DESTINATION REPORT
TOWNSHIP TOURISM
IN CAPE TOWN

SOUTH AFRICA

BY

XENIA FONG

BSc (Hons) International hospitality Management

TOURISM PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT & MANAGEMENT CW2

NOVEMBER 2015

word count: 2714

TABLE OF CONTENT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 1. INTRODUCTION 4 2. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING IN NATIONAL 4 2.1 BEFORE 2000s 4 2.2 FROM 2000s-2010s 5 2.3 AFTER 2010s 6 3. TOWNSHIP TOURISM 7 3.1 TOWNSHIP TOURISM IN SOUTH AFRICA 7 3.2 TOWNSHIP TOURISM IN CAPE TOWN 8 4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 10 5. REFERENCE 11 6. APPENDICES 13 6.1 ANNUAL VISITOR ARRICALS FOR OVERSEAS MARKETS COMPARED TO AFRICA 13 6.2 THE NATIONAL RESPONSIBLE TOURISM STRATEGY IN RELATION TO THE NTSS (2011) 13 6.3 THE VALUE CHAIN OF SOUTH AFRICAN TOURISM SECTOR 14 6.4 ATTRACTIONS OF LANDMARKS VISITED BY TOURIST IN SOUTH AFRICA 15 6.5 KEY ELEMENTS OF THE TOURISM PRODUCTS IN SUPPLIER SIDE 15

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report indicates and evaluates the tourism planning, strategies and challenges of South Arica in national and township tourism in the case of Cape Town. Tourism industry is one of the economic pillars for South Africa. The tourism framework in these two decades were moderated according to the White Paper on Tourism published in 1996. The most important principal, responsible tourism, to sustain the long-term strategy and development planning until current was suggested in the White Paper. Township tourism was considered as a popular and authentic cultural and heritage attraction for tourists who visited to Cape Town and a part of responsible tourism. The others stakeholders, including private sector and the NGOs took a large responsibility of the improvement of community through tourism development. However, it is found out that the support and planning from the government, particularly directly related to township is limited both in national and in Cape Town. It is also recognised that not the whole community is involved in the tourism development and planning due to the misunderstanding and limited education about tourism. An over-supply problem of the tourism product such as hotels and restaurants has been appeared in a certain townships because of the insufficient planning. It is recommended that the involvement level of government should be increased in terms of planning and encouraging the involvement from the whole community. The education about tourism is also vital to be launched to solve the misunderstanding of tourism and improve the knowledge of tourism planning inside the community.

1. INTRODUCTION

The aim of the following report is to introduce the South African tourism development and planning in both national and in the case of township tourism. Moreover, taking into the consideration of the current tourism development and planning, some suggestions, especially in the case of township tourism, will be made for the improvement of South African tourism industry in the future. 2. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING IN NATIONAL

3.1 BEFORE 2000s

In 1994, after the first democratic elections, South African tourism industry had a considerably growth. According to Department of Tourism (2011), in 1995, the increase of arrivals of foreign visitors was more than 0.37 million when the total foreign arrivals were around 0.1 million. Comparing the increase of foreign arrivals in 1994, it was just around 0.08 million when the total were around 0.7 million. From the report of tourism in Africa by World Bank in 2001, South Africa was the only Sub-Saharan country which was on the list of the top forty tourism destination globally. South African Government recognised the importance of tourism sector which could be one of the pillar to support South Africa’s economy in current and in the future.

According to the White Paper of the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa completed by the Government of South Africa Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in 1996, the Government started to realise the potential and role of tourism for South Africa. In the paper, South African Government analysed the key constraints which were limiting the growth of development. Those constraints were “insufficient resource and fund to tourism industry, narrow-minded private sector, inadequate integration of local communities and previously neglected groups in tourism, lack of education, training and awareness about tourism, insufficient environmental protection, poor quality of service, inadequate infrastructure, especially in rural areas, no ground transportation for service tourists and limited comprehensive, effective national, provincial and local structures for the development, management and promotion of South African tourism industry”. At the same time, it was recognised that there was a misunderstanding about tourism that is was related to flight and hotel only and for white ethnic only. Through the analysis of the constraints mentioned above, South African Government reconsidered the stakeholders of South African tourism sector, including private sector, government, local communities, previously neglected groups, tourists, NGOs, media, employees and others. In a result, key government policies were driven surrounded by those constraints and key stakeholders, in the aspects of, “safety and security, education and training, financing tourism and access to finance, investment incentive, foreign investment, environmental management, product development, cultural resource management, transportation for both air and ground, infrastructure, marketing and promotion, product quality and standards, regional cooperation and youth development”.

