Theses and Dissertations (Hospitality, Tourism and Public Relations)

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10352/207

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 61

An examination of climate change impacts on coastal tourism in Durban, South Africa
(Vaal University of Technology, 2022-10) Mgadle, Aphelele; Lekaota, L., Prof.; Dube, K., Prof.
Coastal communities are facing several environmental and developmental challenges. As the Decade of Sustainable Development Goals Action aimed at ensuring delivery of the aspirations set out in Agenda 2030 draws closer, a parallel initiative has been made on oceans. In 2018 the United Nations launched the Decade of Ocean Science (2021-2030), aimed at exploring the challenges faced by oceans and coastal communities. Given Operations Phakisa's well-documented socio-economic significance of oceans in South Africa, it is crucial to understand how climate change affects the country’s coastal tourism to inform policy and practice going forward. This study examined climate change impacts on coastal tourism in Durban. It used archival data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, primary data collected from key informant interviews (n=10), and an online questionnaire (n=302). Data analysis was done using XLSTAT 2021, Mann-Kendall Trend Analysis, Question-Pro Analytics and content and thematic analysis. The study found that extreme weather events such as rising sea levels, increases in tidal activity, coastal flooding and heat waves are identifiable threats to Durban’s future as a tourist destination. The study also found that sea level rise, sea surges, coastal storms, and high tides are worsening the challenge of beach erosion and coastal flooding, threatening tourism infrastructure in the process. In response, the eThekwini Municipality has embarked on response initiatives which include beach nourishment programmes, dune restoration and coastal defence mechanisms to conserve the beachfront and hopefully ensure coastal tourism sustainability. To assist such efforts, this study recommends educational support by civil society and government to sensitise and improve climate change understanding from a tourism perspective to ensure the sector’s adaptation and resilience. It also recommends public-private partnerships for the protection of coastal tourism infrastructure. Lastly, given the apparent threat of sea-level rise along Africa and South Africa’s coastlines, the study advocates a de-risked approach to constructing tourism properties.
Analysing factors influencing length of stay and spending behaviour of air tourists to South Africa
(Vaal University of Technology, 2019-11) Muzenda, Christopher; Labuschagne, V., Dr.; Slabbert, E., Prof.
Tourism is regarded as a global phenomenon in the 21st Century and is the world’s largest and fastest growing industry. Many countries globally look at tourism as a key driver for economic growth and rescue to their economic slumber (Brida, Lanzilotta, Moreno & Santiñaque 2018:62). In South Africa, tourism contributed immensely to total employment and economic activity in the country and the government sees this industry as a great resource, the country’s strategy for expansion and a possible vehicle to take South Africa into a new economic trajectory. The National Department of Tourism developed the National Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS 2016-2026) to facilitate the growth of this industry. As a result, direct tourism performance is measured on an ongoing basis against the goals set for South Africa of which two of the performance measures are length of stay and direct spend (NTSS 2019). These two are important because if visitors stay for longer periods at a destination, their spending increases as they partake in more tourism activities and pay for accommodation. This in turn increases the value attached to tourism as an engine for economic growth (SA Tourism 2007:59). Tourists’ spending and length of stay are therefore very important variables in the tourism industry as they contribute immensely to the economic value of tourism to specific destinations (Wong, Fong, & Law, 2016:958; Wang, Fong, Law & Fang 2018:472; Montañoa, Rossellób & Sansób 2019:112). Length of stay and average spend per day by tourists are fluctuating for South Africa as a tourism destination (SAT 2009-2018). The growth of both these variables has also been small over a period of ten years. These fluctuations and slow growth exert pressure on the tourism industry (SAT 2005-2018) and therefore annually form part of the strategic objectives of the National Department of Tourism (NTSS 2019). An in-depth analysis of these two variables is lacking and understanding the factors influencing these two variables within a South African context is of paramount importance to improving the economic value of tourism to the country. Although the factors influencing the two variables have been widely researched, these cannot be stereotyped to all destinations as they are destination specific (Barros & Machado 2010:693; Gemara & Correiab 2018:56) and these have not been analysed in the context of South Africa as a tourism destination. Though fluctuating patterns and slow growth on tourists’ length of stay and spending in South Africa is evident and is a cause of concern, the real problem here is lack of in-depth information on factors which influence these two key variables from a South African perspective. Even though South African Tourism have placed length of stay and spending of tourists as key strategic variables that need to be closely monitored and improved it needs action from the South African context. Once these factors are known, only then can South African Tourism be able to condition them positively for the benefit of the country’s economy. This research therefore sought to explore the factors influencing the stay duration and spending behaviour of international air tourists to South Africa and how these factors can be developed to increase tourists’ length of stay and spending in South Africa. Hence the aim of this research was to identify and analyse factors that influence length of stay and spending behaviour of international tourists reaching South Africa by air and in both cases, attention was given to the intrinsic and extrinsic contributing factors. Literature was reviewed on tourists’ travel behaviour by means of an in-depth discussion of travel motivations in general and travel motivations to South Africa specifically, tourists’ decision-making process, type of holiday decisions tourists makes, and the factors that influence these tourists’ decisions. The composition of the total tourism product was also analysed as this has an influence on tourists’ travel behaviour. This was followed by a comprehensive analysis of literature concerning tourists’ spending behaviour and visitors’ length of stay, which form the pith of this study. The analysis focused on the definition of concepts such as tourists’ length of stay and spending behaviour, the importance of length of stay and spending behaviour of tourists in tourism, how tourism spending is measured, how tourism expenditure data is gathered, what constitutes tourism spending/expenditure and lastly the factors which influence tourists’ length of stay and spending behaviour. A quantitative paradigm in the form of a sample survey was used in conducting this research. This research follows a cross-sectional design (exploratory and descriptive in nature at the same time) which involves the collection of data on more than one case and at a single point in time. The target population of this study comprised international tourists who visited South Africa by air. These visitors were accessed at one of the top tourist attractions in Cape Town (one of the most popular cities for international tourists) namely Table Mountain Cable Way. Table Mountain was selected as a data collection hub as it enjoys the lion’s share of South Africa’s international tourist arrivals. According to the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC2014:11), Table Mountain was named Africa’s leading tourist attraction in the World Travel Awards 2014 which makes it possible to pull many international tourists to the country of South Africa. Guided by previous similar studies, the sample size for this study was predetermined at 800 respondents of which 720 were completed without error signifying a response rate of 90%. A non-probability sampling technique namely convenience sampling was chosen for this survey as no list was available on who would be visiting the Table Mountain Arial Cable Way. The 800 international tourists were therefore purposively (only international visitors) and conveniently recruited depending on their willingness to participate in the research project; thus, a non-probability sampling technique was followed. Through the researcher distributing the questionnaire in person and using own judgement, a diverse range of nationalities, age groups and gender was included in the sample for it to be a close representation of all the visitors to South Africa as well as of the phenomenon under investigation. The questionnaire was designed and used to obtain detailed data on travel motivations, spending patterns and length of stay of the international air tourist market to South Africa. The questionnaire was designed from previous studies related to the above key variables and this added to the content validity of the questionnaire. A pre-test study was conducted by means of 10 survey questionnaires administered to academic experts at a University who had travelled abroad, and this added to the face validity of the questionnaire. