Motives of Circus Attendees in South Africa: The Case of Cirque du Soleil Dralion

The purpose of this research was to determine the motives of attendees to Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion production in a developing country. The results revealed five key motives, namely uniqueness, enchantment and aesthetics, fun and entertainment, socialisation and social status and act affiliation. Clustering based on these motives revealed three distinct clusters namely Enthusiasts, Novices and Observers. These clusters show that attendees are not homogeneous in terms of their socio-demographic and behavioural profiles. While the Enthusiasts and Observers displayed similar characteristics to other clusters found in previous research, this research made a clear contribution in identifying Novices as a new emerging segment and suggesting the implications of retaining and expanding this market. The findings of this research can greatly assist marketers of these types of production to expand interest in the arts and increase accessibility to a larger audience.Keywords: Cirque du Soleil, Motives, Circus Performance, South Afric

The Biochemistry of Malic Acid Metabolism by Wine Yeasts – A Review

L-Malic acid is an essential intermediate of cell metabolism and the D,L-racemic mixture is used as an acidulant in a variety of foods and beverages. In the wine industry, it plays an important role during grape must fermentation, contributing to the “fixed acidity” that is important. The latter is important in defining the quality of wine. Genetic and biochemical characterisation of the L-malate utilising pathways in several yeast species has indicated that the physiological role and regulation of L-malate metabolism differ significantly between the K(-) and K(+) yeasts. A varietyof factors influence the ability of a yeast species to effectively degrade L-malate, including the conditions associated with wine fermentation and the yeast’s intrinsic ability to transport and effectively metabolise L-malate inside the cell. This paper reviews the ability of different yeast species associated with grapes and wine to degrade extracellular L-malate, and the underlying mechanisms in the differential utilisation of L-malate by different yeast species

Does loyalty pay? First-time versus repeat visitors at a national arts festival

The aim of this research is to segment visitors to one of South Africa’s biggest arts festivals based on the frequency of visits in order to distinguish between fi rst-time and repeat festival attendees. Both first-time and repeat visitor groups play a fundamental role in the overall well-being and success of a festival, and festival organisers must strive to achieve a balance between first-time and repeat visitors. Festival managers should therefore be aware of the festival attributes that differentiate between the first-time visitor group and repeat visitors attending the festival. These differences include socio-demographics, behavioural characteristics, destination perception, perceived value and travel motivations. This article therefore compares first-time and repeat visitors to the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival based on these categories. A questionnaire survey (N = 555) was conducted at the festival, and the findings indicate that there are significant differences between first-time and repeat visitors at the festival. First-time visitors spend a significant amount of money during the festival and are mainly motivated by Relaxation and socialisation and Festival shows/productions ,while repeat visitors are loyal visitors who stay longer and spend more money, especially on tickets supporting the festival’s shows/productions. Results reveal that both first-time and repeat visitor groups are important for the long-term sustainability of the festival. This method of segmentation has proved to be successful and is used as the basis for proposing managerial and marketing implications for the festival organisers

Expenditure-based segmentation of visitors to the Tsitsikamma National Park

Purpose and/or objectives: The purpose of this article is to apply expenditure-based segmentation to visitors at the Tsitsikamma National Park. The objective of the research is twofold, to identify the socio-demographic and behavioural variables that influence spending at the Tsitsikamma National Park and to make recommendations on how to attract the high-spending market. Problem investigate: The Tsitsikamma National Park is Africa's oldest and largest marine reserve and plays a vital role in the preservation and conservation of marine fauna and flora. The park is also a popular holiday destination for international and local tourists and therefore plays an important role in the regional economy. Due to the importance of the park to the community and region, the Tsitsikamma National Park needs to attract more high spenders since this will contribute to the sustainability of the park. Expenditure-based segmentation is regarded as the best method for creating a profile of the high-spending market. Design and/or methodology and/or approach: To achieve this, tourist surveys from 2001 to 2008 were used. In total, 593 questionnaires were used in the analysis. Statistical analysis was done by applying K-means clustering and Pearson's chi-square as well as ANOVA analysis. Findings and/or implications: The research revealed that the province of origin, group size, length of stay and accommodation preference have a positive influence on higher spending. Originality and/or value of the research : Even though this type of research has been done for the Kruger National Park, a more innovative approach was followed by using K-means clustering, which is also the first time that this approach was used in determining the high-spending market at the Tsitsikamma National Park. Conclusion: Two distinct markets were identified. These were the high and low spenders where the most significant differences were with regard to province of origin, group size, length of stay and preferred type of accommodation. Interestingly, aspects such as owning a Wild Card (which is a loyalty card) showed no significant difference. The same applied for age, marital status or frequency of visits. Therefore, the results (if one compares this research with that done at the Kruger National Park) confirm that the size of operations and activities available have a dual impact

