Tourists revisit intentions based on purpose of visit and preference of the destination. A case study of Tsitsikamma National Park.

Destination managers of tourist attractions need to understand the benefits of tourism and, thus, the importance of studying visitors’ intentions. Revisit intention have often been highlighted in the literature as an important research topic in competitive market of tourism destinations. Revisit intention and positive word of mouth recommendations have also recently been regarded as indicators of destination loyalty. This study investigated revisit intentions based on tourists’ purpose of visit and preference of the Tsitsikamma National Park in South Africa, as a tourist destination. The study further investigated the overall satisfaction of the tourists by the experience in the national park and further analysed if there were any statistical differences in responses regarding future visit, recommending the national park to others and making the national park first choice preference in future based on the purpose of visit and preference of the national park. The results of the study established that there were more leisure tourists than business tourists at the time of the survey and this further revealed that there were no significant statistical differences between responses to future visit, recommending the national park to others and making the national park a first choice in future visits when seen between leisure and business tourists based on purpose of visits and preference of the park. The results further indicated that tourists were satisfied overall with their experiences in the Tsitsikamma National Park

Visitor satisfaction at a local festival: An analysis of the Strawberry festival in George, South Africa

The aim of this research was to assess visitor satisfaction at a local festival since it is crucial for festival management to monitor and evaluate visitor satisfaction in order to understand and identify the needs and perceptions of attendees, which in turn allows organisers to design and tailor the festival elements towards them, leading to higher visitor satisfaction, positive word-of-mouth advertising, and increased likelihood of repeat attendance. The main objective of the research was to evaluate levels of satisfaction of festival attendees based of festival attributes. The study followed a quantitative research methodology using questionnaires as a data collection instrument. Results reveal that all festival attributes items (quality of food, quality of entertainment, cleanliness of restrooms, and availability of parking, waiting times to be served and festival’s overall atmosphere) ranked higher in determining visitor satisfaction. These findings result in direction for management in where to place future resources regarding these festival’s attributes

New versus returning visitors: the strawberry festival at the Redberry farm in George, South Africa.

The aim of this research is to evaluate the differences and or similarities between new and returning visitors at one of South Africa’s unique festivals, the Strawberry Festival, which is held annually at the Redberry farm in George in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. New and returning festival attendees are important for the success and well-being of any festival. It is therefore paramount that those who organise festivals must look at both the needs and interests of both the new and also returning visitors. The aim of this research was to look into what differentiates new visitors from returning visitors to the Strawberry Festival but also to determine what the similarities are between these two groups. The study adopted a quantitative research methodology and used questionnaires as a data collection instrument. The results of the study revealed that there were small statistical differences between new and returning visitors to the Strawberry Festival when it comes to spending patterns, quality of entertainment and waiting times to be served at various stations during the festival. The results imply that festival organisers/managers need to be aware of the differences between new and returning visitors so that they can ‘tailor-make’ festival activities to address the needs of the two market segments

The role of tourist icons for a destination: the case of the closure of the Outeniqua Choo Choo train in the Eden District Municipality in the Western Cape Province, South Africa

Attractions are a major component of the tourism industry and often exert considerable influence over individual travel priorities. Attractions are one of the main motivators for tourist trips and are the core of the tourism product. Without attractions the destination would not need other tourism sectors and services. The uniqueness of attractions becomes an issue of greater significance in travel motivation for the visitors as they seek these unique tourism experiences around the world. The main aim of this paper was to look at the impact the closure of the Outeniqua Choo Choo train had to the tourism industry of the Eden District Municipality (EDM) better known as the Garden Route and Klein Karoo region in the tourism industry. The train was considered to be an iconic attraction due to the unique experiences it offered to the tourists. The research used questionnaires as a survey technique to collect primary data and the questionnaires were emailed to all the tourism businesses that were registered at the Eden District Municipality (EDM) database during the time of the train operations. One hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed to the businesses and only one hundred and twenty were received back and none of them were spoilt and this represent 80% response rate. The study found that across the different businesses in the tourism industry of the Eden District Municipality, majority of them did benefited from the train operation and they would like to see the train revived back to operation. The strategies they would like to see being used to revive the train operations are municipal fund raising and private business raising funds themselves

Profiling visitors at the strawberry festival at the Redberry farm in George, South Africa.

The identification and appropriate understanding of customers by tourism marketers and event organisers is significant for market segmentation. The profiling of tourists provides an opportunity for segmentation to be done on the basis of the characteristics of tourists making the trip. The main aim of the study is to identify the characteristics of the visitors of the annual strawberry festival held at the Redberry farm in George, South Africa, as a basis for informing marketing and management recommendations aimed at improving the festival experience of visitors. On-site data were collected using convenience sampling method from a sample of the visitors to the two days festival. The study also analysed if there was significant differences in spending patterns between first-time visitors and repeat visitors as well as differences in spending patterns based on the travelling party to aid in future understanding of the festival segments and their spending patterns. The results of the study show that the festival was mainly attended by first-time visitors, females and those aged between 18 – 25 years and attended only one day and they were overall satisfied with the services and facilities provided during the festival. The results further revealed that there was a small significant difference between spending patterns at the festival between first-time and repeat visitors as well as small significant difference in spending patterns based on the type of travelling party. The study also found that there were no significant differences between spending patterns based on how many days the attendees will attend the festival

Awareness and usage of government incentives in the tourism industry: a case study of guest houses in the Eden District Municipality, Western Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract The significant contribution of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to local economic development in the locality of municipalities has been recognized and therefore the prioritization of small business support and development by local government has become a focal point of municipal Local Economic Development (LED) programs. The tourism industry has proved to be a good tool for job creation within South Africa. However, many of the opportunities in this sector are not being exploited in a way that includes communities in the tourism value and supply chain. Developing SMMEs that can supply goods and services to the industry will significantly enhance job creation opportunities, especially in rural areas. However these SMMEs are often subject to a myriad of challenges compared to larger established businesses that fall outside the classifications of SMMEs. These challenges thus make it impossible for SMMEs to compete with established businesses and to actively participate in the first economy. The main aim of this article is to determine the awareness and usage of government incentives in the tourism industry by guest houses in the EDM. All surveyed guest houses in this study fall within the definition of SMME according to the National Small Business Act, No. 102 of 1996

Analysis of the socio-economic factors that contribute to land and agrarian reform which initiated and supported small, micro, medium farming enterprises (SMMES) in South Africa

http://dx.doi.org/10.5897/AJBM11.1769http://www.academicjournals.org/article/article1380873529_Coetzee%20et%20al.pd