Dr Lisebo Tseane-Gumbi completed her PhD in Geography at the University of South Africa (UNISA), her thesis focused on social responsibility of the tourism businesses in South Africa. She completed her M-Tech in Tourism Management at Cape Penninsula University of Technology (CPUT). She also obtained both her Tourism Management B-Tech and Diploma in Tourism Management at CPUT. In 2004 until 2010, she was employed by CPUT as a lecturer, specializing in tourism development, marketing and management. After CPUT , she worked as a senior lecturer at Walter Sisulu University (WSU). Currently, she is a deputy director, senior lecturer, supervisor and mentor at the North West University (Mahikeng Campus), school of Tourism Management. She published several accredited academic articles and her research interests are social responsibility (Tourism stakeholders), tourist marketing, tourism development, events tourism, and sports tourism and service quality. She is also a co-author of a tourism development text book and environmental conflict and peace building in Africa. She was once a project leader of students’ educational tours and students’ business plan exhibitions. Moreover, she once joined the City Of Cape Town, as an assistant professional officer (APO), within the Tourism Product Development Unit. Her main deliverables at the city were the establishments and support of tourism products within the City. She also participates in external research projects commissioned by various tourism government agencies. Dr Lisebo Tseane Gumbi is further actively involved in several tourism industry committees; she represents the school at the National Tourism Career Expo Steering Committee and North West Women in Tourism
The debate on which functional area of tourism businesses should house business social responsibi... more The debate on which functional area of tourism businesses should house business social responsibility (BSR) activities is ever increasing in a South African and global context. Tourism businesses are confused as to where and who should be responsible for BSR initiatives resulting in the BSR function being often allocated to unsuitable units to deal with. In an investigation to unpack this, tourism businesses were surveyed within the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Clustering and a stratification method were used. Managers and employees were purposely identified, resulting to 452 questionnaires being completed. Data was analyzed through the Software Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The Stakeholder and Critical Realism theories were also applied. The results indicate a preference placed on front desk departments to deal with BSR. Consequently this has to an extent increased transparency, led to a donor approach and a lack of fairness, raising important questions on empowerment and sustainability. Managers need to have clear objectives for their BSR initiatives and identify functional areas that match the identified objectives. The King Reports both III and IV, should ideally form the basis of BSR initiatives in South Africa.
This research aimed to identify urban tourism development challenges in Mahikeng. Using a quantit... more This research aimed to identify urban tourism development challenges in Mahikeng. Using a quantitative research method, a self-administered questionnaire was developed and distributed online. A database consisting of active tourism product suppliers in Mahikeng, obtained from the Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT) was used. Fifty-two completed questionnaires were returned out of 60. To reach the aim of this study, descriptive statistics and an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were done, which yielded four factors: provincial-level management challenges, national-level management challenges, municipallevel management challenges, and private sector management challenges. There is a lack of coordination and planning among different departments of government, while the private sector is heavily relying on government support. Through these results, tourism product suppliers in Mahikeng can strive towards self-motivation and form tourism associations. Government can revisit their tourism strategic management objectives to overcome the identified challenges and, in turn, ensure sustainable urban tourism development in Mahikeng.
Regardless of government action, resource ownership and control in the tourism industry are a con... more Regardless of government action, resource ownership and control in the tourism industry are a contentious terrain in community participation in South Africa post-1994. The case study of Molemane Eye Nature Reserve was utilized to determine the impact of resource ownership and power on community engagement. For the communities, a quantitative research method was used, with convenience sample used to deliver 354 structured questionnaires. Indepth interviews with all eight reserve employees were done for the reserve. For quantitative data, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25 was used, whereas for qualitative data, thematic analyses were used. Challenges include a lack of resources, a lack of awareness of existing resources, and the reserve's failure to incorporate these resources into its business plan. Partnership and collaboration, as well as acknowledgement of existing community resources and a shared understanding of resource ownership and control by both sides, can help to reduce the top-down approach while still encouraging sustainability and active engagement.
