Residents' awareness and support of tourism in Mahikeng, South Africa

Abstract

Tourism is recognised as a means of boosting the national and regional economy and increasingly destinations, and specifically cities, are turning to tourism as an important element in their economic portfolio. The Provincial Government of the North West province in South Africa considers tourism as an important sector that can contribute towards economic growth, and for achieving broader social goals. The main purpose of this study was to establishing residents' awareness and their propensity to support tourism in Mahikeng. The reason for this is that a resident of a particular region or city forms a key factor contributing towards the development of a lucrative and prosperous tourism industry. This has enabled the researcher to gather insights and reasonable findings with regard to the level of residents? awareness and their likeliness to support tourism in Mahikeng. Consumer information, such as residents' awareness and support for tourism, is indispensable for strategic management purposes and contributes towards sustainable tourism development in Mahikeng. The development of sustainable tourism would be difficult without the support and participation of local residents. Thus, the support of residents is a critical factor for ongoing development and sustainability.