A typology of memorable experience at Nelson Mandela heritage sites

ABSTRACT

This study examines cultural heritage tourism by identifying and segmenting heritage site visitors according to the aspects they define as necessary for a memorable heritage site experience. The research focusses on visitors to Nelson Mandela Heritage Sites and emphasises that the links between the attributes of a site and the visitors themselves are essential to understanding tourists’ willingness to pay to visit the mentioned sites. A typology of visitors that the authors labelled ‘auxiliary experience seekers, convenience experience seekers and comprehensive experience seekers’ (ACC) was used. The results revealed comprehensive experience seekers as the most critical market segment regarding the much significantly higher amount they are willing to pay when visiting Nelson Mandela Heritage Sites. This leads to a better understanding of aspects contributing towards a memorable heritage site experience as well as to visitors’ willingness to pay for such experiences. This study also provides further insight into cultural heritage tourism in general. Moreover, such segmentation was found as a useful research tool for producing a distinct visitor profile as well as how a memorable experiencing can be generated by suggesting diversified pricing at such sites.

KEYWORDS:

• Cultural heritage sites
• cultural heritage tourism
• memorable experience
• marketing
• market segmentation
• willingness to pay

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Babalwa Bongekile Mgxekwa is a PhD candidate at the tourism research unit of the North-West University, Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society (TREES). Her research focus is on cultural heritage, willingness to pay as well as memorable experiences.

Dr Marco Scholtz, PhD, is senior lecturer at Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society (TREES) at the North-West University. His research focus is on cultural heritage; social impacts and memorable experiences.

Prof. Melville Saayman, PhD, is a Professor and the Director of Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society at the North-West University. His research focus includes travel motives, tourism economics, and memorable experiences.

Additional information

Funding

This article was self-funded by the authors.