Anita O. Aina¹, Ikechukwu O. Ezeuduji²

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to explore KwaZulu-Natal Generation Z members’ attitude towards domestic tourism in South Africa. The study was conducted in four major towns in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa, namely: Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, and St. Lucia. A structured questionnaire survey of 385 respondents was used to generate data for analysis. Results show that KwaZulu-Natal Generation Z members portray positive attitude towards domestic tourism in South Africa. They are loyal to their destination brand. However, limited funds mostly deter KwaZulu-Natal Generation Z members from getting involved in domestic tourism activities. Results also show that they mostly rely on social media and other forms of technology, to source information pertaining to domestic tourism activity planning and reviewing. This study recommends that competitive pricing of domestic tourism activities (through reduced operational costs and bundle pricing) should be encouraged especially during peak seasons, as majority of Generation Z domestic tourists have difficulties to afford travel costs. Furthermore, the study recommends the creation of intensive and incessant awareness of KwaZulu-Natal domestic tourism sites through numerous platforms such as social media, movies, music videos and also personal referrals, enabling a wider reach to the Generation Z members.

Keywords: Generation Z; domestic tourism; recreational activities; Kwazulu-Natal; South Africa

JEL Classification: Z32

1. Introduction

In the work of Hansen and Leuty (2012), the term ‘generation’ was defined as a group of individuals who share common work experiences or life experiences. A generational cohort is typically associated with values, beliefs, expectations and behaviours which remain constant throughout the lifetimes of its members (Egri & Ralsston, 2004). According to Parry and Urwin (2011), the identification of a generation requires some form of social proximity to shared events. Egri and Ralsston (2004) note that generational cohort is a type of national subculture that reflects the value priorities emphasised during a country’s historical period. The unique life experiences introduced during formative years inevitably contribute to the values of the individuals of each generational cohort. Some researchers have explored generational differences in product or service consumption. This is also applicable to tourism research.

It can be asserted that Generation Z (those born between 1995 and 2012), for example, greatly differs from its predecessors, in terms of their personality traits, and consumer behaviour. Few tourism researchers have addressed generational cohorts’ perceptions towards tourism, globally, and particularly in Africa. In South Africa, for example, they include a study that focused on youths in Soweto Township by Butler and Richardson (2013); and Dzikiti and Leonard’s (2016) study with their focus on Alexandra Township youths, both in Johannesburg. Internationally, similar topics have also been researched concerning other generational cohorts such as Benckendorff, Moscardo and Pendergast’s (2010) work on Tourism and Generation Y, however, the literature reviewed has indicated a dearth of studies that focus on Generation Z attitude towards tourism. Therefore, the researchers want to bridge this existing gap in literature by assessing South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Generation Z attitude towards domestic tourism. KwaZulu-Natal is one of the nine provinces in South Africa, and it is very popular as a tourism destination, with much emphasis on offerings such as natural and cultural heritage, sea-sand-sun, and events (Ezeuduji & Nkosi, 2017). The next section will present literature review regarding the research topic.

2. Literature Review

2.1 Generation Z and the Generational Theory

The global workforce is occupied by four distinct generations: Baby-boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z. Baby-boomers are individuals born between 1946 and 1964 (Gardiner, King & Grace, 2015). The Baby-Boomers tend to be individualistic, self-absorbed, pessimistic, and focused on social causes; they have strong social skills but lack technical skills (Beutell & Wittig-Berman, 2008). Generation X also refers to as Xers, were born between 1965 and 1976 (Gardiner et. al., 2015). Children from this generation were sent to partake in after-school programmes or returned home to an empty house (Lancaster & Stillman, 2003) which made them became resourceful and independent. Generation Y, also known as the Millennials, is acclaimed to be the first "universal" generation, referring to individuals who were born between 1977 and 1994; people from Generation Y (Gardiner et al., 2015) have similar characteristics and attributes irrespective of their country of origin. According to Berkup (2014), Generation Z consisting of individuals born from 1995 to 2012, also referred to as iGen, Generation Net, Postmillennial, Digital Natives, can be said to be the internet generation because, unlike previous generations cohorts, they were born into technology instead of being accustomed to it. Berkup (2014) explains that the naming iGen comes from the products the Apple company introduced to the market [music player iPod in 2001, the mobile phone iPhone in 2007, and the tablet computer iPad in 2010] which are used intensively till date. Berkup further states that the members of the Generation Z cohort were born into a techno-global world and within seconds can easily get connected with anyone in any location of the world, hence it is projected that social media is causing addictions and leaving impacts on the members of this cohort. When referring to the negative and positive impacts created by the advancement of technology on Generation Z; it is argued that their attention span is short and they are impatient, however the positive impact include that they are highly advanced and ‘thought to have the highest motor skill synchronization for hand, eye and ear in the history of humanity’ (Berkup, 2014 p.224). This generation was found by Ozkan and Solmaz (2015) to portray self-confidence, embrace team spirit, require assurance for their future, desire independence over authority, and seek happiness.

