Appraising the viability of Mafikeng as a tourism destination : a marketing perspective

Abstract

Mafikeng is located across the central region of South Africa's North West Province and shares a border with Botswana. In Third World countries, South Africa is included among so called countries with a low participation level in tourism. This shows that global tourism participation is not evenly spread, hence the focus of this study on Mafikeng. The destination Mafikeng is known for its rich history, but is disadvantaged by low tourism awareness levels and inadequate marketing efforts. The purpose of this study is to identify tourism development strategies that will make Mafikeng a more attractive tourism destination. The study also attempts to highlight the need for the effectiveness of the marketing of a destination and the importance or collaborative marketing efforts by the host community. local government and private sectors. The study's research methodology was primarily based on the qualitative approach in the form of in-depth interviews. A total of sixty research participants were interviewed. Some of the findings include the destination's accessibility and geographical position that should form part or the marketing strategy. The study recommends among others the constant review or tourism monitoring and evaluation process as well as a revision of policy documents related to Mafikeng as a destination.