5.2 Visitors
5.2.4 Park experience
Game Park. Again, a significant proportion of the respondents (40%) were repeat visitors to the private Parks indicating the attractiveness and sustainability of the Parks.
Table 5.23 Duration of stay at the Parks (in %)
Staying Ezulwini (n=100)
Tala (n=100)
Total (n=200)
1 night 31 4 17.5
2 nights 69 1 35
3 nights - 2 1
4 nights - 2 1
Day visitor - 91 45.5
It is clear that the majority of the respondents (69%) visiting Ezulwini Private Park spend two nights in the Park and the remaining respondents spent at least one night at the Park. In contrast, the majority of the respondents (91%) visiting Tala Private Park were day visitors. In addition to viewing the wildlife at Tala Private Park, there are excellent facilities for day-trippers that include (i) braai facilities, (ii) a rock pool for the children (Plate 5.1), and (iii) restaurant facilities. Additionally, Tala Private Park is situated within close proximity to the densely populated cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Ezulwini Private Park had a designated area where a camp fire is lit during winter and tour groups get to socialise or enjoy a catered braai.
The pool facilities were also available to those visitors who want to relax and sunbathe. For those visitors who prefer indoor entertainment there were meals provided in an enclosed area with a cosy fire place to keep one warm during winter and lots of games to keep one entertained.
Plate 5.1 Rock pool at Tala Private Park
Table 5.24 Independent activities undertaken at the Parks (in %) Independent activities Ezulwini
(n=100)
Tala (n=100)
Total (n=200)
Nature study
Yes 30 31 30.5
No 70 69 69.5
Taking photos
Yes 64 85 74.5
No 36 15 25.5
Meeting locals
Yes 20 14 17
No 80 86 83
Bird watching
Yes 31 42 36.5
No 69 58 63.5
Hiking
Yes 9 12 10.5
No 91 88 89.5
Fishing
Yes - 4 2
No 100 96 98
Purchasing of arts and crafts
Yes 10 22 16
No 90 78 84
Camping
Yes - 6 3
No 100 94 97
By understanding tourist motivations for visiting parks and recreational areas, an interpretive program can be designed to assist visitors to achieve desired benefits (Beh and Bruyere, 2007).
Consequently, the independent activities undertaken by respondents at the Ezulwini Private Park and Tala Private Park were examined (Table 5.24). Results presented in Table 5.24 show that the majority of the respondents at Ezulwini Private Park (64%) and Tala Private Park (85%) had independently taken photographs. Independent nature study was undertaken by 30% of the respondents of the Ezulwini Private Park and by 31% of the respondents of the Tala Private Park.
Furthermore, 31% of the respondents at the Ezulwini Private Park and 42% of the respondents at the Tala Private Park experienced bird watching in the Park. Nine percent of the respondents at Ezulwini Private Park and 12% of the respondents at the Tala Private Park participated in independent hiking activities. Wearing and Neil (1999) advise that independent activities such as hiking, picnicking, camping and nature photography are considered acceptable within National Parks and reserve areas. With respect to dealing with management problems resulting from these activities, Frost and McCool (1988) state that regulating tourist behaviour is a widespread approach. Such regulations often go beyond prohibitions such as on litter, alcohol and noise, and may adopt an overt management approach that directly restricts what tourists can do at a site, where they may go and how many people may be in an area at a certain time (Fennell, 2003) Twenty percent of the respondents at Ezulwini Private Park and 14% at Tala Private Park made an attempt to meet locals. Only 10% of the respondents at Ezulwini Private Park and 22% of the respondents at Tala Private Park purchased arts and crafts from local community members.
Despite some of the respondents enthusiasm to interact and educate themselves about the local communities cultures, there are dilemmas and potential problems for indigenous peoples (Altman and Finlayson, 1992) and it can be a complicated task to balance cultural integrity with concepts of commercialisation (Fuller et al., 2005). As will be indicated later, this research is similar to other studies (for example, Brown and Harris, 2005; Croall, 1995; Fennell, 2003;
Holden, 2005; Lickorish and Jenkins, 1997) that reveal that some of the main social impacts of tourism on local communities are the erosion of indigenous cultures and the superficial staging of cultural aspects linked to the commodification of culture.