Generation Z grew in an era of economic decline, job insecurity, increased inequality, and social media presence. Read and Truelove (2018) list the formative events that shaped their characters such as ISIS, recession, Sandy Hook shooting, marriage equality, the first Black president in the United States of America; and these resulted in them developing coping mechanisms. They are raised by Generation X and were born into a world facing challenges such as terrorism and environmental concerns. They witnessed the widespread use of electronic gadgets and digital technologies like the Internet and social networking platforms. They are regarded as tech-savvy, globally-connected (in the virtual world), flexible and smarter, and tolerant of diverse cultures (Singh, 2014). The literature provides different definitions of Generation Z and presents many theories concerning them. Oblinger and Oblinger (2005) state that the generation of Post Millennials (Generation Z) starts from the year 1995, while Reeves and Oh (2008) argue that the Generation Z timeline begins with the year 2001. The researchers make use of the period categorisation by Oblinger and Oblinger (2005) and Gardiner et al. (2015).

Table 1. Generation Groups by Birth Date

Source: adapted from Gardiner et al. (2015)

The generational theory was conceptualized by Karl Mannheim in the year 1952. The theory has three major ‘tenets’ from which it is derived. The tenets chronologically are location, actuality, and units. The first tenet - location refers to the period a cohort of people was born. The second tenet - actuality relates to the manner a generation responds to social changes and how these responses helped in shaping their personalities. The last tenet - units relate to the sub cohorts within the broader generation segment (Leask, Fyall & Barron, 2013). The theory maintains that economic, political, and socio-cultural context with historical events influence individuals in each generation, and most importantly it presents that major historical event changes society as a whole (Dechane, 2014). Chen and Shoemaker (2014) further state that the formation of individuals’ personalities in a historical environment can result from significant events that predominate the individuals. Generations are therefore different and distinct from each other in behaviour and tastes; the behaviours displayed by a youthful generation will be different from the aging generation. Generation theory seeks to understand and characterise the cohort of people according to their connection to a generation, people are objectively assigned to a generation according to their year of birth. According to Benckendorff et al. (2010), another generation theory was created by William Strauss and Neil Howe in 1997 in their book ‘Generations’. The aforementioned generation cohorts are reviewed because they represent much of the consumer groups at present. Also, tourism practitioners and academics affirm the validity of using generational analysis to study different generations’ travel behaviour (Li, Li & Hudson, 2013). Robinson (2019) notes that differences do still exist amongst the individual members, despite the same generation members sharing similar generational characteristics. These differences can be religious, political, cultural, economic, and/or educational and it also depends on the upbringing of the individual generation member (Palmore, 1978; Benckendorff et al., 2010).

2.2. Generation Z and Domestic Tourism – The South African Perspective

In contemporary society, tourism represents an increasingly important experience in the life of people, especially with regard to domestic tourism. During the past decade, tourism researchers have begun to discover the phenomenon of domestic tourism (Ghimire, 2013), especially in developing countries (Rogerson & Zoleka, 2005; Scheyvens 2002). This upturn of research interest in domestic tourism in developing countries underpin a well-established stream of research in developed countries (Rogerson & Zoleka, 2005). This study broadly defines domestic tourism as a travel within one’s country of origin, within and across province, which can be day trips or overnight trips for any given tourism purpose. In the context of South Africa, for example, a person from KwaZulu-Natal province going for a holiday in the Gauteng province is a domestic tourist.

