Tourism Month is observed in South Africa every September, and seeks to raise awareness of tourism’s contribution to economic growth and job creation. It is also an opportunity to market domestic tourism and develop a culture of travel among South Africans.

The impact of domestic tourism on the South African economy should not be overlooked. Each journey that we embark on within our borders has a ripple effect on many industries, and contributes to the country’s economic prosperity. Exploring our own country not only allows us to discover spectacular landscapes, but to connect through the vibrant cultures that define us.

United Nations (UN) Tourism defines cultural tourism as the following: “A type of tourism activity in which the visitor’s essential motivation is to learn, discover, experience and consume the tangible and intangible cultural attractions/products in a tourism destination. These attractions/products relate to a set of distinctive material, intellectual, spiritual and emotional features of a society that encompasses arts and architecture, historical and cultural heritage, culinary heritage, literature, music, creative industries and the living cultures with their lifestyles, value systems, beliefs, and traditions.”

UN Tourism estimates that cultural tourism makes up about 40% of all international travel and is therefore regarded as a vital sector of the global tourism market. Yet it is a less prominent tourism product in South Africa, which has the image of being a nature-based or ‘sun, sea and sand’ destination – this, despite the vast cultural resources spread across the country that are untapped in terms of their tourism potential.

South Africa is endowed with diverse languages, religions, battlefields, communities, San paintings, traditions, rural landscapes, ethnic groups, townships, heritage, cuisine, museums and vineyards. Consequently, the country is an ideal destination to develop and promote cultural tourism. What’s more, the development and marketing of cultural tourism is seen as a viable strategy to alleviate poverty, and ensure inclusive growth and socio-economic development. This is important, given that South Africa’s unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 33.5% in the second quarter of 2024, the highest level since 2022.

The University of Pretoria was part of a recent study that details five types of motivation that influence South Africans to participate in cultural tourism: learning about the local culture; relaxation and entertainment; social status and recognition; escape and curiosity; and experience. In order to develop the cultural tourism potential of South Africa, tourism developers and marketers should take note of these motivations and develop cultural tourism products that satisfy them.

Of the five motivations, ‘learning about the local culture’ was the strongest predictor of the likelihood of South Africans to engage in cultural tourism. Cultural tourists are naturally inclined to be inquisitive about other cultures. Cultural destinations/sites should therefore focus on increasing and improving tourists’ learning experience. This could be done through the effective interpretation of sites, guided tours, educational sessions and even live entertainment.

Even though learning about local culture was the strongest predictor, our results indicate that cultural tourists are motivated by more than just that. Cultural tourism products should be developed with this in mind and should ensure that they provide a complex travel experience to visitors, including elements such as entertainment, relaxation, novelty and escape. Therefore, cultural tourism providers should combine learning and hedonic-entertainment dimensions, also referred to as edutainment. Information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as augmented reality, assist in personalising the experience to better satisfy the needs of various visitor segments and make edutainment possible. As a result, ICTs can enhance the attractiveness of cultural landmarks, by not only helping visitors to better understand heritage, but also by enriching the experience.

Our findings also show the value of indigenous cultural tourism activities. In light of this, more should be done to make domestic and international tourists aware of this segment. There are various ways to develop a destination’s indigenous cultural tourism offering, including by making indigenous experiences and artefacts more accessible and available to tourists; creating effective promotional strategies and raising awareness of the diversity of indigenous offerings; and including cultural content in nature-based experiences. To improve the learning experience when engaging in indigenous cultural tourism activities, tourists should be actively engaged – they could participate in workshops where they’re taught how to make artefacts, cook traditional meals or learn traditional dances.

Cultural tourism holds immense potential to alleviate poverty and ensure inclusive growth and socio-economic development in South Africa. More should be done to understand and develop this untapped sector. As South Africans, we can all do our part by taking one trip during Tourism Month. It’s your country – enjoy it!