Sustainable heritage tourism: the Inanda Heritage Route and the 2010 FIFA World Cup

Abstract

This paper discusses the Inanda Heritage Route (IHR) in Durban on the east coast of South Africa, which was developed in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The IHR comprises five important cultural heritage sites of the black majority, including the Phoenix Settlement established by Mahatma Gandhi in 1904. Forty-one tourists, mostly international soccer fans, were interviewed about their experiences of visiting the route in June/July 2010. The findings are analyzed in relation to issues of sustainability, focusing on a demand-side approach and the challenges of increasing tourist flow and community benefits. A brief literature review illustrates priority issues in the South African understanding of sustainable and “responsible” tourism development, and the question of incorporating neglected black heritage. It is argued that the IHR could become a successful model of sustainable “alternative” tourism, but more community participation is needed both in tourism and in cultural heritage site management to increase the sense of ownership and opportunities for material gains and poverty alleviation. The last section focuses on heritage interpretation at each of the interview sites. It is argued that the interpretation should not primarily be targeted at foreign tourists, but must more strongly be geared towards enticing local people to visit.