As Generation Z is a hyper-connected generation with different travel arrangements and needs, compared to previous generations, the study of their motivations, their representations, purchasing behaviour, and tourism practices is a significant challenge not only for academic research but also for tourism professionals. One of the earliest researchers that conducted a study on Generation Z, is Tapscott (1998) who defined Generation Z as ‘Generation Next’ and characterised it as the most unique as no generation before was more comfortable, knowledgeable, and educated with the technology and innovation. Strauss and Howe (2009) conducted a study that further agrees and places emphasis on the research outcome by Tapscott (1998), as Generation Z being larger, more diverse, and more educated than the previous ones. Strauss and Howe (2009) found Generation Z as the greatest generation which possesses special abilities, skills, and mindset. It will therefore be interesting to assess Generation Z's attitude towards tourism, especially domestic tourism.

The tourism industry is recognised as one of the most influential economic sectors, oriented towards multi-generational visitors and served by a multi-generational labour force (Leask et al., 2013). Dwyer, Edwards, Mistilis, Roman and Scott (2009) note that the fundamental element of a successful tourism industry is the capability of identifying and dealing with global changes on a wide range of key factors and how they interact, namely: economic, political, environmental, technological, and social. Robbins (2017) notes that tourism is vital to the economy of South Africa. Maharaj, Sucheran, and Pillay (2006) stress the importance of the tourism sector in the creation of direct and indirect employment, especially for the local people who live in the communities around a tourism attraction and, in generating business opportunities for other industries. Domestic tourism for social integration is a South African conception, that came after the 1994 democratic election when the ‘rainbow nation’ (different races) of South Africa could collaborate in sports events and visits to attractions without any boundaries (Mazimhaka, 2007).

Generation Z is becoming more and more a target to keep an eye on since they influence families' travel choices and they are emerging as a segment with huge buying power or potential for tourism (Martin & Bush, 2000). Southan (2017) notes that post-millennials are considered budget-conscious travellers and start their travel plans without a set destination in mind, which impacts on spending choices and preferences at the destination. The technology and social media advances generated cheaper, faster and efficient travel distribution and booking mechanisms that were unimaginable in the past (Gardiner et al., 2015). In the tourism industry, Generation Z is considered an incredibly important cohort as they prefer experiences rather than possessions, which increases their propensity to travel (Barnes, 2018). Besides, the study carried out in Romanian by Băltescu (2019) found domestic tourism as the main type of tourism activities participated in by Generation Z. This knowledge is therefore important for this study and will be compared with the case of South Africa.