Table 5.25 Guided activities undertaken at the Parks (in %)
Guided activities
Ezulwini (n=100)
Tala (n=100)
Total (n=200)
Nature study
Yes 31 13 22
No 69 87 78
Taking photos
Yes 43 17 30
No 57 83 70
Meeting locals
Yes 5 7 6
No 95 93 94
Bird watching
Yes 39 14 26.5
No 61 86 73.5
Hiking
Yes 19 5 12
No 81 95 88
Fishing
Yes - 2 1
No 100 98 99
Purchasing of arts and crafts
Yes 19 7 13
No 81 93 87
Camping
Yes 6 2 4
No 94 98 96
The table above illustrates the guided activities undertaken by the respondents. Wearing and Neil (1999) suggest that face-to-face interpretation is a dominant and valuable interpretive technique that can be tuned to the type of tourists that are participating in the guided tour. If the guided tour is carefully designed, managed and delivered, managers and guides can emphasise their role in protecting wildlife and have the potential to influence the conservation knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of tourists (Ballantyne and Parker, 2005; Packer et al., 2007). Results presented in Table 5.25 show that most of the respondents visiting the Ezulwini Private Park (43%) and in Tala Private Park some of the respondents (17%) had undertaken guided photograph tours.
Guided nature study was undertaken by 31% of the respondents visiting the Ezulwini Private
Park and by 13% of the respondents visiting the Tala Private Park. Additionally, 39% of the respondents visiting the Ezulwini Private Park and 14% visiting the Tala Private Park experienced guided bird watching tours in the Parks. Nineteen percent of the respondents visiting the Ezulwini Private Park and 5% of the respondents visiting the Tala Private Park participated in guided hiking activities.
Only 5% of the respondents visiting the Ezulwini Private Park and 7% of the respondents visiting the Tala Private Park participated in guided tours to meet the local community.
Additionally, 19% of the respondents visiting the Ezulwini Private Park and 7% of the respondents visiting the Tala Private Park purchased arts and craft as part of a guided tour. Due to the poor responses to guided tours at both Parks, it would seem that these activities need to be proactively marketed using brochures that could advertise the educational knowledge that tourists could gain from these guided endeavours. Additionally, at the reception desk, personnel need to inform tourists about what types of guided activities are available.
Table 5.26 Choice of accommodation (in %)
Accommodation Ezulwini (n=100)
Tala (n=100)
Total (n=200)
Day-trip - 89 44.5
Staying with family and friends - 3 1.5
Hotel - - -
Lodge 100 8 54
From Table 5.26 it is evident that all the respondents that visited Ezulwini Private Park stayed in the lodges. With regards to Tala Private Park, 89% of the respondents comprised of day-trippers, with 8% of the respondents staying in lodges and 3% of the respondents staying with family and friends. Chin et al. (2000) indicate that 40% of the tourists who visit Malaysia’s Bako Park are local people and are recognised as being day-trippers. Also, Ryan and Sterling (2001) observed that Litchfield National Park in Australia attracts high levels of local day users because of the swimming facilities. Likewise at Tala Private Park the day-trippers were attracted to the range of entertainment facilities available. Additionally, respondents at Tala Private Park mentioned the following reasons for not staying at the Park:
• close proximity to their homes (33%);
• time constraints (32%);
• financial constraints (17%); and
• first time visitors (10%).
Table 5.27 Feelings towards the Parks (in %) Feelings Ezulwini
(n=100)
Tala (n=100)
Total (n=200)
Very satisfied 66 39 52.5
Quite satisfied 5 36 20.5
Satisfied 29 22 25.5
Not satisfied - 3 1.5
The majority of the visitors to Ezulwini Private Park (71%) and Tala Private Park (75%) responded positively (very satisfied and quite satisfied) towards their respective Parks. However, 3% of the respondents at the Tala Private Park were not satisfied with the Park. Again, the results reveal the generally positive visitor experiences.