Doctoral Degrees (Cultural and Heritage Tourism)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/8435

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Identity, heritage and tourism: the memorialisation of Joshua Nkomo in Zimbabwe.
(2024) Chiwaura, Henry.; Ndlovu, Joram.
Tourism can be significantly influenced by iconic individuals, both historical and contemporary. These individuals can act as magnets of tourism drawing visitors to a destination for them to experience a feeling of connection with the iconic person or what they stand for. The relationship between the state and the transformation of iconic individuals into tourism products has an important effect on the way tourism is experienced and perceived. The state and tourism organisations often use iconic individuals to promote the country to the world and shape the way tourists view and engage with a destination. Therefore, it is important to study the implication of transforming iconic individuals into a tourism product. This study explored the interplay of identity, heritage and tourism in turning the late Joshua Nkomo’s memoir, a significant political figure in Zimbabwean history, into a tourism attraction and even destination. Joshua Nkomo, a popular nationalist during his lifetime, was a key player in Zimbabwe's anti-colonialism struggles from the late 1950s to independence in 1980. Nkomo served in several post-independence government capacities in Zimbabwe, but his most notable position was that of Vice-President, which he held until his death in July 1999. The main aim of the study was to comprehend the complexities and implications of transforming the legacies of a political actor, whose biography was both ascribed with notions of villain and heroism in post-colonial Zimbabwe, into a tourism brand. The study adopted a qualitative research approach where data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. Purposive sampling and semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with fifty participants who included government agencies, tour operators, tourists, and local communities. Information from theories, including the Identity Theory, Social Identity Theory, Social Constructionism Theory, and Critical Heritage studies served as the guiding framework for the study. The results show that Joshua Nkomo received the same memorialization benefits upon his death that are typically given to people of his stature in Zimbabwe as "national heroes," but attempts made after the year 2000 to further this memorialization by turning him into a tourism brand have raised questions and problems not conventionally related to brand creation in cultural heritage tourism. The findings indicate that political actors produce tourism brands through contestations that occasionally pit politics and history against traditional tourism and brand creation techniques. While worldwide, a country's relationship with others is vital in the formation of a brand, in Zimbabwe, historical legacies play a significant role in influencing the attitudes of local tourists. Conflict in the tourism industry is inevitable at every stage of product development. Therefore, involving all stakeholders in Zimbabwe's heritage management and tourist development was found to be the best approach to tackle such challenges. The study concludes that multivocalism/a variety of viewpoints is a key component of value addition in the growth and advancement of heritage tourism. Therefore, the government should foster individual and group identities by providing public areas for people to memorialize their loved ones in a way that is meaningful to them. Joshua Nkomo’s memorialisation in the form of museums, a statue monument and a grave had a significant impact on the country’s tourism landscape just as he was loved by both his family and multitudes of Zimbabweans.
The impact of events on sustainable tourism development in Durban: an evidence-based enquiry.
(2018) Mejabi, Ekundayo Ilesanmi.; Ndlovu, Joram.; Cele, Nokuthula Peace.
Sustainability has become one of the key elements of development for most tourist destinations. Some cities have adopted a sustainable development strategy as a long-term solution in improving socio-economic, cultural, and environmental practices. Traditionally, destinations have used events to achieve community enrichment, protect the natural environment, and create or maintain national pride. The aim of this research was to analyse the impact of events on sustainable tourism development in Durban. This research focused on the event tourism sector and its impact on the economy, environment, politics and the socio-cultural being of the host community. The objectives were to discuss the role of events in profiling a destination and the extent to which they could serve as catalyst for repeat visitation; the study sought to analyse the perceptions of key stakeholders regarding the contribution of events to socio-economic growth of the City. In carrying out the research, a mixed method approach was used. A total of 400 questionnaires were researcher administered and 25 in-depth interviews were conducted. The results show that there are economic spin offs resulting from visitor spending during major events in the City. Furthermore, the study shows that although events can be used as a tool for sustainable tourism development, the challenge is the unbalanced racial structure within the industry, poor state of the economy, and limited access to business start-up capital for SMMEs. The study concludes that events play a vital role in socio-economic growth and development of the tourism sector in Durban and recommends multi-stakeholder collaboration and partnerships to ensure sustained tourism growth.
Tourism disasters, crises and the risk-fear nexus: tourists perceptions of Durban as a tourism destination.
(2019) Phoofolo, Taemane Augustinus.; Ndlovu, Joram.
Tourism is an important economic sector in many countries worldwide. Many governments are placing a higher priority on tourism development because it leads to increased foreign exchange income and creates employment opportunities. However, the tourism sector is prone to both natural (floods, drought, diseases) and man-made (crime, unemployment, poverty, war, terrorism) disasters, crises and risks which invariably affect not only the tourists but the functionality, sustainability and competitiveness of a destination. The cumulative impact of disasters, crises and risks can result in the death of people, destruction of fauna and flora, displacement and suffering of people. Other effects include, the destruction of human settlements, physical infrastructure such as roads, railway lines and habitats of animals. The prevalence of disasters, crises and the risk can affect tourists’ travelling patterns and destination choices. Thus, rendering some places unsafe and unattractive. The aim of the study was to examine stakeholders’ perceptions regarding crises, risk responses and other factors that accentuate the vulnerability of tourists and destinations to a myriad of problems. The study sought to analyse the tourists’ perceptions on the relationship between tourism disasters and risk-fear nexus in Durban. The main objectives were to assess the potential disasters, crises and risks which tourists are exposed to while in Durban, the subsequent impacts of such disasters, and the possible disaster mitigation measures. In this study, the mobility, disaster, risk-perception theories and the model of international tourism decision-making process were used to interrogate the disaster-risk discourse. The study utilized a mixed method approach which enabled the researcher to unpack disasters, crises and risks ‘through the eyes’ of tourists and key informants in order to gain a thorough understanding of the dynamics concerned. Interviews were conducted with 399 tourists who visited Phezulu Cultural Village, Cabana Beach Resort and Botanical Gardens in Durban. The results were then analyzed SPSS. The results revealed that natural disasters such as floods, drought, and diseases pose a serious threat to the tourists and the tourism sector in the country. Consequently, that has an impact on the image and sustainability of the destination. The results show that man-made disasters, crises and risks like xenophobia, political instability, unemployment and poverty were the most prevalent. Therefore a concerted effort must be taken to prepare for crises and resort to recovery and reduction as some measures to mitigate them. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of disasters, crises and risks require a holistic approach which views the situation from “a wide sweep of contexts, from temporal and spatial, historical, political, economic, cultural, to social and personal. Finally, the study recommends engendering community resilience as a key measure in managing disaster. Further systematic research must be conducted to analyse the factors which increase the vulnerability of tourists to disasters, crises and risks, and to explore various ways of enhancing mitigation measures.

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Cultural and Heritage Tourism) by Author "Ndlovu, Joram."