Commodifying Indigenous Art and Crafts to

Enhance Tourism Experience in South Africa

Presented by:

Folasayo Enoch Olalere

Department of Recreation & Tourism
University of Zululand, South Africa

6th July 2019

Tourism industry continues to play an important role in the South African economy
Total International Tourist Arrival in 2017 = 10.3 million

other
9%
Religion
Medical
2%
1%

Business
[PERCENT
AGE]

7.3 million
Leisure
71%

SA Tourism Strategic Research Unit, 2017

 Important leisure pursuit of many
people during vacations and trips is
SHOPPING

(Oh et al. 2004)

 ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN WHILE IN SOUTH AFRICA

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
l ss t
ing c ia e en life udy
opp So usin inm ild g st
Sh W
B
e rta ini
n
t tra
En
tion
uca
Ed
 Total Direct spend in 2017 = R 80.7 billion

Shoppin
g
28%

SA Tourism Strategic
Research Unit, 2017

Shopping in terms of souvenir is one of the biggest spend categories

(15 – 30 % = R 3.35 billion – R 6.7 billion)

(Brennan & Savage, 2012; Lunyai, Run, & Atang, 2008; Swanson, 2004)
 Host community or tourism destinations can
economically benefit from souvenir design,
production and sales

Research Aim
To commodify South Africa indigenous crafts as a means of
enhancing tourism experience
 To identify the important souvenir
attributes that can help promote
tourism

Objectives

To conceptualise and develop

souvenirs with those attributes
embedded
 SURVEY: Attributes influencing purchase decisions

Purposeful (travel blog &

Sampling tourism destinations)

Foreign Tourists who had visited South

Sample Africa within the last five years

Questionnaire Five-point Likert-type scale

Data Collection Administered through Qualtric Online Survey

Data analysis Descriptive Statistics (SPSS)

 Important attributes Influencing purchase decision
4.8
4.6
4.4
4.2
4
Mean values

3.8
3.6
3.4
ce b le ace b le v e
re s
ac e
l i t y
ri al i ce
n a l a ati u l a e r
rie U s p rt v at p u at p
p e g a p o n o fe cts h
q M o w
l l L
l ex si tin In n a
e fle H ig ca
e i o R L o
rt a
v f V d iti
e e o ra
T
v ok enc
E id
E v
Product attributes
Future Work

MOTIVE APPRAISAL DECISION

Reminder of How does the

attributes evoke BUY
travel experience
travel experience?

How can functionality

Usability/ be aligned to tourism
Functional activities? BUY

How can attributes

Evidence of
proof a visit to a place?
visiting a place BUY

Develop series of products that link local uniqueness or

features with Tourists’ perception
Souvenir can:

i. Enhance Tourism Experience

ii. Promote tourism destinations to potential

consumers

ii. Promote Indigenous art and craft

THANK YOU