Globalization propagates the dominance of internationalization and the shortage of resources to s... more Globalization propagates the dominance of internationalization and the shortage of resources to strengthen competitive edges is apparent. The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) in developing countries is still a wish rather than a reality, putting more strains on destinations located in developing countries and hampers destination marketing strategies. This paper examines the rationale for destinations' confusion over their positioning status, using the North West Province as a reference point. The paper adopts a qualitative design which was sourced through reviews of destination marketing strategies, white paper tourism policy and provinces' tourism websites. The reviews were further analyzed using content analysis. The results indicate that the province positions itself as a cultural and heritage destination and that cultural and heritage activities account for less than 5%. Also, the results indicate a mismatch of the province's strong attributes and marketing positioning strategy. The paper concludes that the province would become the hub of destination marketing and huge patronage if it focuses on its strengths and main competitive edge, namely the social activities, shopping, eating out, nightlife, and natural attractions such as the sun, dunes, and platinum mines.
Tourism has become a driver of economic transformation in many countries of the globe. The challe... more Tourism has become a driver of economic transformation in many countries of the globe. The challenges inherent include different forms of insecurity, poor resource management and undertourism. Undertourism is a serious concern in some parts of South Africa. Although the country's prime tourist attractions are situated in the rural areas, formally known as homelands. These homelands receive the lowest recognition and international tourist arrivals. Those that are Kwazulu Natal Province and City of Johannesburg in Gauteng Province and Hazyview (10%) in Mpumalanga Province respectively. The most visited attraction site is Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, with 1 162 000 tourists in 2017. The study found that there is unequal spatial distribution, development, management and marketing of tourism in the South African tourism industry even after post-apartheid government, with some places being regarded as best tourist destinations while others struggle to attract international tourists specifically. It recommends public-private partnership towards the development of former homelands as sustainable tourist sites in South Africa.
While Business Social Responsibility (BSR) has received much attention in the tourism industry, i... more While Business Social Responsibility (BSR) has received much attention in the tourism industry, its economic implications and sustainability are rarely
The culture of turning mining sites into tourism destinations of the future has remained a path t... more The culture of turning mining sites into tourism destinations of the future has remained a path to nation-building in many states. This study investigates the political economy of mining tourism in South Africa. It revealed that even when communities own mining rights, this does not guarantee any sustainability of their mining industry. Many mines in South Africa are closing down; resulting in job losses by many breadwinners. Retrenchment, rather than retirement is a common phrase in the South African mining industry. However, communities and the government are reluctant to explore new products such as mining tourism. The study focused on the mining tourism sector in the North West
In developing countries, tourism businesses develop and implement business social responsibility ... more In developing countries, tourism businesses develop and implement business social responsibility (BSR) programmes. However, their implementation is usually unsuccessful because BSR's success depends on employees' understanding and knowledge. A total of 307 tourism businesses were selected through a stratified sampling method. Purposive sampling assisted to identify employees, of which 452 were surveyed. Government tourism departments were identified as the key informants. Data was captured through the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) and analysed using a stakeholder framework. The majority of respondents agreed that BSR is all about moral issues and managers are ultimately responsible for its implementation. Tourism businesses' length of operation, size and the government's involvement were all found to affect BSR interpretation and implementation. Governments should support and encourage long-term business operation and expansion towards enhanced sustainability.
Marketing tactics to tackle the notion of low season are abundant yet seasonality remains a compl... more Marketing tactics to tackle the notion of low season are abundant yet seasonality remains a complex phenomenon in the tourism industry. This article explored the possibilities of using winter festivals to curb seasonality of tourism in South Africa, with a specific focus on the Eastern Cape Province. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used, while purposive sampling was applicable for the selection of surveyed areas. Respondents were selected through simple random sampling. A total of 180 questionnaires were successfully completed. The results showed that winter festivals can be useful as a tool in combating tourism seasonality, and indeed the number of tourist arrivals were noticed to be influenced by winter festivals. Winter festivals were also found to be addressing mainly community social issues such as entertainment and knowledge enrichment, hence the findings reflected a strong community support, while economic impacts were found to be of short-term. However, the study highlighted poor community involvement in the planning and management of winter festivals. Policy makers, destination marketers and event organisers need to promote winter festivals to reduce tourism seasonality, prioritise on new markets who are likely to spend more and ensure suitable venues for winter festivals are available.
