Tourism as a local economic development strategy in townships. Langa, Cape Town

Maraka, Limpho Mokakose

Tourism as a local economic development strategy in townships. Langa, Cape Town

Thesis / Dissertation

2024

Abstract

According to Blakely (1989) local economic development is a process by which local government, community-based groups manage their existing resources to enter in a new partnership arrangement with the private sector or each other to create new partnership arrangements with the private sector to create new jobs and stimulate economic activity in a well-defined economic zone. The primary goal of local economic development is the creation of business development and increase the variety of jobs. Township tourism has been a growing phenomenon representing attractions within impoverished areas. The growth of township tourism has been attributed to the prevalence of rich culture and history that presents a special interest or niche cultural heritage tourism that offers tourist an ‘authentic' experience into townships (Booyens, 2021). The commercialisation of township tours as leisure activities has led to the popularity of township tourism suggesting that there is a strong relationship between tourism and socio-economically marginalised people (Booyens and Rogerson, 2019). Regardless of the limited or inadequate provisions of infrastructure in townships these areas present strong attractiveness to the international market. South African townships represent a creative consumption focused economy, where the elements of culture and heritage encourage active learning and participation experiences, the development of cultural clusters and creative event (Booyens and Rogerson, 2019). The benefits of township tourism to the wider market are greatly explored however of concern is to whether the locals are able to benefit from township tourism in creating employment opportunities and alleviating poverty. Hence the aspect of slum tourism referring to the voyeurism and marketing of slums (Franzel et al, 2015). It thus becomes important in investigating tourism as an appropriate local economic development strategy within townships in an effort to understand if and how tourism-based development can be an appropriate local economic development strategy in alleviating unemployment and poverty in poor communities. The study draws from established literature and interviews using Langa in Cape Town as a case study in attaining the prerequisites for tourism to work within townships.

Keywords

Architecture, Planning and Geomatics

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