Abstract
This investigation applied Butler’s (1980) Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) model to investigate historical tourism development in Eswatini (formerly the country of Swaziland). The TALC model states that the development of tourism destinations follows an evolutionary cycle characterised by six stages: exploration, involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation, and either decline or rejuvenation. The project's objectives included providing a critical review of the TALC, particularly its origin, criticisms and proposed modifications. In addition, the research aimed to reassess the TALC using Eswatini as a case study and to provide an updated analysis of tourism development in the country from 1995 to 2022. The study employed a mixed methods approach. Quantitative data covering tourism statistics from 1995 to 2022 were obtained from the Eswatini Tourism Authority and analysed using time series analysis within five-year intervals. Qualitative data included interview transcripts with tourism employees, tourists, and locals and transcripts of tourist comments on TripAdvisor and Eswatini Safaris from 2017 to 2022. This data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that tourism in Eswatini progressed through involvement, development, and stagnation stages between 1995 and 2022. From 1995 to 2004, the involvement stage was marked by the establishment of community-based tourism projects, such as the Shewula Mountain Camp. The development stage was experienced from 2005 to 2019, characterised by increased investment in tourism marketing and infrastructure improvements, particularly transportation infrastructure. The stagnation stage occurred from 2020 to 2022 due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and safety concerns from violent protests. The ongoing construction of the Hlane motel and marketing campaigns promoting domestic tourism were identified as attempts to rejuvenate tourism in Eswatini.