Browsing by Author "Oliphant, Anthea"

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    Promoting first people tourism in the Western Cape: A comparative study of Ratelgat Farm and !Khwa ttu San Cultural Education Centre
    (University of the Western Cape, 2025) Oliphant, Anthea
    The importance of the appreciation of the history and heritage of First People globally cannot be underestimated, and inclusive, integrated tourism can support the recognition thereof. First People are often referred to as indigenous and the first ethnic-cultural groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. First People tourism refers to tourism initiatives that are owned by the majority and managed and operated by First People and their associates who, in turn, have connections and responsibilities towards local indigenous people and the cultural and biophysical spaces in which such operations are located. A wealth of literature supports and critiques the sustainability of cultural villages as tourist facilities. The purpose of this study was to revisit the role played by two tourist facilities in the Western Cape in the sustainable development of First People tourism as well as the fostering of an appreciation of their history and heritage. These facilities are Ratelgat Farm and !Khwa ttu San Cultural Education Centre. Ratelgat Farm was managed by the Griqua Development Trust and supported by the Government of South Africa and CapeNature, the latter being the conservation authority in the Western Cape. It is located on Route N7 close to the town of Van Rhynsdorp and offered traditional Griqua cultural experiences to visitors. During the research, it was discovered that Ratelgat Farm was no longer operational; therefore, other cultural sites were considered for comparison. The !Khwa ttu San Cultural Education Centre is located on Route R27 on the West Coast near the town of Yzerfontein and, among others, offers the following related to San Peoples: San guided nature experience, discovering the value of fynbos, visiting a replica of a traditional San village, storytelling and survival skill experiences. Access and benefit sharing (ABS) was used as the theoretical framework to assesses the contributions of the sites critically. The qualitative survey methodology underpinned the study, which largely drew on observation of participants analysing visitors’ books, and interviews with tourists and the management of the facilities, as data-gathering tools. The purpose of the study was to analyse the economic, cultural, ecological and managerial factors that might, or indeed were affecting the sustainability of San and Griqua tourism in the Western Cape as a largely western-oriented tourism destination.