Tourism,business linkages and small enterprise development in South Africa

Although considerable attention is given to the prospects for developing small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa's tourism economy, very little relevant research has been undertaken in this regard. In this article, the findings are presented from over 60 detailed interviews conducted with key enterprises and entrepreneurs involved in tourism, outsourcing and small enterprise development in South Africa. The aim is to examine opportunities for outsourcing and business linkage development in South Africa's tourism economy, and to investigate the difficulties that confront the tourism SMME economy through examining the status of business linkages between large tourism enterprises and SMMEs in South Africa. The South African research is located within the context of existing works on tourism and small enterprise development in developing countries.     

Does the application of ICTs facilitate rural economic transformation in China? Empirical evidence from the use of smartphones among farmers

This paper investigates the role of information communication technologies (ICTs) in the transformation of rural economies by evaluating the use of smartphones among farmers in China. We use unique three-wave panel data to document the transformation path of rural economies in recent years. An endogenous switching probit model and a counterfactual analysis are applied to estimate the effects of smartphone use. The results show that from 2008 to 2015, rural economies in China could be characterized by the following three aspects: a) increased off-farm employment, b) expanded grain cultivation, and c) decreased crop diversification. The estimation results indicate that the use of smartphones among farmers had significant impacts on the transformation of rural economies by facilitating the off-farm employment of the farmers' family members, the cultivation of nongrain crops and crop specialization. These findings complement the empirical evidence on the role of ICTs, particularly smartphones, in the development of rural economies in China and other developing countries.     

Tourism and rural development in Maputaland: A case‐study of the Kosi Bay area

There is often a vast difference between the needs of the tourism industry and tourists on the one hand and of the local inhabitants of developing tourist destination areas — especially in Third World, rural settings — on the other hand. This article describes some of the problems associated with tourism development in general and discusses tourism development in terms of the psychological saturation effects it can have on local inhabitants. The authors state that tourism could enhance the development of rural areas on an ecologically and economically viable basis, and improve the quality of life of the rural black. They further state that it is possible to reconcile the needs and demands of locals and those of tourism through adequate planning and the development of effec‐tive intra‐ and intercultural communication systems. Using the Kosi Bay area of the Maputaland region in northern Natal as a case‐study, specific suggestions are offered about ways in which this process of need reconciliation can be built into tourism plan‐ning and into the development of a meaningful infrastructure for tourism.     

Unpacking tourism SMMEs in South Africa: structure,support needs and policy response

Small enterprise (SMME) support policy in post-apartheid South Africa has traditionally involved support initiatives in the form of ‘generic’ packages that overlook the specificities of particular sectors. In this article the specific issues concerning SMME development in tourism are investigated. Against a backcloth of a review of international scholarship on tourism small firms, the article presents findings from recent empirical investigations into the progress and problems of tourism SMME development in South Africa. Within the international scholarship and policy debates on tourism, it is argued that the South African experience is particularly distinctive in two respects: (1) the support of particular groups of tourism SMMEs linked to objectives of transformation and (2) the introduction of dedicated tourism-specific support programmes for SMME development.     

基于共生理论福建省乡村旅游综合体构建研究

针对福建省乡村旅游目前发展中存在的问题,如何提升乡村旅游的综合效益显得尤为重要。鉴于此,文章基于共生理论的视角,将乡村旅游综合体作为乡村旅游的发展方向,提出建立共生机制,通过完善环境诱导机制,强化动力机制,减缓阻尼机制,来构建乡村旅游综合体,促进各共生单元的合作发展,形成乡村旅游综合体互惠共生一体化模式,并最终提升乡村旅游的综合效益。     

基于城乡统筹的巴渝古镇旅游开发研究

文章主要分析了城乡统筹政策的实施给巴渝古镇保护和旅游开发带来的机遇,论述巴渝古镇旅游开发在实现城乡统筹中的作用和地位,并探讨了如何使古镇旅游开发适应城乡统筹的要求和原则,实现真正意义上的城乡统筹。     

