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    A framework to facilitate social entrepreneurship as a tool for sustainable tourism economies in Bergville, Okhahlamba Municipality
    (2024-03) Mabaso, Simiso Lindokuhle; Hlengwa, Dumsile Cynthia
    This study investigated the role of social entrepreneurship as a tool in fostering sustainable tourism economies in Bergville – Okhahlamba Municipality. Social entrepreneurship (SE) was founded in the 1970s as a social movement to tackle the matters of social unsustainability and injustice rather than profit maximization. SE is viewed as a reactionary innovative reform, and a revolutionary movement aimed at big structural transformations by substituting one or many large social organizations with people leveraging combined expertise and resources to oppose or overturn what they think is socially unviable, unjust and damaging. SE has been applied to tourism in a number of countries globally. While the primary purpose of tourism businesses is to maximize their financial gains, ever shifting global goals, customer demands and stakeholder pressures force tourism businesses commit to meeting social responsibilities as well. Tourism Social Entrepreneurship (TSE) has been hailed for contributing to the preservation of traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous communities; enhancement of environmental sustainability; job creation, poverty reduction, and the overall improvement of the quality of life of especially rural communities. In South Africa, tourism development does not seem to have worked in addressing poverty reduction, because poverty reduction has not been placed at the heart of the tourism agenda and propoor tourism. The study adopted a pragmatic paradigm mixing both quantitative and qualitative methods to data collection, analysis and interpretation. The sample was composed of 35 tourism operators found in the area of study, as well as a government representative responsible for tourism in the area. Data were collected using a questionnaire composed of both quantitative and qualitative questions, as well an interview conducted with the government representative. The study found that there was a modest adoption of TSE in the area, and a good understanding of the business model and its potential benefits. The study also discovered that there were numerous challenges that TSEs were facing that could be addressed through better coordination of the actor-networks, government support, and determination of operators to continuously improve themselves and the operations of their businesses.
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    The nature of dive tourism in KwaZulu-Natal and its impact on environmental sustainability
    (2022-10) Naidu, Trimeira; Sucheran, Reshma
    Any form of diving if not properly managed can cause considerable damage to the marine ecosystem. Dive tourism aims to encourage conservation, generate revenue, and support the development of local neighbourhoods. Understanding its connections with ecological factors are vital in the perspective of sustainability. Dive sites are threatened by the impacts of diving, and constant research is necessary to evaluate diving impacts, diver behaviour and environmental awareness of such sites. The aim of this study is to delve into the profile of dive tourists in KwaZulu-Natal, and to examine the impacts of dive tourism on the sustainability of the environment. The human perception in understanding what types of strategies need implementation in dive management to ensure future sustainability is extremely vital. This study will therefore be highly valuable towards the improvement and reinforcement of dive rules and regulations and will advance the need for environmental education and awareness towards achieving sustainability among current and future divers. A mixed method approach will be used in the study, and the use of interviews and questionnaires will allow for quantitative and qualitative data to be collected. The target population for the study includes divers, dive instructors and dive site owners. The study found that most respondents said they were mindful of the negative environmental impacts of specific diving methods. Divers were also aware of the most common dive practices that help sustain the marine environment whilst diving. Recommendations were made in terms of the sustainability of the industry based on the responses from the data collected.
