Abstract
M.Com. (Economics)
Tourism is generally regarded as the world's largest and fastest growing industry. As
such it is a major employer and earner of foreign exchange and in many countries
constitutes a significant component of the national economy.
Although tourism can play an important role in promoting economic growth and
development, its potential is determined by factors such as the existence of unique
tourist attractions, the presence of natural resources, general economic conditions
and political stability.
The primary goal of this study has been to determine to what extent co-operation
agreements between Southern African countries can contribute to the promotion of
tourism to the region.
The main approach of the study was to carry out a literature survey of the activities,
. programmes and objectives of the institutions and organisations responsible for the
promotion of tourism inSouthern Africa. For the purposes of this study, the Southern
African region is regarded as consisting of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi,
Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The study also considers the tourism potential of the area in terms of physical;
economic and infrastructural criteria.
The study has found that the Southern African region has outstanding tourism
potential, based on its physical features. Each country in the region offers a variety
of unique and divergent tourist attractions which can be regarded as complementary
to each other. As a result the tourism potential of the region can contribute to
continued economic development and growth. The study has however, found that a number of factors are limiting the optimal
development of the tourism industry. These include: a lack of close co-operation
between states, inadequate safety and security, insufficient economic growth and
development and an infrastructure which does not support the optimal development
of tourism in the region.
The study recommends that all countries in the region should engage more closely
with each other to develop marketing programmes aimed at exploiting the unique
features of the region. To optimise the role of the tourism industry, it is
recommended that both the public and private sectors, together with the community,
should share the responsibility for its development. Tourism is essentially a
community activity and all residents and organisations should be involved in its
development promotion.
In the light of the inadequate transport infrastructure which exists to promote tourism
it is recommended that regional links be upgraded to allow member countries to
connect with the comprehensive transport network in South Africa. This will
contribute to regional co-operation and, since transport reaches across national
boundaries, promote the optimal application of transport services within a much wider
area.
The study clearly indicates that, in the light of the newclimate of co-operation inthe
Southern African region since the early 1990's, the role of South Africa within the
context of co-operation agreements be clarified.
The entire region can take advantage of South Africa's technical know-how and
comprehensive transport infrastructure by maintaining closer relationships with South
Africa. It is however, necessary to ensure that co-operation agreements incorporate
the necessary safeguards to ensure that South Africa does not dominate its partners.