Abstract
Profiling visitors’ characteristics at religious tourism events and festivals in Gauteng was made achievable in this study by focusing on two religious events hosted in Pretoria and Soweto in the province. The key variables interrogated concerned: who the visitors were; where they came from; where they stayed during their visit; how long they stayed; and what activities they engaged in besides the primary purpose of their visit, and their spending patterns during their stay in Gauteng. Using a mixed-method research design, the study collected data from 337 respondents. The key findings of the study show that the events attracted both international and domestic tourists, with the religious visitors largely being women, who were between the ages of 25 and 28 years old, with a good educational background. They engaged in a range of activities beside their primary purpose of visit, and they stayed between two and four nights in Gauteng, spending their money on shopping and on visiting the local tourist attractions. The international tourists came mainly from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Lesotho, whereas the domestic tourists came mainly from the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State. The study asserts that religious tourists are an important segment that can contribute significantly towards South Africa’s tourism. Interestingly, profiling the tourists has revealed that the vast majority, who travel in groups, are repeat visitors, who are satisfied with what Gauteng has to offer as a destination. Thus, they could be used as brand ambassadors for South African tourism, being capable of promoting South Africa by means of word of mouth, which could then lead to increased tourist arrivals in future. The study recommends the need for destination marketing organisations to focus on maintaining the satisfaction level of religious tourists, while attempting to attract new ones, as the tourists have the potential to contribute to the overall tourism benefits involved.
M.Com. (Tourism and Hospitality)