The Planning and Establishment Challenges of an Urban Ecotourism Destination in South Africa

Abstract

Ecotourism is a major driver of tourism in rural, usually remote peripheral regions in several African countries including South Africa. The aim in this paper is to examine the planning and establishment challenges which surround the development of an urban ecotourism project in South Africa. The research focuses on the Dinokeng Game Reserve which is geographically located on the boundary of one of South Africa’s major metropolitan areas and situated in the country’s economic heartland. This ecotourism project offers a new niche product for urban tourism development. Using documentary sources as well as original interview material the paper analyses the key steps in the planning of this innovative urban tourism product. The study contributes to the growing tourism geography scholarship of South Africa and to the broader international literature on the role of distinctive niche products in urban tourism development in the Global South