Abstract
In South Africa, 4x4 ecotrails that fall into the adventure tourism category are increasing in popularity. The purpose of this study is to compile a profile of 4x4 trail users, identify their motives and then determine critical success factors (CSFs) for the management of 4x4 trails. The comprehension of the coherence between the travel motives that lead to a visit and the CSFs that determine whether visitors are satisfied and have gained a memorable experience (which should lead to repeat visits) is examined in this research. An online survey was conducted in South African National Parks and the focus was on ecotrails, which contribute to nature conservation and provide maximum sustainability. A total of 119 questionnaires were obtained. The results found seven motivations and CSFs, respectively, revealing two new motivational factors within this context (lifestyle and spiritual well-being) and three new CSFs that have not been identified before and put a clear focus on the trail itself (interpretation, trail planning and challenging experience). This information can be used by trail managers and marketers to reach this niche market and provide visitors with a memorable experience.
Highlights
Literature on 4x4 trails is scant and even less available on 4x4 ecotrails in South Africa
As far as the authors could ascertain, it was the first time that this type of research with this specific scope was conducted in national parks in South Africa
The findings revealed that the travel motives, as well as the critical success factors (CSFs), vary according to the different tourism markets
Summary
Literature on 4x4 trails is scant and even less available on 4x4 ecotrails in South Africa. The growing popularity of off-road vehicles derives from the new technological advances that enable even beginners to use 4x4 vehicles to access remote areas of a country (Switalzki & Jones, 2012). “[m]anagement of outdoor recreation [,] including off-road vehicles [’] [...] use [,] is becoming increasingly challenging [...]” (Switalzki & Jones, 2012:13). The 4x4 industry in South Africa has seen an increase in inland trails after the beach ban in the early 2000s (which aims to protect the sensitive coastline areas). New trails emerge and the number of 4x4 vehicles that are sold in South Africa increases. As the beach ban adumbrates, there is a shift towards more eco-friendly, managed trails, referred to as ecotrails (Goodway & Van der Reis, n.d.)
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