Understanding the role that Quality of Work Life of food and beverage employees plays in perceived service delivery and productivity

3The purpose of this article is to determine the role that Quality ofWork Life plays in the perceived service delivery and productivityof food and beverage employees in Potchefstroom, South Africa.The questionnaires were distributed at selected food and beverageestablishments, and a total of 224 questionnaires were included in thestatistical analysis. The data analysis consisted of a demographic profile,a factor analysis and a structural equation model. The results indicatedthat job, creativity and aesthetics, actualisation, organisational supportand employee commitment attributes each exert an influence on theperceived service delivery and productivity of employees. This impliesthat food and beverage managers should try to improve the workingconditions of employees as well as provide an appropriate level ofrecognition to hardworking employees. Management should considerthe recommendations that are made in terms of the job satisfactionlevels of food and beverage service employees, as they are able topositively influence organisational performance and success.Key words: employee management, food and beverage sector, structural equation model,Quality of Work Lif

Segmentation by motivation of tourists to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is one of South Africa’s unique attractions for national and international tourists. However, little research has been done on visitors to transfrontier parks. In addition marketers highlight the importance of understanding the reasons why people travel and who these tourists are. Therefore the aim of this article is to segment the market of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park by means of visitors’ travel motives. This was achieved by means of a survey. In the statistical analysis, 414 questionnaires were used and the survey was conducted from 2010 to 2012. The statistical analysis included a factor analysis and ANOVA. Four factors were identified through the factor analysis namely escape, education and recreation, park attributes and exploration. The latter was unique to this research since it has not been found in other studies. The ANOVA confirmed that a wide variety of variables influence the decision-making process and that the marketing strategy should focus on different methods and events to attract a greater market

Critical success factors for the management of 4x4 ecotrails

In South Africa, 4x4 ecotrails that fall into the adventure tourism category are increasing in popularity. The purpose of this study is to compile a profile of 4x4 trail users, identify their motives and then determine critical success factors (CSFs) for the management of 4x4 trails. The comprehension of the coherence between the travel motives that lead to a visit and the CSFs that determine whether visitors are satisfied and have gained a memorable experience (which should lead to repeat visits) is examined in this research. An online survey was conducted in South African National Parks and the focus was on ecotrails, which contribute to nature conservation and provide maximum sustainability. A total of 119 questionnaires were obtained. The results found seven motivations and CSFs, respectively, revealing two new motivational factors within this context (lifestyle and spiritual well-being) and three new CSFs that have not been identified before and put a clear focus on the trail itself (interpretation, trail planning and challenging experience). This information can be used by trail managers and marketers to reach this niche market and provide visitors with a memorable experience

Identifying ecotourists’ accommodation needs and preferences?

The purpose of this research is to determine ecotourists’ needs and preferences concerning national parks in South Africa. A survey was conducted at the Tsitsikamma National Park, focusing on fixed-roof accommodation, camping and ecolodges. Results showed that the preferences for each aspect are unique and that setting remains paramount when it comes to fixed-roof accommodation. The research also confirmed that a variety of accommodation types, including provision for self-catering, is preferred by ecotourists. This research makes a valuable contribution to the managing of accommodation in South African National Parks