4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - Faculties submissions
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Item Proposing the establishment of a tourist-generated-video library for destination marketing by tourism organisations(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Lehutjo, TshepoTourist-generated media content is a phenomenon that has become increasingly popular in recent years on social media platforms; to a point where many travel bloggers have even taken it on as a full-time occupation to meet the growing customer/tourist demand for it. On the other hand, tourism organisations and the industry at large have not been at the ready to take advantage of these technological developments. The prevailing explanation for this contrast is that tourism organisations do not have the know-how nor the time to invest in these technologies as they are typically staffed by small, specialised teams. As a result, entrepreneurs may investigate this identified gap to assist tourism organisations in meeting customer demands for: authentic tourist-generated videos while these customers are in the discovery and decision- making process of before their travel journey. Data was gathered remotely through publicly available platforms on the Internet, using a close-ended questionnaire to capture responses. The responses were then processed to generate descriptive statistics to elaborate on the following: the proportion of South African tourism organisations currently using the Facebook platform was determined to gauge the size of the market. Further, the extent of video use and other factors on the platform was determined, within the attraction and engagement constructs of the Digital Marketing Framework. This was done to understand how and when tourist-generated videos are used, if at all, and what other methods tourism organisations apply to attract or engage customers. Based off the findings, which show that South African tourism organisations have a low social media engagement rate with tourists and make very little use of video (which is proven to be more engaging and better for sales conversion) as a form of media content – be it tourist generated or not. This research thus proposes the use of a tourist-generated-video library that tourism organisations will pay to access so that they may use such videos to market destinations on their social media profiles and websites.Item An Impact of Destination Marketing and Smart Tourism Applications on Tourist’s Visit Intentions to Southern Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Steenkamp, Sherilee; Zulu, MelissaSouth Africa, a leading economy in Africa, faces challenges in its tourism sector despite its critical role in economic growth and employment. This study addresses the impact of destination marketing, focusing on digital marketing and user-generated content, and smart tourism applications like smart sightseeing, on tourists' visit intentions in Southern Africa. Using a quantitative approach with an online questionnaire administered to 402 international participants, the research investigates how these factors influence perceived destination image, attitude, and subjective norms. Findings reveal that digital marketing significantly enhances perceived destination image, which in turn positively affects tourists' attitudes. Familiarity also plays a crucial role in shaping attitudes, supporting existing theories on mere exposure. Moreover, attitude directly correlates with visit intention, supporting the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Subjective norms moderate this relationship, underscoring the influence of social approval on tourists' behavioural intentions. This study contributes insights into enhancing destination marketing and smart tourism strategies to strengthen Southern Africa's tourism sector.