Abstract
Tourism routes have emerged as a significant element for promotion of tourism, especially in small towns and rural areas. In South Africa, considerable policy attention is currently focused upon the development of new tourism routes. This article examines the local development impacts of the Magaliesberg Maender, a route tourism initiative that traverses across two South African provinces. It is argued that whilst this tourism route has extended the tourism growth potential of the locality, its wider impacts upon surrounding communities have been limited because of the weakness of local government to address issues concerning tourism planning.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bramwell, B., & Sharman, A. (1999). Collaboration in local tourism policy making. Annals of Tourism Research, 26, 392–415.
Briedenhann, J., & Wickens, E. (2004). Tourism routes as a tool for the economic development of rural areas – vibrant hope or impossible dream? Tourism Management, 25, 71–79.
Bruwer, J. (2003). South African wine routes: Some perspectives on the wine tourism industry’s structural dimensions and wine tourism product. Tourism Management, 24, 423–435.
Clarke, J. (2005). Effective marketing for rural tourism. In D. Hall, I. Kirkpatrick, & M. Mitchell (Eds.), Rural tourism and sustainable business (pp. 87–102). Clevedon: Channel View.
Cradle of Humankind (2006). Tourism vision and potential. Available at http://www.cradleofhumankind.co.za.
Crocodile Ramble Information Centre (2006). The Crocodile Ramble. Available at http://www.crocodileramble.co.za.
Davie, L. (2006). Discover the Cradle of Humankind. Available at http://www.mogalecity.gov.za.
Donaldson, R. (2007). Tourism in small town South Africa. In C. M. Rogerson & G. Visser (Eds.), Urban tourism in the developing world: The South African experience (pp. 307–325). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Press.
Dredge, D. (2006). Policy networks and the local organisation of tourism. Tourism Management, 27, 269–280.
Eastham, J. F. (2003). Valorizing through tourism in rural areas: Moving towards regional partnerships. In C. M. Hall, L. Sharples, R. Mitchell, N. Macionis, & B. Camborne (Eds.), Food tourism around the world: Development, management, and markets (pp. 228–248). London: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Eby, D. W., & Molnar, L. J. (2002). Importance of scenic byways in route choice: A survey of driving tourists in the United States. Transportation Research A: Policy and Practice, 36, 95–106.
ECI Africa (2006). Community-based tourism. Unpublished draft report for FRIDGE, Johannesburg.
Gibson, L., Lynch, P. A., & Morrison, A. (2005). The local destination tourism network: Development issues. Tourism and Hospitality Planning & Development, 2(2), 87–99.
Hall, C. M. (1999). Rethinking collaboration and partnership: A public policy perspective. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 7, 274–289.
Hall, C. M. (2005). Rural wine and food tourism cluster and network development. In D. Hall, I. Kirkpatrick, & M. Mitchell (Eds.), Rural tourism and sustainable business (pp. 149–164). Clevedon: Channel View.
Hall, C. M., Mitchell, R., & Sharples, L. (2003). Consuming places: The role of food, wine and tourism in regional development. In C. M. Hall, L. Sharples, R. Mitchell, N. Macionis, & B. Camborne (Eds.), Food tourism around the world: Development, management, and markets (pp. 25–59). London: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Hardy, A. (2003). An investigation into the key factors necessary for the development of iconic touring routes. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 9, 314–330.
Lourens, M. (2007). Route tourism – A roadmap towards successful destinations and local economic development. Development Southern Africa, 24 (in press).
Magaliesburg Meander (2004). What is the Magalies Meander: General information and application? Available at http://www.magaliesmeander.co.za.
Magaliesburg (2006). The magic of Magaliesburg. Available at http://www.magaliesburg.co.za.
Magaliesburg Meander (2006). Magalies Meander. Available at http://www.magaliesmeander.co.za.
Magnussen, A., & Visser, G. (2003). Developing a world heritage site: The cradle of humankind. Africa Insight, 33(1/2), 78–86.
Mathfield, D. (2000). Impacts of accommodation and craft-based tourism on local economic development: the case of the Midlands Meander. Masters Research Report, University of Natal, Durban.
Meyer, D. (2004). Tourism routes and gateways: Key issues for the development of tourism routes and gateways and their potential for pro-poor tourism. Overseas Development Institute, London.
Meyer-Cech, K. (2003). Food trails in Austria. In C. M. Hall, L. Sharples, R. Mitchell, N. Macionis, & B. Camborne (Eds.), Food tourism around the world: Development, management, and markets (pp. 149–157). London: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Meyer-Cech, K. (2005). Regional cooperation in rural theme trails. In D. Hall, I. Kirkpatrick, & M. Mitchell (Eds.), Rural tourism and sustainable business (pp. 137–148). Clevedon: Channel View.