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 for Windows was used to analyse the data and data gathered was presented by means of frequency tables and analytically described, subjected to exploratory factor analysis, one-way analysis of variances (ANOVA), t-tests, and Spearman’s rank order correlation analysis to establish the relationships between variables. Based on the empirical findings of this research project it is concluded that more males than females participated in this research and on average the age of the participants is 41 years, mostly married people and mainly staying in hotels and lodges. A variety of nationalities participated in this research but most of the respondents were from USA, UK followed by a huge margin from Germany, Netherlands and Australia, a profile which matches that of typical visitors to South Africa and were holders of a degree or diploma, followed by those with a postgraduate qualification with the majority being professionals followed by those in managerial positions. Most of the respondents to the study were first-time visitors to South Africa, travelling in a group of 3 or less people, and the average number of people in the travel group was 4 people and the average number of previous visits to South Africa was 1.68 times. Many of the respondents to this study travelled to South Africa mainly for holiday/leisure mostly to enjoy the natural attractions of South Africa since they placed high importance on appreciation of natural resources, enjoyment of beautiful scenery and sightseeing of tourist spots as important travel motivators. Most of the respondents to this study stayed on average 16.42 days which is higher than the annual average length of stay of international tourists. This information is very important from a marketing perspective as it helps in the profiling of tourists, targeting, tourism product development and positioning. Of importance as well is the fact that that the bigger the travel group the higher their spending will be. The most important aspects directly and significantly influencing length of stay were time constraints, the location of South Africa and financial constraints. It can be concluded that length of stay, availability of time to shop and respondents’ experience as a tourist directly and significantly contributes to visitor spending while interaction with the locals does not. The main travel motivations of international tourists to South Africa were Relaxation and Novelty, Social motivations, Cultural and heritage motivations, Personal Motivations and Destination motivations, of which Relaxation and Novelty and Cultural and Heritage motivations were rated high as travel motivations of tourists to South Africa. The main factors influencing length of stay of the respondents to this study were Personal experience, Access attributes, Destination attributes and Personal constraints. Of these factors, personal constraints and destination attributes ranked the highest as influencers of tourists’ length of stay. The respondents’ length of stay was least influenced by access attributes. The main factors influencing tourist spending patterns as determined by the factor analysis were: “Access and opportunity”, “Time availability” and “External influences”. Tourists’ spending was to a larger extent influenced by time availability followed by access and opportunity but least affected by external influences. The recommendations to increase length of stay and spending of inbound air tourists to South Africa made in this study are specific to South Africa as they were derived from a deep exploration of factors that influence air tourists’ length of stay and spending behaviour to South Africa. If South African Tourism, tourism industry associations and business owners implement these recommendations, this will improve both stay duration and spending of inbound air tourists to South Africa which has been fluctuating and showing slow growth. The recommendations most importantly add to literature that was lacking from a South African perspective on how length of stay and spending can be positively influenced for inbound air tourists to South Africa. The recommendations are as follows: South African Tourism, various industry associations (FEDHASA, ASATA, GHASA, RASA, SATSA), tour operators and travel agents, individual tourism and hospitality business companies that offer tourism products and services to inbound air tourists should take into consideration that length of stay is inhibited by personal constraints. It is thus important to offer value for money to the tourists. Continuous creative marketing strategies should be employed to attract long staying tourists to this country. South African Tourism, tourism business owners and industry associations should utilise new approaches and strategies that provides information about diverse range of attractions, spending opportunities and facilitate easy access as these are important to tourists who stay longer. Tourists’ personal experiences have a significant influence on tourists’ decisions to stay for longer periods hence South African Tourism and respective industry associations should offer thorough training to tourism and hospitality product/service providers and employees to enhance quality interaction with the visitors as this has a significant influence on the tourists’ decisions to stay longer in South Africa. Tourists that have been to South Africa before were influenced by personal experiences to stay for longer periods while the older and higher educated tourists were less influenced by the length of stay factors owing to their experience and confidence of what they want from a holiday in South Africa. South African Tourism, industry associations and tourism business owners should therefore target repeat visitors and the old, educated tourist market as they tend to stay for longer periods thus adding to the economic returns through their prolonged spending. Tourists that travel in larger groups are influenced by personal constraints, namely time and money; hence creating opportunities for value packages by tourism business owners in conjunction with wholesale and retail travel companies will ensure that this market stays longer in South Africa. Since destination attributes have proven to significantly influence length of stay of international tourists to South Africa, South Africa Tourism needs to create awareness on tourism opportunities that are not fully realised. This will increase tourists’ knowledge of the wide variety of activities and attractions to see in South Africa; hence they will budget long enough time to enjoy these products. Since spending patterns of tourists are influenced by time availability, if tourists stay longer, they will have enough time to shop and to experience destination products and services; hence their spending will rise. It is important to improve the environment related to Access and opportunity, Time availability and External influences as these factors influence how much tourists spend in the destination visited. The most important aspect to give attention to in order increase tourists’ spending is time availability. Opportunities should be created for tourists to spend money, which should be communicated on various platforms. South African Businesses that offer shopping opportunities (especially in shopping malls) should extend shopping hours late in the evening to allow tourists time to shop but safety and security should be geared up. Most of the tours do not always offer ample time for shopping and this should be communicated to the tour operators as it will also assist the local economy to grow.
Analysing the perceptions of selected tourism stakeholders on rural tourism development in the Vhembe district
(Vaal University of Technology, 2018-11) Mukundamago, V.; Lekaota, L., Dr.; Slabbert, E., Prof.
Tourism is one of the fastest growing and largest service industries in the world that occupies the centre of the stage in the socio-economic, environmental and political fields. In South Africa the case is no different where the tourism industry makes a substantial contribution to the country‘s economic growth and almost all nations are in recent times recognizing the importance of tourism and embracing it. Both praised and despised as a development option, rural tourism is increasingly viewed as a remedy, increasing the economic viability of marginalised areas, stimulating social regeneration and improving the living conditions of rural communities. Tourism in the rural areas of developing countries is expanding at a rapid pace and is often a primary means of income in these areas. In many cases, destinations take reasonable advantage of this dynamic industry as a major income, employment, private sector growth and infrastructure development. However, some research endeavours indicate that tourism will never come to dominate all rural areas, particularly in the developing world – there are vast swathes of rural areas for which tourism is not relevant for the foreseeable future. These necessitate the need for the industry to be sustainable. Sustainable tourism development should aim at improving the residents’ quality of life by optimising local economic benefits, protecting the natural and built environment and providing a high-quality experience for visitors. This should also provide a long-term economic linkage between destination communities and industries. It should aim to minimise the negative effects of tourism on the natural environment and improve the socio-cultural well-being of the destination communities. This notion serves as a motivation for this study which aim is to analyse the perceptions of selected tourism stakeholders in the Vhembe district with reference to the community, tourism business owners and local government concerning rural tourism development in this region. Attention was given to the economic, social and environmental influences of tourism by focusing on both positive and negative aspects as well as aspects related to tourism development. The secondary objectives of this study were: (i) to describe different roles, relationships, responsibilities and expectations of stakeholders in tourism by means of an in-depth literature review; (ii) to analyse rural tourism with reference to community involvement in tourism, business contribution, local government support and identify types of resources integral to tourism in the rural areas by means of a literature review; (iii) to empirically analyse the perceptions of selected tourism stakeholders by assessing economic, environmental and social aspects as well as their level of participation, success factors and challenges; and (iv) to draw conclusions and make recommendations on mechanisms that might contribute towards the sustainable development of rural tourism with the focus on relevant stakeholders. To achieve the objectives, this study followed a mixed-method approach where both surveys (quantitative research) and interviews (qualitative research) were conducted. Two surveys were done; one in the community and the second one at tourism businesses in the Vhembe region. It was clear from the results that residents are fairly positive towards the tourism industry and acknowledge the contributions (both economically and socially) to the community and area. There is however room for improving the rural tourism product in order to attract higher numbers of tourists. Government is contributing to the development of the industry but it seems that a lack of skills and marketing campaigns are huge challenges. The business owners are interested in the economic gains from this industry but there is a need for training and mentoring so that the business can grow to such an extent that it becomes an employer to a number of residents. The natural and cultural uniqueness of this area was evident as well as the potential as a tourism attraction. The selected stakeholders however emphasise the importance of cooperation and integrated planning to grow the tourism industry.