This paper examines the challenges facing South African local municipalities in fully capitalizin... more This paper examines the challenges facing South African local municipalities in fully capitalizing on immovable municipal assets to develop, grow and promote tourism. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used. Secondary data was deployed, whereas primary data was collected through a questionnaire survey. Purposive and stratified sampling methods were applied. Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) departments' responsible for immovable municipal assets and tourism within the city of East London were targeted. Out of the 38 departments, the researchers' identified 6 departments that have a direct control over immovable municipal assets and tourism in East London city. A total of 31 employees were surveyed. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22 was used for the analysis of the results. The Department of Community Services manages most, (60%), of the city's immovable assets, yet these assets are less utilized for tourism development. Very few of the city municipal assets are considered for use in adventure, culture and sports activities. The key findings point to lack of safety and security, poor hygiene including lack of marketing and knowledge on tourism as the foremost problems thwarting the use of immovable municipal assets. Immovable municipal assets should be recognized and promoted in-line with tourism activities. Municipalities also need to increase tourism personnel and initiate roadshows and workshops to sensitize liable local government departments on prioritizing tourism. If managed properly, immovable municipal assets have the potential to increase both domestic and international visitation.
Festival tourism has shown growth over the years, especially in the context of developing countri... more Festival tourism has shown growth over the years, especially in the context of developing countries such as South Africa. Destinations around the world are utilising festivals as a draw card to boost local economies. The current paper aimed to investigate economic impacts of Buyel'Ekhaya Pan-African Cultural Music Festival (BPACMF) on East London residents in the province of Eastern Cape, South Africa. Despite the fact that East London city has successfully hosted this festival over the past nine years, its economic level of contribution on local residents is dubious. Qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used to assess the economic impacts of BPACMF on residents of East London city. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 200 residents living around the area where the event takes place. Purposive and stratified sampling methods were applicable to identify the selected areas. Random sampling was applied to choose respondents. The data was captured and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22. The results revealed that BPACMF contributes to East London city's economy, through short term job creation. However, residents feel that local businesses are the main beneficiaries rather than ordinary citizens. A low level of residents' involvement in the decision-making and as part of the organising team were notable. The researchers recommend that the event organisers should create a balance to ensure even distribution of BPACMF economic benefits to all stakeholders, especially residents. Government needs to create an awareness and educate residents to capitalise on festivals for economic gains in the communities in which they reside.
Sustainable development ensures that development projects and activities are community driven to ... more Sustainable development ensures that development projects and activities are community driven to extend the consumption of resources to future generations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent at which tourism businesses in the Western Cape embrace Business Social Responsibility (BSR) as a strategy to achieve sustainable tourism development in communities. Different types of tourism businesses, 307 in total, were surveyed using stratified sampling. Cluster sampling was also applied to identify geographical regions, while purposive sampling was used to select employees. Government tourism departments and community organisations were identified as the key informants. Research data was analysed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The research findings were analysed and interpreted using neo-liberalism and stakeholder frameworks. The findings show that tourism businesses tend to support those communities directly affected by their operations rather than the entire community, irrespective of whether there is greater need for business intervention in other communities. Moreover, tourism businesses are involved in areas and activities that also benefit them. It is recommended that in addition to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), expanded public work programme (EPWPs) and community development programmes (CDP)s be encouraged in tourism BSR initiatives as they focus more on community empowerment.