论促进我国乡村旅游可持续发展的法制建设

面对我国日益升温的乡村旅游热,文章从认识乡村旅游的涵义和特点入手,针对发展乡村旅游过程中存在的主要法律制度问题。进行深入地分析,探索了加强我国乡村旅游法制建设的必要性,提出了促进我国乡村旅游可持续发展的法制建设的有效途径。     

Re-booting the local economy: Information and communication technologies in local economic strategy

Many local economic strategies today include reference to a communications infrastructure that involves electronic networks alongside that of roads and railways. Information and communication technologies (ICTs), often referred to as the “information superhighway” or informatics, are considered useful to stimulate local economic activity. This paper, based on a North East case study, suggests that the importance of ICTs to local economic strategy lies in the rationale of key local strategy makers, while the use of ICTs for local economic development means that the local governance of ICTs will become a salient feature in future economic development.     

传统节庆文化是宁波乡村旅游持续发展的新动力源

文章指出,中国农村保存了相对完整的中国传统文化,合理开发利用民俗节庆文化是乡村旅游持续发展的不竭动力源。其原因在于：民俗节庆文化的群众性可以让乡村旅游产品的开发深入人心;它的周期性可以弥补乡村旅游中由单纯依赖农业自然资源而出现的淡季;民俗节庆文化的差异性则可让乡村旅游的开发因地而异,各具特色,相得益彰。文章还探讨了如何利用丰富的节庆文化资源,开发宁波当地乡村旅游的产品和方式。     

湖州乡村旅游发展的转型和升级研究——基于休闲度假的民宿旅游

以"农家乐"为代表的湖州乡村旅游产品在满足消费者休闲游方面遇到了瓶颈,如何实现其转型和升级成为湖州乡村旅游发展的新问题。日本和台湾地区在发展中积累了一些经验。本文总结提出借鉴台湾和日本的经验,分析了湖州乡村旅游出现的问题的基础上,提出了湖州乡村旅游发展的策略。     

乡村旅游低碳化发展影响因素分析——基于北京市300户乡村旅游经营者的调查

本研究构建了乡村旅游经营者实施旅游低碳化发展决策的理论模型,并通过对北京市10个郊区县乡村旅游经营者的实地调研数据,采用有序logistic模型,探析了乡村旅游低碳化发展的影响因素。研究认为,经营者的受教育水平、家庭收入水平等个体因素,其对乡村旅游前景预期和乡村旅游低碳化发展对经济可持续发展的影响等经营信息诉求动机因素,以及大众媒体、政府渠道、企业宣传推广和亲朋好友等传播渠道因素,显著影响经营者实施低碳乡村旅游的意愿。     

汶川县旅游业震后恢复重建初探

“5·12”汶川大地震给整个四川省旅游业带来沉重打击,如何恢复重建旅游业以推动经济发展成为亟需解决的问题。文章深入分析了汶川县旅游业在地震后所面临的困难与挑战,以及蕴藏的发展机遇。在此基础上指出了汶川县旅游业在恢复重建过程中应注意的问题,并进一步探讨了恢复重建的对策。     

The extent of,and possible explanations for,provincial disparities in progress on reconstruction and development in South Africa

The objective of this article is to assess the early progress of South Africa's nine provinces in delivering on the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). Reconstruction and development indices (RDIs) are developed for this purpose. Reconstruction and development are not simply a matter of coming closer to meeting the objectives described in the RDP. The government also needs to address other aspects that cause concern. It needs to facilitate the demographic transition and improve standards in secondary education. Provinces that are more urbanised are in an advantageous position compared with the more rural provinces, which means that the government needs to make concerted efforts to address this urban-rural divide and to accelerate delivery in rural areas. Past inequities appear to persist in that progress on reconstruction and development remains closely tied to the racial composition of provincial populations. Expeditious interventions are needed to address these issues if the RDP is to ensure a better life for all.     

