Black entrepreneurial development in the tourism industry: initiatives within the greater Durban metropolitan area [GDMA]
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Date
2008
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University of Zululand
Abstract
Any development, be it tourism development needs to be well planned and executed so as to effectively benefit the broader society in any entrepreneurial environment. Municipalities, such as strategic management model, the national mandate to promote tourism development within their areas with a bias to enhance entrepreneurship and Black economic empowerment. The application of such principles is particularly needed in the GDMA mainly for addressing of basic needs, equity and redistribution of tourism wealth for the benefit of the previously disadvantaged communities.
The main purpose of this study is therefore to advocate for the exploitation of tourism opportunities to the superlative degree by historically disadvantaged individuals. The focus of the study is on the identification of tourism business opportunities around the Durban Metropolitan Area. In addition, to develop strategic management approaches that could be used as a guideline to manage the tourism business and empowerment of the previously disadvantaged communities. Some of the objectives of the study are:
(a) To reveal the extent of Black people's awareness of tourism entrepreneurial opportunities associated with the study area.
(b) To establish the levels of stakeholder participation in the tourism entrepreneurial initiatives within the study area.
(c) To investigate whether the BEE policy contributes towards tourism entrepreneurship within the Durban Metropolitan Area.
(d) To identify appropriate competitive strategies that can be widely applied in enhancing tourism entrepreneurial opportunities for the benefit of stakeholders in the study area.
(e) To propose a strategic management model that can be used as a blue print by entrepreneurs in the tourism industry.
The methodology for collecting data comprised a stratified sample size of 178 respondents, which was distributed in the GDMA as follows: sample consisting of Black entrepreneurs [92], tourism officials [8], government officials [5], tourism business persons [27], local community and public [103].
The findings of the study indicated that, on the whole, a significant number of respondents were not sufficiently in support of many of the hypotheses. The findings of the study established that: (a) Black people are adequately aware of tourism entrepreneurial opportunities associated with the study area; (b) Black stakeholders do not participate significantly in the tourism entrepreneurial initiatives within the study area; (c) The present BEE policy as practiced makes an inadequate contribution towards tourism entrepreneurship within the Durban Metropolitan Area; (d) The existing competitive strategies are not adequately successful in enhancing tourism entrepreneurial opportunities for the benefit of stakeholders in the study area; (e) There is no readily existing strategic management model that can be used as a blue print by tourism entrepreneurs in the study area.
In conclusion the study found that there was an urgent need for designing a strategic entrepreneurial development or management model that could be used as a blue print for tourism delivery in the study area. The study actually put forward a strategic BEE entrepreneurial management model with the hope that it would contribute to the solution of tourism entrepreneurial shortcomings, towards achieving an equitable distribution of tourism benefits to all stakeholders in the Durban Metropolitan Area.
The prospects for future research in this area include: the sustainability of tourism entrepreneurial development initiatives, the community benefits from emerging BEE initiatives in the area, and the adjustment of tourism legislation so as to benefit the BEE infrastructural requirements within the study areas.
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master Degree in Recreation and Tourism in the Department of Recreation and Tourism at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2008.
Keywords
Tourism development -- KwaZulu-Natal