Assessing the potential of community tourism in catalysing local economic development in the Umzumbe Local Municipality, under UGu District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal
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Date
2021
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
The study area for this research is Umzumbe Local Municipality, which is the second largest municipality under the UGu District Municipality. The research assessed the potential of community tourism (CT) in leading to/catalysing local economic development in Umzumbe Local Municipality, under UGu District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. The specific objectives of the research were to: (a) examine the community tourism resources in Umzumbe Local Municipality, (b) evaluate the potential of community tourism in creating job opportunities and small scale businesses among other indices of measuring LED in the Umzumbe Local Municipality, (c) analyse how community tourism could be effectively implemented in the Umzumbe Local Municipality and (d) propose a development management model of community tourism leading to LED in the Umzumbe Local Municipality. To achieve these objectives, the research employed a mixed methods research design so as to attain a deeper and comprehensive understanding of the potential of community tourism in leading to local economic development in the study area. The findings of the study demonstrated that there are community tourism resources in Umzumbe Local Municipality, but most people were not aware of these. In addition, the research established that there is a potential for community tourism to lead to local economic development in the study area if specific development strategies around the promotion of community tourism leading to local economic development were implemented. It is on this basis that this study proposed a community tourism development management model which can be utilised to plan for and develop community tourism leading to local economic development in Umzumbe Local Municipality. The model proposes the following to be the pillars of ensuring successful implementation of CT leading to LED: education, planning, political and technological support, capacity building, participation, partnership, human capital and economic growth, human resources and development (HRD), entrepreneurial leadership and teamwork, identification of passionate and goal oriented members, facilitators and funders (government, private sector and NGOs), infrastructure, conflict resolution, monitoring and evaluation.
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Department Anthropology and Development Studies fulfillment of the Requirements for a Doctor of Pholosophy in Development Studies in the department Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Keywords
Community tourism, Local economic development, Local Municipalities