Design Thinking as a Strategic Lever in Promoting Tourism in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

The tourism industry in South Africa is viewed as the most significant potential engine of economic growth and employment creation among all industrial groupings. The introduction of the coronavirus had a terrible effect on the travel and tourism industry both internationally and in South Africa. The study's primary goals were to introduce design thinking to the tourism industry, comprehend its special ability to address difficulties unique to the industry, and eventually identify design thinking as a key strategic tool for advancing tourism in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This study employed a qualitative research methodology with purposive sampling. The key findings indicated that participants in the study expressed a desire for design thinking to be adopted in this industry and offered a variety of activities to help achieve this goal. It is recommended that the tourism industry collaborates with key stakeholders and the design thinking model developed from this study be applied with various customized strategies in human resource design thinking competency.