competitive advantage factors were specifically identified for ecotourism based destinations such as national parks from a demand side. Also, the tourists motivation for travelling proved to hugely influence these competitive advantage factors. Secondly, a competitiveness model was developed specifically for national parks within South Africa. The proposed model could assist national parks across South Africa to obtain a competitive advantage among its competitors based on park specific factors. Lastly, the concept of competitiveness has not yet been applied within the ecotourism and nature-based tourism destinations context. This study described the concept of competitiveness with the focus on national parks as ecotourism destinations and the aspects that need to be taken into consideration when analysing the concept in such a context. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The growth of the ecotourism industry has resulted in increased demand for ecotourism and, consequently, the demand for one of the most renowned ecotourism destinations in South Africa, the Kruger National Park. Eco-tourists are highly educated and expect information-rich experiences which can be addressed with interpretation services. Previous studies indicated that the Kruger National Park‟s management neglects the importance of interpretation and, thus, the expectations of interpretation services exceeded the actual experience thereof. Additionally, the Kruger National Park is faced with a decline in public funding and consequently shifted their focus to ecotourism management to support successful conservation management of the park. Interpretation, however is not only considered to be an important educational tool that addresses visitors‟ expectations for educational services, but also contributes to national parks‟ conservation mandate since it influences visitors‟ behaviour to be more in line with respect for the environment, philanthropic support for conservation and general environmental behaviour. Clearly the Kruger National Park should address interpretation services with the aim of addressing visitor expectations but also to contribute to conservation management. The aim of this study is therefore to develop an interpretation framework for the Kruger National Park. To achieve this aim, this study made use of a self-administered questionnaire which was distributed in the southern and northern regions of the park during December 2011 and June 2012 respectively. Only one questionnaire per travelling group was distributed and resulted in 855 completed questionnaires for this study. Furthermore, the aim of the study was realised by means of several objectives. The first objective was to conduct a thorough literature analysis on the components, theories and goals related to interpretation within ecotourism related products. This was accomplished in Chapter 2 and provided a conceptual framework which was tested in the subsequent chapters to provide an interpretation framework for the Kruger National Park. The second objective explored all the methodological considerations for the subsequent chapters (i.e. articles). Due to the limited space available in the articles, Chapter 3 provided additional information or methodological considerations not captured in the articles of the study. The third objective of this study determined the interpretation expectations and experiences of visitors to the Kruger National Park. This was done in Chapter 4 of the study. Factor analyses revealed visitors‟ expected and experienced interpretation services and compared these factors by means of paired sample t-tests for the park as a whole as well as between the northern and southern regions of the park. The results revealed that there is a gap between visitors‟ expectations and experiences with interpretation services of the park, however, there are no significant differences between the northern and southern regions‟ interpretation services. In addition to determining the visitors‟ expectations and experiences with the Kruger National Park‟s interpretation services; the fourth objective determined market segments for the Kruger National Park based on expected interpretation services. This was accomplished in Chapter 5 of the study by means of cluster analyses (i.e. hierarchical and non-hierarchical) that revealed four distinct markets (i.e. Inquisitive, Eager, Comfort and Quasi-interested seekers). A factor analysis also determined several motivations for visitors to visit the Kruger National Park and by means of ANOVAs and Chi-square analyses, the differences between the market segments based on socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics as well as motivations, expected and experienced interpretation services were determined. The fifth objective of this study determined whether the Kruger National Park‟s interpretation services have an impact on the visitors‟ behaviour to be more in line with the park‟s conservation practices and was accomplished in Chapter 6. This chapter made use of structural equation modelling to determine the multiple relationships between expected interpretation services as well as attitudes and behaviour. Results revealed that visitors to the Kruger National Park are inclined towards positive attitudes towards conservation practices but that the current interpretation services influenced the attitudes as well as the behaviour of visitors negatively and needs to be addressed. Lastly, the results of this research suggest several recommendations for the Kruger National Park as explained in Chapter 7 of this study. Clearly the Kruger National Park needs to address the gap between interpretation expectations and experiences by planning for interpretation in the