The provision of tourism and recreation facilities along the N2 national road in the Stanger-Mthunzini districts
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Date
2003
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Abstract
This study is conducted with a view that the provision of tourism and recreation attractions contributes greatly to the social, physical and economic development in the Stanger-Mthunzini Districts. The study is also carried out with a view that tourism has a great potential of boosting the economy of the study area and the entire country of South Africa. The study has therefore operated with the following objectives in mind:
• To determine the adequacy of tourist attractions and service
facilities in the study area.
• To investigate the extent to which members of the local community
are aware of the existence of the tourist attractions.
• To find out the nature of tourist participation patterns within the
study area.
• To establish the extent to which members of the local community
benefit from the availability of tourist attractions.
• To examine if there is any co-operation between the managers of
attractions, developers and the members of the local community.
• To establish the level of involvement of the local community in
tourism related decision-making
Pursuant to the listed objectives, this study identified related hypotheses towards finding answers to the research question. The method of collecting, analysing and interpreting data involved computer manipulation of data utilising the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
The findings of this study reveal that most of the stated objectives were met. The study revealed that most members of the local community do not associate the development initiatives with their immediate needs. They see the presence of the existing attractions as not benefiting them in any significant manner. It was also established that the members of the local community do not use local attractions extensively, due to the lack of exposure to them and the fact that most of the people in the study are not highly educated. Respondents revealed that most of them are employed to do manual work in the sugar-cane plantations. The conditions under which they work, leave them with neither adequate financial resources nor time to participate in recreation activities. In terms of behaviour and attitudes, the study indicated that the members of the local community have negative feelings towards the provision of tourist recreation. The reasons usually given were that they were not invited to participate in decision-making. Other respondents claimed that they were driven away from the land they originally occupied and owned, for purposes of constructing some of the tourist attractions.
Some recommendations have been made to improve the way in which the members of the local community perceive the attractions in their locality. These include doing public awareness of these attractions, involving the members of the local community in decision-making, providing them with employment. The government should play a role in developing and empowering the youth and women by equipping them with skills required in the tourism industry.
Description
A dissertation of limited scope submitted to the Faculty of Arts in
partial fulfilment of the requirements for the course-work degree
of Masters of Recreation and Tourism in the
Centre for Recreation and Tourism at
The University of Zululand, 2003.
Keywords
Tourism--Economic aspects--South Africa--KwaZulu-Natal., Recreation areas--South Africa--KwaZulu-Natal--Citizen participation.