Urban tourism : a comparative tale of two cities, Cape Town and Tshwane

Abstract

Urban tourism has become an important sector within the global tourism industry as it is able to serve a range of tourists and contribute to the local economy. The urban environment usually is seen as “standing alone” with regards to the operational aspects of tourism, however, it has become increasingly recognised as an integral part of the tourist experience. Within this context, this study set out to investigate the phenomenon of urban tourism and its impact in both the City of Cape Town, a coastal urban destination and legislative capital of South Africa, and the City of Tshwane, an inland urban destination and administrative capital of South Africa. Hence, this study will focus on both capital cities’ respective tourism industries, initiatives and strategies. Through this, it aims to identify criteria and actions implemented in each local case study for comparison and evaluation in order to determine whether the City of Cape Town’s approach to tourism development can be considered as a sustainable urban tourism development model for the City of Tshwane.