Tracey McKay

An analysis of the South African adventure tourism industry

Abstract South Africa has many of the physical resources that support an adventure tourism industry. Thus, since the 1990s, adventure tourism has grown enormously and is now a significant industry in its own right. Geographically it is spread across the entire country. The industry, however, suffers from policy neglect – both from South African tourism authorities and the national government. So, if South Africa is to continue to foster economic growth through tourism, policy-makers need to maximize the potential of adventure tourism. This study shows there is a great diversity in the types of adventure tourism products on offer, with three well developed sub-sectors: namely hard, soft and nature-based adventure. A tourism policy directed at supporting these market segments can assist in promoting their growth, as the South African adventure tourism market is far from saturated.

Spatial politics and infrastructure development: Analysis of historical transportation data in Gauteng - South Africa (1975–2003)

Abstract If South Africa’s Gauteng Province is to become a more ‘sustainable’, urbanised region, attention needs to be paid to building a transportation network that aligns with sustainable development principles. Currently, public transport passenger levels are low, whilst the geographical area it serves is large and becoming larger. This study analysed the long term, historical transportation trends of Gauteng by comparing four transport studies undertaken between 1975 and 2003. It reveals that an adherence to the ‘predict and provide’ transportation planning model has systematically enhanced road infrastructure over rail, and private over public transport. Effective, efficient and low cost public transport has been systematically under-provisioned; while a reliance on private vehicles is now entrenched and systemic. Racial segregation, spatial apartheid and weak urban land use planning, has resulted in an entrenched, low-density urban sprawl. Lastly, there is the need to collect comparable, longitudinal transportation data, if the successes and failures of policies are to be monitored.