Urban Crime and Tourism: Curating Safety in Johannesburg Tourist Spaces

Abstract

Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic heartland and major tourist destination, has long been seen as a breeding ground for crime and is commonly perceived as unsafe. The prevalence of crime in Johannesburg, and the associated negative public perceptions, are evidenced to impact travel behaviour stemming visitor flows. Regardless of this, urban tourism has grown in Johannesburg over the last decade and our findings on visitor perceptions in three main tourism precincts show that international tourists regard tourism spaces as relatively safe to visit. Tourists in our study return and readily recommend a visit to Johannesburg to others.