Analysis of interventions in support of small tourism businesses in the Eden District Municipality

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Macro-economic policy interventions have been driven by the South African nationalgovernment in order to create economic and trade opportunities for small businesseswithin the first economy. This macro-economic policy intervention of the governmentwhich advocates the active and inclusive participation of small business in the firsteconomy has set the trajectory for small business development and support by bothprovincial and local government. The significant contribution of small businesses(SBs) to local economic development in the locality of municipalities has thus seenthe prioritizing of small business support and development by local government as afocal point of municipal Local Economic Development programmes.However these small businesses are often subject to a myriad of challenges comparedto larger established businesses that fall outside the classifications of small businesses.These challenges thus make it impossible for SBs to compete with establishedbusinesses and to actively participate in the first economy.The Eden District Municipality, a renowned and reputable tourism destination, offerssubstantial business opportunities that favour small tourism businesses. This is all tothe good, but the question is what programmes are on offer by the Eden DistrictMunicipality that may assist small tourism businesses (STBs) to tap into thesebusiness opportunities. Furthermore, do such programmes address the needs of STBsto access trade and economic opportunities? In the light of the foregoing, this studysets out to establish the areas in which STBs require support, to establish the currentlevel of support received from the Eden District Municipality, as well as theparticipation levels of STBs themselves in the development of tourism strategies. Thisstudy investigates the coherence between interventions and support programmesprovided by the Eden District Municipality and seeks to identify the areas in whichsmall tourism businesses (STBs) require support and assistance.The population sample employed comprises small businesses from a previouslydisadvantaged background in the Eden District Municipality. A quantitative researchdesign was followed and questionnaires were used to elicit responses from STBswhich constitute the primary data to address the research question.It is anticipated that the findings of this research will assist the Eden DistrictMunicipality with the identification of future required interventions that will augmentaccessibility to trade and economic opportunities for STBs. By using the findings ofthe study as a yardstick, the Eden District can assess its own efforts and ensure thatprogramme responses are designed to meet the identified needs of STBs. The findingshighlight an overall need for broader consultation with STBs when supportprogrammes and interventions are developed, and can be used as a benchmark byother researchers and local municipalities in the development of support programmesand interventions for STBs.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University