The growth and promotion of regional tourism in the developing world: The South African experience

Although regional tourism is an important phenomenon in the developing world, it has largely been overlooked by international tourism scholars. The promotion of regional tourism can make a positive contribution to tourism development. This article stresses the importance of regional tourists to the expanding tourism economy of South Africa. It highlights the changing policy environment and suggests that critical policy interventions should be undertaken at both national and local levels of government in order to maximise the developmental impacts of promoting regional tourism.