Analysing the social effects of tourism on residents: the case of Parys, South Africa
(Vaal University of Technology, 2018-11) Sigo, N. E.; De Witt, L., Dr.; Slabbert, E., Prof.
Residents’ attitudes towards and opinions about tourism is important as they are the ones dealing directly or indirectly with tourists and the development of the industry. As one of the key stakeholders their support is needed to grow the industry in a sustainable manner. For South Africa as a developing country tourism is one of the focus areas of development. This growth is supported by a number of initiatives to create more (but also more sustainable) tourism destinations especially for small towns such as Parys (Free State; South Africa). The primary objective was to analyse the social effects of tourism and determine the factors influencing these effects on the local community of Parys, located in the province of the Free State. This was done by conducting an empirical study among residents in Parys. The questionnaire was developed based on similar research done in other communities. The questionnaires were captured in Microsoft Excel and analysed in the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v 23.0). From a negative point of view residents highlighted the increase in prices of goods and services due to tourism development. From a positive perspective residents felt that the development of tourism lead to more opportunities for people to have fun, more tourists visit the area and the image of Parys has improved. From the factor analysis for social effects the following factors were evident: Business and community effects, Negative social effects, Opportunities for residents, Environmental effects and Cost of living effects. The latter two factors were rated the highest and thus residents felt that tourism lead to an effect on the environment and an effect on their cost of living. This should be monitored so that residents remain positive and do not start to blame tourists for negativities happening in Parys. When analysing the image of Parys from the perspective of the residents the factor analyses revealed three factors namely Infra- and suprastructure, Nature and cultural attractions and Hospitality of which they felt the strongest about the first and the last factor. Clearly from the results these residents enjoy staying in Parys, do not consider tourists to be a threat and welcomes visitors to the area. The social effects of tourism development is, to a certain extent, influenced by gender, language, level of education, age and number of years living in Parys. Overall it can be concluded that residents are fairly happy with tourists visiting Parys and the development taking place due to tourism. They are aware of the negative impacts but the positive impacts currently outweigh the negative impacts. It is recommended to include residents in the development process or at least keep them aware of what is happening, why it is happening and what opportunities it might bring to them. The results of this study differ from that of others indicating that communities are unique and there are unique aspects influencing their opinions regarding the social effects of tourism. The researcher recommended that the private and public sectors of Parys should continue their current practices to uphold the positive attitudes but also consider options where residents can become more involved in the development of the industry.
An analysis of the cultural characteristics of the emerging black tourist market in Vanderbijlpark
(2013-07-18) Taylor, Tish Frances; Slabbert, E; Mwandla, M E
In recent years there has been a considerable interest in the cultural aspect of tourism (Reisinger & Turner 2003:1 ). Culture in its various forms and dimensions has a significant impact on tourism planning and development, management and marketing. Unfortunately literature that examines the impact of culture on tourism concentrates mostly on expressions of material forms of culture such as the arts, music, architecture or crafts. Research regarding the variables of national cultures such as values, perceptions, rules of behaviour and satisfaction has been neglected. The importance of cultural variables for tourist holiday experiences is important and affects satisfaction and consequently repeat visitation. Thus the cultural variables which influence the quality of the interpersonal interaction between tourists and hosts, can significantly add to tourist holiday experiences and satisfaction. The past few years has witnessed a dramatic change in the composition and nature of domestic tourism in South Africa (Futter & Wood 1997:1 ). Black tourists are emerging as the largest travelling group within South Africa and it is important to the tourism industry that cultural variables of this group be examined. Tourism has experienced a growing internationalization and considerable attention has been paid to the issue of cultural diversity as a result of this growth in international travel. Tourism is a service industry where people from all nationalities meet and the crossing of different cultures takes place. This cross-cultural interaction leads to socio-cultural impacts which affect both the tourist and the host community. By understanding the cultural characteristics of various travelling groups to and around South Africa, socio cultural impacts will be minimised and the benefits of tourism can be appreciated. The target group for this study was black tourists to Vanderbijlpark. This is a large domestic tourism group and understanding the cultural characteristics of this group will enable the tourism industry to better plan, develop and market specific tourism packages. Research for this study was undertaken at a jazz festival in Vereeniging. Field workers randomly interviewed respondents using a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of five sections, namely demographic particulars, personal values, rules of behaviour, perceptions and satisfaction. The data was analysed to provide information regarding the cultural characteristics of the black tourism market in Vanderbijlpark. Respondents were categorised using the demographic data, the culture sections of the questionnaire were analysed in order to give descriptive results of each of the cultural variables. Each variable was analysed to determine its importance to respondents, thus categorising respondents according to their cultural characteristics. A factor analysis was completed in order to synthesise the large amount of data and for each cultural variable smaller, more descriptive factors were identified and used to describe the black tourism market in Vanderbijlpark.
