Competitiveness of South Africa as a tourist destination

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the competitive advantage of South Africa as a tourist destination. In order to achieve this goal, it was firstly necessary to determine the meaning of global competitiveness and its effect on the tourism industry. In the quest to reveal the key factors in global competitiveness, the literature study looked at the findings and discussions of mainly Porter (1990) and Ritchie and Crouch (1993). The SWOT analysis on South Africa's tourism situation and the questionnaire (N=150) determined the importance of the factors identified in the literature and the role these factors play in the competitiveness of South Africa as a tourist destination. The research indicated the five most important factors, namely safety, accessibility, scenery, attractions and accommodation playing a determining role in the choice of a tourist destination. The research further indicates that South Africa finds itself in a good position to be globally competitive, with its uniqueness lying in factors such as its geographical features, favourable climate, magnificent scenery, value for money, good food, interesting historical and cultural resources and a good foreign exchange rate. The weaknesses of South Africa (safety, public transport and marketing) have the ability of being changed into opportunities in the striving to become one of the world's top tourist destinations. One of the most important findings was that globalisation gives rise to new policies, marketing strategies and product development, which encourage competitiveness. The achievement of a competitive advantage requires an understanding and knowledge of the key factors that play a role in global competitiveness. A positive future vision for the tourism industry depends on the involvement of the government and the interaction of all the different key players to improve and developed South Africa's competitiveness as a tourist destination.