In addition, responsible tourism was recommended by South African Government as the focus of further development in tourism sector. It was the first time that South African Government valued the sustainability of tourism industry due to the potential long-term growth of benefits from tourism sector. South African Government also aimed itself to be the leading role of defining and implementing responsible tourism internationally. Responsible tourism was defined in regardless to the responsibility of sustainable usage in environment, the responsibility of involvement of local community and responsibility to make sure the safety and security of tourists by the country as a whole. Different responsibilities were recognised for different roles, including government, employers, employees, unions and local communities. Responsible tourism is continue to be the foundation of the tourism development of South Africa in the next decades.

3.2 FROM 2000s-2010s

South African tourism sector gradually increased after 2000. The foreign arrivals reached around 2.2 million in 2008 with a total arrivals of around 9.54 million. This is the result of the adaption of the planning framework from the White Paper on Tourism in 1996 and the effort on tourism sector recovery against with the economic recession after 1998.

Following the framework suggested in the White Paper on Tourism in 1996, according to the Department of Tourism, the spending of South African Government on tourism sector focused on the upgrade of infrastructure including telecommunications, roads, airports and stadiums, safety and security and other major infrastructure, to improve the experience of tourists for adding competitiveness of South Africa as a tourism destination. This project was planned and expected to be continued until 2014 (Department of Tourism, 2011).

In 2006, South African Government liberalised the local airspace which rose the competitiveness in terms of the ease of accessibility through aviation industry and the affordability of air travel (Media Club South Africa, 2012). The liberalisation enhanced the flight route linkage from the major cities such as Johannesburg and Cape Town to European and Middle East countries. Plus, this policy opened the carrier service between those major cities to the market of US and China. According to Department of Tourism, the increase of air market was steady from 2002 and was 3.3% in 2009.

Besides the infrastructure, responsible tourism had been gradually implemented during the year between 2000 and 2010. For example, meetings with stakeholders from different institutions which were South African Government, private sector, conservation agencies, financing agencies and NGOs were held regularly (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, 2002). Also, the distribution of guidelines to stakeholders, including 253 individuals and 195 organisations, after the discussion (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, 2002).

In order to recover from the economic recession in 2008, Confederations Cup 2009 and FIFA World Cup 2010 were planned to be hosted by South African Government. These two mega events successfully contributed to the economy and tourism sector deeply.

3.3 AFTER 2010s

By aiming to become one of the top 20 tourism destination internationally by 2020, tourism sector was even more valued by South African Government after the attempting of the benefits from 2009 Confederations Cup and FIFA World Cup 2010 (Department of Tourism, 2011).

In 2010, in South Africa’s New Growth Plan, South African Government indicated tourism sector as “one of the six core pillars of growth” while the other five were the agricultural value chain, the green economy, infrastructure development, manufacturing sectors and the mining value chain. Tourism sector was expected to be the main contribution to the development of rural areas and culture in regardless to direct economic benefit and job creation comparing to the other five pillars.

South African indicated the potential and main target markets for the future growth in tourism segment, including China, Japan, Kenya, Nigeria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, France, Germany and the Netherlands, in South African Tourism’s Marketing Tourism Growth Strategy (Department of Tourism, 2011). It was realised that in the aspects of brand positivity, brand awareness and destination under consideration of South Africa were under-performed than the core competitors such as Australia and Thailand where are also well-known for the adventurous and natural wildlife experience according to the 2013 Brand Tracker Survey.