Comparative analysis of five different school feeding strategies in the Vaal region
(2010-07-22T06:37:51Z) Kearney, Jeanette Emmerentia
School feeding programmes are defined as interventions that deliver a meal or snack to children in the school setting, with the intent of improving attendance, enrolment, nutritional status and learning outcomes. The Primary School Nutrition Programme (PSNP) was introduced in South Africa as a Presidential Lead Project in 1994 with the specific aim to improve education by enhancing active learning capacity, school attendance and punctuality. However, not all children qualify to participate in the PSNP and a variety of alternative products, of which little information is known, are used as part of school feeding programmes implemented by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The aim of this study was to investigate such programmes used in the Vaal Region. Five different products used in school feeding programmes in a primary school in Eatonside and two primary schools in Orange Farm were compared in terms of the nutritional content of the products, the impact of these products after a seven month intervention on the nutritional status of the children by analysing their dietary intakes as well as biochemical and anthropometrical measurements, menu cost, compliance of the products by conducting sensory analyses and shelf life studies, and the impact on school attendance. Based on the results of this study, guidelines on the optimal school feeding strategy would be provided to NGO’s and to the Gauteng Department of Education. The five products were a micronutrient dense “vetkoek”, PSNP, two commercial products namely Corn Soya Blend (CSB) and Sejo and, lastly, fruit, which was used as the control. In the Sethlabotja school in Eatonside, the sample consisted of 160 randomly selected boys and girls (40 children participating in the PSNP, and 60 children in each of the vetkoek and fruit groups) and in Sinqobile and Reitumetse schools in Orange Farm the sample included 45 randomly selected children in each of the CSB and Seja groups. Pre-intervention results indicated poor nutritional status. Mean daily energy intake of all the children was below the Dietary Reference Intakes for children between seven and ten years. A mainly carbohydrate-based diet was followed, with inadequate fruit and vegetable intake. The anthropometric indices indicated acute and chronic food shortage. The biochemical results indicated that normal values were present for the majority of the parameters. The post-intervention results indicated that the food consumption patterns did not change substantially during the intervention but the mean energy intake of the children as well as weight, height and body mass index increased with all the interventions. Although few statistically significant differences were observed between the five groups with regard to nutritional status indices, positive changes were observed in each of the groups. The products evaluated in this study proved to be within the range of the provincial school feeding budget. CSB and Sejo were the cheapest programmes because they are subsidised. Compliance to the products was good. No significant differences between commercial and home-prepared food items were found. School attendance was not formally recorded in all the groups. However, a decrease in absenteeism was noted in those groups where it was recorded. It is recommended that further research is conducted on the impact of school feeding on the cognitive performance of school learners in the Vaal Region.
Determining customer satisfaction: a case study of a tourism establishment in the Vaal region
(2018) Cilliers, Charmaine Danielle; Burger, S. E.; Labuschagne, V.
Tourism is an extremely important sector in any economy of a country and is a package of combined services and goods. There are a variety of types of tourism, and tourism also has a variety of sectors and characteristics. Customer satisfaction is very important within any organisation, because it provides a variety of benefits. The Kano model and many theories assist in understanding customer satisfaction and the factors that better influence the satisfaction of the customers. To accurately measure the satisfaction of customers, there are a variety of guidelines to follow to develop a well-developed questionnaire. The main goal of this study was to determine customer satisfaction and the factors that contribute to customer satisfaction, based on a case study at a tourism establishment (accommodation establishment) in the Vaal Region. The objectives were to conduct a literature review to identify the factors that affect customer satisfaction at an accommodation establishment and develop a measuring instrument to determine customer satisfaction at an accommodation establishment. Furthermore, an empirical analysis was conducted to measure the level of performance of the identified factors at an accommodation establishment in the Vaal Region. Additionally, to determine the factors that contribute to the satisfaction of the customers at a specific accommodation establishment in the Vaal Region. Thereafter, determine the difference between the factors that are regarded as important contributors to customer satisfaction and the factors with which customers are satisfied with at an accommodation establishment. Moreover, determine the difference between customer satisfaction factors across trip-related and demographic variables at an accommodation establishment. Finally, recommendations were made regarding the empirical results and for future research. The research followed a case study approach using quantitative, exploratory and descriptive research to administer and test the questionnaire, and to evaluate the satisfaction of the customers. Furthermore, the study used a non-probability method, convenience sampling. The sample size of the study was 132 customers at the accommodation establishment and a questionnaire was used to measure the satisfaction of the customers. The results indicated that the majority of the respondents were totally satisfied with certain aspects at the accommodation establishment. In total 11 factors were identified that contribute to customer satisfaction, and a total of 10 factors were identified that influence the satisfaction level of the customers. There was a statistical significant correlation between the factors with which customers are satisfied with, the factors that the customers regard as important, other trip-related and demographic variables. It can be seen that the accommodation establishment must take into account the factors which influence customer satisfaction to obtain higher customer satisfaction by.
Determining perceptions of host communities' regarding urban ecotourism
(Vaal University of Technology, 2016-12) Mashapa, Modjadji Matilda; Dr L Menzies; Dr L Menzies
Tourism has become an essential attribute of modern society that has an effect on the world and its citizens. On the other hand, tourism can also be blamed for an increase in environmental and social stress. Hence the need for a more sustainable tourism industry was advocated; thus the birth of alternative forms of tourism such as urban ecotourism, responsible tourism and community-based tourism. Urban ecotourism has been identified as a method of sustainable tourism that is expected to subsidise to both conservation and development in urban areas. This requires input and cooperation from various stakeholders. One of the most important stakeholders in this process is the local community. Thus, when there is collaboration with host communities in urban ecotourism projects, these projects convert to become community development. These projects such as urban parks are vital assets within the local community as they assist in addressing a broader range of environmental and societal issues. However, these instrumental resources are often ignored, resulting in a loss of potential benefits.
Determining Sasolburg residents' perceptions of tourist safety and security in South Africa
(2013-12) Ramoliki, M. J.; Slabbert, E.; Sumbana, F. H.
The birth of new governance in South Africa in 1994 positioned the country worldwide as a tourism destination with large numbers of tourists visiting South African shores. It is, however, not only international visitors that frequent the tourism products; the local residents also started to travel more with almost 50% of the population that participated in travel-related activities. At the same time South Africa gained a reputation of being an unsafe place to visit, which influenced the tourism growth percentage negatively. It was then realised that the notion of being an unsafe place to go on holiday to would impact negatively on a host country such as South Africa. Perceptions of safety and security in South Africa have been measured, but only for international visitors. Even though the domestic market should be the backbone of the tourism industry their perceptions regarding the safety of South Africa as a tourism destination has not been analysed. This could, however, be a factor inhibiting them from travelling locally. The purpose of this study is to determine the perceptions of residents of Sasolburg regarding tourists’ safety and security in South Africa, to obtain insight into the current perspectives of residents and advise on strategies regarding the improvement of these perceptions. Questionnaires were distributed to residents of Sasolburg and a total of 380 questionnaires were suitable for analyses. The questionnaire was divided into three sections, namely demographic information, travel preferences and perceptions of crime. The data resulting from the questionnaires was captured and analysed by means of descriptive analyses in SPSS. Descriptive statistics were used focusing on the graphical display of frequency tables and figures providing information on the demographic profile and travel behaviour of the respondents. Factor analyses were used to identify specific safety experience factors as well as specific travel motivation factors. Spearman Rank order correlations were used to determine the factors influencing safety experience factors with reference to age, frequency of holidaying, average duration of the holiday, number of weekend trips and travel motivations. An independent t-test was conducted to explore the influence of gender, being a previous victim of crime and marital status on respondents’ assessment of safety experience factors and travel motivation factors. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to explore the effect of home language and occupation on the safety experience factors and travel motivation factors of Sasolburg residents. From the analyses it became clear that the respondents go on holiday once a year but do tend to go on more weekend trips per year. They travel mostly by car and stay with relatives, in hotels and guesthouses. Respondents were most concerned about crime whilst travelling and their biggest concerns were theft, robbery and rape. In everyday life respondents were more concerned about crime than when travelling. Respondents indicated that higher and more intense levels of policing would make South Africa a safer tourism destination. Regarding respondents’ previous holiday, it was found that they had felt safe when dining out, staying at their accommodation establishments and whilst driving during the day. Respondents did feel unsafe at night. The factor analysis on the safety experiences of respondents revealed three factors, namely day-time activities, night-time experiences and infrastructure with night-time activities considered to be the most unsafe activities. The factor analysis on travel motivations revealed the following factors, namely exploration, learning, social group activities and relaxation. The latter was identified as the most important travel motivator for the respondents. The factors that influence residents’ perceptions of crime included age, length of stay, number of weekend trips, previously being a victim of crime, marital status and occupation. The high correlations between the three safety experience factors revealed that if residents felt unsafe during the day they will probably also feel unsafe at night or while using infrastructure. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge of understanding the influence of perceptions of safety and security on the tourism industry in South Africa. In the light of the findings, it is therefore recommended that the tourism industry, law enforcement agencies and other tourism stakeholders co-ordinate efforts to improve crime prevention measures in South Africa. Travelling of local residents is as important as international visitors to South Africa and it is thus important to create a safe environment to travel.
