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While the agri-tourism sector is constantly growing, academic research on the development and management of this sector is limited in South Africa. The agri-tourism sector includes over thirty different activities and attractions. These can be categorised as outdoor recreation, educational experiences, entertainment, hospitality services or on-farm direct sales. It can be challenging to identify a single method for sustainability and success. Although many farmers develop agri-tourism products/services on their farms to generate additional income, several fail because of a lack of planning and management. Part of this planning is to identify the critical success factors needed to successfully manage an agri-tourism business. Research on the critical success factors of agri-tourism has been conducted in several countries, including India, the USA, Europe and Taiwan; however, a South African approach has not yet been investigated. This study aims to identify critical success factors needed to develop and manage agri-tourism within South Africa, based on various agri-tourism activities and attractions. By following a qualitative research method, these factors were identified through semi-structured in-depth interviews with farmers already managing a successful agri-tourism business. The findings indicated themes such as market research and marketing, customer satisfaction, staff including the need for employees to be happy, financial and business planning, employees’ and employer’s personalities, location and having a unique concept. These themes include elements such as a constant offering of quality products and services, being enthusiastic about your product/service, and understanding what your client wants. Many of these findings are consistent with the success factors identified in other countries, such as customer satisfaction, providing a quality product, good marketing methods and good customer service. As many respondents indicated a lack of prior planning and business analysis when developing their agri-tourism business, these success factors may be used as guidelines for South African farmers who do not know where to start when considering agri-tourism their farms.

Wildlife tourism has become a vital part of the tourism industry, especially in developing countries. However, due to its popularity, this form of tourism can attract quite a large number of visito...

A park such as the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa is mandated by the Protected Areas Act (57 of 2003) to offer visitor facilities to boost the visitor's experience and conserve the environment. It is against this background, as well as the recently awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site of the park, that it identified interpretation services as a suitable means to fulfil the mandate. However, in order to do so, it is necessary to establish the market's demands for interpretation services. The aim of this study was therefore to identify different markets for different interpretation needs at the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The cluster analysis revealed three markets and was profiled by means of cross tabulations of socio-demographic characteristics, travel motives to visit the park and interpretation preferences. The results suggest that park visitors differ in terms of interpretation preferences and therefore require different managerial and marketing approaches. Management implications The research contributes to visitor management in protected areas in the following way: First, the main motives for visitors to this park were identified, which will assist in the development of products and marketing of the park. Second, the most preferred forms, media, topics, and extent of information in interpretation were identified, which will assist management with interpretation development and management. Third, the study segmented visitors based on the aforementioned interpretation topics, providing product-specific information. Part of this was the new taxonomy for interpretation needs that was developed, namely I.C.E. (I – Interested, C – Committed, E – Engaged), which will segment the market to the park and reveal their interpretation preferences.

Although the financial returns of game ranching in South Africa have been well documented, it is often implicitly assumed that the increased transition of lands to game ranching equates to net conservation gains in terms of habitat management and biodiversity conservation. As a first step towards testing this assumption, we conducted qualitative interviews with 28 game ranchers and 10 other key stakeholders in South Africa to investigate how ranchers manage habitat on their lands, and the degree to which they incorporate ecological advice into their land management activities. The purpose of this analysis was to elicit the range of views on how game ranching contributes to biodiversity conservation, rather than to measure the distribution of ranchers who engage in specific stewardship practices. We found that interviewed game ranchers engage in several stewardship practices that are consistent with sustainable use, namely: control of bush encroachment; removal of invasive, exotic plants; erosion control; the use of fire; and active management of game to maintain habitat quality. However, these land stewardship practices were not uniformly adopted by interviewed ranchers, and were not always based on ecological advice. Although our results cannot be expanded to the larger game ranching community in South Africa, they do suggest that game ranchers would benefit from active extension services that provide guidance on biologically sustainable land management practices, which would reinforce the long-term financial and ecological viability of game ranches.