Michael, E. J. (2003). Tourism micro-clusters. Tourism Economics, 9(2), 133–145.
Mogale City (2004). Integrated development plan, 2004/5. Local Municipality, Mogale City.
Mogale City (2005). The pulse of Gauteng. Mogale City Municipality, Krugersdorp.
Mogale City (2006a). Welcome to the treasure chest of the west. Available at http://www.mogalecity.gov.za/visitors.
Mogale City (2006b). Introduction to doing business at Mogale City. http://www.mogalecity.gov.za/business.
Murray, M., & Graham, B. (1997). Exploring the dialectics of route-based tourism: The Camino de Santiago. Tourism Management, 18, 513–524.
Olsen, M. (2002). Keeping track of the drive tourism market. In D. Carson, I. Waller, & N. Scott (Eds.), Drive tourism: Up the wall and round the bend (pp. 11–24). Melbourne: Common Ground.
Olsen, M. (2003). Tourism themed routes: A Queensland perspective. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 9, 331–341.
Pavlovich, K. (2003). The evolution and transformation of a tourism destination network: The Waitamo Caves, New Zealand. Tourism Management, 24, 203–216.
Plummer, R., Telfer, D., & Hashimoto, A. (2006). The rise and fall of the Waterloo–Wellington ale trail: A study of collaboration within the tourism industry. Current Issues in Tourism, 9(3), 191–205.
Plummer, R., Telfer, D., Hashimoto, A., & Summers, R. (2005). Beer tourism in Canada along the Waterloo-Wellington Ale Trail. Tourism Management, 26, 447–458.
Preston-Whyte, R. (2000). Wine routes in South Africa. In C. M. Hall, L. Sharples, B. Cambourne, & N. Macionis (Eds), Wine tourism around the world: Development, management and markets (pp. 103–114). Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann.
Reed, M. G. (1999). Collaborative tourism planning as adaptive experiments in emergent tourism settings. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 7, 331–355.
Rogerson, C. M. (2002a). Tourism-led local economic development: The South African experience. Urban Forum, 13, 95–119.
Rogerson, C. M. (2002b). Tourism and local economic development: The case of the Highlands Meander. Development Southern Africa, 19, 143–167.
Saxena, G. (2005). Relationships, networks and the learning regions: Evidence from the Peak District National Park. Tourism Management, 26, 277–289.
Shih, H.-Y. (2006). Network characteristics of drive tourism destinations: An application of network analysis in tourism. Tourism Management, 27, 1029–1039.
Spenceley, A. (2003). Tourism, livelihoods and the private sector in South Africa: case studies on the growing role of the private sector in natural resources management. Sustainable Livelihoods in Southern Africa Research Paper No. 8, Brighton, Institute of Development Studies.
Stoddart, H. (2005). Route tourism and local economic development in the Magalies Meander and Crocodile Ramble, Gauteng and North-West Provinces, South Africa. Unpublished Paper, School of Geography, Archaeology & Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Strategic Environmental Focus (2002). State of the Environment Report for Mogale City Local Municipality, Gauteng. Available at http://www.mogalecity.gov.za.
Telfer, D. J. (2001a). Strategic alliances along the Niagara Wine Route. Tourism Management, 22, 21–30.
Telfer, D. J. (2001b). From a wine tourism village to a regional wine route: An investigation of the competitive advantages of embedded clusters in Niagara, Canada. Tourism Recreation Research, 26(2), 23–33.
Telfer, D. J., & Hashimoto, A. (2003). Food tourism in the Niagara region: The development of nouvelle cuisine. In C. M. Hall, L. Sharples, R. Mitchell, N. Macionis, & B. Camborne (Eds.), Food Tourism around the world: Development, management, and markets (pp. 158–177). London: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Timothy, D. (1998). Cooperative tourism planning in a developing destination. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 6(1), 52–68.
Tosun, C. (2000). Limits to community participation in the tourism development process in developing countries. Tourism Management, 21, 613–633.
Tosun, C. (2006). Expected nature of community participation in tourism development. Tourism Management, 27, 493–504.
Vernon, J., Essex, S., Pinder, D., & Curry, K. (2005). Collaborative policymaking: Local sustainable projects. Annals of Tourism Research, 32, 325–345.
Visser, G. (2004). The World Wide Web and tourism in South Africa: Thecae of Open Africa. In C. M. Rogerson & G. Visser (Eds.), Tourism and development issues in contemporary South Africa (pp. 335–354). Pretoria: Africa Institute of South Africa.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rogerson, C.M. Tourism Routes as Vehicles for Local Economic Development in South Africa: The Example of the Magaliesberg Meander. Urban Forum 18, 49–68 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-007-9006-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-007-9006-5