TOURISM STRATEGIES AND LOCAL COMMUNITY RESPONSES AROUND THE WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN KWAZULU-NATAL

ABSTRACT

Many of the tourism policies and strategies in South African have been formulated with the intention of supporting communities by affording them opportunities for job creation, employment and poverty alleviation. Notwithstanding that these policies and strategies have been discharged at various times, they seem not to have been well understood or assimilated by the local communities. This paper explores the level at which tourism policy mandates are implemented and the extent to which these elicit positive community responses. In addition, the paper seeks to establish the degree to which local communities perceive any benefit from increased tourism activities within the World Heritage Sites. The findings indicate that local communities from iSimangaliso and Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg World Heritage Sites were not fully conversant with the policies and strategies that were meant to enhance their participation in tourism activities. Furthermore, not all communities supported the promotion of sustainable tourism development in their areas. Finally, local authorities have advocated for a better interpretation and execution of the existing policies and strategies.