During the apartheid period in South Africa, international markets forced local tourism businesse... more During the apartheid period in South Africa, international markets forced local tourism businesses to indicate their social responsibility activities before allowing them to enter into international partnerships. Today, the existence and sustainability of collaboration between tourism businesses and their stakeholders remains questionable. Different types of tourism businesses, 307 in total, were surveyed using stratified sampling. Government tourism departments and community organisations were identified as the key informants. Research data was analysed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The research findings were analysed and interpreted using both theoretical realism, stakeholder and neoliberalism frameworks. Factor analysis was also used to analyse the findings. The results of the study indicate that donors and sponsors control the relationship that exist in the Western Cape tourism industry's stakeholders, with a low response rate on general partnership that businesses persuade with their stakeholders. The results also show that where relationship between stakeholders exists, tourism businesses become more responsible on their business activities and willing to practice fair business with stakeholders. However, stakeholders should understand the type of relationship that exists. Government is edged to regulate this relationship to achieve sustainable development.
This paper examines the challenges that face the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in... more This paper examines the challenges that face the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in promoting tourism between its member states. The paper argues that tourism should be used as a catalyst to increase the socioeconomic well-being and improve the standards of living within communities in member states. However, challenges, specifically in relation to policies, poor infrastructure, inadequate information and signage, language differences and lack of awareness and marketing hinder the growth of cross border tourism in the region, therefore defeating the goals of Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA). Cross border movement gained popularity through migration of labour to countries such as South Africa but not much research has been conducted. Little attention has been given to movement of youth tourism market in different SADC member states. This paper presents a qualitative and quantitative case study of youth tourism market in Mozambique. The findings present data generated from surveys conducted with 19 Tourism students from Eastern Cape Province, South Africa who detailed the experiences gained from a field study in Mozambique. The findings indicated that despite the adoption and implementation of strategies, policies and initiatives to enhance tourism development in the region, several challenges such as policies versus implementation or mismatch of the latter, continue to affect the youth tourism market.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent at which inequality of tourism ownership con... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent at which inequality of tourism ownership constrains the implementation of business social responsibility (BSR) in the Western Cape tourism industry. A total of 307 different tourism businesses were surveyed using stratified sampling, in which 452 employees were surveyed through purposive sampling. One manager or owner and two general employees were selected. Community organisations and government tourism departments were selected as the key informants. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data capturing, both qualitative and quantitative including factor analysis techniques were applied for data analysis. The research findings were further analysed and interpreted using neoliberalism framework. The Western Cape formal tourism business sector was found to be characterised by inequalities in tourism business ownership, with businesses being predominantly foreign-owned. Foreign-owned tourism businesses constituted a small percentage of the total number of tourism businesses surveyed, yet an elite group of large tourism businesses mostly controls this industry. A minority of these foreign-owned tourism businesses still enjoy the most prosperity within the Western Cape tourism industry, though their commitment on BSR is weak and unsustainable. While it is important to put measurements in BSR implementation as a whole, government should work harder to regulate foreign-owned tourism businesses' BSR activities. Besides this, an intensive training that ensures empowerment on locally-owned tourism businesses is very imperative to allow a fair competition.
Globalization propagates the dominance of internationalization and the shortage of resources to s... more Globalization propagates the dominance of internationalization and the shortage of resources to strengthen competitive edges is apparent. The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) in developing countries is still a wish rather than a reality, putting more strains on destinations located in developing countries and hampers destination marketing strategies. This paper examines the rationale for destinations' confusion over their positioning status, using the North West Province as a reference point. The paper adopts a qualitative design which was sourced through reviews of destination marketing strategies, white paper tourism policy and provinces' tourism websites. The reviews were further analyzed using content analysis. The results indicate that the province positions itself as a cultural and heritage destination and that cultural and heritage activities account for less than 5%. Also, the results indicate a mismatch of the province's strong attributes and marketing positioning strategy. The paper concludes that the province would become the hub of destination marketing and huge patronage if it focuses on its strengths and main competitive edge, namely the social activities, shopping, eating out, nightlife, and natural attractions such as the sun, dunes, and platinum mines.
