Urban tourism and regional tourists: Shopping in Johannesburg, South Africa

In the international literature on urban tourism most research concentrates on cities and tourists from the global North. The patterns of urban tourism development unfolding in emerging destinations of the global South exhibit differences to the well-documented experiences of cities in North America or Western Europe. One factor is the influence of regional tourists. It is evident South Africa's tourism economy is dominated by African tourists. Likewise, the urban tourism economy of Johannesburg is distinguished by regional tourists. This paper examines the role of 'Southern' tourists in urban tourism and of policy responses by Johannesburg authorities to promote shopping tourism as an element of local economic development planning.