From Pharology to Tourism : Shining a Light on South African Lighthouses

Abstract

Lighthouses have long been the focus of naval navigation and romantic literature. Until recently, this was seen as the core purpose of the coastal structures, but lighthouses have begun to take on a new role in the sphere of tourism, hosting visitors, overnight tourists and recognising the local history and culture through museums and various eateries. This dissertation seeks to explore the role of coastal and marine tourism internationally, and the positioning of the lighthouses as elements of coastal and marine tourism. Along with the success of Lighthouse Tourism abroad, the prospect of developing Lighthouse Tourism as a form of coastal tourism in South Africa will be analysed. Alongside the study of the potential for pharological tourism, the potential of developing a Lighthouse Tourism trail, similar to those on international coastlines will be examined. These concepts of the historical value of lighthouses, their potential for tourism and route development form the main components of discussion for this dissertation.