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Tourism and Accommodation Services in South Africa: A Spatial Perspective

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The Geography of South Africa

Part of the book series: World Regional Geography Book Series ((WRGBS))

Abstract

Geographers are major contributors to tourism studies. Tourism geographical research has diversified in scope and broadened from earlier issues of spatial analysis to include a range of different theoretical issues, methodological perspectives and empirical agendas. It is argued that a case exists for the re-spatialization of geographical research on tourism. The importance of understanding the shifting spatial landscape of tourism is critical for national and local policymakers in South Africa. In this analysis, insight is provided concerning the changing sector of tourism accommodation services by adopting a spatial perspective. The unevenness of tourism spend patterns provides an essential basis for interpreting the tourism space economy representing the demand-side of the tourism-accommodation nexus. Unpacking bednight data, it is shown that the supply-side of accommodation services in South Africa encompasses both a commercial and a non-commercial component, the latter linked to travel for visiting friends and family.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Jonathan Rogerson for data analysis, to referees for comments, and to Teddy, Skye and Dawn Norfolk for useful inputs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Christian M. Rogerson & Jayne M. Rogerson

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  1. Christian M. Rogerson
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  2. Jayne M. Rogerson
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Correspondence to Christian M. Rogerson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography, Archaeology & Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Jasper Knight

  2. School of Tourism and Hospitality, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Christian M. Rogerson

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Rogerson, C.M., Rogerson, J.M. (2019). Tourism and Accommodation Services in South Africa: A Spatial Perspective. In: Knight, J., Rogerson, C. (eds) The Geography of South Africa . World Regional Geography Book Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94974-1_23

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