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    A framework for the facilitation of community-based tourism in natural environments : a case of the Save Valley in Zimbabwe
    (2019) Maruta, Albert Tavavarigwa; Hlengwa, Dumsile Cynthia
    In Zimbabwe, because of the lack of a clear facilitation framework, very little effort has been made in recent years by tourism authorities in the country to make community-based tourism (CBT) part of the national tourism growth agenda. Yet globally, within the general tourism sector CBT is becoming increasingly relevant in LEDCs because it fosters poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation. Underpinned by the participation and power redistribution theory (Arnstein, 1969) this study aimed at developing a framework of collaboration and participation of all stakeholders for facilitating CBT in Save Valley as a strategy to reduce poverty in local communities while also promoting sustainable wildlife conservation. The study adopted mixed methods as a distinct research approach, which combines both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The research adopted a two-phase sequential exploratory research design, which involved the collection and analysis of qualitative data from in-depth interviews followed by the collection and analysis of quantitative data from questionnaire-based surveys. The research results showed greater preference for vegetable outgrowing by female household heads who, incidentally, were less educated and poorly resourced than male household heads who had a wider variety of preferences such as handicrafts and cultural performances, wildlife conservation, and accommodation SMMEs such homestays, lodges or bed and breakfast were the preferred CBT ventures. There was gender consensus in the composition of CBOs and duties. Critical challenges for prospective local CBT entrepreneurs according to education levels of participants included lack of economic variables such as market, capital or technology, and managerial and other requisite skills, human-animal conflict, and land invasions by peasants. The research results also demonstrated that through the poly-centric CBT facilitation framework, advanced as original contribution, CBOs in collaboration with powerful and highly resourced external facilitators would encourage the local community residents of Save Valley to gain legitimate bargaining power during decision making because the CBO would act as an organised power base in the community. The study recommends that outreach programmes that have long been contemplated as a way of transmitting tourism benefits from SVC to local community residents should be transformed into CBT projects to bring about community participation in tourism by adopting the polycentric CBT framework developed as original contribution of this study. This may be the only sure strategy for achieving the twin objectives of community participation and beneficiation while promoting wildlife conservation in Save Valley in Zimbabwe.
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    An evaluation of community tourism organisations' role in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME) tourism development in the eThekwini region
    (2021-10) Ntlangani, Bantubathi Sonnyboy; Govender, Ivan Gunass
    Countries around the world benefitted from the positive spin-offs of growth in tourism. Support for small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs), township tourisms’ operating in this sector could also be enhanced for local economic growth. Tourism SMME development could contribute to the fight against poverty, unemployment and inequality that are endemic in developing countries. The research addressed the three gaps that limits local economic development in local township communities. These includes: the unrealized potential knowledge of poverty alleviation through tourism SMME development by community tourism organizations in the local communities. Community - based tourism has globally been recognized as a strategy to alleviate poverty in local communities and add to countries’ Growth Domestic Products. The obstacles to tourism SMME growth is dearth of knowledge of tourism SMMEs, that includes addressing explicitly historically disadvantaged communities in South Africa. Growth of tourism SMMEs involves issues such as community empowerment, ownership, sustainability, social justice, independence within the tourism industry. South Africa followed an apartheid ideology that divided people through legislation according to race groupings of so - called Whites, Indians, Coloureds and Blacks, with the latter being denied the power to trade. Secondly, legislations enacted during this era prohibited black business from operating in the urban areas, which were exclusively set aside as the white trading corridor. This brought structural poverty to the semi - urban and rural communities, as they were in the periphery of mainstream tourism trade that was conducted in the cities with good infrastructure. Thirdly, tourism SMMEs are currently not performing to their maximum potential and need an enabling environment to grow. Lastly, governance and management issues that provides framework for resilient tourism destinations remain under - researched in the tourism literature. The research design implemented a quantitative methodology approach engaging purposive sampling technique for data collection of Community Tourism Organizations chairpersons and both executive and non-executive CTO members. The piloting of the research procedure was statistically tested to ensure validity and reliability beforehand the start of the study. The study was conducted through a cross-sectional design and a sample size of respondents for probability sampling and participants for non-probability sampling. The study was based on CTO chairpersons, executive and nonexecutive CTO members within eThekwini municipality. Method triangulation of data findings ensured a