Business opportunities for creative tourism in South Africa

A new article published in The Conversation analyses the demand for creative tourism in South Africa. Gijsbert Hoogendoorn, Anneli Douglas and Greg Richards report that Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) are increasingly taking part in creative skill building experiences such as cooking classes in traditional African cuisine in townships like Soweto and Langa, or painting workshops in small towns like Villiersdorp in the Western Cape.

Street creativity in Johannesburg

The results of a large-scale survey (1500 respondents) indicate that Millennials were keener on domestic creative tourism than international creative tourism. They were motivated by the possibility of authentic and creative experiences that build skills. Women were also generally more interested than men in creative activities linked to culture and heritage. Domestic travel was more closely tied to learning. International trips were driven by the desire to escape everyday life. This suggests that domestic tourism is especially well suited to creative tourism.

Read the full text of the article here.

Creativity in the townships

Another recent paper by Irma Booyens also highlights the potential for the development of creative industries and creative tourism in South Africa's townships, providing new opportunities for these previously marginalised communities. Many of the creative enterprises in the areas, and their clients, are drawn from the Millennial generation.