Sanette Ferreira

Problems associated with tourism development in Southern Africa: The case of Transfrontier Conservation Areas

Tourism in Southern Africa is synonymous with the wildlife safari. In the post-colonial era the establishment of so-called ‘peaceparks’ that straddle the borders of states has come to be seen as a key not only to increasing tourism in the Southern African region, but also to the modernizing of conservation policies and the development of rural economies. This paper focuses on the global and continental presence of transfrontier conservation areas, the link between conservation and tourism development, and the current factors that constrain and influence the realization of an ‘African Dream’ — ‘establishment of the greatest animal kingdom’. The unstable political situation in Zimbabwe and how this negatively affects wildlife conservation and tourism in the Gonarezhou part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, serves as a case study.

CRIME AND TOURISM IN SOUTH AFRICA: INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS PERCEPTION AND RISK

ABSTRACT Tourism can be a key factor in overcoming the many socio-economic challenges facing South Africa if the reality and perception of tourist safety is addressed urgently and adequately. The research for this paper focuses on tourism in South Africa and analyses the poor perception of personal safety of international tourists (1997–1998), the important role that tourism play in the economy and development, the influence of crime on the tourist destination image and the tourist flows as well as the general crime pattern for 1997 as perceived risk indicator for tourists visiting South Africa.

Crime: A threat to tourism in South Africa

Abstract Tourism can play a significant role in overcoming the many socio‐economic challenges South Africa faces, but only if the reality and perception of tourism safety are addressed urgently and adequately as a strategic priority. Here, I analyse the spatial pattern of crime against tourists in South Africa from 1993 to 1996. ‘No‐go’ areas for tourists are identified and tourist perceptions of personal safety are examined on a region by region basis. The analysis shows that, except for the Gauteng region (the inland economic core region), most other cases of reported crime against tourists are in the coastal areas of the country. Gauteng and KwaZulu‐Natal are perceived by foreign tourists to be the most ‘unsafe’ areas in South Africa. Tourists from Australia, the Pacific, Asia and Scandinavia expressed the greatest concern for their safety in South Africa. In spite of the current positive tourism marketing climate of ‘post‐apartheid’ South Africa, there is increasing concern that if the personal safety...

Post-2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup: oversupply and location of luxury hotel rooms in Cape Town.

An excess of hotel rooms in cities preparing to host a mega-event such as the FIFA Soccer World Cup is not a new occurrence. Between 2007 and 2010 the number of five-star hotel rooms in Cape Town increased by 50% and four-star hotel rooms by 20%. A spatial database of three-, four- and five-star hotels was compiled for the hotel sector of Cape Town. This paper reveals the global–local nexus of luxury hotel development in Cape Town (South Africa) and three different contexts in which the oversupply of hotel rooms must be understood. First is South Africa as a developing country engaged in hosting a hallmark event and engrossed in concomitant inflated tourism-related expectations. Second is the vulnerability of Cape Towns hotel sector with its overdependence on long-haul holiday tourists from a narrow northern-hemisphere market experiencing the worst economic recession since the 1930s. Third is the favourable economic trends in South Africa from 1999 to 2007 that have trapped hotel developers in a ‘fallacy of composition’.

COMMUNITIES AND TRANSFRONTIER PARKS IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY: THE CASE OF LIMPOPO NATIONAL PARK, MOZAMBIQUE

ABSTRACT The merger of three national parks—South Africas Kruger, Mozambiques Limpopo and Zimbabwes Gonarezhou—into an 89 000 km2 conservation area—the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP)—is supposed to boost tourism, protect biodiversity and promote harmony between neighbouring states in southern Africa (De Villiers, 1999; Hanks, 2000; Rupert, 2001). Not one of the anticipated outcomes will be realized if the position or role of local communities (social dynamics) within this mega-conservation area plays a subordinate role. In most African countries the high failure rate of official conservation programmes and policies in both the colonial and post-colonial periods can be ascribed to a tendency to view environmental problems mainly in ecological, physical and technical terms (Agrawal and Gibson, 1999). The predominantly ecological perspective ignores the necessity of a fair and equitable balance between use and preservation in a world that perpetuates the value of human beings at the expense of other life forms (Fennel, 2003). The social aspects of the environment have been neglected both in analysis and policies (Ghai, 1992). For the sake of ecological integrity, the architects of the GLTP sought to open national frontiers for hoofed crossings (Wolmer, 2001). This paper focuses on the global and continental contexts for transfrontier conservation areas, and demonstrates the link between conservation and tourism in the current environmental geopolitical discourse. It also comments of the resettlement of approximately 6000 people from the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique as a factor that can constrain the successful establishment of the GLTP.

