Heritage sites as tourism attractions: Spiritual, psychological and emotional toll on communities

Abstract

The study, conducted within the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (MCL), had two aims: (1) to establish the reasons why domestic tourists, in particular descendants, do not view World Heritage Sites as tourism attractions and (2) to advocate for the importance of engaging the descendants at a spiritual, psychological and emotional level. It adopted a qualitative method, whereby observations and interviews were conducted with traditional leaders of the six groups of the Mapungubwe descendants. Purposive sampling, also known as judgemental, selective or subjective sampling, was applied in the form of in-depth interviews and a group discussion with each leader of the six descendant groups. Only one group opted for a group discussion rather than an individual interview with their leader because they wanted a representation of their Tribal Council members since their Chief had passed away and their new leader was yet to be inaugurated. The study established that (1) descendants do not view MCL as a tourist attraction but rather as a solemn place where their ancestors are laid to rest and (2) descendants are in pain because they lost the land of their forefathers, which was demarcated into farms by the colonial government before being declared as protected areas. The stated findings suggest that losing their forefathers’ land led to a sense of loss and disconnection from their cultural and spiritual heritage.