The domestic tourism survey shows that the North West Province is ranked third for one-day specia... more The domestic tourism survey shows that the North West Province is ranked third for one-day special events, and fifth for more than one-day special events. Although the province supports village tourism through its villages, townships and small dorpies economic programme, village tourism is not well understood by many communities. Many studies have looked at the socioeconomic impacts of events within the scope of what could be classified as events by the Western, failing to acknowledge the socioeconomic impacts of events that are rooted from the African communities. As a result, numerous villages host events with social emphasis rather than economic advancements. Eighty-two community members attending the North West Provincial House of Traditional Leaders' launch at Tshidilamolomo Village were surveyed. Respondents were randomly selected and results were analysed through participatory theory and theory of margin. Communities prefer to share their cultural dances with tourists while strongly believing that village events tourism promotes cultural heritage preservation. Traditional marketing still dominates, while few communities are involved in economic activities. Government synergy and promotion of entrepreneurship during village events are essential. Domestic market analysis should be considered while organising villagebased events.
The debate on which functional area of tourism businesses should house business social responsibi... more The debate on which functional area of tourism businesses should house business social responsibility (BSR) activities is ever increasing in a South African and global context. Tourism businesses are confused as to where and who should be responsible for BSR initiatives resulting in the BSR function being often allocated to unsuitable units to deal with. In an investigation to unpack this, tourism businesses were surveyed within the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Clustering and a stratification method were used. Managers and employees were purposely identified, resulting to 452 questionnaires being completed. Data was analyzed through the Software Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The Stakeholder and Critical Realism theories were also applied. The results indicate a preference placed on front desk departments to deal with BSR. Consequently this has to an extent increased transparency, led to a donor approach and a lack of fairness, raising important questions on empowerment and sustainability. Managers need to have clear objectives for their BSR initiatives and identify functional areas that match the identified objectives. The King Reports both III and IV, should ideally form the basis of BSR initiatives in South Africa.
This research aimed to identify urban tourism development challenges in Mahikeng. Using a quantit... more This research aimed to identify urban tourism development challenges in Mahikeng. Using a quantitative research method, a self-administered questionnaire was developed and distributed online. A database consisting of active tourism product suppliers in Mahikeng, obtained from the Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT) was used. Fifty-two completed questionnaires were returned out of 60. To reach the aim of this study, descriptive statistics and an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were done, which yielded four factors: provincial-level management challenges, national-level management challenges, municipallevel management challenges, and private sector management challenges. There is a lack of coordination and planning among different departments of government, while the private sector is heavily relying on government support. Through these results, tourism product suppliers in Mahikeng can strive towards self-motivation and form tourism associations. Government can revisit their tourism strategic management objectives to overcome the identified challenges and, in turn, ensure sustainable urban tourism development in Mahikeng.
Regardless of government action, resource ownership and control in the tourism industry are a con... more Regardless of government action, resource ownership and control in the tourism industry are a contentious terrain in community participation in South Africa post-1994. The case study of Molemane Eye Nature Reserve was utilized to determine the impact of resource ownership and power on community engagement. For the communities, a quantitative research method was used, with convenience sample used to deliver 354 structured questionnaires. Indepth interviews with all eight reserve employees were done for the reserve. For quantitative data, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25 was used, whereas for qualitative data, thematic analyses were used. Challenges include a lack of resources, a lack of awareness of existing resources, and the reserve's failure to incorporate these resources into its business plan. Partnership and collaboration, as well as acknowledgement of existing community resources and a shared understanding of resource ownership and control by both sides, can help to reduce the top-down approach while still encouraging sustainability and active engagement.
Globalization propagates the dominance of internationalization and the shortage of resources to s... more Globalization propagates the dominance of internationalization and the shortage of resources to strengthen competitive edges is apparent. The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) in developing countries is still a wish rather than a reality, putting more strains on destinations located in developing countries and hampers destination marketing strategies. This paper examines the rationale for destinations' confusion over their positioning status, using the North West Province as a reference point. The paper adopts a qualitative design which was sourced through reviews of destination marketing strategies, white paper tourism policy and provinces' tourism websites. The reviews were further analyzed using content analysis. The results indicate that the province positions itself as a cultural and heritage destination and that cultural and heritage activities account for less than 5%. Also, the results indicate a mismatch of the province's strong attributes and marketing positioning strategy. The paper concludes that the province would become the hub of destination marketing and huge patronage if it focuses on its strengths and main competitive edge, namely the social activities, shopping, eating out, nightlife, and natural attractions such as the sun, dunes, and platinum mines.
