Document: Tourism Development in Small Towns - the Case of Parys, Free State

Abstract:

The potential of tourism as a development strategy for small towns is recognised in tourism development literature and tourism is increasingly regarded as a viable avenue for local economic development. Small towns on the urban fringe has benefitted from tourism development in South Africa. The town of Parys on the Vaal River was chosen as the focus of this case study. Parys falls within the Free State Province, but is situated on the periphery of the greater Johannesburg metropolitan area. Parys has experienced tourism development over the past few years which have resulted in local economic growth, especially reflected vis-á-vis the trade industry, amidst the decline of other sectors such as manufacturing.
This study found that tourism has played an important role in the historical development of Parys. The town has developed as an inland, domestic resort and retirement haven over the years. During the early years, the town council of the time played an important role in the development of Parys as a domestic resort and were involved in concerted efforts towards promoting the town as a leisure destination. The first effort to promote the town, in this regard, dates back to 1911. During the last decade, Parys has experienced a renewal in tourism flows in accordance with national trends; tourism growth in the area did, however, accelerate over the past two to three years. Tourism growth in the area coincides with the declaration of the Vredefort Dome as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is thus suggested that the declaration of the World Heritage Site played an important role concerning tourism growth in the area, and will continue to do so in the future as planned developments with regard to the site is realised.
The unique selling points of the Parys area, concerning tourism, is presently centred around arts and antiques, followed by weddings and teambuilding activities, as well as conferences. Based on the research conducted as part of this study it is concluded that the characteristics of tourism SMMES in Parys strongly reflects the characteristics of tourism SMMEs elsewhere in the Free State as determined by Rogerson (2005).
It is proposed that potential exists for the expansion of adventure tourism and nature-based tourism; the development of more budget, as well as luxury accommodation. Recommendations in connection with the future development of tourism in the area include; tourism product development focussed on attractions; the identification of key market segments such as budget tourists and the family market; destination and product marketing; investment in tourism infrastructure and ensuring the responsible management of tourism development in the area. The contribution of this research study lies in the confirmation of trends pertaining to tourism development in small towns in South Africa, as well as in the provision of strategic directives towards the future development of tourism in the area. It is suggested that recommendations in this regard could be applied to tourism development in other small towns.