The relevance of the tangible and intangible social impacts of tourism on selected South African communities

Most tourism social impact studies emphasise tangible social impacts such as economic improvement. In developing countries such as South Africa, a small percentage of tangible benefits filter down to community level. This creates a problem as various studies revealed the importance of community support for the sustainability of the tourism industry. Therefore it was important to explore the role of both the tangible and the intangible social impacts of tourism. Communities with established tourism industries (Clarens, Soweto and Jeffreys Bay) formed part of the quantitative research. Through exploratory factor analyses, 31 social impact statements could be categorised into four tangible and two intangible impacts. The tangible factor Economic improvement obtained a low rating, meaning that it was not directly experienced by residents, while the intangible factor Community pride and upliftment obtained the highest rating among all factors. This, together with the fact that community members continue their support for the tourism industry, is a novel find, indicating the significant role of intangible social impacts in fostering community support. This finding shows the importance of incorporating intangible social impacts into tourism planning in developing countries. Contributions are made towards social impact research methodology and literature.     

Make IT Work: The Labor Market Effects of Information Technology Retraining in the Netherlands

De Economist - The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effects of an active labor market program (ALMP) for higher educated workers in the Netherlands. The one-year program is characterized by six...     

Education,training and employability

Two hypotheses are tested: (1) education and training increase the employability of workers at other tasks within the firm and reduce the need for help from supervisors when workers encounter small problems, and (2) greater employability and problem solving capability increase wages. The empirical results show that greater employability and problem solving capability are independent from each other. Formal work-related training increases employability. Workers in jobs requiring no induction training are less employable at other jobs or departments. Both general and specific human capital increase the ability of workers to solve problems on their own. Greater employability does not increase wages. Male workers who solve problems on their own earn more than men who need help from others. The effects of human capital variables on employability and problem solving capability do not differ between and men and women. However, it is found that the ability to solve problems on one's own has a pay off for men but not for women.     

Financial Literacy and Preparation for Retirement

To meet the challenges of an ageing population, eligibility ages for state pensions have increased, early retirement arrangements have been abolished, and a substantial part of the risk and responsibility for an adequate standard of living after retirement has been shifted from the government, employers and pension funds to individuals and private households. Consequently, policy makers have become more concerned with whether individuals are able to make pension-related decisions that are in their own best interest.     

Time consistency,asymmetric information and monetary policy design: An overview

Summary This paper surveys the literature on monetary policy in the context of asymmetric information game theory. It distinguishes between the earlier literature focusing on finding reputational equilibria, the literature analyzing the possibilities of using announcements to influence expectations, and the principal-agent approach to the institutional design of monetary policy. The focus is on the institutional implications of the various studies. The conclusion is that institutional reforms directed at independent central banks with a mandate for price stability are not in line with the recommendations from the theory.I would like to thank Willem Boeschoten and an anonymous referee for valuable comments on an earlier version of this paper.     

A remodelled approach to measuring the social impact of tourism in a developing country

Residents living in communities with tourism activities form a vital part of the tourism industry; without their support, the industry will likely fail. It is the understanding of the Social Exchange Theory that residents should receive a form of physical award for accepting visitors into their environment, however, with the case of South Africa, there are various factors that inhibit the flow of such benefits. Regardless, the residents remain supportive. It was therefore determined that the intangible social impacts of tourism also play a vital role in fostering community support. To better manage both the tangible and intangible social impact perceptions, a framework was successfully developed by means of structural equation modelling (SEM). This novel framework may aid tourism managers to predict and strategically manage the social impact perceptions of tourism in a developing country such as South Africa in order to foster the vital community support for this industry.

Abbreviations: SEM: Structural equation modelling     

Understanding the residents’ social impact perceptions of an African Cultural Festival: the case of Macufe

ABSTRACT

The Macufe is one of the Africa’s largest cultural festivals, and takes place annually in Bloemfontein, South Africa. This 10-day event attracts approximately 140,000 attendees, meaning that the residents have to share facilities and services with tourists. The effects of such interactions can be both positive and negative. Community members are stakeholders in any tourism ventures that take place in their area, meaning that their goodwill is of utmost importance. Therefore, the social impacts of this event should be well managed to foster community support. For this reason, a quantitative study was done to determine residents’ social impact perceptions towards the event. A total of 425 questionnaires were completed by willing residents who lived in proximity to festival activities. From an exploratory factor analysis, four factors were extracted, namely community enhancement, community degradation, tourism growth and increased public spending and interaction. It was found that the event does not generate significant levels of positive social impacts, and that the negative social impacts are viewed almost equal to the positive social impacts. This was one of the first social impact perception studies done on an African arts festival, which contributes to the sustainable management of such crucial events.