Kwazulu-Natal generation z attitude towards domestic tourism
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Date
2020
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
Any successful tourism industry manager requires the ability to recognize change and also effectively respond to this change. Generational change is one of such occurrences, offering both opportunities and challenges for tourism destinations. Findings show that every individual is born into a generational cohort of peers who have similar life experiences that go on to shape distinct generational characteristics. Typically, generations are surrounded by significant events in the country or region being considered, which leads to slightly different dates in different areas. Currently, the workforce is occupied by four distinct generations: Baby-boomers, Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z. There is a dearth of literature on Generation Z attitude towards domestic tourism in South Africa. This study therefore focuses on South African Generation Z attitude towards domestic tourism. The aim is to explore KwaZulu-Natal Generation Z attitude towards domestic tourism. The study area was chosen as it is a very popular tourism destination in Africa, with much emphasis on offerings such as natural and cultural heritage, sea-sand-sun, and events. This research adopted the generational theory conceptualized by Karl Mannheim as appropriate to operationalise study variables. Quantitative research method (using structured questionnaire survey) was adopted in this study as the nature of the research requires descriptive attributes and numbers from statistical analyses, and to arrive at conclusion. The study was conducted in 4 major towns in KwaZulu-Natal province, namely: Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, and St. Lucia. Study findings show that (a) KwaZulu-Natal Generation Z members are knowledgeable regarding South Africa’s domestic tourism industry; (b) Generation Z members portray positive attitude towards domestic tourism in South Africa; (c) financial impediments remain a general barrier for Generation Z regarding domestic tourism participation; (d) the older the respondent, the more likely they are to decide and influence domestic tourism activities among their peers than younger respondents, however, parents are the main decision makers in the family; and (e) respondents rely on social media and other forms of technology to source information pertaining to domestic tourism activity choices. Some recommendations of this study include (a) creation of intensive and incessant awareness of KwaZulu-Natal domestic tourism sites through numerous platforms such as social media, movies, music videos, and also from personal referrals
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for enabling a wider reach to the Generation Z members; (b) KwaZulu-Natal tourism marketing strategy should concentrate on making the domestic tourism sites appealing to this market segment (Generation Z members) by highlighting provincial and local tourist attraction in the community and also, elaborating on the social and psychological benefits of involvement in domestic tourism, and (c) Competitive pricing of domestic tourism activities (through reduced operational costs and bundle pricing) should be encouraged especially during peak seasons, as majority of Generation Z domestic tourists have difficulties to afford travel costs.
Description
A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Recreation and Tourism in the Faculty of Arts, University of Zululand, 2020.
Keywords
Generation Z, domestic tourism, recreational activities