form of a policy or strategy. The interpretation policy or strategy should also be re-evaluated and amended periodically since visitor‟s needs and markets change. An interpretation framework is presented for the Kruger National Park based on the results of this study to address the current dilemmas of the park in terms of interpretation. Not only did this study provide practical contributions to the Kruger National Park but made several distinct contributions. An interpretation framework was developed that can not only assist the Kruger National Park but which also contributes to the body of knowledge on the topic and can also assist other ecotourism destinations in the same position as the Kruger National Park. This study also confirmed a general classification of interpretation services as well as suggested interpretation typologies that can be used for future ecotourism research. Since there was no guideline available to segment interpretation visitors, this study also made a methodological contribution by proving that expected interpretation can be a viable segmentation base and that the selection of a variable should be based on statistical calculations. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The tourism industry is an extremely competitive industry which is mainly caused by the ever changing needs of tourists. However, despite the constant change in tourist behaviour, violent terrorist attacks on countries across the globe and the weakening of the world economies, the tourism industry showed significant growth over the last few decades. The fast growth rate of tourism has also lead to the tourist being more aware of ecotourism destinations and the key role these destinations play in conserving the natural and cultural environments in the midst of globalisation and urbanisation. The pressure on ecotourism destinations such as national parks is increasing as more and more natural land are being taken up for urban development. In the case of South African National Parks (SANParks), the decrease in government funding pressurizes the resources and national parks have to identify ways to generate their own income through tourism activities. SANParks manages 22 national parks across South Africa with the aim to conserve South Africa’s biodiversity, provide recreational activities for tourists and build long-term relationships with the local communities to enhance the communities’ quality of life. Hence, in order to remain competitive it is important to determine the parks' competitive advantages. Therefore the aim of this study was to develop a competitiveness model for SANParks by using the Kruger National Park as case study. The Kruger National Park is not only one of the largest and most recognised national parks in the world, but also boasts with a large variety of fauna and flora, variety of accommodation facilities such as bush lodges, chalets and camping facilities as well as various tourist activities. The literature review indicated that destinations differ from each other and therefore ecotourism destinations such as national parks would have a distinct set of competitive advantage factors. However, these factors can only be determined if the needs of tourists are anticipated and park specific products and services are developed to satisfy the needs of visitors to the park and ultimately lead to tourist loyalty. Once a competitive position has been established, a national park can obtain benefits such as an increase in tourist numbers and revenue delivery of high quality products and services at the park as well as trigger a higher quality of life for the local community. If managed accordingly, the park might experience sustainable growth as well as increased profit margins. The data for the study was collected by means of a questionnaire survey at four of the Kruger National Park's rest camps during the period 26 December 2013 and 4 January 2014 which is the festive season in South Africa. The rest camps that were included in this survey were Olifants (74 questionnaires); Skukuza (213 questionnaires); Lower Sabie (98 questionnaires) and Berg-&-Dal (51 questionnaires). A total of 436 completed questionnaires were administered and further analysed. Descriptive statistics were used to profile the respondents while two factor analyses were done on the competitive advantage factors and tourist motives for travelling to the Park. The factor analyses identified five competitive advantage factors of which Wildlife Experiences and Marketing and Branding were regarded as the most important factors. The other three competitive advantage factors were Accommodation and Retail, Visitor Management and Suprastructure and Amenities. Four motivational factors were identified namely Experience and Relaxation, Lifestyle, All-Inclusive Destination and Value. The identified factors were further used in an ANOVA analysis and the results showed that socio-demographic characteristics such as home language, province of residence, level of education and marital status have all significant differences based on the five competitive advantage factors as well as the four motivational factors The t-test analysis presented a few statistical significant differences between the independent variables or group of individuals. These differences were based on the respondents’ demographic and behaviour characteristics with regards to the competitive advantage and motivational factors. However, the strongest statistically significant differences were based on the behavioural characteristics of tourists travelling with children to the Park, Wild card holders, tourist reading magazines, previous visits to the Park and differences between tourists making use of chalets and camping