Determining South African National Parks' contribution to sustainable development goals in host communities: A case study of Kruger National Park
(Vaal University of Technology, 2023-03) Mabibibi, Mashudu Andra; Thwala, K. C., Dr.; Dube, K., Prof.
The study examines and evaluates the Kruger National Park’s role in assisting its host communities to meet their Sustainable Development Goals agenda. The study is triggered by the fact that the tourism industry is criticised for its unsustainable practices and exploitative proclivities. The existence of knowledge gaps on how the KNP operations and activities fullfil and lead to the realisation of SDGs, therefore, warrants research so as to generate information and strategies that are beneficial not only to the KNP only, but also to the communities that are located in its proximity. The study conducted between March and October 2021, used a case study reseach design in a mixed method approach to answer the research questions. The emperical work comprised of in-depth interviews (=30) with key informants identified by KNP gatekeppers; surveys (=70) with community members; a secondary literatire review; and observations of community projects done by host communities - artefacts sold within and outside the park, infrastructure developments in communities and agricultural practices in host communities. Thematic analysis was used to catergorise the data according to the corresponding SDG categories. The study found that despite hurdles such as climate change, diminished funding, and COVID-19, among other such factors, the Kruger National Park aided communities in meeting at least 15 of the 17 SDGs goals. The various projects of the KNP address all the SDGs except for SDG7 on affordable and clean energy and SDG 14 on life below water where no identified project could be directly linked to those SDGs. It was also found that some of the KNP’s flagship projects were ensuring economic emancipation, delivering quality education, and alleviating poverty and inequality, all of which interlink with conservation and environmental protection. The projects have also fostered some sense of ownership by local communities, a move which has helped improve relations between the park and host communities. The study recommends continuous monitoring of the role that protected areas can play in addressing the 17 SDGs. Continuous monitoring will allow for necessary interventions to be made at the policy and practical levels.
Determining stakeholders' perceptions regarding the impacts of world heritage sites: A case study in Vredefort, Free State
(Vaal University of Technology, 2022-08-15) Ngidi, Khanyisile Mbali Nicolet; Dube, K., Prof.; Lekaota, L., Prof.
Tourism is the sum of phenomena and activities that arise from persons travelling to and staying in locations outside their usual place of residence for not more than one consecutive year. Tourism has impacts, which strongly affect an environment and society; hence, stakeholder’s perceptions on tourism impacts are important. The tourism industry’s impacts are usually classified into three categories, namely economic, environmental and socio-cultural, which are known as the triple-bottom line concept. The main aim of this study was to determine the stakeholder’s perceptions regarding the tourism impacts of the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site (WHS) in the Free State province, South Africa. This study was quantitative in nature and followed descriptive research design, specifically a single-cross sectional study. A non-probability purposive sampling technique for the collection of data from government officials and the tourism businesses owners was used, while convenience sampling technique for the tourists and the local communities was also followed. Based on the results, the local communities’ respondents indicated minimal economic benefits from the WHS, while the tourists, tourism businesses owners and government officials slightly agreed to the presence of economic support and benefits. Based on the environmental impacts both the local communities and tourism business owners strongly agreed with the poor planning and management of the WHS. In terms of the socio-cultural findings, the local communities expressed their despondency towards the positive socio-cultural impact, while the tourist and business owners had neutral perceptions towards the socio-cultural benefits. The results show a strong relationship between stakeholder’s perceptions and the degree of awareness and participation/involvement of stakeholders in relation to tourism impacts. The study concludes that the local communities do not benefit economically, environmentally and socio-culturally from the Vredefort Dome WHS. The study also concludes that there is a relationship between awareness, participation/involvement and the perceptions created regarding tourism impacts. It is recommended that educational training and awareness should be adopted by the local municipality to change the local communities’ perceptions regarding tourism.
Determining the contribution of online corporate communication to brand reputation among Generation Y consumers in Vaal Region
(Vaal University of Technology, 2016-05-30) Kunene, Sibongile; Maleho, L. M.; Oksiutycz-Munyawiri, A.
ABSTRACT The internet has become one of the most powerful communication tools. Therefore, much has been written over the past few years about the rise and use of online communication, but there is still very limited research on the use of online communication by Generation Y members and corporations in an African context. Consequently, the internet has become one of the most powerful communication tool. This has led to the evolutions of the public relations discipline in keeping up with trends, embracing new opportunities and using diverse and effective communication mediums to engage with different stakeholders. This dissertation determines the contribution of online corporate communication to brand reputation amongst Generation Y members in the Vaal Region and the effect it can have on the perceived reputation of an organisation. This was done though ascertaining ways in which Generation Y in the Vaal Region (Evaton, Sebokeng and Vanderbijlpark) uses different online corporate communicate tools to engage with brands. This quantitative study used a cross-sectional descriptive research approach. Two hundred questionnaires that comprised of three sections namely: (1) demographics and sources of information, (2) online communication behaviour and (3) online reputation management were distributed amongst Generation Y members in the Vaal Region. The respondents were between the ages of 18-35, descriptive statistics such as frequencies, the mean, medium and the mode, factor analysis, t-tests and ANOVA were used to analyse the data obtained from the respondents. From the results it is evident that the growth of the internet and the development of smartphones, iPads and tablets have drastically changed the way people communicate, especially Generation Y members, thus leading brands to actively operate online. Social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube have taken over the technological aspect of two way interaction between customers and brands thereby influencing an organisation’s reputation. In as much as online communication has brought about change to the public relations discipline it has a detrimental impact on a company’s reputation if not managed properly. Therefore, companies that use online communication and those that do not use online communication should be aware of Generation Y’s online brand engagement, behaviour and expectation as this will have an effect on the organisations reputation when engaging with members from this group.
Determining the contribution of the national school nutrition programme to the total nutrient intake of Mogale city learners
(Vaal University of Technology, 2018) Monala, Pumla Kgomotso; Dicks, Prof. E. G.; Egal, Prof. A. A.
