Tourism Planning and Development in Southern Africa: A Critical Analysis.

South Africa is a country that distinguishes itself from other tourist destinations by its rich environmental heritage and the cultural diversity it commands. It is also a country particularly recognised for its good climate and unspoilt coastline. In addition, the region has some of the best tourism infrastructure and superstructure unequalled by the neighbouring countries. Notwithstanding these advantages and in spite the fact that tourism was one of the fastest growing sectors in the world, the region has in 1989 only been able to attract 0.2% of the international tourism market demand estimated at 405.3m tourists. The bulk of the problems affecting South Africa's tourism growth originate from the past racial policies that made her an unpopular destination. Because of the need to anchor its economy to areas that afford comparative advantage towards sustainable economic development, South Africa is currently rigorously pursuing tourism development policies. This is after exhaustive investigations had been conducted into the country's tourism status, and the potential advantages that could be derived from its development towards overall economic growth. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is to conduct an in-depth analysis of tourism planning and development in South Africa, and how it is controlled. It is also intended to evaluate the needs and impacts of such a sectorial development. In addition, it is aimed to highlight some of the inherent problems experienced in the development of this industry, as well as examine how it could be used to redress the regional economic imbalances and thereby assist with the redistribution of wealth. A comparative study will, in the process, be made between tourism development in South Africa, and that of the neighbouring countries