Barriers to visiting South Africa's national parks in the post-apartheid era: black South African perspectives from Soweto

Abstract

Almost 80% of South African citizens are of black African origin, yet are significantly underrepresented in numerous leisure activities and especially at national parks: they accounted for only 8.8% of visitors to South African parks’ recreational spaces in 2010/2011. A review of literature on this issue finds a series of research shortcomings. Using a sample of 466 respondents from Soweto (414 self-administered surveys and 52 in-depth interviews), this paper re-examines the significant barriers deterring black South Africans from visiting national parks. Economic impediments to travel were frequently reported but other previously ignored barriers emerged, including lack of paid holidays, leisure “immobilities” fostered under apartheid, transport issues, time constraints, and lack of understanding and knowledge of what to do in national parks. All maintain the perception of parks as unwelcome spaces for many black South Africans. While park management is now largely done by black South Africans, and valuable policy statements now exist, the problems remain. The paper suggests potential actions to reverse the common belief that national parks remain exclusive white South African domains, including deconstructing the parks’ historical relationship with oppression, better promotion, specialised tour development, and work with schools. Links are made to comparable situations elsewhere.

后种族隔离时代参观南非的国家公园的障碍：索韦托南非黑人的观点

近80％的南非公民都是非洲黑人血统，但在众多的休闲活动，特别是在国家公园的休闲人数中所占比例不足：它们在在2010/2011南非公园游客中仅占8.8％。关于这个问题的文献研究有一系列的不足。使用来自索韦托（414自我管理的调查和52次深入访谈）466受访者的样本，本文重新审视了阻碍南非黑人访问国家公园的障碍。对于经济障碍的报告非常频繁，但是其它明显的障碍被忽略了，包括带薪休假，种族隔离制度下的休闲固定化，交通问题，时间限制以及缺乏对国家公园的了解和认识。这些都在一些黑人心中留下了国家公园不欢迎他们的印象。虽然公园管理现在主要由南非黑人来做，虽然制订了许多有价值的政策，但是目前问题依然存在。本文建议扭转目前国家公园为南非白人专用的思想，包括解构公园“压迫的历史关系，更好地推广，专业旅游开发，并且与学校合作，多于其它地区的相同情况做对比。

Keywords:

• South Africa
• national parks
• perceptions
• tourism and race
• post-colonialism

关键词:

• 南非
• 国家公园
• 认知
• 旅游和种族
• 后殖民主义

Note

Notes

1. Refers to the “Jim Crow laws” in the USA that segregated African-Americans and white Americans in public spaces between the late 1800s and 1965.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gareth Butler

Dr Gareth Butler is a lecturer in International Tourism Management at Flinders University, Australia, and an adjunct senior research affiliate at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His research interests include tourism mobilities, tourism and sustainability, and cultural heritage tourism development.

Scott Richardson

Dr Scott Richardson is the director of Academic Affairs and Head of School at the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School. He is also an adjunct senior research affiliate at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He was awarded his PhD degree from Griffith University, Australia, and has worked at a number of Australian and international universities. He also has extensive tourism and hospitality industry experience having worked in the industry for more than 10 years.