ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the small, but growing body of research that investigates a range of unfolding dimensions of urban tourism in South Africa. It also provides a brief synopsis of the main Africa-wide tourism research themes. The chapter focuses on core research issues at various scales of analysis and highlights the limited body of locality-based studies. It demonstrates that while urban tourism has not received much research attention in Africa generally, it has been a feature of the South African tourism landscape for a considerable time. The chapter shows that in light of the current body of knowledge and the emergence of a range of urban tourism products, urban tourism in South Africa represents fertile ground for future academic and policy research. The significance of the "African" regional tourist is beginning to be acknowledged in tourism development planning and reaches its strongest expression in the South African experience.
