Key success factors for the city of Durban to become a destination of choice.

Abstract

Abstract A rapidly growing global middle class has led to the onset of a number of international trends. One such trend is the increased ability for people to travel and experience various destinations across the globe. This rapid trend and growth experienced throughout the global tourism industry has led to the understanding and knowledge of two important subjects and specialist fields, namely destination marketing and destination management. The effectiveness of these two subjects has led to many countries competing for international tourists. A destination which has implemented effective destination marketing strategies and which has become frequently visited by international and local travellers is termed: “A destination of choice”. The City of Durban is ranked as the number one domestic tourist location in South Africa, receiving about four million tourists annually. The objective of this study was to identify the factors that organisations considered important in the decision to choose a destination of choice. Due to the strategic nature of the data required, a qualitative study was conducted. Since destination marketing and destination management are key strategic decisions, executive and senior managers were considered as the source of data. The objectives were achieved by face-to-face interviews with 13 executive managers who represented 13 organisations, which are key stakeholders in the tourism industry of the City of Durban. The numerous opinions and critiques collected from these interviews are recorded in this study. The salient finding of this research was that most organisations and tourists viewed the City of Durban as a destination of choice. However, the data analysis confirmed that challenges like the high levels of crime and grime, a seamless public transport system and the maintenance and upgrade of public facilities were challenges that were risk factors which the City of Durban must overcome in order for international businesses and international tourists to view the City of Durban as a major international destination of choice. An anomaly was noted whereby even though a few respondents were not satisfied with the current state of the City of Durban, they would still recommend visiting the City of Durban to their clients, families and friends. The empirical findings provide a useful platform for recommendations to improve on the current offerings which the City of Durban has to offer to South Africa and the international community, and for further research in this field.