Unpacking cultural creative’s demand for transmodern tourist experiences in Soweto

Abstract: As an opportune discussion, this research study investigates a possibility for the development of transmodern township tourism through an underlying paradigm revision within the South African cultural tourism market. In an attempt to show how tourism in South Africa can be aligned with the contemporary transmodern paradigm of humanity, this study explores the motivations, values and lifestyles of tourists visiting the iconic township of Soweto. The focus is to extract a clearly identifiable segment of tourists, the Cultural Creatives, whom uphold a transmodern value system amongst the general tourists coming into Soweto and to determine what tourists experiences appeal most to them. Therefore, the research question addressed by this dissertation is: Are there Cultural Creatives visiting Soweto and how many? If so, what experiences are they looking for in Soweto and what does this mean for Soweto? The main justification for undertaking this research is that the transmodern paradigm in relation to tourism in an African context lacks considerable empirical evidence. In order to understand the subjective meanings and realities of the tourists coming into South Africa in relation to the transmodern paradigm, the explorative nature of this research investigates the differences in tourist’s choice of tourism experiences and level of authenticity experienced. More specifically, the relationship between upholding a transmodern value system and having a more authentic tourist experience. The research framework for this study comprises a non-probability, convenience sampling and mixed method to quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews serve as the survey instrument for this research. Data collection commenced in January 2018 to May 2018 in different places around Soweto. The final sample size consists of N=252 survey respondents from all tourist generating continents...M.A