The core of South Africa tourism industry is based on wildlife tourism. Private game reserves and game farms which forms part of wildlife tourism constitute most of the wildlife products in South Africa. On these private reserves and game farms, hunting is one of the major income generators for product owners. The aim of this study is to analyse the economic impact of hunting on the regional economies of three of South Africa’s most important hunting provinces. The study used economic multipliers, input-output analysis, and related modelling processes through input-output (supply-use) tables and social accounting matrices (SAM). The results differed significantly for the three provinces, with Limpopo receiving the biggest impact (R2.6 billion) and the Free State having the highest multiplier (2.08). The geographical location of the game farms, the number of farms per province and the species available all influenced the magnitude of the economic impact of hunters over and above the traditional determinants of economic impact analysis. The implication of the research is that it will help product owners in the development of game farms or hunting products, contribute to policy formulation, especially for government decisions on what products to offer where, and how to create more jobs.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to estimate the economic impact of biltong hunting in South Africa. Problem investigated: Higginbottom (2004), indicate there are no reliable global estimates of the economic impact of wildlife tourism, but one thing is certain, it generates considerable sums of money. This same accounts for South Africa's game industry, especially biltong hunting, where there is little to no information regarding the economic impact. Therefore the question to be investigated was what is the economic impact of biltong hunting in the South African economy. Research methodology: A non-probability method was used and a convenience sample was drawn from all the members (N = 17066) of the South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association (SAHGCA). A pilot study of 87 questionnaires was conducted in August and September 2004 in the North West Province at the Hartbees branch of SAHGCA. For the national survey, the questionnaires were mailed together with the members' monthly magazine (named SA Hunters/Jagters) during July 2005. A total of 1 024 (n) questionnaires were received back. Data was captured in Microsoft ™ Excel ™ and a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modelling approach was thereafter used to determine the economic impact of biltong hunting in the South African economy. Findings/implications: The contribution to real GDP is estimated to be in excess of R6 billion, with thousands of jobs being created by the increase in activities/services. In addition, the related improvements to the infrastructure of the country, especially the transport sector, will benefit productivity in the longer term and so lead to further increases in GDP. Originality: A significant contribution that this article has made is that this is the first time that the economic impact of biltong hunting in South Africa has been determined. It is also the first time that CGE modelling has been completed with regard to research in this sector in South Africa. Conclusion: This supports the opinion that biltong hunting is a viable and important sector of the tourism industry. The results clearly show that more should be done to expand hunting in South Africa as hunting affects, not only the economy, but also the price (and therefore the value) of game.

South Africa is well known for its favourable climate, wildlife and golden beaches. Adding to this, its long summers make its coastline (over 3500 km) even more attractive to tourists around the world, and so are transforming the South African coast into a major marine tourism attraction. Along this lengthy coastline lie numerous marine destinations attracting thousands of tourists. These destinations offer various activities such as scuba diving, snorkelling, swimming, world class surfing and whale watching to tourists. When trying to capitalise on these assets, marketers clearly state that it is necessary to understand the market that uses them and the reasons people travel. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine the travel motives of tourists to selected marine destinations. Five surveys were conducted at marine resorts by means of a structured questionnaire. Two hundred and two (202) questionnaires were completed at Hartenbos, 210 at Jeffrey's Bay, 333 at Margate, 237 at Amanzimtoti and 153 at Plettenberg Bay. The statistical analysis entailed descriptive statistics and a factor analysis of the five surveys. The results revealed similarity regarding escape and relaxation as travel motives when compared to other research. However, time usage and personal attachment were unique motives identified by this study. A combination of psychological motives and of more tangible aspects should be used in tourism marketing strategies in order to attract a higher number of visitors to marine destinations. These results will, therefore, assist marketers and product developers of marine destinations, particularly with the marine tourism product being very similar. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Most of South Africa’s national parks are based in rural areas, although a few parks – such as Wilderness National Park (WNP) – are situated in an urban area. This park differs from other national parks in several ways: it is not fenced in, it has very few animal species and it is a marine (fresh and salt water) reserve. WNP is a scenic park with wetlands, beaches and forests. It is well known that national parks are not developed and managed for their environmental purposes alone but they also have an economic and social obligation to surrounding communities. The aim of this article is therefore to determine the socio‐economic impact of WNP. In order to achieve this aim, the research involved three surveys, namely a business survey, a community survey and an overnight park tourists survey. The results indicated that the park has an impact in terms of production, income generation and employment and it is also achieving its goal with regard to conservation, creating economic opportunities and involving th...

