In South Africa, the promotion of tourism has been identified as a key strategy that can lead to\r\neconomic growth, community development and poverty alleviation. This appears to reflect that in the\r\nrecent years, tourism has emerged as a significant development option in the post-apartheid South\r\nAfrica. Tourism is perceived as an adopted strategy to creating more equitable economic growth in\r\nSouth Africa. According to the White paper on tourism (1996) the tourism sector is expected to be the\r\nleading economic sector in the country by 2014. The tourism industry is an integrated and multisectoral,\r\naimed at poverty alleviation through pro-poor economic growth. The study looked at the\r\nsocio-economic impacts of tourism on emerging tourism entrepreneurs in the George municipality. The\r\nstudy will contribute in increasing awareness of the socio-economic impacts of the tourism industry on\r\nemerging tourism entrepreneurs, who are mostly from the previously disadvantaged groups in South\r\nAfrica. The study found that the tourism industry is contributing positively from a socio-economic\r\nperspective to the emerging tourism entrepreneurs, even though the majority of them are earning\r\nincomes very close and lower than what is considered a living wage in South Africa from their\r\nenterprises. It was found that tourism is helping to respond to the alleviation of poverty and the income\r\nearned is helping to respond to the basic needs of the entrepreneurs. Many of these entrepreneurs who\r\nare from poor backgrounds are also able to find employment in these enterprises. These enterprises\r\nare also seen to be providing a new type of tourist experience as many of them are focusing on cultural\r\ntourism products.
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