Responsible Tourism Strategy suggested from the White Paper on Tourism in 1996 continued to be one of the main development perspective of South African tourism and core principal for South Africa to reach the goal that is becoming the top 20 tourism destination in the world by 2020. South African Government renewed her commitment towards responsible tourism in 2011. National Tourism Sector Strategy identified and led the National Department of Tourism through a recommended path to fulfil the need of growing tourism in a sustainable manner in 2011. South African National Minimum Standard for Responsible Tourism was launched for the guidelines to reach and understanding about responsible tourism in 2011. Responsible tourism was also implemented and achieved to be a tourism planning provincially. 3. TOWNSHIP TOURISM

4.4 TOWNSHIP TOURISM IN SOUTH AFRICA

Before the development of township tourism, township was classified as the living place for non-white, especially for black population and “no go” areas for the local communities. After the democratic elections in 1994, township tourism was developed as the same time with the significant national tourism development, starting from Soweto in Johannesburg. According to Booyen (2010), township tourism is defined as “the niche tourism segment which involves visiting the poverty areas and iconic struggle site referring to apartheid”. Therefore, the development of township tourism which means the open to public was seen as the symbol of anti-apartheid after the democratic transition. Township tourism is a kind of authentic cultural and heritage tourism through the tradition cuisine, historical insights, local arts and crafts which visitors can experienced in the township. However, due to the perception of township such as crime and poverty that was a challenge for the township tourism development, township tourism was originally attracting to those who has special interest rather than general group.

In the White Paper on Tourism in 1996, township community was identified to be one of the previously neglected group in terms of tourism. It could be one of the attraction to show the diverse cultures in an authentic way, especially the traditional African cultures in townships, by showing the traditions in township directly to the visitors. Township community was also identified as one of the stakeholder in supporting the responsible tourism on developing the general tourism sector in a sustainable manner.

The South African Tourism Planning Toolkit for Local Government created by the Department of Tourism in 2010 suggested a framework for the development of cultural and/or heritage site including township. The key elements, both tangible and intangible, indicated in the framework were historic resources (i.e. sites and neighbourhoods), ethnic tangible and intangible features (e.g. languages and housing type), natural features (e.g. dominant landforms and water), sequences (e.g. sense of gateways/entry and routes clarity), visibility (e.g. targeted views and visibility of pathway/road), details and surfaces (e.g. street furniture), ambient qualities (e.g. climate and noise level), visible activities (e.g. festivals/events and daily activities), physical factors (e.g. colours, and density of housing) and intangibles (e.g. history tradition and values).

In the National Tourism Sector Strategy Report by Department of Tourism in 2011, township tourism was one of the components planned to be developed to have more marketing campaigns on targeting the foreign market segment comparing to the domestic market.

4.5 TOWNSHIP TOURISM IN CAPE TOWN

According to the Strategic Research Unit of South African Tourism, township tours is one of the top 20 attractions/landmarks visited by travellers in South Africa and around 166,000 township tours had been operated in Cape Town in 2014. In addition, around 25% that was approximately above 300,000 tourists of the foreign visitors who visited to Cape Town participated in township tours (Rolfes, 2009; George and Booyens, 2014).

Cape Town Tourism (n.d.) defined township tourism as pro-poor tourism despite the fact that the South African Government only clarified township tourism as cultural and/or heritage tourism. It is stated in the Report of Responsible Tourism in Cape Town (n.d.) that tourism development in township could definitely an opportunity to the financially poor and for reducing levels of poverty in the township community through a net benefit from tourism. Cape Town Tourism declared that the development of tourism in township provides a future vision to the township community even though the poverty and unemployment are still existing in most of the township such as Khayelitsha.

Despite the effort of framework in terms of tourism planning from South African Government, in terms of township tourism, South African Government was more willing to empower and encourage the involvement of the other stakeholders to be dominant in township tourism development due to the huge amount of townships. South African Government could not help every township but only supported in terms of the marketing and promotion areas that township tour was labelled as a “must do” activity while visiting Cape Town (Cape Town Tourism, n.d.). In actual, the contribution on the improvement on both tourism development and condition of living in the township community was mainly from the private sector, the NGOs and community itself.