Measuring the growth potential of towns in the Western Cape, South Africa

Urban settlements in the Western Cape sustain regional development and are vital to the national spatial economy, but because not all contribute or participate equally they do not grow at the same rate – some flourish while others decline. The Provincial Administration of the Western Cape therefore commissioned a study to evaluate and monitor their functions and performance. This paper assesses the studys methodology and procedures. It describes the variables used and explains how the raw data were transformed into comparative indices and combined into a single composite development potential index. It evaluates the sub-indices and the composite index by mapping the results and uses multivariate statistical techniques to explore the logic and validity of the results. It confirms that the indices created for measuring urban growth potential were well chosen and constructed, laying a sound theoretical and methodological base for future decisions about public investment in rural towns. 1Respectively, Professor (retired); Senior Lecturer; and Research Fellow and Professor (retired), Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Kruger National Park: tourism development and issues around the management of large numbers of tourists

Tourism can provide financial incentives for conservation but a successful tourism strategy must ensure opportunities for high-quality visitor experiences. The Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africas flagship park, receives 1.4 million visitors annually. The park offers a wildlife experience that ranks among the best in the world. Most visitors want to view wildlife (especially the Big Five) and do this in self-drive safari style. Political pressure on KNP to provide benefits and opportunities for neighbouring communities, to be more accessible to the local population and to attract larger numbers of visitors can threaten the parks tourist capacity and sustainability. The existing tourism management philosophy, tourism developments and the mechanisms to manage the tourist carrying capacity in KNP are discussed. Day-visitor numbers have increased and congestion of tourist traffic over weekends and certain public holidays has intensified in the southern part of KNP with concomitant impacts on the wildlife-viewing experience. The mechanisms used by KNP management to prevent overcrowding have not been successful in the southern part and the social carrying capacity in this area has already been reached. Future tourist developments and management strategies should take cognisance of this and development in the Marula-South area must be contained.

Moulding urban children towards environmental stewardship: the Table Mountain National Park experience

The environmental integrity of many urban protected areas in developing countries is at risk and the important mission to reach out to people living close to them provides a special opportunity to spread the conservation message. Guided visitation to urban national parks with the necessary and appropriate interpretation can contribute towards environmental education in general and can also be the point of departure in nurturing environmental stewardship. The research reported here focuses on the evaluation of a three-day nature-learning experience by schoolchildren to Table Mountain National Park. Data were collected through pre- and post-visit questionnaires and supplemented by informal discussions with learners and teachers. It was found that the environmental interpretive programme had a minimal impact on the learners’ environmental knowledge, it had a reasonable impact on the pro-environmental attitudes but the findings also indicated that the behavioural impacts were limited. Other important findings were related to behaviours of learners towards environmental issues in general and critical areas in simple pro-environmental behaviour that could be emphasised in future edutainment experiences to contribute more substantially towards moulding stewardship behaviour among young school children.

Balancing people and park: towards a symbiotic relationship between Cape Town and Table Mountain National Park

Tourism is not only an economic but also a social and political agent that affects a wider natural and socio-cultural environment. To be successful as a tool of poverty reduction, tourism must be seen as one dimension of a destinations economy and society. In the context of a world-class urban national park yielding major economic benefits for the Cape Town and Western Cape tourism economies, this paper focuses on a variety of symbiotic relationships existing between the people of Cape Town and the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). First, the current literature is reviewed to provide a conceptual base for protected areas (PAs) within urban environments and to appraise the importance of the local communitys appreciation of this natural resource base. Secondly, the wide user base of the TMNP is placed within its socio-economic context. Thirdly, two poverty-relief projects, Ukuvuku and Mountain of Jobs, are introduced to reflect on TMNPs commitments to biodiversity conservation and social responsibility. Fourthly, the value Capetonians place on being the custodians of this world-class natural heritage site is discussed. Lastly, this paper appeals to other cities in the developing world to manage and nurture salubrious relationships between PAs and their neighbours carefully.

The social carrying capacity of Kruger National Park, South Africa: Policy and practice

Abstract We review the present management policy regarding the tourist carrying capacity of Kruger National Park in the Republic of South Africa. Furthermore, we present a spatial analysis of the pattern of tourist activities in the park, identifying early warning signals of tourist congestion. Lastly, we attempt to establish a sustainable scale for tourism development in the park by using the concept of carrying capacity as a planning tool.