Angolan battlefield tourism: Impact on the quality-of-life of South African Defence Force (SADF) veterans

Abstract

This study sought to determine the tourism travel motives of former South African Defence Force veterans with Angolan civil war battlefield experience . Nine veterans completed qualitative interviews on their travel motives, influences across their life domains, and quality-of-life overall, three months pre- and post the tour . Thematic analysis yielded travel motives of social, camaraderie, and friendship as well as a sense of family belongingness . The veterans reported with a heightened quality-of-life overall from achieving a sense of closure to the battlefield experience events that troubled them for many years . The findings contribute to the knowledge base on the travel motives of military veterans with psychological trauma from historical conflicts, and the psychological recovery they would benefit post-conflict from visiting as tourists.

Keywords:

• battlefield tour
• life domains
• quality-of-life
• SADF
• travel motives
• veterans

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank the interviewees for sharing their experiences, which made this research possible.