Tembi Maloney Tichaawa

Leveraging mega-events beyond the host nation: a case study of the 2010 FIFA World Cup African Legacy Programme in Cameroon and Nigeria.

This article focuses on mega-event leveraging, specifically on experiences in the developing context. While most large-scale sporting events such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cups have been traditionally hosted in the more affluent, developed and industrialised nations; the hosting of the first-ever FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010 provided new research opportunities to examine the effects of such events when they are hosted in developing contexts. The article departs from the premise that there is no known case study that has focused on the leveraging of mega-events beyond the host nation and this is an additional contribution to the growing literature on mega-event legacy impacts. The continental orientation (‘African World Cup’) accorded to the 2010 FIFA event by host nation South Africa, and the subsequent leveraging of the event across the African continent raises the importance of questioning the post-event legacies experienced beyond the host nation. A qualitative and quantitative methodology, within a case study design, was undertaken in two case study countries (Cameroon and Nigeria). Face-to-face interviews were conducted with relevant stakeholders and resource persons using a structured questionnaire. The results provide evidence that these countries attempted to maximise the leveraging opportunity presented by the mega-event. In addition, while the leveraging efforts yielded some positive benefits in terms of tourism and sport-related infrastructure, several challenges were experienced by countries in implementing legacy-related projects linked to the African Legacy Programme and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Guest Experiences of Service Quality in Bed and Breakfast Establishments in East London, South Africa

Abstract This study appraises guests’ experiences in Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs) establishments in the developing context, specifically in South Africa.The purpose was to establish the levels of service quality experienced by guests in B&Bs and the influence of demographic variables on such experiences.A descriptive quantitative research paradigm was adopted and face-to-face interviews were conducted with respondents using a structured questionnaire. Four hundred guests were targeted using a stratified purposive sampling technique. In order to meet the surveys’ goals, descriptive and bivariate statistical analyses were conducted. The empirical results show that on a 5 point Likert scale, the overall mean experience score was 3.76, indicating rather low experiences of guests regarding service quality in B&Bs. Furthermore, significant statistical similarities and differences were found between guest experiences and demographic variables. The study advocate for the need to develop a service excellence approach that would help improve customer satisfaction and secure performance improvement in B&Bs in the developing context.

“Development Without Policy”: Tourism Planning and Research Needs in Cameroon, Central Africa

ABSTRACT Tourism is increasingly seen as a pathway to development. However, a condition for the developmental role of tourism is that it is properly planned and managed. This is usually based on specific tourism policy frameworks and research providing guidance and targets for planning and development actions. This research note is contextualised within a tourism planning and development situation in which tourism policy guidelines are missing, and supporting tourism research is extremely limited, with the case focusing on the emerging economy and tourism destination of Cameroon, in Central Africa. The paper provides a thematic overview of tourism research in the country, outlining the key issues and challenges in the national tourism governance and policy landscape. It is concluded that, to capitalise on the benefits of the growing industry, there is an urgent need for national tourism policies, supported by more intensive research on tourism and its role in development.

The impact of sharing accommodation on the hotel occupancy rate in the kingdom of Swaziland

This paper examines the relationship and impact of sharing accommodation on the hotel occupancy rate (HOR) from a developing country perspective. Using panel data on the monthly HOR and the number of Airbnb room occupancy rate for the periods 2012–2016 and 2015–2016, respectively, the study applies a hierarchical regression model to respond to the research questions. The Pearson correlation test reveals a positive relationship between the HOR and Airbnb room occupancy rate, thus indicating that an increase in the hotel room occupancy rate moves in tandem with a rise in the Airbnb room occupancy rate. Further test revealed that increase in the Airbnb room occupancy rate coincided with an increase in the hotel room occupancy rate. In addition, the Airbnb platform was found to appeals to a different tourist market profile than does that of hotels, and that, therefore, the two products may be viewed as non-competitors. Furthermore, inconsistencies in regulatory provisions, in terms of which hotels are required to undergo various legal procedures as opposed to such platforms, are evident. The study recommends that the Swaziland Government should undertake stakeholder consultations aimed at developing regulations to manage and monitor sharing accommodation platform participants that will incorporate its innovative and diverse dimensions. The study is important as it provides insights into tourism destination managers on the impact of the sharing economy from a developing country perspective where empirically based research that could be useful in policy formulation is scant.