pragmatic and perceptive comprehension of the phenomena which was examined. The descriptive statistics’ revelation showed more than seventy percent of respondents agreed that tourism SMME capacity development would have a positive impact in alleviating the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality of opportunities they face in the periphery township areas of eThekwini municipality from the tourism, and added cruise ship tourism industry. This can be successful through equal CBT multistakeholder participation and government at local municipal level taking a leading empowering, enabling role. The study discussion focused on the multistakeholder tourism SMME capacity development conceptual engagement model, aligned to the participatory pro-poor dependency framework that presented a link between CTOs tourism development and local community poverty alleviation. The conceptual model was developed as a relevant vehicle to the research. This study aims to contribute to scholarship on CTOs development of tourism SMMEs in South Africa. The study hopes to find strategies to break obstacles to increase the growth of tourism Small Medium and Micro Enterprises.It also envisaged to find out how it can facilitate CTOs tourism SMME development to alleviate poverty, unemployment and inequality of opportunity in the tourism industry. After 1994, there were and still are attempts to redress the injustices of the past by including previously disadvantaged communities to be participants in the tourism industry sector. However, certain factors still impede the growth of tourism SMMEs in these communities. Some of these factors are start-up and operational costs, difficulties in accessing markets, lack of skills and managerial expertise, and a regulatory environment that often favours established businesses. Community Tourism Organizations (CTOs) The democratic South African government adopted legislations and policies to integrate previously disadvantaged population groups through developing tourism SMMEs and introduced community tourism organizations (CTOs). It was against this background that this study also evaluated the role of CTOs in developing tourism. A quantitative approach was employed, and the data was generated by means of selfadministered questionnaires and one session of pilot investigations with chairpersons and other CTO members. An SPSS version 22 analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings highlighted tourism SMMEs’ owned by the previously disadvantaged secutor lack the necessary skills to participate effectively in this sector. As a result, economic growth and poverty alleviation in local township communities is still an ongoing struggle. There was a case for encouraging the growth of more township tourism SMMEs with wide appeal to tourists of township products, that are unique to these communities. A more proactive, structured, interactive, community engagement approach was thus recommended for the economic empowerment of marginalized communities through ownership and control of tourism projects within tourism destinations. This strategy has a potential of generating much needed revenue to alleviate poverty and unemployment. The limiting factor is CTOs inadequate capacity to develop tourism SMMEs. The study advocated for multi - stakeholder engagement comprising of government, established private sector tourism businesses, educational institutions and community - based tourism organizations. These organizations could ideally be involved in planning, monitoring and evaluating tourism initiatives in communities on agreed - on time intervals. That way, any unforeseeable impediments would have identified, reviewed and redressed as they occur. This study proposes a model based on stakeholder participatory theory meant to assist tourism policy makers at local government level. This is a paradigm shift for poverty alleviation through tourism SMME development. This is particularly important at municipal level, which is a strategic point of service delivery to local communities. This is where a need is felt on integrating tourism in the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and local economic development (LED) planning to prioritize and increase tourism SMMEs to alleviate poverty and unemployment. This is a compelling case in the historically disadvantaged townships.
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    Perceptions and attitudes of the community towards impacts and sustainable development: The Case Study of eMpophomeni in Pietermaritzburg (South Africa)
    (Business Perspectives, 2015) Chili, Nsizwazikhona Simon
    The study examines perceptions and attitudes of the community towards the impact of tourism and its sustainability as it is perceived as an alternative developmental philosophy that can serve as a panacea to alleviate poverty from communities. Social exchange theory is used to achieve the aforementioned. Since the role of residents is crucial within the sustainability paradigm, it is therefore important that their perceptions and attitudes on tourism impact towards sustainable development are understood and assessed. The study investigates and examines a range of variables involved in determining township community attitudes and perceptions towards tourism impact on development and sustainability and as a result social exchange theory is used. Literature is comprehensively reviewed on resident attitudes and perceptions towards tourism impact and sustainable development and social exchange theory are used in determining the above regarding variables involved. The findings reveal that negative perceptions of residents on tourism impact in the township of eMpophomeni offset positive outcomes. The study also reveals that long-term planning as a component of sustainable tourism, full community participation and environmental sustainability within tourism are inextricably linked and related to support for tourism and to the positive impacts of tourism.