Tourism has become a driver of economic transformation in many countries of the globe. The challe... more Tourism has become a driver of economic transformation in many countries of the globe. The challenges inherent include different forms of insecurity, poor resource management and undertourism. Undertourism is a serious concern in some parts of South Africa. Although the country's prime tourist attractions are situated in the rural areas, formally known as homelands. These homelands receive the lowest recognition and international tourist arrivals. Those that are Kwazulu Natal Province and City of Johannesburg in Gauteng Province and Hazyview (10%) in Mpumalanga Province respectively. The most visited attraction site is Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, with 1 162 000 tourists in 2017. The study found that there is unequal spatial distribution, development, management and marketing of tourism in the South African tourism industry even after post-apartheid government, with some places being regarded as best tourist destinations while others struggle to attract international tourists specifically. It recommends public-private partnership towards the development of former homelands as sustainable tourist sites in South Africa.
While Business Social Responsibility (BSR) has received much attention in the tourism industry, i... more While Business Social Responsibility (BSR) has received much attention in the tourism industry, its economic implications and sustainability are rarely
The culture of turning mining sites into tourism destinations of the future has remained a path t... more The culture of turning mining sites into tourism destinations of the future has remained a path to nation-building in many states. This study investigates the political economy of mining tourism in South Africa. It revealed that even when communities own mining rights, this does not guarantee any sustainability of their mining industry. Many mines in South Africa are closing down; resulting in job losses by many breadwinners. Retrenchment, rather than retirement is a common phrase in the South African mining industry. However, communities and the government are reluctant to explore new products such as mining tourism. The study focused on the mining tourism sector in the North West
In developing countries, tourism businesses develop and implement business social responsibility ... more In developing countries, tourism businesses develop and implement business social responsibility (BSR) programmes. However, their implementation is usually unsuccessful because BSR's success depends on employees' understanding and knowledge. A total of 307 tourism businesses were selected through a stratified sampling method. Purposive sampling assisted to identify employees, of which 452 were surveyed. Government tourism departments were identified as the key informants. Data was captured through the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) and analysed using a stakeholder framework. The majority of respondents agreed that BSR is all about moral issues and managers are ultimately responsible for its implementation. Tourism businesses' length of operation, size and the government's involvement were all found to affect BSR interpretation and implementation. Governments should support and encourage long-term business operation and expansion towards enhanced sustainability.
Marketing tactics to tackle the notion of low season are abundant yet seasonality remains a compl... more Marketing tactics to tackle the notion of low season are abundant yet seasonality remains a complex phenomenon in the tourism industry. This article explored the possibilities of using winter festivals to curb seasonality of tourism in South Africa, with a specific focus on the Eastern Cape Province. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used, while purposive sampling was applicable for the selection of surveyed areas. Respondents were selected through simple random sampling. A total of 180 questionnaires were successfully completed. The results showed that winter festivals can be useful as a tool in combating tourism seasonality, and indeed the number of tourist arrivals were noticed to be influenced by winter festivals. Winter festivals were also found to be addressing mainly community social issues such as entertainment and knowledge enrichment, hence the findings reflected a strong community support, while economic impacts were found to be of short-term. However, the study highlighted poor community involvement in the planning and management of winter festivals. Policy makers, destination marketers and event organisers need to promote winter festivals to reduce tourism seasonality, prioritise on new markets who are likely to spend more and ensure suitable venues for winter festivals are available.