Generation Z corresponds to a travel profile that goes with conventional tourism through its travel and accommodation choices and its relationship with the environment and the local populations (Hammed & Christine, 2018). Hammed and Christine (2018) outline young tourists representing Generation Z to be cultivated, difficult to retain, and have high expectations from their travels. Findings of the research conducted by Chiu, Ramli, Yusof and Ting (2015) on young Malaysians’ travel behaviour and expenditure patterns in domestic tourism show that the young generation enjoys travelling more than any generation before. Their increasing purchasing power and spending behaviour make this demographic group [young travellers] an attractive target for tourism and other industries. Research findings in Britain by Carr (2002) show that domestic youth tourists [Generation Y] tended to behave in a more passive and hedonistic manner than the international youth tourist towards domestic tourism activities. Universally, the youth are considered an essential active group in tourism activities since they travel for various reasons including business and leisure (World Bank (2014). Regarding Africa, one of the major problems that dominate the youth travel is the added emphasis on international travel in comparison to domestic travel, this is also evident in South Africa tourism (Rogerson, 2007). Lianda and Leonard (2016) conducted a study concerning the barriers to youth participation in domestic tourism at Alexandra Township, Johannesburg (South Africa), the result of the study shows that socioeconomic barriers such as poverty which is linked to unemployment, contributes to the non-participation of youth in domestic tourism. Similar findings were obtained by Butler and Richardson (2013) in Soweto, South Africa. Historically, the emergence of domestic tourism in South Africa was dominated by the country’s minority white population during the apartheid era (pre-1994). During the first half of the twentieth century, a network of facilities in terms of infrastructure and accommodation facilities was established and centred particularly upon encouraging travel from the country’s inland cities, such as Johannesburg and Pretoria, to the seaside coastal resorts around Durban, East London, and the Garden Route from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town (Rogerson & Zoleka, 2005; Rogerson, 2011). As part of wider strategies for promoting the domestic tourism economy as a whole, a progressive trend for national government policy initiatives in South Africa since the 1994 democratic transition incorporated the formerly excluded Black communities. The 'Sho't Left' campaign was the heart of current marketing for domestic tourism. This term emerges from everyday taxi language, which refers to a situation when a passenger wants to jump off the taxi immediately or just around the corner, i.e., "Sho't Left driva" (Rogerson & Zoleka, 2005). The Sho't Left movement is still the flagship of the new marketing initiatives, launched by South African Tourism and designed to address the untapped potential of black domestic tourism (see South Africa Tourism, 2021). KwaZulu-Natal is a province in South Africa, consisting of large rural areas, large parts of which previously formed part of the fragmented KwaZulu homelands areas that are dotted across the province. It is usually marketed as the ‘Zulu Kingdom’ - a place where a person learns about Zulu culture - and it has a variety of experiences to offer both domestic and international tourists (Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, 2013). KwaZulu-Natal is blessed with natural wonders, where one can experience a traditional and modern lifestyle, including the big five, a marine paradise, the Indian ocean, history, culture, Phezulu safari park, the battlefields of the Anglo-Zulu War, and the Drakensberg mountains (Economic Development and Growth in eThekwini, 2014; Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, 2013; Domestic Tourism Survey, 2017; Maharaj, Sucheran & Pillay 2006). KwaZulu-Natal has the second largest provincial economy after Gauteng, in South Africa. Economic activities in KwaZulu-Natal are centred in the Durban-Pinetown metropole, Pietermaritzburg, Empangeni, and Richards Bay (Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, 2009). KwaZulu-Natal has two World Heritage Sites (Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, 2013) namely:

• The Isimangaliso Wetlands Park, which has a wildness area, lakes, an ancient marine reserve, and a coastal dune forest, and

• The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, which has a mountain range and caves with Khoisan paintings.

In the next section, we will present how data were collected and analysed, regarding this study: Generation Z attitude towards domestic tourism in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

3. Research Methodology

Data collection for this study took place between February and November 2020. The timeline was long due to Covid-19 restrictions, as it was difficult to access respondents. The nature of the research required a questionnaire survey (quantitative research method) to address study purpose. Attitude statements were set on a Likert scale (scaling agreement or disagreement, using a standard set of responses, which can be quantified using coding). This measurement scale regarding attitude statement was supported by Veal (2011). Structured questionnaires were distributed in four major towns in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa, namely: Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, and St. Lucia. These towns were chosen as they are important tourism destinations, with much emphases on tourism offerings such as natural and cultural heritage, sea-sand-sun, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions). Study variables emanated from the literature reviewed and researchers’ own knowledge. Completed and useable questionnaires from 385 respondents generated data for analysis, in this study. Data collected were analysed using IBM’s Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 25. This study employed non-probability sampling method for data collection as the study population is largely unknown, hence purposive sampling was used to target Generation Z members in KwaZulu-Natal. Descriptive (frequency distribution) analysis was used to explore Generation Z attitude towards domestic tourism.

4. Findings and Discussion

4.1. Respondents’ Profile

Data collected show that KwaZulu-Natal Generation Z members portray a positive attitude towards domestic tourism in South Africa. However, about 70% of them were still studying, while only about 18% were employed (Table 2). This may have financial implication for domestic tourism affordability and spending power. This result partly affirms the finding of African Economic Outlook (2012), which states that other reasons why African youth between 15 and 24 years of age may not engage in domestic tourism are due to unemployment and an increase in the illiteracy rate amongst African youth. However, the sample surveyed in this study (in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) are mostly well-educated, as about 68% of them have tertiary education and have participated in domestic tourism (about 76%).

