Purpose: The aim of this research is to segment visitors at the Kruger National Park based on the frequency of visitation in order to distinguish between first-time and repeat park visitors. Problem investigated:The Kruger National Park (KNP) in South Africa is one of the world's most renowned wildlife reserves. The KNP is in great demand because it is regarded as an all-inclusive holiday destination that provides tourists with a unique nature and leisure experience. As a result, the park attracts over one million visitors per annum and is one of the top five international tourist destinations in the country. For the KNP to sustain its visitor numbers, park managers should realise that both first-time and repeat visitor groups play a fundamental role in the overall competitiveness and success of the park, and they should strive to achieve a balance between first-time and repeat visitors. Therefore, the park management should know which attributes of the park attract first-time visitors group and which attract repeat visitors.Design and methodology and approach: A research survey was done at various rest camps in the KNP from 26 December 2010 to 03 January 2011; a total of 436 visitor questionnaires were completed. Two-way frequency tables and chi-square tests as well as analysis of variance and Tukey's multiple comparisons were used to analyse the data and segment first-time and repeat visitors based on socio-demographics and behavioural characteristics as well as travel motivations. Findings and implications:The results indicated that first-time visitors are long-haul visitors, are younger and pay for fewer people whilst repeat visitors are mainly motivated by escape and plan their trips well in advance. These differences indicate that the KNP should follow a twopronged marketing approach aimed at both visitor markets. This would greatly contribute to the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the KNP. IntroductionVisitors to a destination, including national parks, comprise both first-timers and repeaters. Firsttime visitors could be associated with a 'new' market and are those visitors who are visiting the destination for the first time (Um, Chon & Ro 2006). Repeat visitors can be seen as an established customer base and are visitors who have visited the destination more than once (Kerstetter & Cho 2004;Um et al. 2006). According to Oppermann (2000), Petrick, Morais and Norman (2001) and Vogt, Stewart and Fesenmaier (1998), both the abovementioned visitor groups play a fundamental role in ensuring that an attraction or a destination (such as a national park) sustains its visitor numbers, its overall competitiveness and ultimately its success. Park managers should therefore strive to achieve a balance between first-time and repeat visitors. This is imperative, in view of the economic impact of national parks, especially in South Africa, and the consequent benefits of attracting and retaining visitors. South Africa has in excess of 20 national parks and in addition to this there are many local and prov...
The meetings, incentives, conventions, and events industry continues to grow, not only in the United States but around the world. With this growth comes demand for qualified, highly trained employees. Postsecondary education is the mechanism by which these employees are developed. While a previous article in this journal investigated meetings, incentives, conventions, and events coursework and programs in the United States, to date, no other research has looked at educational coursework and programming in other parts of the world. This article seeks to address this shortcoming by investigating and assessing meetings, incentives, conventions, and events educational offerings and programming in South Africa. This region of Africa has one of the most vibrant tourism economies on the continent and, commensurately, strong meetings, incentives, conventions, and events business activities. The current research assesses the educational framework in South Africa along with the institutions offering meetings, incentives, conventions, and events education, along with the courses they offer.
Purpose This paper attempts to fill the gap that exists in research regarding visitor motivations at dark heritage sites. The purpose of this paper is to explore the motivations of visitors to the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum (HPMM) as an iconic dark site in South Africa to identify what motivates visitation and which demographic variables may have an influence on these motivators. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the goal of this research, 205 participants completed a self-administered questionnaire using a random sampling technique at the HPMM. A statistical analysis through the use of factor analysis revealed seven motivational factors. Findings Novelty and knowledge seeking, remembrance and curiosity were identified as the three main motives for visiting HPMM. Novelty and knowledge seeking was found to be the main motive that contradicted similar research done in other parts of the globe. Escape and relaxation, which is usually found to be one of the main motivators to heritage sites, was revealed to be one of the least motivators for this study. The results also identified significant relationships between demographic and motivator variables. Practical implications The findings of this study revealed that people visit the HPMM primarily for novelty and knowledge seeking, remembrance and respect for victims and curiosity. From the results, it is clear that visitors are driven to visit the site for different motives and that these motives, although common amongst visitors, differ from person to person subject to demographic differences. This study provides an improved understanding of dark tourism demand, which is essential for the sustainable development and promotion of sites in South Africa and globally commemorating people’s struggle against injustice and for democracy. Social implications South Africa is a country with a cosmopolitan history; however, the history associated with apartheid has only recently become topic of tourism research. This study provides a basis to better understand the type of tourist visiting these sites of historical sites, thus leading to better provision of services to visit such attractions. Originality/value This study is one of the first to delve into understanding the motivational typology of tourists to a tourism attraction in South Africa associated with the country’s Apartheid-era heritage. It provides an insight into enhancing the current fragmented understanding of dark tourism demand.
Orientation: Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site (MNP) is a unique national park in South Africa in that it includes a World Heritage Site of significant importance for the people of southern Africa. MNP is a relatively new national park with low visitor numbers and occupancy rates, which threaten the sustainable management of the park.Research purpose: This study aimed to develop a general visitor profile and to describe the motivational factors for visiting the park in order to support the development of tourism at MNP.Motivation of the study: A tourism management plan is required for the park; however, any planning associated planning requires an assessment of tourist behaviour and needs.Research design, approach and method: An online questionnaire was distributed to a database of visitors to MNP during March−April 2013. A total of 486 responses were received. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics through frequencies and means. Motivator constructs were analysed through a factor analysis.Main findings: The study both confirmed and contradicted previous findings from other national parks in terms of visitor profiles and motivations. Most crucially, this study identified a new motivational factor for visiting national parks, which advances the need to manage the heritage aspect of world heritage sites distinctly from national parks.Managerial implications: The results indicated that visitors to MNP were older and better educated compared to visitors at other national parks. These visitors included predominantly first-time visitors. In addition these visitors are mainly motivated by the need for a nature experience, although the park is not a Big 5 reserve, findings also identified heritage and education as a unique motivational factor for this park.Contribution added: The study promotes the requirement of a unique park-specific tourism management strategy for MNP as the market base of this park is demographically distinct. In addition, the park should improve the promotion of its status as a World Heritage asset in relation to its natural attributes in order to attract greater numbers of heritage tourists. Although the park features exceptional natural features, the reserve is not a Big 5 reserve and this may result in dissatisfaction with the major group of visitors seeking a nature experience.
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