Original Articles

Community perceptions of tourism in the Tshivhase area of the Limpopo Province, South Africa

Published in: Anthropology Southern Africa
Volume 35 , issue 3-4 , 2012 , pages: 60–70

DOI: 10.1080/23323256.2012.11500025

Author(s): C.C. Boonzaaier Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, , J.H.F. Grobler Department of Anthropology and Archaeology,

Keywords: Community perceptions , tourism , stereotypes , images , Third World marketing , Venda

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Abstract

In the past, Third World places and peoples have been promoted largely by First World tourism agents who relied heavily on stereotyped images from a colonial past, consequently depriving local communities of opportunities and the right to define their own public identity. This study examines how members of three socio-demographic groupings in a rural community in the Limpopo Province of South Africa would prefer to be presented, and the article argues that communities should have a say and control in this respect. Qualitative research which took socio-demographic variables such as age group, level of education and occupation into account was conducted in three rural Venda villages in the Limpopo Province which have been exposed to tourists. Most respondents preferred accurate representation of their traditional culture in promotional material, but significant differences between groups emerged, providing a fragmented picture, indicating that it is impossible to provide a general, representative portrayal of community perceptions and ways in which communities prefer to be promoted.

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