Information communication technologies and the potential for rural tourism SMME development: The case of the Wild Coast

Abstract

This article explores how information communication technologies (ICTs) can help tourismbased small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) address their constraints to growth and development in rural South Africa. More specifically, it reports on research conducted in the Wild Coast region of the Eastern Cape province focussed on the constraints, and related information needs affecting the success of rural SMMEs operating in the tourism industry, and explores how ICTs might address these limitations. Within the context of the constraints faced by rural SMMEs, this article examines the information needs and current patterns of communication that impact on the development of the sector, the nature of tourism SMMEs in the case study area, and the potential use of ICTs to support tourism-based SMME development in rural areas.