Sustainable Tourism Development for Clarens in the Free State Province of South Africa.
Understanding what drives tourists is an important issue which can make or break a destination. Since tourists consume products and services and return visit/s and sustainability is desired by destinations, it is important to identify variables that influence the motivation, behaviour and satisfacti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AfricaJournals
2016-02-01
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| Series: | African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/2016_article_24_vol_5_2_.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818065385029632000 |
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| author | Sonja Grobler Angelo Nicolaides |
| author_facet | Sonja Grobler Angelo Nicolaides |
| author_sort | Sonja Grobler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding what drives tourists is an important issue which can make or break a destination. Since tourists consume products and services and return visit/s and sustainability is desired by destinations, it is important to identify variables that influence the motivation, behaviour and satisfaction levels of tourists. The town of Clarens which is situated in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains in the Free State province of South Africa was the focus of this research study. It is labelled as the "Jewel of the Eastern Free State". Using a questionnaire survey, the researchers categorized tourists according to their demographic and socio-economic characteristics. Disconfirmation of expectations was measured using five point Likert-scales against eighteen selected variables. The findings of this study suggested that tourists were mostly satisfied with facilities, natural attractions and relaxation facilities provided by the destination. In essence, nature and adventure were experienced very positively. In contrast, tourists were disappointed with facilities such as local transport services, cleanliness and safety and security. The difference between tourist expectation and experience was diverse for different groups – for example inter alia, gender, age, international or local origin, but most of these differences were not significant. The findings presented should contribute to the development of tourism strategies which are intended to empower the town to better recognize and respond to the dynamic demand patterns of tourists and potential visitors from both the domestic and foreign market. These strategies aim towards sustainable tourism development in Clarens and the surrounding area. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T14:51:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-07dd2ab4884a4c1ca14ed3f3bd6d97e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-814X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T14:51:03Z |
| publishDate | 2016-02-01 |
| publisher | AfricaJournals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure |
| spelling | doaj.art-07dd2ab4884a4c1ca14ed3f3bd6d97e72022-12-22T01:44:27ZengAfricaJournalsAfrican Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure2223-814X2016-02-0152Sustainable Tourism Development for Clarens in the Free State Province of South Africa.Sonja Grobler0Angelo Nicolaides 1Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology College of Economic and Management Sciences University of South AfricaGraduate School of Business Leadership University of South Africa Understanding what drives tourists is an important issue which can make or break a destination. Since tourists consume products and services and return visit/s and sustainability is desired by destinations, it is important to identify variables that influence the motivation, behaviour and satisfaction levels of tourists. The town of Clarens which is situated in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains in the Free State province of South Africa was the focus of this research study. It is labelled as the "Jewel of the Eastern Free State". Using a questionnaire survey, the researchers categorized tourists according to their demographic and socio-economic characteristics. Disconfirmation of expectations was measured using five point Likert-scales against eighteen selected variables. The findings of this study suggested that tourists were mostly satisfied with facilities, natural attractions and relaxation facilities provided by the destination. In essence, nature and adventure were experienced very positively. In contrast, tourists were disappointed with facilities such as local transport services, cleanliness and safety and security. The difference between tourist expectation and experience was diverse for different groups – for example inter alia, gender, age, international or local origin, but most of these differences were not significant. The findings presented should contribute to the development of tourism strategies which are intended to empower the town to better recognize and respond to the dynamic demand patterns of tourists and potential visitors from both the domestic and foreign market. These strategies aim towards sustainable tourism development in Clarens and the surrounding area.http://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/2016_article_24_vol_5_2_.pdfClarensSouth Africadestination marketingtouriststourism development |
| spellingShingle | Sonja Grobler Angelo Nicolaides Sustainable Tourism Development for Clarens in the Free State Province of South Africa. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Clarens South Africa destination marketing tourists tourism development |
| title | Sustainable Tourism Development for Clarens in the Free State Province of South Africa. |
| title_full | Sustainable Tourism Development for Clarens in the Free State Province of South Africa. |
| title_fullStr | Sustainable Tourism Development for Clarens in the Free State Province of South Africa. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sustainable Tourism Development for Clarens in the Free State Province of South Africa. |
| title_short | Sustainable Tourism Development for Clarens in the Free State Province of South Africa. |
| title_sort | sustainable tourism development for clarens in the free state province of south africa |
| topic | Clarens South Africa destination marketing tourists tourism development |
| url | http://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/2016_article_24_vol_5_2_.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sonjagrobler sustainabletourismdevelopmentforclarensinthefreestateprovinceofsouthafrica AT angelonicolaides sustainabletourismdevelopmentforclarensinthefreestateprovinceofsouthafrica |