Visitor Profiles of Coastal and Marine Tourism Sites in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Current research on Coastal and Marine Tourism (CTM) in South Africa focuses on two main coastal tourism provinces (KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape) as well as specific CMT activities such as whale watching and shark cage diving. This study, therefore, contributes to the body of knowledge on CMT by focusing on the Eastern Cape and undertaking a provincial level analysis. Coastal and Marine Tourism location visitor profiles in terms of socio-economic profile, types of CMT visitors, types of CMT activities participated and future interest in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. CMT encompasses activities and resources in and near coastal and marine areas that attract visitors who participate in a range of active and passive business, adventure, leisure and recreational activities that generate socio-economic and environmental benefits. A quantitative approach is adopted, drawing on 700 visitor surveys that were conducted at purposively selected CMT locations in the Eastern Cape. Visitors were from a range of socio-economic backgrounds. There were high levels of participation in CMT activities, especially coastal leisure and recreational activities. Results indicate increased CMT location visitation demand. From a sustainability and responsible tourism perspective, understanding who visits CMT sites assists in ensuring effective planning to manage demand and protect/ conserve coastal and marine resources.