This paper examines the challenges facing South African local municipalities in fully capitalizin... more This paper examines the challenges facing South African local municipalities in fully capitalizing on immovable municipal assets to develop, grow and promote tourism. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used. Secondary data was deployed, whereas primary data was collected through a questionnaire survey. Purposive and stratified sampling methods were applied. Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) departments' responsible for immovable municipal assets and tourism within the city of East London were targeted. Out of the 38 departments, the researchers' identified 6 departments that have a direct control over immovable municipal assets and tourism in East London city. A total of 31 employees were surveyed. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22 was used for the analysis of the results. The Department of Community Services manages most, (60%), of the city's immovable assets, yet these assets are less utilized for tourism development. Very few of the city municipal assets are considered for use in adventure, culture and sports activities. The key findings point to lack of safety and security, poor hygiene including lack of marketing and knowledge on tourism as the foremost problems thwarting the use of immovable municipal assets. Immovable municipal assets should be recognized and promoted in-line with tourism activities. Municipalities also need to increase tourism personnel and initiate roadshows and workshops to sensitize liable local government departments on prioritizing tourism. If managed properly, immovable municipal assets have the potential to increase both domestic and international visitation.
Festival tourism has shown growth over the years, especially in the context of developing countri... more Festival tourism has shown growth over the years, especially in the context of developing countries such as South Africa. Destinations around the world are utilising festivals as a draw card to boost local economies. The current paper aimed to investigate economic impacts of Buyel'Ekhaya Pan-African Cultural Music Festival (BPACMF) on East London residents in the province of Eastern Cape, South Africa. Despite the fact that East London city has successfully hosted this festival over the past nine years, its economic level of contribution on local residents is dubious. Qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used to assess the economic impacts of BPACMF on residents of East London city. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 200 residents living around the area where the event takes place. Purposive and stratified sampling methods were applicable to identify the selected areas. Random sampling was applied to choose respondents. The data was captured and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22. The results revealed that BPACMF contributes to East London city's economy, through short term job creation. However, residents feel that local businesses are the main beneficiaries rather than ordinary citizens. A low level of residents' involvement in the decision-making and as part of the organising team were notable. The researchers recommend that the event organisers should create a balance to ensure even distribution of BPACMF economic benefits to all stakeholders, especially residents. Government needs to create an awareness and educate residents to capitalise on festivals for economic gains in the communities in which they reside.
Sustainable development ensures that development projects and activities are community driven to ... more Sustainable development ensures that development projects and activities are community driven to extend the consumption of resources to future generations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent at which tourism businesses in the Western Cape embrace Business Social Responsibility (BSR) as a strategy to achieve sustainable tourism development in communities. Different types of tourism businesses, 307 in total, were surveyed using stratified sampling. Cluster sampling was also applied to identify geographical regions, while purposive sampling was used to select employees. Government tourism departments and community organisations were identified as the key informants. Research data was analysed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The research findings were analysed and interpreted using neo-liberalism and stakeholder frameworks. The findings show that tourism businesses tend to support those communities directly affected by their operations rather than the entire community, irrespective of whether there is greater need for business intervention in other communities. Moreover, tourism businesses are involved in areas and activities that also benefit them. It is recommended that in addition to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), expanded public work programme (EPWPs) and community development programmes (CDP)s be encouraged in tourism BSR initiatives as they focus more on community empowerment.
During the apartheid period in South Africa, international markets forced local tourism businesse... more During the apartheid period in South Africa, international markets forced local tourism businesses to indicate their social responsibility activities before allowing them to enter into international partnerships. Today, the existence and sustainability of collaboration between tourism businesses and their stakeholders remains questionable. Different types of tourism businesses, 307 in total, were surveyed using stratified sampling. Government tourism departments and community organisations were identified as the key informants. Research data was analysed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The research findings were analysed and interpreted using both theoretical realism, stakeholder and neoliberalism frameworks. Factor analysis was also used to analyse the findings. The results of the study indicate that donors and sponsors control the relationship that exist in the Western Cape tourism industry's stakeholders, with a low response rate on general partnership that businesses persuade with their stakeholders. The results also show that where relationship between stakeholders exists, tourism businesses become more responsible on their business activities and willing to practice fair business with stakeholders. However, stakeholders should understand the type of relationship that exists. Government is edged to regulate this relationship to achieve sustainable development.