When developing and managing tourism products, understanding the travel behaviour of niche markets, such as students can create a competitive advantage for tourism products. The purpose of this research was to determine the travel behaviour of tourism students in South Africa. Surveys were conducted at eight Tertiary Education Institutions offering tourism-related qualifications. Second and third year students at these institutions completed a total of 1062 questionnaires. The statistical analysis entailed descriptive statistics and factor analyses of travel motives and factors influencing holiday choices. The results revealed that students have specific preferences, but also similarities with other studies conducted among other tourist markets. Relaxation was found to be a significant motive for students, but gaining knowledge and learning new things were also very important for this market. When selecting destinations, personal influences (for example, previous visits, popularity and season) as well as predetermined influences (for example, availability of a holiday home, size of the travelling group, availability of time share and purpose of the holiday) played an important role.

Tourism is a key income generator and plays an important role in the financial sustainability of South African National Parks (SANParks), with accommodation currently being the greatest source of income. SANParks are presently operating at a 70-80% occupancy level, leaving little room for improvement or for generating more income from accommodation. Current estimations are that by 2022 operational costs will exceed tourism profits due to the unremitting increases in conservation expenses and management costs. A feasible solution to this problem was identified in the development of new adventure activities. This paper identifies the influence of tourists’ socio-demographic and behavioural profile on adventure preferences in national parks in South Africa. An electronic survey was applied where the link to the questionnaire was posted on SANParks’ website. Statistically significant differences were found for socio-demographic (for example age, gender, language) aspects that affect tourists’ preferences for adventure activities. Behavioural aspects regarding these preferences were whether they are Wild Card holders, whether they participate in adventure and their view on whether there are sufficient adventure activities in parks. This study contributes to the development of new adventure activities for SANParks based on tourists’ socio-demographics and behaviour.Keywords: Adventure; Adventure tourism; Socio-demographic aspects; South African National Parks.

In South Africa, scuba diving as a sport is growing significantly. One of the most sought after scuba diving destinations is Sodwana Bay, situated on the northern coast of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). The market is rapidly expanding, thus creating competition among the different dive operations. Understanding the travel motives of scuba divers will benefit dive operations and destinations in developing the most appropriate product, improving the services offered and creating more effective promotional activities that will ultimately lead to a competitive advantage. The purpose of this research was to understand the profile and travel motives of scuba divers to Sodwana Bay. Four hundred and two questionnaires were handed out over a 10-day period at Sodwana Bay by six fieldworkers. Availability sampling (non-probability sampling) was implemented in the distribution of the self-administered questionnaire. The results indicated that the profile of scuba divers to Sodwana Bay tend to be younger adults (mean age=34 years) with more male than female participants. The factor analysis identified four motives for diving at Sodwana Bay: personal challenge; devotion; relaxation; and escape and exploration and discovery. The research contributes to current literature regarding travel motives, as well as the scuba diving market in the South African context.Key words: Marine tourism; Travel motives; Sodwana Bay; Scuba diving; Factor analyses.

South Africa has various rating systems / schemes for tourism related enterprises, however there are no acknowledged rating systems for ecotourism products in South Africa National Parks. The shortcomings of the current rating systems are that they rate mostly the hospitality and accommodation sectors. These systems need to be adapted for nature/wildlife products and the problem that this study addressed was to develop a needed ecotourism rating system for South African National Parks. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to develop a possible ecotourism rating system for South African National Parks. A questionnaire was distributed electronically on the SANParks’ website to numerous respondentrs. Data collection took place during April 2013. A total of 308 responses were received during the period of data collection. The main findings of the study identified eight core principles of ecotourism. In addition, these eight core principles were used for the development of the rating system. The study made an important contribution in that it developed the first ecotourism rating system for South African National Parks that is based on verifiable research data. It is also the first time that related literature and all relevant aspects of ecotourism were identified and developed into a useful questionnaire.