ASSESSING THE MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FREE STATE SECTION OF THE MALOTI DRAKENSBERG ROUTE

Abstract

Tourism has the potential to have a positive impact on economic growth and development. Tourism should also benefit small towns and rural areas, hence the increased emphasis on the development of tourism routes. The concept of ‘route tourism’ refers to an initiative designed to link together a group of tourism activities and attractions under a unified theme and to promote local tourism (Rogerson, 2007:50). Most tourism routes are managed by forums that are responsible for managing and marketing the route. South Africa has a number of prominent tourism routes of which the Maloti Drakensberg Route (MDR) is among the longest and most well-known. As a substantial section of the MDR runs through the Free State Province (stretching from Harrismith to Zastron), much-needed tourists are being brought to smaller Free State towns. The aim of this investigation was to assess the marketing and management effectiveness of the Maloti Drakensberg Route Forum (MDRF), specifically for the Free State section of the MDR. This study incorporated both a qualitative and a quantitative research approach. A questionnaire was administered to 51 tourists and 27 product owners on the Free State section of the MDR. The findings indicated that the overall marketing and management activities of the MDRF were not effective. One of the main shortcomings was effective communication between the MDRF and the product owners, which resulted in many management- and marketing-related frustrations. Other issues raised by both product owners and tourists included inadequate infrastructure such as roads, signage and rest stops along the MDR.