Developing a scale for measuring influential factors towards geotourism development

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ORIENTATION: This article provided a theoretical enhancement for geotourism development positing the geotourism development index that contributed to gaining understanding of geotourism development by different stakeholders. RESEARCH PURPOSE: To establish and delineate a measurement scale of factors and subsequent variables that influenced geotourism development. MOTIVATION FOR THIS STUDY: Geotourism has been recognised as a branch of sustainable tourism that can be used for local social sustainability through job creation, poverty alleviation, geoconservation and the development of rural economies. Effective geotourism was impossible without understanding the factors influencing geotourism development. Developing the measurement scale for measuring influential factors was deemed important in understanding and towards geotourism development. RESEARCH DESIGN, APPROACH AND METHOD: Quantitative data were collected from 105 volunteering respondents in order to understand their perceptions of the influential factors in the context of geotourism in a South African national park. Consequently, a statistical analysis using exploratory factor analysis was performed through the principal axis factoring data extraction method to determine factors to establish a measurement scale for influential factors towards geotourism development. MAIN FINDINGS: The research proposed a measurement scale for measuring the influential factors towards geotourism development. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Theoretically, this article consolidated the knowledge and understanding of the concept of geotourism development for South African national parks and other stakeholders such as the National Department of Tourism, local communities and academic institutions. Practically, this research emphasised the importance of geotourism-influential factors as mechanisms to develop geotourism and stimulate interest from tourists. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: Geotourism concept has been under-researched and no previous research has comprehensively and systematically determined the influential factors of geotourism in an African national public park proposing a quantitative measurement scale towards geotourism development with such parks as public resources for abutting communities.