Tourism Community Development Trust, which was established by four Cape Town-based tourism companies from private sector, was aimed to group the individual business in order to maximise the effectiveness in terms of bringing the advantages of tourism to the community at the greatest level (Cape Town Tourism, n.d.). Tourism Community Development Trust had a large impact on township community through the direct and indirect fundraising efforts in regardless to support the community projects and the education to the local community about the potential change to the society from tourism and hospitality stakeholders identified by South African Government (Cape Town Tourism, n.d.). For example, Masikule Home Creche is one of the projects working on the planning and building of new creche replacing the aluminium pieces patched with cardboard to protect the township children from the weather in Cape Town.

Although the private sector and the NGOs gave support to the township community improvement through the tourism development, it is recognised that township tourism products such as accommodation and restaurants which have a direct economic income from tourism are surplus and saturated within the township (George and Booyens, 2014). Because of the limited government support and township planning, not only happened in Cape Town, the above situation is still existing in the townships where tourism has been developed in South Africa in general.

According to Rolfes et al. (2009) and Steinbrink (2013), tourists are interested in the local culture, people and history as their motivation of visiting township. Although the involvement of cultural events are existed in the popular township such as Langa and Gugulethu, the level of satisfaction in cultural attractions such as festivals, events and township tours were still low for Cape Town (City of Cape Town, 2013). This is still a challenge and an opportunity for Township in Cape Town for further development in terms of cultural diversity.

From the interview conducted by Rolfes et al. (2009), there is an ignorance of the involvement of the residents who are not having direct economic assistant from tourism while tourism is undoubtedly benefiting to the people whose job is related to tourism. The tourism planning of township were not all-rounded enough to bring improvement through the tourism to the community as a whole.

The development of township tourism in Cape Town could definitely bring net benefit to the township community to reach the aim of pro-poor tourism. Nevertheless, when comparing to the aim of responsible tourism, which is the ultimately goal for South African tourism sector, there are still limitations and gaps in the specific tourism development planning for township tourism.

4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Tourism is still currently one of the South African economic pillars. A complete basic framework on tourism development planning has already suggested in the White Paper on Tourism in 1996. Moreover, the consistency of development responsible tourism is vital for South Africa to create her own national image and brand in order to compete with the other similar countries such as Australia and Thailand. The holding of mega events, Confederations Cup 2009 and FIFA World Cup 2010, pushed the tourism sector to a higher level as well as the recovery from economic recession. Following by this flow, South Africa has a precise strategic planning for tourism until 2020 to achieve to be the top 20 destination in the world in 2020.

Township tourism are gradually developing through the evident of the case of Cape Town. The support on tourism development from private sector and the NGOs positively influencing the life of the township community. South African Government has a general framework for the development of cultural and/or heritage tourism as a whole while township tourism can follow.

Although marketing and promotion of township tourism are essential, it is discovered that the involvement from government is not enough particularly for township tourism. The government is suggested to create a specific guideline for township tourism by indicating the areas, especially in cultural aspects, which are affecting to the township tourism development. For example, the encouragement of involving in cultural areas and the education of how the cultural aspects impacting on tourism to the community are important from the government.

Besides the government perspective, community itself should have an appropriate planning of the township, the area development in order to solve the problem of over-supplying in terms of hotels and restaurants. It is also about the education about the elements that can also benefit from tourism to the local community as mentioned above.

5. REFERENCE

Booyens I. (2010) Rethinking township tourism: Towards responsible tourism development in South African townships, Development Southern Africa, volume 27, 2, pp. 273-287.

Cape Town Tourism (n.d.) Khayelitsha Township Tour. Available from: http://www.capetown.travel/attractions/entry/Khayelitsha_Township_Tour_and_Craft_Market [Accessed 29th November 2015].

Cape Town Tourism (n.d.) Responsible Tourism in Cape Town. Available from: https://www.capetown.gov.za/en/tourism/Documents/Responsible%20Tourism/Responsible_tourism_bro_web.pdf [Accessed 29th November 2015].

Christie I.T., Crompton D.E., World Band (2001) Tourism in Africa. Available from: http://www.worldbank.org/afr/wps/wp12.pdf [Accessed 29th November 2015].

Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (2002) National Responsible Tourism Developent Guidelines for South Africa. Available from: http://www.tourism.gov.za/CurrentProjects/ResponsibleTourism/Responsible%20Tourism/Responsible%20Tourism%20Guidelines.pdf [Accessed 29th November 2015].

George R., Booyens I. (2014) Township Tourism Demand: Tourists’ Perceptions of Safety and Security, Urban Forum, volume 25, pp. 449-467. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/6349363/Township_Tourism_Demand_Tourists_Perceptions_of_Safety_and_Security [Accessed 24th October 2015].

Government of South Africa, Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (1996) The Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa. Available from: http://www.tourism.gov.za/AboutNDT/Publications/Tourism%20White%20Paper.pdf [Accessed 29th November 2015].

Joseph H. (2013) Does Township Tourism Contribute to Government's Strategic Goals for the Tourism Sector? A case study of Bed and Breakfast entrepreneurs in Guguletu and Langa, Cape Town, dissertation, Msc, University of Cape Town. Available from: http://uctscholar.uct.ac.za/PDF/98826_Joseph_H.pdf [Accessed 24th October 2015].

Koens K. (2014) Small businesses and township tourism around Cape Town, thesis, Phd, Leeds Metropolitan University. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/8152730/Small_businesses_and_township_tourism_around_Cape_Town [Accessed 24th October 2015].

Media Club South Africa (2012) Tourism in South Africa, unknown date. Available from: http://www.mediaclubsouthafrica.com/component/content/article?id=91:tourism-industr.. [Accessed 20th October 2015].

Republic of South Africa, Department of Tourism (2010) The South African Tourism Planning Toolkit for Local Government. Available from: http://www.tourism.gov.za/AboutNDT/Branches1/Knowledge/Documents/SA%20Tourism%20Planning%20Toolkit%20FINAL.pdf [Accessed 29th November 2015].

Republic of South Africa, Department of Tourism (2011) National Tourism Sector Strategy. Available from: http://www.tourism.gov.za/AboutNDT/Branches1/Knowledge/Documents/National%20Tourism%20Sector%20Strategy.pdf [Accessed 29th November 2015].

Republic of South Africa, Department of Tourism (2011) Draft National Responsible Tourism Strategy Version 5 Fiver Year Plan 2012-2016. Available from: https://tkp.tourism.gov.za/Documents/National%20RT%20Strategy.pdf [Accessed 29th November 2015].

Rolfes M., Steinbrink M., Uhl C. (2009) Townships as Attraction An Empirical Study of Township Tourism in Cape Town, dissertation, Universitätsverlag Potsdam
South African Tourism (2014) Strategic Plan 2015-2020. Available from: http://www.southafrica.net/uploads/files/Annual%20Reports/78449_STRATEGIC_Plan_03.08.2015.pdf [Accessed 29th November 2015].

South African Tourism (2015) Marketing South Africa as a competitive tourism destination. Available from: http://www.tourism.gov.za/CurrentProjects/Local%20Government%20Tourism%20Conference%202015/Documents/Marketing%20South%20Africa%20as%20a%20Competitive%20Tourism%20Destination.pdf [Accessed 29th November 2015].

South African Tourism Strategic Research Unit (2015) 2014 Annual Tourism Report, August. Available from: http://www.southafrica.net/uploads/files/2014_Annual_Report_v4_24082015.pdf [Accessed 21st October 2015].

Steinbrink M. (2013) Of voyeuristic safari tours and responsible tourism with educational value: observing moral communication in slum and township tourism in Cape Town and Mumbai, DIE ERDE, volume 144(2), pp. 161-174.

6. APPENDICES

7.6 ANNUAL VISITOR ARRICALS FOR OVERSEAS MARKETS COMPARED TO AFRICA

7.7 THE NATIONAL RESPONSIBLE TOURISM STRATEGY IN RELATION TO THE NTSS (2011)

7.8 THE VALUE CHAIN OF SOUTH AFRICAN TOURISM SECTOR

7.9 ATTRACTIONS OF LANDMARKS VISITED BY TOURIST IN SOUTH AFRICA

7.10 KEY ELEMENTS OF THE TOURISM PRODUCTS IN SUPPLIER SIDE