Challenges faced by uMgungundlovu District Municipality in the implementation of tourism to enhance local economic development

• Main Author: Motumi, Kabelo Kenneth
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University 2013
• Subjects: Economic development > South Africa > uMgungundlovu District Municipality; Tourism > South Africa > uMgungundlovu District Municipality
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020388

Tourism is gradually recognized and acknowledged as an important sector to drive economic growth across many nations. It is by no coincidence that the South African government took a bold decision to elevate the importance of tourism in the economy through the establishment of a dedicated tourism ministry in 2009. Tourism derives its mandate from the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 108 of 1996, which outlines tourism function as an area of concurrent competence between the three spheres of government that is national, provincial and local government. According to Tsatsire (2008:1), the new mandate given to local government post 1994 implies that local government is no longer expected to render basic services only, but is also required to serve as an agent of development. The main objective of the study is to identify the challenges faced by the municipalities in the implementation of tourism functions, using UMgungundlovu District Municipality as a case study and pursued the following specific objectives: To establish the roles and responsibilities of municipalities in tourism; To assess whether these responsibilities are adequately performed and to understand the reasons for deficiencies, if there are any; To highlight the contribution of tourism to local economic development; To ascertain the status of the implementation of the tourism strategy for the UMgungundlovu District Municipality (UMDM); To highlight the significance of the role of municipalities in achieving national and provincial tourism objectives and; To recommend appropriate actions to overcome the challenges pertaining to implementation of tourism at a local government level. The study is premised upon the acknowledgement that there are many developmental challenges facing municipalities and tourism is one of them. With tourism being recognised more and more as an essential component of local economic development, municipalities are required to play a central role in ensuring the implementation of national and provincial priorities to boost the sector’s contribution to the economy. The study explores various pieces of legislation upon which tourism mandate on local government is embedded. This has enabled to provide clarification with regards to the roles and responsibilities of local government in tourism. The connection between tourism and local economic development is succinctly discussed to ascertain the benefits of tourism and its contribution in local economy. The study took a form of qualitative research and therefore employing the use of qualitative research techniques in terms of data collection, analysis and interpretation process. Data were collected through the review and analysis of strategy documents including the Local Economic Development Strategy, Tourism Strategy and the Integrated Development Plan of UMgungundlovu District Municipality. Interviews were also conducted with the officials responsible for tourism within UMDM and other local tourism stakeholder organization within the study area including uMsunduzi Pietermaritzburg Tourism Association, Howick uMngeni Community Tourism Association, Pietermaritzburg Business Chamber of Commerce, KwaZulu Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism and Tourism KwaZulu Natal. The methodology that was followed in the study has enabled the researcher to address all the study objectives and to compile the findings report presented in chapter four. Tourism is one of the functions of local government; however, municipalities are faced with a variety of challenges in the implementation of tourism function. Challenges that are pertinent to UMDM are discussed and articulated in this report. The study concludes by documenting the recommendations conferred by the respondents with the objective to overcome the challenges pertaining to implementation of tourism at a local government level. These recommendations are further discussed to explore practical actions on how the UMDM can overcome the identified challenges to enhance local economic development through tourism.