Obstacles to and suggestions for successful township tourism in Alexandra Township, South Africa

Authors

Keywords:

township tourism, Alexandra Township, poverty alleviation, job creation

Abstract

In this paper we seek to examine obstacles to township tourism development in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, an area characterised by crime, unemployment, and poverty. Although government implemented initiatives since 2001 to upgrade Alexandra as a tourism destination, the township remains underdeveloped. This paper reports on empirical evidence conducted with key informants to understand some of the major tourism obstacles. A growing population is resulting in environmental deterioration, and social services are lacking. Other difficulties include a lack of tourism skills and education, poor tourism business support, and high crime. Government and tourism industry stakeholders must combined efforts to promote tourism skills and support small businesses.

Author Biographies

Llewellyn Leonard, University of South Africa,

Department of Environmental Science, Professor

Ayanda Dladla, University of Johannesburg

Department of Tourism, Postgraduate Student

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Published

2020-08-25

How to Cite

Leonard, L. and Dladla, A. (2020) “Obstacles to and suggestions for successful township tourism in Alexandra Township, South Africa”, e-Review of Tourism Research, 17(6), pp. 900–920. Available at: https://ertr-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/ertr/article/view/531 (Accessed: 20 April 2024).

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 6 (2020)

Section

Articles

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