A city tainted by crime : visitors’ perceptions on safety and security in Johannesburg

Abstract: The trepidation over the effects of crime on tourism has emerged as a key concern globally. Johannesburg, South Africa’s leading city and a major tourist destination has long been perceived both as an unsafe place to visit and a breeding ground for crime. The prevalence of crime in Johannesburg and the associated negative public perceptions of crime impact on tourism and the travel behaviour of visitors. This study aimed to investigate international visitors’ safety and their perceptions of Johannesburg using a selection of three tourism destinations in the city; namely, Vilakazi precinct in Soweto township, Maboneng precinct in the inner city and Sandton City, the new central business district. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data; moreover, purposive sampling was used at the three selected destinations. The findings suggest that international tourists’ safety and security perceptions improved during and after their visit and they felt that Johannesburg is a relatively safe destination to visit. It was also observed that perceptions of safety and security are influenced by and vary across socio-demographic variables such as age, gender, nationality, awareness, travel party type and travel experience...M.Sc. (Geography

Urban crime and tourism : visitor perceptions vis-à-vis tourist spaces in Johannesburg

Johannesburg, South Africa's economic heartland and major tourist destination, has long been seen as a breeding ground for crime and is commonly perceived as unsafe. The prevalence of crime in Johannesburg, and the associated negative public perceptions, are evidenced to impact travel behaviour stemming visitor flows. Regardless of this, urban tourism has grown in Johannesburg over the last decade and our findings on visitor perceptions in three main tourism precincts show that international tourists regard tourism spaces as relatively safe to visit. Tourists in our study return and readily recommend a visit to Johannesburg to other