Cultural and heritage tourism development and promotion in the Ndwedwe municipal area: perceived policy and practice
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Date
2009
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Abstract
Any development or promotion of a product, be it in cultural tourism development or heritage, needs to be well planned and executed on the basis of existing policies, so as to effectively benefit the broader local community. Many municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal, such as the Ndwedwe Local Municipality, are dependent on an effective implementation of local policies and cultural tourism national mandate to promote tourism development within their areas with a bias to enhance Black economic empowerment. The application of such principles is particularly needed in the Ndwedwe Local Municipality, mainly for addressing of basic needs, equity and redistribution of cultural tourism wealth for the benefit of the previously disadvantaged communities.
The fundamental aim of this research study is to establish how stakeholders perceive the existence and effectiveness of tourism policies and practices in the development and promotion of cultural tourism in the Ndwedwe Local Municipality. In other words the study seeks to establish the role played by policy and practice in the involvement, participation, and beneficiation of the Ndwedwe local communities. Among other things, the study is also carried out with a purpose of motivating the local community at Ndwedwe, to promote cultural tourism as well as to strive for the conservation of culture and heritage. It is clear that one of South Africa’ most abundant resources are the people and their diverse cultures.
It is only recently that local community’s culture has begun to be appreciated and acknowledged for their true tourism potential. So cultural and heritage tourism is gradually gaining widespread acceptance as a true tourist attraction and also emerging as one of the most promising areas of economic development in South Africa.
In order to put this investigation in its proper perspective, the following objectives were formulated:
(a) To determine the level of understanding that the Ndwedwe stakeholders have towards the meaning of cultural tourism.
(b) To examine the importance and value of developing and conserving culture for future generations in the study area.
(c) To investigate the provision and maintenance of cultural and heritage tourism facilities in the study area.
(d) To establish the levels of stakeholders participation in cultural and heritage tourism activities in the Ndwedwe Municipal Area.
(e) To indicate how stakeholders perceive the existence and effectiveness of tourism policies and practices in the study area.
(f) To assess the extent to which cultural and heritage tourism benefits are perceived by Ndwedwe stakeholders within the study area.
The methodology for collecting data comprised a stratified sample size of 133 respondents, who were distributed in the Ndwedwe Local Municipality as follows: sample consisting of Tourism & Municipal Officials [12], Tourists [21], Tour Operators [16] and Local Community [84]. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences [SPSS] computer programme and represented using frequency tables and various graphics.
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in
partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters of
Recreation and Tourism in the Department of
Recreation and Tourism at the
the University of Zululand, 2009.
Keywords
Cultural and heritage tourism, Tourism development