Browsing by Author "Ntenga, Thulani Comfort"

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    Analysing tourism routes for local economic development in Zululand District KwaZulu-Natal
    (University of Zululand, 2020) Ntenga, Thulani Comfort
    In the history of tourism and economic development, tourism routes have been considered a key instrument in addressing problems of social and economic growth. Although a considerable amount of research has been carried out on tourism and its socio-economic impacts, to date, there is little agreement on the extent tourism routes impact on social and economic development in rural settings. Drawing on the case study of Zululand District, this study examines the impact of tourism routes in enhancing local economic development in the rural areas. It also assesses the level of awareness of local communities on the benefits of tourism routes. A qualitative approach was used in this study. Data for this study were collected using a combination of semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis as a data collection tool. Semi-structured interviews were conducted after a non-probabilistic sampling technique was applied to select individuals (n = 20) who are directly involved in the tourism development within the study area as well as in the relevant departments. In keeping with results from previous studies, findings from this study revealed that tourism plays a critical role in the economic and human development of persons who fall within the vicinity of any given tourism route.