South African Mountain Guides and their Experiences of, and Responses to the Covid-19 Pandemic

Autor: Gavin Heath
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, Vol 12, Iss 1, Pp 339-350 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2223-814X
DOI: 10.46222/ajhtl.19770720.371
Popis: The purpose of this article was to survey a select group of mountain guides in South Africa. This was to ascertain how the varying alert levels forced by the Covid-19 pandemic and promulgated by the South African Government had affected their businesses over the last three years (2020-2022). Mountain guiding is a small and relatively unknown commercial tourism operation in the country. The country’s mountain guides work in geographically isolated areas and perform a range of physically arduous activities in the service of their clients. There is limited literature on mountain guiding and the pandemic. The methodology was to contact the guides and ascertain their views and experiences during the historical trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire and follow-up questions. Research analysis comprised a thematic analysis of the questionnaires, including timeline analyses of the answers. The knowledge of changing tourism preferences and the modus operandi of the guides did improve understanding of a tourism sector that is heavily dependent on foreign visitors and foreign exchange, and which had been forced to markedly change due to the pandemic. Recovery steps and initiatives were focused upon as pointers towards establishing a more resilient economic sub-sector. A number of recommendations regarding further research have been included.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals