*2.2.6 Development of tourists*

Building on Urry and Larsen [26] tourist gaze concept, one can argue that domestic tourism is made up of various building blocks as local people appreciate the value of tourism and its healing power. This gives the impression that at first local people just walk around within their communities unaware that they are actually being tourists in the process, later they explore further afield before travelling internationally as 'tourists'. **Figure 1** shows the development stages and degree of tourism formalisation matrix.

Tourists undergo four stages of development that build on each other without clear cut off point but rather a gradual change. This is better appreciated through the lenses of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory [27] that argues that a satisfied

**139**

*Contribution of Domestic Tourism to Sustainable Tourism Development*

need is no longer a motivator hence desire to go for another higher order unsatisfied need. Equally tourists start by exploring their local communities before going further afield. Through exposure they are motivated to explore more and further away from their local community and there is need for the right political and economic

The four stages identified in tourist development are when one is a backyard domestic tourist, micro domestic tourist, macro domestic tourist and international

Backyard domestic tourists are local people who go out of their homes for some

Micro domestic tourists are local people who would be fully aware of attractions within their locality. They would take time to visit them. They would take along friends and relatives who would have visited them but not familiar with local attractions. Local people would explain to the visitors the various stories associated with the attractions. Some would even take their families for a day visit at these attrac-

At this stage local people would also visit official tourism sites located within their communities where they will have to pay to access the attraction. Thus, as one goes up from being a backyard domestic tourist towards being an international tourist, they become more formal. However, at this stage, local people would be spending the day out and come back the same day. Distance covered is subject to the exact location of the attraction though distance is not the key variable but the activities one does during that time when they are tourists. Typically they are recognised in tourism as excursionists though Urry and Larsen [26] and Cohen and Cohen [28] describe them as informal domestic tourists whilst Canavan [25] refers

On the third level are the macro domestic tourists who take their time to visit attractions within their country but beyond their locality. They spend some time

Apart from the attraction, these tourists also need such facilities like guest houses, lodges, hotels and restaurants. They spend at least a day at the destination

travelling to and from the destination and within the destination [25].

moments for leisure. They forget their everyday challenges without spending anything in tandem with the tourist gaze concept (see [26]). Everything being done at this stage is informal with people going out for different social reasons like managing domestic disputes as given by respondent 17 who said 'When you have a problem even at home with Madam (wife) you go for a breath of fresh air'. This portrayed backyard domestic tourists as mainly individuals seeking to rest and in need of time to recollect themselves and strategise on challenges they are facing. In backyard domestic tourism are also young couples hiding from communal eyes especially during courtship. Young people would wonder off the beaten path in search of privacy and seclusion. It is during these moments that attractions are discovered as people wonder off from home. These new attractions become the bedrock of future tourism as tourists graduate from backyard purely informal domestic tourists towards formal international tourists going beyond their own

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93646*

environment to prevail before that can happen.

*2.2.7 Backyard domestic tourists*

country's borders.

tions for picnics [25].

to them as micro domestic tourists.

*2.2.9 Macro domestic tourists*

*2.2.8 Micro domestic tourists*

tourist.

**Figure 1.** *Tourist development and formalisation matrix.*

#### *Contribution of Domestic Tourism to Sustainable Tourism Development DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93646*

need is no longer a motivator hence desire to go for another higher order unsatisfied need. Equally tourists start by exploring their local communities before going further afield. Through exposure they are motivated to explore more and further away from their local community and there is need for the right political and economic environment to prevail before that can happen.

The four stages identified in tourist development are when one is a backyard domestic tourist, micro domestic tourist, macro domestic tourist and international tourist.

#### *2.2.7 Backyard domestic tourists*

*Tourism*

(see [25, 26]).

*2.2.5 Destination management*

tourism attraction site.

*2.2.6 Development of tourists*

tourism formalisation matrix.

