African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure (Jan 2016)
Challenges facing tourist attractions due to acid mine drainage in the West Rand, Gauteng
Abstract
The West Rand is known for its gold mining industry, including its tourist attractions. The local municipality describes the area as ‘unspoiled wilderness’ that must be carefully managed to preserve its heritage. However historical mining activities has resulted in the formation of acid mine drainage with impacts on the tourism industry. Anecdotal media reports have indicated local streams contaminated with acid mine drainage and impacting on tourism sites. The issue of mining impacts on tourism sites in the West Rand has been limited researched. Within this context, this paper explores potential impacts and challenges that tourist attractions experience in the West Rand due to acid mine drainage. In addition to systemic analysis involving semi-structured qualitative interviews with key informants, two case studies are explored, the Krugersdorp Game Reserve and the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. These attractions were examined since they are major tourist attractions in the West Rand, and both sites have made media headlines for being under threat of contamination. Such impacts on tourist sites could have serve implications for the tourism industry. Results indicate that contradictory and varying perspectives by informants surrounding impacts of acid mine drainage on tourism sites have not resulted in consensus and clarity on how wide ranging these impacts may be. Equal partnerships and co-ordination between all stakeholders is required to work collectively and effectively to address acid mine drainage issues and potential impacts on tourism sites. Financial and human scientific resources will also be required at the lesser well known tourism sites to assist in curbing the impact of acid mine drainage.