This paper examines the challenges that face the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in... more This paper examines the challenges that face the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in promoting tourism between its member states. The paper argues that tourism should be used as a catalyst to increase the socioeconomic well-being and improve the standards of living within communities in member states. However, challenges, specifically in relation to policies, poor infrastructure, inadequate information and signage, language differences and lack of awareness and marketing hinder the growth of cross border tourism in the region, therefore defeating the goals of Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA). Cross border movement gained popularity through migration of labour to countries such as South Africa but not much research has been conducted. Little attention has been given to movement of youth tourism market in different SADC member states. This paper presents a qualitative and quantitative case study of youth tourism market in Mozambique. The findings present data generated from surveys conducted with 19 Tourism students from Eastern Cape Province, South Africa who detailed the experiences gained from a field study in Mozambique. The findings indicated that despite the adoption and implementation of strategies, policies and initiatives to enhance tourism development in the region, several challenges such as policies versus implementation or mismatch of the latter, continue to affect the youth tourism market.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent at which inequality of tourism ownership con... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent at which inequality of tourism ownership constrains the implementation of business social responsibility (BSR) in the Western Cape tourism industry. A total of 307 different tourism businesses were surveyed using stratified sampling, in which 452 employees were surveyed through purposive sampling. One manager or owner and two general employees were selected. Community organisations and government tourism departments were selected as the key informants. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data capturing, both qualitative and quantitative including factor analysis techniques were applied for data analysis. The research findings were further analysed and interpreted using neoliberalism framework. The Western Cape formal tourism business sector was found to be characterised by inequalities in tourism business ownership, with businesses being predominantly foreign-owned. Foreign-owned tourism businesses constituted a small percentage of the total number of tourism businesses surveyed, yet an elite group of large tourism businesses mostly controls this industry. A minority of these foreign-owned tourism businesses still enjoy the most prosperity within the Western Cape tourism industry, though their commitment on BSR is weak and unsustainable. While it is important to put measurements in BSR implementation as a whole, government should work harder to regulate foreign-owned tourism businesses' BSR activities. Besides this, an intensive training that ensures empowerment on locally-owned tourism businesses is very imperative to allow a fair competition.
Globalization propagates the dominance of internationalization and the shortage of resources to s... more Globalization propagates the dominance of internationalization and the shortage of resources to strengthen competitive edges is apparent. The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) in developing countries is still a wish rather than a reality, putting more strains on destinations located in developing countries and hampers destination marketing strategies. This paper examines the rationale for destinations' confusion over their positioning status, using the North West Province as a reference point. The paper adopts a qualitative design which was sourced through reviews of destination marketing strategies, white paper tourism policy and provinces' tourism websites. The reviews were further analyzed using content analysis. The results indicate that the province positions itself as a cultural and heritage destination and that cultural and heritage activities account for less than 5%. Also, the results indicate a mismatch of the province's strong attributes and marketing positioning strategy. The paper concludes that the province would become the hub of destination marketing and huge patronage if it focuses on its strengths and main competitive edge, namely the social activities, shopping, eating out, nightlife, and natural attractions such as the sun, dunes, and platinum mines.
The domestic tourism survey shows that the North West Province is ranked third for one-day specia... more The domestic tourism survey shows that the North West Province is ranked third for one-day special events, and fifth for more than one-day special events. Although the province supports village tourism through its villages, townships and small dorpies economic programme, village tourism is not well understood by many communities. Many studies have looked at the socioeconomic impacts of events within the scope of what could be classified as events by the Western, failing to acknowledge the socioeconomic impacts of events that are rooted from the African communities. As a result, numerous villages host events with social emphasis rather than economic advancements. Eighty-two community members attending the North West Provincial House of Traditional Leaders' launch at Tshidilamolomo Village were surveyed. Respondents were randomly selected and results were analysed through participatory theory and theory of margin. Communities prefer to share their cultural dances with tourists while strongly believing that village events tourism promotes cultural heritage preservation. Traditional marketing still dominates, while few communities are involved in economic activities. Government synergy and promotion of entrepreneurship during village events are essential. Domestic market analysis should be considered while organising villagebased events.
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Papers by Lisebo A Tseane-Gumbi