Received:
2026-03-11 | Accepted:
2026-09-14 | Published:
2026-09-30
Title
Tourism opportunities created by COVID-19 pandemic in Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Abstract
Like all other forms of pervasive disruption, COVID-19 disrupted the world's economic and social systems, while creating opportunities for some and devastating threats for others. The South African economy, through the tourism sector, was highly affected. This paper, therefore, investigated the opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic in the tourism sector, with a focus on South Africa's Limpopo Province, specifically the Vhembe District Municipality. The study employed quantitative methods supported by a descriptive research design. For this study, a survey questionnaire was distributed to forty-two (42) tourism business owners in four (4) local towns in the Vhembe District, and convenience sampling was utilised to choose participants for the study. The quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). A deductive analysis method was used to analyse data generated by SPSS from tables and figures.
Keywords
Business Forums, COVID-19, local economic development, opportunities, Tourism sector
JEL classifications
Z32
, R11
URI
http://jssidoi.org/ird/article/286
DOI
Pages
318-329
Funding
This is an open access issue and all published articles are licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
References
Busulwa, R., Pickering, M., & Mao, I. (2022). Digital transformation and hospitality management competencies: Toward an integrative framework. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 102, 1-15 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.103132
Search via ReFindit
Cheshmehzangi, A., Su, Z., & Zou, T. (2023). ICT applications and the COVID-19 pandemic: Impacts on the individual’s digital data, digital privacy, and data protection. Front. Hum. Dyn. 5, 971504 https://doi.org/10.3389/fhumd.2023.971504
Search via ReFindit
Clarke, A. (1981). Coastal development in France: Tourism as a tool for regional development. Annals of Tourism Research, 8(3), 447-61 https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-7383(81)90008-6
Search via ReFindit
Demir, M., Demir, Ş. Ş., Ergen, F. D., & Dalgıç, A. (2021). The factors affecting hotel choice of consumers during the COVID-19 process. International Journal of Social Sciences and Education Research, 7(1), 82-94 https://doi.org/10.24289/ijsser.857679
Search via ReFindit
Dube-Xaba, Z. (2023). COVID-19 and Rural Tourism Destinations in South Africa: Impact, Transformation Opportunities and Potential. In: Dube, K., Mensah, I., Chapungu, L. (eds) COVID-19, Tourist Destinations and Prospects for Recovery. Springer, Cham https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24655-5_12
Search via ReFindit
Goel, P., Garg, A., Walia, N. Kaur, R., Jain, M., & Singh, S. (2022). Contagious diseases and tourism: a systematic review based on bibliometric and content analysis methods. Qual Quant, 56, 3085-3110 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-021-01270-z
Search via ReFindit
Gössling, S. & Scott, D., & Hall, C. (2020). Pandemics, tourism and global change: a rapid assessment of COVID-19. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29 https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1758708
Search via ReFindit
Kitkowska, A., Alaqra, A. S., & Wästlund, E. (2024). Lockdown locomotion: the fast-forwarding effects of technology use on digital well- being due to COVID-19 restrictions. Behaviour & Information Technology, 43(6), 1178–1205 https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2023.2203268
Search via ReFindit
Korinth, B., & Ramasigher, R. (2020). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism in Poland occurred in March 2020. Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites, 3(3), 987-999 https://doi.org/10.30892/gtg.31308-531
Search via ReFindit
LEDET, 2010. Limpopo Tourism Growth Strategy (TGS 2009 - 2014). Polokwane: LEDET https://www.ledet.gov.za/
Search via ReFindit
Lee, S. E. (2015). The sociocultural impact of Growth-Pole Theory (GPT) tourism development. Anatolia, 27(2), 268-270 https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2015.1111245
Search via ReFindit
Li, J., Nguyen, T. H. H., & Coca-Stefaniak, J. A. (2020). Coronavirus impacts on postpandemic planned travel behaviors. Annals of Tourism Research https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.102964
Search via ReFindit