The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) has made on the total nutrient intake of Kagiso learners. This was done by investigating the nutrient intake of school children participating in the NSNP (experimental group) and comparing this to the nutrient intake of learners participating in the tuck-shop or lunch box (control group) from one school. The research methodology was undertaken in two phases, namely phase one; planning and phase two; data collection and analysis. The following measuring methods were applied; socio-demographics, household food insecurity assessment scale, anthropometry measurements, food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), 24-hour recall and the observation of the NSNP during the school lunch breaks. Anthropometry measurements were analysed according to the World Health Organization standards (WHO 2008), socio-demographics, and household food insecurity assessment scale and FFQ were captured on an Excel spreadsheet by the researcher and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 for descriptive statistics such as frequencies, standard deviations and confidence intervals. An expediency sample of 160 primary school children aged 6-13 years, including girls (n=84) and boys (n=76) and 106 caregivers were recruited into the study. The results showed that majority of caregivers (59%) completed secondary level education, followed by 39% with primary level or college completion (2%). The employment rate in the Kagiso households of the sampled group was low with 20% of caregivers being unemployed. Out of the 76% of the employed caregivers, 26% were permanently employed and 51% were temporarily employed with contract work and piece jobs. The highest monthly income (42%) was between R1000-R3000 and the lowest (38%) was less than R1000 with only R101-R200 to spend on food per week. The food insecurity status of Kagiso learners showed that 44% of school children were food secure, and 56% were food insecure – of these, 29% experienced hunger. Heightfor-age, weight-for-age and BMI-for-age were measured for all of the 160 children. The group was categorized as follows; school children participating in the NSNP (n=59) and children using the tuck-shop foods (n=35) and lunch box (n=66). The nutritional status of Kagiso learners from the sampled group showed that more boys were stunted (13%) and wasted (12%) while of the girls, 30% were at risk of being overweight, with only 2% reported to be overweight. The majority of boys reported to be stunted and wasted were from the NSNP group and the girls reported to be overweight or at risk of being overweight were from the tuck-shop group. Thus, the learners from the lunchbox had optimum growth status when compared to the other two groups. The respondents consumed a mainly high carbohydrate diet with a low consumption of vegetable and fruits. The results from the Food Variety Score (FVS) revealed a low individual mean (2.25±1.57) in the legume and nuts group, followed by a medium individual mean (7.9±2.81) in the fruits and other juices group, 7.16±2.68 in the vegetable group, and lastly, the highest individual mean (9.26±3.04) in the cereal, roots and tubers diversity. The results from the top 20 popular food items ranked as follows; maize meal stiff (1st), maize meal porridge (5th), white rice (6th), white bread (7th) brown bread (9th), potato fries (12th), breakfast cereal (13th) and samp and beans (14th). Cabbage (15th) and pumpkin (20th) were the most popular vegetables and there were no fruits within the top 20 popular list of food items. The Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR) of the NSNP (n=59) meals was below the 1/3 (33.3%) and 30% dietary requirements for lunch meals. This was very evident regarding vitamin A (16.85%), energy kilojoules (23.78%), calcium (18%), folate (26.72%), zinc (15.71%), dietary fiber (25.71%) and iodine (4.65%). Iron (38.98%) was slightly above the 1/3 and 30% dietary intake, but there were a high percentage (61%) of respondents who did not meet the EARs of 5.9mg for iron. The results revealed an inadequate contribution by the NSNP to the nutrient intake of Kagiso learners. The poor intake of folate, vitamin A and dietary fiber in this sampled group is linked to the low consumption of vegetable and fruits. Results from this observational study showed that a majority of respondents do not participate in the NSNP when they do not have their own eating utensils. Respondents also revealed that the NSNP meals caused allergies such as skin rash while some mentioned diarrhea as the cause of not eating meals from the NSNP. Hence, a larger percentage (41%) of school children preferred to participate in the lunch box rather than in the NSNP (37%). The high prevalence of inadequate nutrient intake and the poor nutritional status of Kagiso learners in the sampled group, is an indication that strict monitoring of dietary measures needs to be implemented and continuously evaluated to ensure that positive nutritional results are obtained by the NSNP across South Africa
Determining the effectiveness of health communication in the Gauteng province : a case study of child immunisation in the Vaal Region.
(Vaal University of Technology, 2019-02-28) Matsoso, Lebohang Mampone Lesego; Maleho, L. M., Dr.; Miruka, O., Prof.
Health communication has become an integral component of quality health care. However, it is not just the process of giving information, but rather an active process that facilitates the use of information to improve decision-making and change behaviour that lead to positive health outcomes. Therefore, effective communication should be encouraged by means of two-way interaction between the health practitioners and the patients. The purpose of this research study was to determine the effectiveness of health communication in the Vaal region, using Levai Mbatha clinic as a case study. The study used the mixed method design consisting of both qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative research design was done through the distribution of questionnaires to parents in order to ascertain how child immunisation issues are communicated to them. Simple random sampling approach was used to gather the data, and the sample size for this design was 100 parents. For the qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews was used to determine the effectiveness of health communication information as disseminated by health practitioners to parents. Purposive sampling approach was used to select six (6) health practitioners. From the descriptive results (quantitative) it was evident that there is ineffective health communication at Levai Mbatha clinic. Parents are not aware of other illnesses related to child immunisation, and they feel that it would be better if the content of communication mediums were to be written in their mother tongue. It is therefore evident that, due to lack of understanding of the content, parents cannot participate in the discussions related to child immunisation this hinders effective communication. The interviews (quantitative) revealed that health practitioners felt that much needs to be done when it comes to the dissemination of child immunisation information. They indicate that there is not enough health communication material at their disposal to distribute to parents. Furthermore, there seem to be a challenge in language when they have to communicate with parents. Consequently, the efforts to effectively communicate child immunisation to parents effectively becomes insignificant.
Determining the environmentally responsible behaviour of tourists while visiting selected resorts in Limpopo
(Vaal University of Technology, 2019-05) Maboya, M. K.; Slabbert, E., Prof.; Menzies, L., Dr.
