Strategic Visitor-Centric Approaches to the Promotion of Cultural Heritage Tourism sites in South Africa

Often, cultural heritage tourism is marketed and promoted without knowing exactly what potential visitors/tourists are looking for or what their preferences for promotion are. This article explores the type of promotional activities which motivate tourists to visit cultural heritage sites in Gauteng. Closed-ended questionnaires were distributed to a total sample of 376 respondents at three of the main cultural heritage sites in Gauteng, namely Maropeng (the cradle of humankind), Vilakazi Street, and the Voortrekker Monument. The statements comprising the questionnaire were measured on a 5-point Likert scale. The findings indicated that the respondents had different expectations of promotional activities with some activities deemed more important than others. Maropeng was highlighted for the quality of its amenities, Vilakazi Street’s status was stressed and Voortrekker Monument’s cultural elements were emphasised. Moreover, the association of the sites with prominent organisations like UNESCO also played a significant role as a promotional push for these sites. This study highlights the importance of the involvement of cultural heritage stakeholders in promoting cultural heritage tourism by integrating visitor feedback in promotion strategy and implementing regular visitor surveys, feedback systems and digital review analysis to ensure ongoing alignment between promotional content and visitor expectations.