Attributes that influence resort attractiveness: a case study of selected Kimberley resorts

Abstract

Resorts have grown to dominate the accommodation sector of the world’s tourism industry and are known as the key building blocks of tourism due to the impact the latter has on local and international economies. Resorts, as a component of the destination offer a unique combination of resources, attractions, and facilities; they also have unique physical environments, ecological conditions, and socio-cultural specifics. The attractiveness of a resort plays a role in a tourist’s destination of choice, expectations of satisfaction, intentions to revisit, perceptions of benefits and motivations, positive perception of opinion leaders, the amount of money spent, and the duration of the stay. In order for a resort to be successful, sustainable and viable, it is important to identify the attributes that lead tourists to choose one destination over another. Despite this, a lack of research has been carried out to determine the underlying dimensions of resort attractiveness in South Africa. The aim of this research was to determine the attractiveness of selected Kimberley resorts in the Northern Cape, South Africa. These resorts have experienced low visitation and profit levels in the past. This leads to question whether visitors find the resorts attractive. In order to collect data a questionnaire was used to conduct interviews with visitors at the resorts. The results suggest that attributes of selected Kimberley resorts are perceived as being of average to poor quality.