*Tourist development and formalisation matrix.*

Domestic tourists felt that tourism was part of their heritage. This portrayed tourism as an inherent phenomenon that was practiced since time immemorial, visiting and enjoying the God-given attractions. However, the difference could be that unlike foreigners who travel and spend some days in some foreign land, domestic tourists do not cross international borders to be tourists. Instead, domestic tourists travel to get their mind together and in the process will be admiring nature and being healed by nature as tourists for the duration of their experience. Domestic tourists benefit personally from tourism just like their international counterparts. A situation which is better understood through the tourist gaze concept which argues that one does not necessarily need to spend at least a day away from home to be a tourist, but rather it is the engagement in touristic activities that makes one a tourist

To continue gaining tourism benefits, authorities that manage destinations especially dark tourism sites like Nyanga are investing more in scientific ways of ensuring the safety of tourists to these destinations. For example, to increase the safety of tourists to Mount Nyangani, the following may be adopted. Tourists to fully charge their cellular phones have torches with new batteries and spare batteries, be accompanied by a trained tour guide and encouraged to stick to walkways cleared by the authorities, avail and ensure all tourists wear reflective jackets, carry whistles and

Adherence to the rules is expected to maximise chances of successful trips and enjoyable experiences opening the destination to more risky averse tourists who are not comfortable visiting under the current conditions. These would visit in future as it becomes clearer through testimonies of how others have experienced dark

Building on Urry and Larsen [26] tourist gaze concept, one can argue that domestic tourism is made up of various building blocks as local people appreciate the value of tourism and its healing power. This gives the impression that at first local people just walk around within their communities unaware that they are actually being tourists in the process, later they explore further afield before travelling internationally as 'tourists'. **Figure 1** shows the development stages and degree of

Tourists undergo four stages of development that build on each other without clear cut off point but rather a gradual change. This is better appreciated through the lenses of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory [27] that argues that a satisfied

bells to aid in rescue mission in the event of someone disappearing.

**138**

**Figure 1.**

Backyard domestic tourists are local people who go out of their homes for some moments for leisure. They forget their everyday challenges without spending anything in tandem with the tourist gaze concept (see [26]). Everything being done at this stage is informal with people going out for different social reasons like managing domestic disputes as given by respondent 17 who said 'When you have a problem even at home with Madam (wife) you go for a breath of fresh air'. This portrayed backyard domestic tourists as mainly individuals seeking to rest and in need of time to recollect themselves and strategise on challenges they are facing.

In backyard domestic tourism are also young couples hiding from communal eyes especially during courtship. Young people would wonder off the beaten path in search of privacy and seclusion. It is during these moments that attractions are discovered as people wonder off from home. These new attractions become the bedrock of future tourism as tourists graduate from backyard purely informal domestic tourists towards formal international tourists going beyond their own country's borders.

#### *2.2.8 Micro domestic tourists*

Micro domestic tourists are local people who would be fully aware of attractions within their locality. They would take time to visit them. They would take along friends and relatives who would have visited them but not familiar with local attractions. Local people would explain to the visitors the various stories associated with the attractions. Some would even take their families for a day visit at these attractions for picnics [25].

At this stage local people would also visit official tourism sites located within their communities where they will have to pay to access the attraction. Thus, as one goes up from being a backyard domestic tourist towards being an international tourist, they become more formal. However, at this stage, local people would be spending the day out and come back the same day. Distance covered is subject to the exact location of the attraction though distance is not the key variable but the activities one does during that time when they are tourists. Typically they are recognised in tourism as excursionists though Urry and Larsen [26] and Cohen and Cohen [28] describe them as informal domestic tourists whilst Canavan [25] refers to them as micro domestic tourists.

#### *2.2.9 Macro domestic tourists*

On the third level are the macro domestic tourists who take their time to visit attractions within their country but beyond their locality. They spend some time travelling to and from the destination and within the destination [25].

Apart from the attraction, these tourists also need such facilities like guest houses, lodges, hotels and restaurants. They spend at least a day at the destination to enjoy. They pay for almost everything they need to use and enjoy at the destination contributing to the formal tourism industry. At this stage, all they do is formal qualifying them to be called domestic tourists as they are restricted within the boundaries of the country.