Ma, X., de Jong, M., Sun, B., & Bao, X. (2020). Nouveauté or Cliché? Assessment on island ecological vulnerability to Tourism: Application to Zhoushan, China. Ecological Indicators, 113, Article 106247 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106247
Search via ReFindit
Malizia, E., Feser, E. J., Renski, H., & Drucker, J. (2020). Understanding Local Economic Development: Second Edition (2nd ed.). Routledge https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367815134
Search via ReFindit
Mandlazi, M. & Nyasha, S. (2023). An Assessment of the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Africa: From its Impact on the Economy to the Rebuilding Strategy. Annals of Spiru Haret University. Economic Series, 23(4), 441-476 https://doi.org/10.26458/23425
Search via ReFindit
National Department of Tourism, 2017. National Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS) 2016-2026. Pretoria: Government printer National Treasury. (2022). Public‐sector infrastructure update. Pretoria: National Department of Treasury. Pretoria: Government printer Nawaz, S, Bhowmik, J, Linden, T, Mitchell, M. (2024). Adapting to the new normal: Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on technology usage and human behaviour. Entertainment Computing, 51, 100726 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2024.100726
Search via ReFindit
Ost, C., & Saleh, R. (2021). Cultural and creative sectors at a crossroad: From a mainstream process towards an active engagement. Built Herit., 5, 14 https://doi.org/10.1186/s43238-021-00032-y
Search via ReFindit
Rodrigue, J. P. (2024). The Geography of Transport Systems (6th ed.). Routledge https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003343196
Search via ReFindit
Rogerson, C. M. 2015. Tourism and regional development: The case of South Africa's distressed areas. Development Southern Africa, 32(3), 277-291 https://doi.org/10.1080/0376835X.2015.1010713
Search via ReFindit
Schmidt, K., Sieverding, T., Wallis, H., & Matthies, E. (2021). COVID-19 - a window of opportunity for the transition toward sustainable mobility? Transp. Res. Interdiscip. Perspect., 10, 100374 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2021.100374
Search via ReFindit
Seabra, C., & Bhatt, K. (2022). Tourism Sustainability and COVID-19 Pandemic: Is There a Positive Side? Sustainability, 14(14), 8723 https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148723
Search via ReFindit
Sigala, M. (2020). Tourism and COVID-19: Impacts and Implications for Advancing and Resetting Industry and Research. Journal of Business Research, 117, 312-321 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.015
Search via ReFindit
Sumanapala, D. & Wolf, I. D. (2022). The changing face of wildlife tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic: An opportunity to strive towards sustainability? Curr. Issues Tour., 25, 357-362 https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1960281
Search via ReFindit
Swart, M.P., Dube, K., & Ezeuduji, I.O. (2025). Building Inclusive and Sustainable Tourism Resilience in an Era of Climate Change: A Practical and Policy Perspective for Southern Africa. In: Dube, K., Ezeuduji, I.O., Swart, M.P. (eds) Climate Change and Sustainable Development Goals Discourse in Rural and Tourism-Protected Areas. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-87337-9_11
Search via ReFindit
Van, N.T.T., Vrana, V., Duy, N.T., Minh, D.X.H., Dzung, P.T., Mondal, S.R., & Das, S. (2020). The role of human-machine interactive devices for post-COVID-19 innovative sustainable tourism in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Sustainability, 12, 9523 https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229523
Search via ReFindit
Vhembe District Municipality. (2020). Integrated Development plan. Thohoyandou: Vhembe District Municipality. Vhembe District Municipality. (2022). Tourism Development and Promotion Strategy. Thohoyandou: Vhembe District Municipality Yao, X, Xu, Z, Škare, M, Wang, X. (2024). Aftermath on COVID-19 technological and socioeconomic changes: A meta-analytic review. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 202,123322 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2024.123322
Search via ReFindit
Xu, Z, Elomri. A., Kerbache, L., & El Omri, A. (2020). Impacts of COVID-19 on Global Supply Chains: Facts and Perspectives. IEEE Engineering Management Review, 48(3), 153-66 https://doi.org/10.1109/EMR.2020.3018420
Search via ReFindit