Tourism
Why do Tourists visit the Little Karoo
There has been a very rapid expansion in the number of people involved in the tourism industry over the last 5 years in the Little Karoo. There is consequently an increasing emphasis on the potential of tourism to support sustainable development in the region. There is however very little information on the region’s emerging tourism…
Read MoreGrowing like a Magic Mushroom
AfrikaBurn is a South African version of the Burning Man festival, held annually at Black Rock, Nevada, USA. AfrikaBurn is a participatory explosion of creativity, art, and innovation, which arises for a week on a remote desert floor in the Tankwa Karoo.
Read MoreDraft Regulations on the Protection of the Karoo Central Astronomy Advantage Areas
The necessity for the protection of the Square Kilometre Array (“SKA”) against certain levels of radio frequency interferance or any activity which may detrimentally impact on radio astronomy and related scientific endeavours, has led to the declaration of areas…
Read MoreShale Gas Development in the Central Karoo – Impacts on Visual, Aesthetic and Scenic Resources
Concern has been expressed by many about the possible visual effect of shale gas development (SGD) on the character of the Karoo landscape, its sense of place and on tourism in the area. Further reference to these concerns is covered in Chapter 9 on tourism (Toerien et al., 2016), Chapter 11 on social fabric (Atkinson,…
Read MoreShale Gas Development in the Central Karoo – Impacts on Sense of Place Values
It is more meaningful to speak of senses of place in the Karoo rather than to attempt to define a single sense of place for the Karoo. This does not mean that all senses of place are equally valid or that any sense of place is justifiable within all contexts. Senses of place are often…
Read MoreShale Gas Development in the Central Karoo – Impacts on Tourism in the Karoo
Experience indicates that mining and tourism invariably end up in conflict with each other. The impacts of shale gas development (SGD) in the study area might, therefore, result in risks for its tourism sector. The tourism sector in the study area is important. Currently it houses about 830 enterprises, the most of any business sector.…
Read MoreCulinary mapping and tourism development in South Africa’s Karoo region
Culinary mapping and tourism development in South Africa’s Karoo region, GE du Rand, Ingrid Booysen, Doreen Atkinson,African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Vol. 5 (4) – (2016). Abstract Successful development of cuisine as a niche tourism product has been portrayed in various countries in the world. The paper argues that the Karoo provides evidence…
Read MoreIs South Africa’s Great Karoo Region becoming a tourism destination?
Is South Africa’s Great Karoo Region becoming a tourism destination?, Doreen Atkinson, Journal of Arid Environments, vol. 127, April 2016. Abstract Desert tourism has grown steadily in several regions of the world, due to a post-modern fascination with remoteness, barrenness, silence and solitude. This paper evaluates the trend towards tourism development in South Africa’s arid Karoo…
Read MoreThinking regionally: Aviation and development implications in the Karoo region
This study focuses on regional economic development in South Africa, across provincial political jurisdictions. The article argues that remote hinterlands can be more usefully understood as forming an integrated whole, rather than functioning as the poor rural cousins of their provincial metropoles. This article considers three propositions: that key transport projects (such as airports) may…
Read MoreMaking the Most of ‘Nothing’: Astro-tourism, the Sublime, and the Karoo as a ‘space destination
Ingle, M (2010), “Making the Most of ‘Nothing’: Astro-tourism, the Sublime, and the Karoo as a ‘space destination’”, Transformation 74:87-111. ABSTRACT: In recent years perceptions of South Africa’s arid Karoo have been radically transformed. Whereas the Karoo was once regarded as a desolate wasteland, it is now being punted as a positively trendy region, both…
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