SMME development in Johannesburg's Southern Metropolitan Local Council: An assessment

This article addresses the development, management and needs of small, micro‐ and medium enterprises (SMMEs) in Johannesburg's Southern Metropolitan Local Council (SMLC), with particular focus on business development by previously disadvantaged South Africans. The article comprises an introductory section on the small‐business sector in South Africa and internationally, as well as the results of a field survey of a sample of 841 SMMEs in the SMLC. Many of the respondents were located in areas like Soweto, Orange Farm, Eldorado Park and Lenasia. Given the areas’ poverty and a history of neglect, the bulk of respondents were small, micro‐ or survivalist enterprises. In part, the survey confirmed some generally held notions about small businesses. Among these were funding difficulties, a strong desire for business‐related training and serious informational problems. The study revealed a shortage of management skills and poor record‐keeping. At the same time, some evidence emerged of business potential, including high survival rates and a determination to succeed. Key recommendations include training programmes in such areas as record‐keeping, marketing, customer relations, inventory control and tendering procedures. Mechanisms are also suggested for facilitating access to finance.     

长三角地区乡村旅游发展有利条件探析

长三角地区城市化、城市经济高度发达,区域旅游交通网络健全,乡村旅游资源丰富,乡村旅游发展有较好的运行基础,在政府的强力推进和引导下,通过黄金周、双休日等的休假制度牵引和区域内合作的深化,形成了发展乡村旅游的系统优势。国家旅游局为大力推进乡村旅游发展,使乡村旅游成为中国旅游新的亮点,确立了“2006中国乡村游”全国旅游宣传主题,提出“新农村、新旅游、新体验、新风尚”宣传口号,更为长三角地区乡村旅游发展提供强劲动力。     

文化创意视角下河南乡村旅游优化路径研究

在快速的新型城镇化和旅游发展背景下,乡村文化衰落现象已经成为制约乡村旅游发展的重大紧迫问题。自2012年国家积极推动乡村旅游发展以来,为乡村文化的保护带来了新的机遇与挑战,乡村旅游与文化保护相互影响,两者的实施主体与地域空间基本重合,乡村旅游的发展离不开文化的支撑,文化创意同时又是乡村旅游发展的重要内容。本文从文化创意视角出发去探讨乡村旅游的发展,通过实地调查、文献分析以及SWOT分析法等研究方法对河南省乡村旅游资源进行调查分析,为乡村旅游优化升级开辟新的发展路径。     

统筹城乡发展中建设河北省现代乡村旅游业研究

本文着眼于统筹城乡过程中河北省乡村旅游业的现代转型,并通过对河北省发展现代乡村旅游业存在的多重优势和显性劣势的对比,提出了一系列发展河北省现代乡村旅游业的对策建议。     

地方性中心城市的乡村旅游开发策略

文章从资源、市场和产品三个方面分析了地方性中心城市乡村旅游的特征。文章认为,应通过打造乡村旅游产品体系、构建环城游憩带、推行乡村旅游标准化和发挥中心城市主导功能统筹城乡发展等开发策略促进地方性中心城市乡村旅游的开发和发展。     

乡村旅游的文化体验营销研究

近年来乡村旅游蓬勃发展，但由于文化内涵的缺失，以及未能有效适应消费者需求变化所带来的体验营销变化趋势，乡村旅游面临进一步发展的瓶颈。文章在论述乡村文化与体验营销内涵的基础上，创新性地将乡村文化与体验营销在乡村旅游中进行了有机的融合，并进一步探讨了在乡村旅游中开展文化体验营销的相关策略。     

城市老年人旅游养老目的地选择偏好——基于北京市朝阳区中老年人市场调查

人口老龄化进程加快使得如何解决养老问题实现城市有机发展成为了亟待解决的现实问题。而老年人去城市化的旅游养老目的地选择无疑是解决这一问题的有效途径。以北京市朝阳区为案例地，通过问卷调查和深度访谈获取基础数据，采用统计学方法，对城市中老年人的旅游养老目的地选择偏好（城市VS.农村）及其对应特征进行了对比分析。研究发现：①城市仍是中老年人最理想的旅游养老目的地选择，选择前者的比例为后者的2倍多；②月收入、寻求低生活成本、没有养老保险以及对医疗条件要求较低均是中老年人选择农村作为旅游养老目的地的关键因素，有旅游养老计划的老年人倾向于选择农村。最后还讨论了农村旅游养老目的地未来建设的对策建议。