Marketing and management effectiveness of Free State section of Maloti Drakensberg Route

Tourism has a positive impact on economic growth and development, especially for small towns and rural areas. This is especially applicable to the Free State Province that has numerous economic challenges, including the highest unemployment rate in South Africa. One way of attracting tourists to areas they might not normally visit, is through the development of tourism routes. In South African, the Maloti Drakensberg Route (MDR) is one of the longest tourism routes and a substantial section of the route runs through the Free State Province (Harrismith to Zastron). Tourism routes are usually managed by forums that need to oversee the effective management of routes. In this regard, the MDR is managed by the Maloti Drakensberg Route Forum (MDRF). Due to the importance of attracting tourists, the aim of this investigation was to assess the marketing and management effectiveness of the Free State section of the MDR. The research approach was both qualitative and quantitative and product owners and tourists were included in the data collection. The findings indicate that the route is not effectively managed, with serious ramifications for economic development and sustainability.Keywords: Route tourism; Managing and marketing effectiveness; Maloti Drakensberg Route (MDR); Maloti Drakensberg Route Forum (MDRF