Tourism is a fast-developing industry globally, and the impacts of tourism are exceedingly diverse. The relationship between the environment and tourism has assumed a unique position in research through the development of tourism studies over the years. From an economic viewpoint, tourism is aimed at bringing income to local communities. It also could also increase and spread economic development, thus reducing the inequalities in income distribution by providing and creating employment opportunities. However, from an ecological standpoint, tourism poses a threat to the delicate environment. Thus, the pressure on natural resources remains a major problem globally, and the fact that tourism-related activities and facilities such as resorts contribute to the scarcity and overuse of resources is of great concern. The rapid growth in tourist numbers poses a significant threat to natural resources, more so tourists are significant consumers of natural resources such as water and electricity while on holiday. Overuse and depletion of these natural resources can cause environmental degradation in and around a destination. Even though some tourists hold positive environmental attitudes, they may not behave environmentally responsible while visiting resorts, because they want to experience the destination in full. Behavioural change is a complex process involving the interaction between numerous variables of which attitude is only one attribute. Attitude itself is also a complex attribute which is challenging to define and may involve multiple and even contradictory values. Previous studies indicate that positive attitudes toward the environment do not necessarily lead to environmentally responsible behaviour. Researchers have found a weak relationship between attitudes and behaviour. Although there is not a direct or linear relationship between attitude and behaviour, they may have significant causal effects on behaviour. Suffice to say, however, viiattitudes, especially strong specific and narrowly defined attitudes that have been acquired through direct experience, that influence the person’s self-interest and are accessible, have a strong effect on behaviour. For this reason, a general indication of the variable ‘environmental attitudes’ was obtained by recoding the respondents’ identification and ratings of severe environmental problems when visiting LWR in Limpopo. The measurement of environmental concern or rather behaviour is generally regarded as an integrated component of broader attitudinal dispositions. This study attempted to determine whether tourists are behaving in an environmentally responsible manner while visiting selected resorts in Limpopo South Africa. This was approached based on an empirical study which followed a quantitative research design. A non-probability, convenience sampling method by means of a web-survey was adopted. The target population for this study were tourists to all LWR (Limpopo Wildlife Resorts) in Limpopo South Africa. Once the data was collected, it was captured and processed by means of SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). Environmentally responsible behaviour of tourists visiting LWR was analysed by means of descriptive statistics, using factor analysis and ANOVA. With the information gathered, the researcher wanted to test if there was a difference in visitor behaviour in comparison to their attitudes toward the environment. ANOVA was used to compare the difference in visitor’s behaviour and attitudes while visiting resorts and the use of factor analysis as a procedure was necessary for data reduction and summarisation. Therefore, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to investigate how tourist environmentally responsible behaviour differs between visitor profiles. The data showed that females agreed more strongly with statements empathetic to the environment than male respondents did. Furthermore, the data showed that as one becomes older, so the agreement with the opinion of empathetic opinion to the environment becomes larger. The apathetic environmental opinion factor shows an opposite tendency, namely as one grows older, the agreement with the apathetic opinion factor becomes less. Awareness has become heightened, which is shown in the visitor’s value of nature and leads to environmentally conscious behaviour and activities to preserve the environment. Moreover, an increased concern of the environment has made consumers more aware of the environmental impacts of their viiipurchase decision concerning the service industry. The increased awareness of environmental impacts of tourism has led to the emergence of tourist called, among others, environmentally responsible tourist. Therefore, one can say that tourist as consumers are becoming more aware of the importance of protecting the environment and more involved in practising environmentally friendly behaviour while on holiday.
Determining the factors influencing employee job satisfaction at selected hospitality establishments in the Vaal region
(Vaal University of Technology, 2017-01) Mafini, Mejuri; Lekaota, L., Dr.; Slabbert, E., Prof.
Satisfaction of employees in the tourism industry is very important since they are in direct contact with customers. Unhappy employees are likely to pass on their dissatisfaction to customers, forcing the customers to either spread negative messages or use other providers of similar services in the future. However, satisfied employees will pass on their satisfaction to the customers, who are likely to become loyal to the company. The aim of this research was to investigate job satisfaction amongst employees at selected hospitality establishments in the Vaal Region as well as the demographic and work-related factors influencing these levels of satisfaction. A sample of 500 respondents from hotels, guest houses, lodges and restaurants located in the Vaal Region in South Africa were requested to complete the questionnaire and after completion 271 questionnaires were usable in the final data analyses. Data were collected between May and June 2016 by means of a four-section survey questionnaire. Descriptive, exploratory and inferential statistics were used in the data analyses. Based on the results, the study showed that employees working in the Vaal Region’s tourism industry were satisfied with their work life, interacting with their work colleagues, taking actions to avoid problems in the organisation and the working environment. It was clear that job satisfaction is influenced by the type of department employees are working in, type of employment, age, educational level and working conditions. It was further found that job performance is influenced by gender, type of department, age, educational level, income and working conditions. It was clear that most of the employees were dissatisfied with their salaries. The study concluded that employees in hospitality establishments in the Vaal Region experience a high level of job satisfaction and performance, which is influenced by various demographic and work-related factors. It was recommended that hospitality establishments in the Vaal Region consider the results of this study to ensure that employees are satisfied with their jobs and are able to perform better where needed. Specific actions which can be taken to improve job satisfaction and performance include consulting employees during decision-making, reviewing salaries, maintaining physical surroundings regularly, providing challenging work and better chances for promotion, more training and development, conducting employee satisfaction surveys, ensuring a healthy family-life balance, and holding employees in respect.
Determining the key success factors for marketing of tourism establishment in Lesotho.
(2018-10) Nqosa, Nthabiseng Eunicia; Lekaota, L., Dr; Burger, S. E., Dr
Given that the competition in the tourism industry has intensified worldwide, there is a need for more effective tourism marketing. Tourism marketing lies in designing the marketing strategies and communications appropriate for target markets so that profits can be generated. Through tourism marketing, tourism establishments could also attract more tourists, anticipate and satisfy the existing and potential tourists’ needs and wants. This study therefore, determines the key success factors (KSFs) for marketing of tourism establishments in Lesotho. KSFs are factors that allow tourism establishments to compete effectively and to attract more tourists. The primary objective of this study was to determine the KSFs for marketing of tourism establishments in Lesotho. To achieve the primary objective of this study, two secondary objectives were identified in Chapter1 and achieved in the subsequent chapters. The first objective was to analyse the KSFs for marketing of tourism establishments in by means of an in-depth literature review. This objective was achieved in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3. Chapter 2 provided an overview of marketing and the following were discussed: marketing in tourism, characteristics of service marketing in tourism, specific features in services, importance of marketing, description of marketing as a process and a marketing strategy, market as well as the marketing mix. In Chapter 3, various KSFs for marketing tourism establishments were discussed. The second objective was to assess empirically the KSFs for marketing tourism establishments in Lesotho. This objective was met in Chapter 5 by means of descriptive statistics, which included biographic information of the respondents in this study. In addition, exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine the marketing-related aspects implemented by tourism establishments in Lesotho and to identify the KSFs for marketing tourism establishments in Lesotho. Last but not least this objective was also achieved by making recommendations based on the KSFs for marketing. A quantitative approach was employed for this study. The sampling consisted of two phases: During the first phase, convenience sampling, a non-probability sampling method, were used to identify the regions in Lesotho that formed part of this study and the following regions were selected to be part of the study, namely Maseru, Leribe, Berea and Mafeteng. During the second phase of the sampling, all tourism establishments in the specified regions that appeared on a list provided by the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) were selected to be part of the study.137 questionnaires were distributed and completed by either the managers or marketers of the establishment between June and July 2017. The questionnaire included sections about biographic profile of tourism establishments in Lesotho that participated in this study, implementation of KSFs, importance of KSFs, questions about establishments’ marketing information and comments or suggestions of the respondents from the following sectors: airline, travel trade, attraction and accommodation. Data were captured and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0 (SPSS). The data analysis for this study was done in two phases. Phase 1 included descriptive statistics and Phase 2 consisted of the exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used to summarise data on the KSFs for marketing of tourism establishments in Lesotho. The factor analysis for this study was run with Oblim with Kaiser Normalisation as a rotation method and the principal component analysis as an extraction method for better interpretation of results. The eigenvalues criterion was also used to determine the number of principal components based on the assumption that only eigenvalues greater than 1. The data were tested using the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin 0.801(KMO) measure of sampling adequacy and the Bartlett test of sphericity. From the results a total of ten KSFs for marketing of tourism establishments in Lesotho were identified. These include the following: conduct thorough marketing planning, enhance the attractiveness of the tourism establishment, effectively advertise the establishment, ensure the accessibility of the tourism establishment, and perform strategic marketing management to improve tourist satisfaction, conduct marketing research, manage service quality, effectively communicate with staff and tourists, promote the tourism establishment through different marketing mediums and achieve tourist loyalty. All ten factors accounted for 71% of the total variance. It was recommended that the tourism establishments in Lesotho implement these KSFs in order to successfully address the needs and requirements of their target markets. In addition results revealed the KSFs that are implemented by tourism establishments in Lesotho namely: conduct thorough marketing planning, enhance customer relationship through effective communication, advertise the establishment, manage customer satisfaction, manage customer loyalty and monitor business environments. All six factors accounted for 53% of variance. It was also recommended that this research be repeated annually, as the findings would assist tourism managers or marketers of tourism establishments in Lesotho with the KSFs for marketing to better market their tourism products both nationally and globally. This study is of value not only for clear understanding of the KSFs for marketing of tourism establishments but also for improving the profitability and overall success of tourism establishments.