Table 2. Profile of the Respondents (N = 385)

Source: Survey Data (2020)

4.2. Importance of Tourism Activities

Respondents were asked to state how important some tourism activities in South Africa are to them. According to the analysis’ results (Table 3), ‘nature tourism’ had the highest percentage (89.4%) of the respondents saying it is very important or quite important to them. This is followed by ‘historical and cultural’ tourism (85.3%), ‘sun-sea-sand (beach) tourism’ (81%), ‘urban tourism’ (74.3%), ‘rural tourism’ (69.1%), ‘shopping’ (66.5%) and ‘meetings, incentives, conventions/conferences, and events’ (64.5%). This is quite an interesting results showing that Generation Z members in KwaZulu-Natal attach more importance to nature, history and culture; than beach, urban, rural and shopping tourism. This could be as a result of this destination positioning and marketing itself as ‘nature, history and culture’ destination. Members of this generation may well be said to be loyal to their destination brand.

Table 3. Respondents’ Responses towards ‘Importance of Tourism Types in South Africa’

Source: Survey Data (2020)

4.3. Generation Z Attitude towards Domestic Tourism

Respondents were further asked to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement to a set of variables in the questionnaire, used by the study to measure KwaZulu-Natal Generation Z attitude towards domestic tourism (Table 4). These variables were grouped into five dimensions, namely: ‘awareness’, ‘attitude’, ‘finance’, ‘decision making’, and ‘social media and technology’. This study obtained the results in Table 4. The reliability statistics generated proved that variables in these dimensions have enough internal consistency to measure these dimensions (Cronbach’s Alpha higher that 0.7, according to George & Mallery, 2003; Hair et al, 2005).

Table 4. Respondents’ Level of Agreement (%) towards Domestic Tourism

Source: Survey Data (2020)

Respondents were more positive than negative towards being aware of the benefits of tourism in South Africa, as about 85% of Generation Z members strongly agreed or agreed to this statement. Also about 89% of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed that they have interest in traveling and knowing South Africa. These findings support Mignon’s (2003) notion that Generation Z members are endlessly looking for more tourism opportunities. Similarly, Prayag and Hosany (2014) note that young travellers portray a common pattern of their constant need for strengthening self-knowledge and looking for personalised tourism activities or amenities, thus the continuous search of opportunities. Again about 54% of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed to being knowledgeable about the domestic tourism industry. These affirm the results of the study conducted by Hammed and Christine (2018) that Generation Z members are aware of different tourism activities and appear modest during tourist experiences. Also, research findings on young Malaysians travel behaviour and expenditure patterns in domestic tourism by Chiu et al. (2015) show that young generation enjoys travelling more than any generation before them.

Study done in Britain by Carr (2002) shows that domestic youth tourist [Generation Y] tended to have a more passive and hedonistic attitude towards domestic tourism activities. It is evident in Britain that domestic youth tourists are more active than other international youth tourists (Carr, 2002). Results from this study confirm that, Generation Z members (88%) have positive attitude towards domestic tourism, and mostly acknowledge (80%) that South Africa is an excellent destination for tourists providing quality tourism products and experience. Lianda and Leonard (2016) in their study carried out in Alexandra Township of Johannesburg; and Butler and Richardson (2013) in Soweto, Johannesburg argue that youths are not interested in domestic tourism activities due to unemployment and poverty. The results of this study are in line with these previous findings in South Africa, as only about 16% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed to have financial resources to travel in South Africa, while about 54% clearly disagreed or strongly disagreed. About 30% are neutral to this statement. Donaldson and Gatsinzi (2015) assert that financial restrictions are one of the greatest challenges that Generation Z faces when deciding to travel. Similar finding was also made in South Africa (such as Dzikiti & Leonard, 2016; Butler & Richardson, 2013).

Significant number of the respondents (about 40%) disagreed that their parents get them involved in domestic tourism or holiday decisions in the family. About 36% disagreed that their relatives get them involved in domestic tourism or holiday decisions in the family. However, about 51% of the respondents agreed that their friends and colleagues get them involved in their domestic tourism or holiday decisions. It is a general knowledge and must be noted here, that while friends and colleagues perceive themselves as ‘social equals’, in the African continent, parents mostly perceive themselves as decision makers in the family, as long as their children live with them in the same household (irrespective of their children’s age). This same situation largely applies to holiday decisions. Results of this study may therefore be dissimilar to studies conducted in other continents. Huang and Petrick (2010) state that young travellers aged between 18 and 25 years are expected to be very influential. Although, the husband and wife are the family’s chief decision-makers, the child’s influence cannot be ignored during tourism decision making (Wang, Hsieh, Yeh, & Tsai, 2004).

