The Effects of COVID-19 on Future Domestic Travel Intentions in South Africa: A Stakeholder Perspective

Abstract

This study seeks to unpack the implications that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on the South African domestic tourism market. In particular, the study considers how, given the negative impacts that have been felt with international travel being largely restricted, many destinations who traditionally rely on tourism will approach domestic tourism post the restrictions. Given South Africa’s previous aggressive campaigns which sought to promote domestic tourism in the country, the value of this focus area cannot be overlooked. The need for empirical research that assesses the attitudes of people regarding travel and tourism beyond the pandemic in a country that has been one of the hardest-hit on the African continent is equally important in this respect. Data for the study was sourced from interviews with key informant personnel in the domain of tourism coupled with an online questionnaire survey that was collected from respondents through the Google Forms Application. The key findings from the study reveal that a majority of the respondents were generally satisfied with the management of the pandemic in the country and were willing to wait until all restrictions were lifted before travelling again. Moreover, many of the respondents felt that they would likely travel more domestically in order to assist the tourism industry recover post-COVID-19 and would actively help market the country to friends and relatives in assisting with the recovery marketing initiatives. However, major concerns were raised about the financial possibilities of the domestic tourists as well as the lack of effective communication and cooperation between the private sector and the government regarding tourism’s recovery plan.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Small-Scale Sporting Events in South Africa

“…As such, sport tourism events of different magnitudes are affected by this interconnectedness, and their direction in the face of external shocks is determined by such fruitful interactions. In the context of the current study, the argument is that all tourism types have been largely devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic from its initial emergence (Bama and Nyikana, 2021;Mbatha et al, 2021;Daniels and Tichaawa, 2021;Rogerson andRogerson, 2021 and2022). The COVID-19 pandemic caused disturbances in the success and continuity of the sport tourism sector, and has affected many stakeholders in the sector.…”

What innovations would enable the tourism and hospitality industry in Africa to re-build?

“…The sector is recorded to have employed more than 24 million people in 2019. Continued growth was predicted until the sector encountered COVID-19, a pandemic which erupted towards the tail end of 2019, with its rapacious effects being reflected on the tourism and hospitality sector on the global, but specifically the African ecosystem during the first quarter of the year 2020 (Bama and Nyikana, 2021). Consequently, there has been an unprecedented crisis within the sector.…”

“…The study fits within the broader ambit of adaptation strategies for the tourism and hospitality industry in crisis contexts and Tourism and hospitality industry contributes toward theory around the development of a body of research on crisis and disaster management. Tourism and hospitality remain powerful vehicles for socio-economic growth and development as well as for job creation (Bama and Nyikana, 2021). Africa is a broad continent with 54 countries, and, according to the African Union (AU) is loosely divided into five regions, namely, North African region, West African region, East African region, Central African region, and, the Southern African region, with these regions offering unique and sometimes overlapping tourism and hospitality offerings (Leke et al, 2021).…”

Building Resilient Tourism SMMEs amidst and post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case of South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

“…A report serves as a governance framework for a 'risk-adjusted strategy' for economic activity which is based on different levels of alert and adapted to the epidemiological threats associated with COVID-19 outbreak (Rogerson & Rogerson, 2020). Despite the changes effected under alert level 3 which permitted other sectors to resume normal operations, tourism and its dependent sectors including SMMEs had to proceed with operating under 'new normal' conditions due to the fact that the sector is not considered as an essential service within the country (Bama & Nyikana, 2021). Gregurec et al (2021: 1) affirm that 'unlike other industries and business ventures that might have been prone to a certain degree of resilience, tourism SMMEs could neither endure the impact of the pandemic nor consider an alternative operating niche resulting from being exposed to what has become a new normal environment'.…”