Determining the market profile of black visitors to a resort in the Vaal region.
(2012-11) Mojakisane, M. M.; Labuschagne, V.; Slabbert, E., Prof.
Tourism is considered one of the most important industries in the global economy and is still growing, especially in South Africa. Effective marketing is only possible if knowledge is available on tourists’ decisions, wants, needs and so forth. This will allow for effective market segmentation and improve the understanding of the market and what the market requires. This will also lead to more effective marketing campaigns, marketing spend and use of scarce resources. This can be achieved by studying the unique characteristics of the various markets in South Africa. Market segmentation refers to a technique used by tourism organisations to divide a market into smaller, more clearly defined, groups that share similar needs, wants and characteristics. This will allow for tailor-made products and services. Although the tourism industry in South Africa is well developed for the Caucasian market it is not as familiar with the black market and its needs. Therefore products cannot be developed according to the life styles of black South Africans. This requires more research to be conducted. The main purpose of the study was thus to segment the black market visiting Abrahamsrust Resort in the Vaal Region. This has enabled the researcher to identify important factors with regard to market segmentation to be implemented for black tourists in the Vaal Region and enable marketers to target the selected market segments in the region. A total number of 400 questionnaires were distributed among visitors of which 319 were completed and used. All questionnaires were distributed at Abrahamsrust Resort. Data were used and captured in the form of graphs and tables so as to design the profile. The main variables of this study were gender, occupation, language, province of origin, number of visits, number of children, number of days spent as well as average spend. The results found can contribute in the sense of helping marketers to target the selected target market. Suggestions from attendees were that management should improve facilities and services at the events. In order to cluster the segments, hierarchical clustering was done which revealed three significant clusters based on travel motivations, namely Social Relaxers, Quality Seekers and Loyal Relaxers. Cluster one is motivated by social and relaxing needs, cluster two focuses on quality and value for money aspects and cluster three seems to be the loyal visitors to the resort travelling for relaxation purposes. In terms of describing the three clusters it was found that the demographic segmentation variables did not differ significantly between the clusters, with only a small difference in terms of gender. In terms of describing the behavioural segmentation variables it was also found that the clusters did not differ significantly but differences were found on number of days at the resort and recreation activities preferred for the children. Besides the differences in travel motivations it was thus found that the current market is very much homogenous. This holds certain implications for the marketing strategy of the resort.
Determining tourism climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies at a selected private game reserve in South Africa
(Vaal University of Technology, 2022-01-14) Sibitane, Zinzi Eugene; Lekaota, L., Prof.; Dube, K., Prof.
Background Climate change is a significant threat that affects the natural environment and the industries dependent on it for their livelihoods, such as coastal and nature-based tourism. Regardless of this knowledge, vast knowledge gaps still exist regarding how climate variability and change affect nature tourism operations and response strategies. Aim This study aims to determine tourism climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies at one of the leading private game reserves in South Africa, Phinda Private Game Reserve. Methodology The study adopted the pragmatism philosophy, which informed the use of the mixed methods research design. Data collection was conducted at Phinda Private Game Reserve in May 2021. The data was collected through field observations, in-depth interviews with Phinda Private Game Reserve staff, archival and secondary data analysis. Primary data were analysed using qualitative data techniques, which followed an interactive content and thematic analysis process. Secondary data was analysed using content analysis, whereas trend analysis was applied to archival data (climate data). Using Mann Kendall Trend Analysis, trend analysis was analysed to track climatic trends such as climate variability and change and test their significance. Results and discussion The study identified several vital climatic challenges attributed to climate variability and change, increasing temperature, and extreme rainfall, resulting in localised flooding and droughts. These climatic threats have resulted in challenges for tourism operations ranging from disturbed sleep for tourism employees, dying off birds due to extreme heat, destruction of infrastructure, loss of biodiversity, water shortages and other such challenges over the last couple of years. The lodge has responded by adopting climate change mitigation adaption strategies to address carbon risk and extreme weather events. Measures adopted by the reserve include adopting measures aimed at reducing the company’s carbon footprint and protecting tourism infrastructure from the damaging impacts of extreme weather events. Recommendations The study recommends adopting additional measures to deal with its carbon footprint, such as investing in renewable energy as part of its mitigation strategy and continuing its research in biodiversity conservation, which can offer a solution to species protection in the context of climate change. The study also recommends continued research and monitoring of climate change impacts and tourism response, given the continued shift in the climate in the region.
Development and evaluation of a nutrition education programme for primary school children in the Vaal Triangle
(2013-07-23) Makanjana, Onwaba; Napier, C.; Oldewage-Theron, W. H.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a nutrition education programme for Setlabotjha Primary School children in order to improve current knowledge. The study included all grade seven learners from two primary schools in one of the poorest areas in the Vaal Triangle. Children form Setlabojha Primary School formed the experimental group, while children from Ekujuleni Primary School formed the control group. Methods: The initial steps involved a baseline survey (Napier 2001 :78), which indicated that malnutrition exists at Setlaboljha Primary School. The baseline survey indicated stunting, wasting, underweight and poor food consumption patterns among the children. A literature survey was conducted, as a result of the findings of malnutrition, poverty and household food insecurity in Eatonside. Pre-tests were undertaken to determine current nutritional knowledge (for both groups) using a nutritional knowledge questionnaire developed by the Medical Research Council. The pre-tests results revealed poor nutritional knowledge and these results were used to develop the nutrition education tool (nutrition education playing cards) based on the South African Food Based Dietary Guidelines. The intervention, which involved the issuing, reading. playing and exchanging of the nutrition education playing cards had taken place over eleven weeks for the experimental group. The control group had received pamphlets and nutrition education lessons. After the intervention had taken place, post-tests were undertaken to compare the difference between the two groups and to determine the effectiveness of the nutrition education programme. Results: In general, the subjects of both groups had a good knowledge regarding sugar, water and salt consumption, as well as 'the key to a healthy way of eating'. Thus the inclusion of fruit and vegetables and variety were in the diet. Poor knowledge was evident in both groups pertaining to pregnancy, the importance of starch in the diet, alcohol consnmption, physical activity, vitamin A-rich foods and the inclusion of pilchards as a calcium-rich source.