Abstract
M.Com.
This research study draws on the tremendous opportunity for further growth of the main generating African and South African (domestic) markets through diversification of South Africa’s cultural tourism product offerings, especially products related to South African political history. In order to be able to offer new, diversified cultural products that speak to the tourist’s personal heritage, the study compares how African and South African tourists construct the authenticity of their experience at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg. The research question addressed by this dissertation is: What are the differences in African and domestic tourists’ construction of authentic tourist experience at Constitution Hill?
The general lack of research on constructive authenticity of tourist experience at political heritage sites in South Africa is the main justification for undertaking this research study. In order to understand the nature of emotional response of tourists to South African political heritage sites the research aims to explore differences arising from the tourist origins, how close the site is to the tourist’s frame of reference and how interpretation and presentation affect perception of authenticity and the meaning of the political heritage sites.
A quantitative research paradigm, non-probability sampling strategy and the convenience or accidental sample method provided a research framework for the study. This is exploratory research because it compares the variables of constructive authenticity of tourist experience between domestic and African tourists. The main survey instrument is a questionnaire. The data was collected in September-December 2014 at the Constitution Hill political cultural heritage site in Johannesburg. The final sample consisted of N=298 respondents of which 148 were African and 150 domestic tourists.