facilities. A Structural Equation Model was applied to confirm the results that were obtained from the analyses. The SEM indicated that tourists’ motivations have a significant influence on the factors that tourists identified as competitive advantage factors for the Kruger National Park. This research made three distinct new contributions. Firstly, competitive advantage factors were specifically identified for ecotourism based destinations such as national parks from a demand side. Also, the tourists motivation for travelling proved to hugely influence these competitive advantage factors. Secondly, a competitiveness model was developed specifically for national parks within South Africa. The proposed model could assist national parks across South Africa to obtain a competitive advantage among its competitors based on park specific factors. Lastly, the concept of competitiveness has not yet been applied within the ecotourism and nature-based tourism destinations context. This study described the concept of competitiveness with the focus on national parks as ecotourism destinations and the aspects that need to be taken into consideration when analysing the concept in such a context. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Masters of Technology: Tourism and Hospitality, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / The current biodiversity and extinction crisis has ignited global concern for human and planetary well-being, culminating in the declaration by the United Nations of 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. Concomitant with these developments has been the steady ascent of the ecotourism industry, a subset of the travel and tourism industry that holds some promise for the conservation and enhancement of natural areas. A third strand that may be added that weaves them all together for mutual benefit, is the use of interpretation as a communication strategy that enhances the travel experience for the visitor, stimulating interest and enriching their knowledge of local natural resources. This study examines the role of interpretation within one of the largest protected areas in the Durban area, Shongweni Reserve. Rich in faunal and floral diversity, the reserve hosts a range of active and passive recreational pursuits for local and international visitors. This study examines the range of natural, historic and cultural resources within the Shongweni Reserve and then develops appropriate themes for interpretive print material to effectively provoke and stimulate visitor interest in local biodiversity. Print samples were attractively designed to showcase interesting facets of plant and animal wildlife in the reserve. The samples integrated aspects of floral and faunal conservation status together with Zulu cultural use in the narrative and text. Findings from the survey revealed that most visitors were interested in learning more about local biodiversity and found the interpretation material to have a high degree of personal relevance. This has significance in terms of encouraging reserve management to communicate effectively with their visitors using interpretive media as a vehicle and stimulus for biodiversity conservation.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of Master’s Degree in Technology: Tourism and Hospitality, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / The primary aim of the study is to evaluate the community-based tourism model adopted by the Zulu-Mpophomeni Tourism Experience (ZMTE). ZMTE is a community-based tourism initiative that aims to provide visitors with a combined experience encompassing the elements of culture, history and nature. It is fully owned and managed by the Mpophomeni local residents. ZMTE is made up of different service providers including cultural and township tours, accommodation, restaurants as well as arts and crafts, which are all locally owned and managed. The inception of ZMTE was influenced by the growth in demand for authentic cultural and township experience by international markets as well as the immediate need to improve the livelihood of the local community. However, increased tourism activity results in a number of positive and negative implications to the area of Mpophomeni and its residents, primarily because the local community forms part of the tourism product. ZMTE is selected as a significant area of study due to its great potential for growth and has generated increased interest from different stakeholders within the tourism industry as well as the Mpophomeni local community. Its inception has largely improved tourism in the area of Mpophomeni and the province of KwaZulu-Natal in particular (KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Authority: 2012). The study findings are based on a sample of 280 Mpophomeni local community members, one managing director of the ZMTE and six establishments that are service providers of the ZMTE. The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to obtain data from the Mpophomeni local community. Face- to-face interviews were conducted to obtain data from ZMTE service providers and one managing director of this project. The results suggest the ZMTE is not beneficial to the majority of the local people and a lot still needs to be done in order to improve its viability. The major factor contributing to the lack of positive contribution of the ZMTE to the local community is due to the lack of knowledge about approaches that the local people can adopt in order to be part of the ZMTE and benefit from it. Findings derived from this study will unveil the CBT model adopted by the ZMTE. This will enable to revelation of areas that require improvement within the ZMTE so that benefits and opportunities are exploited. / M