Urban Tourism in South Africa and The United States

TourismTourism: the activity or practice of touring

(the visiting of a number of places in sequence, especially if led by a guide)

Urban tourism: tourist activities in which the city is the main destination/place of interest

Tourism (Cont.) Typical/universal Tourist attractions:

Historical monuments/landmarks, ancient statues

Museums, art galleries

Cinemas, restaurants, shopping centers

Parks, sport facilities, Amusement Parks

Economic Analysis of Tourism

Tourism Growth and Global Economic Impact Is one of the largest industries globally

Total contribution of travel and tourism to global economy: $7.17 trillion

Global revenue of tourism: $1.159 Trillion

Number of International tourists worldwide: 1.087 billion

Tourism Statistics: The United States and South Africa

Countries United States South Africa

Popularity by visitors

Ranked 4th Ranked 48th

Contribution to GDP

$1.47 trillion R113.4 billion

International Arrivals

75,011,000 9,549,000

International Tourist Receipts

$220,757,000,000 $10,484,000,000

2014 Statistics from The World Bank

Urban Tourism in The United States: History ● Developed as an industry between later 19th and

early 20th century

● Played role in refining understanding of gender, ethnicity, and also the emergence of cosmopolitan/commercial conceptualization

● 1890-1915: Tourists develop interest in ethnic urban neighborhoods “Ethnic urban tourism arose at the same time that

Progressive reformers struggled with the question of how best to assimilate the various immigrant groups into mainstream American society”

Urban Tourism in South Africa: History Established as a running industry around the late 19th

Century

Apartheid limited urban tourism in SA (limitation of free movement)

● Led to promotion of political tourism, justice tourism, and the development of urban township tours (post-Apartheid)

Urban Tourism in United States

Urban Tourism in South Africa

Ubizo ToursProvides walking & cycling tours through Langa for

cultural immersion and community support

Plans for the future: Langa has a lot to offer and there’s untapped potential for much more…

Bus ToursInternship Program Community project- Get InvolvedFood court

Tourism and Ethics●Exploiting Poverty for Tourism

●Why doesn’t US urban tourism market areas like the hood?