Many respondents (about 62%) strongly agreed or agreed to checking reviews online about tourism sites in South Africa before travelling or participating, this result aligns with the results of the study done by Monaco (2018) that posit post-millennials to exclusively use the web to source for information pertaining purchasing decisions and making reservations. Also about 64% of the study participants strongly agreed or agreed to ‘finding it necessary to take pictures, upload and give reviews on social media about the tourism sites they visited’. Previous study by Tussyadiah & Fesenmaier (2009) notes that Internet increasingly mediates tourism experiences as tourists, mostly the younger generation, use social media sites to portray, reconstruct and relive their trips. Some 77% of the respondents agreed to visiting tourism sites with internet access; this finding replicates Lenhart’s (2015) research outcome that technology is an inseparable part of the lives of Generation Z. Numerous research has been carried out on social media impacts on tourist behaviour and travel information searches, which provides understanding into the credibility of blogs compared to that of traditional word-of-mouth (Litvin, Goldsmith & Pan, 2008). Yoo and Gretzel (2011) note consumer-generated-media as a ‘new form of word-of-mouth’ which serves information needs by contributing non-commercial, empirical and detailed data on social media. Lipowski (2017) claims the youngest of the generations prefer Internet channels to search for information because it is the cheapest, fastest channel and allows one, without any help, to get a lot of information. Also results from the study done by Dionysopoulou and Mylonakis (2013) show that young people spend much time on their activities on social media and choose the Internet as first option whenever they plan their trips. Travellers can actively collaborate with peers in producing, consuming and diffusing travel information through the Internet (Sigala, 2010; Amaro, Duarte & Henriques, 2016). The next section will conclude this study.

5. Conclusions

The study examined the Generation Z attitude towards domestic tourism, using KwaZulu-Natal province as a case. Arguably, Generation Z members have positive attitude towards domestic tourism, and they mostly affirm that South Africa is an excellent destination for tourists providing quality tourism products and experience. Generation Z members in KwaZulu-Natal were found to attach very high importance to the destination’s unique attributes of nature, history and culture. Members of this generation may well be said to be loyal to their destination brand. Financial limitation continues to be a major constraint to this generation’s domestic travel ambitions. Regarding travelling with the family, Generation Z seem to be guided by the choices of their parents and older relatives. However, they are involved significantly when their friends and colleagues make domestic tourism or holiday decisions. While friends and colleagues perceive themselves as ‘social equals’, in the African continent, parents mostly perceive themselves as decision makers in the family, as long as their children live with them in the same household (irrespective of their children’s age). This is also true for holiday decisions. Internet and social media were found to increasingly mediate tourism experiences of Generation Z; they use Internet and social media sites to portray, reconstruct and relive their trips. This study therefore recommends that competitive pricing, through reduced operational costs and bundle pricing of domestic tourism activities, should be implemented in KwaZulu-Natal tourism destination, especially during peak seasons (see also Dlomo & Ezeuduji, 2020; Ezeuduji & Dlomo, 2020a, b; Mhlongo & Ezeuduji, 2021). This is because majority of Generation Z domestic tourists have difficulties to afford travel costs. Furthermore, the study recommends the creation of intensive and incessant awareness of KwaZulu-Natal domestic tourism sites through numerous platforms such as social media, movies, music videos and also personal referrals, enabling a wider reach to the Generation Z members. Tourism KwaZulu-Natal (the Destination Marketing Organisation) and other tourism offices and businesses in KwaZulu-Natal should continue to highlight provincial and local tourist attractions in the community and also, elaborate on the social and psychological benefits of involvement in domestic tourism. This will foster the need to participate in domestic tourism activities in the minds of Generation Z members residing in KwaZulu-Natal.

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