Responsible event practices: The case of the Gauteng Province, South Africa

South Africa may be seen as a tourism success story based on the significant growth of the tourism industry over the last decade and the contribution thereof on the economy. One of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry is events. A critical issue facing the successful management of tourism is the trend towards responsible tourism practices. The South African government and tourism stakeholders have developed strategies which place emphasis on responsible tourism management. The main goal of this study was to determine the responsible tourism practices of events venues at geological heritage sites in Gauteng. The study found that although the responsible tourism guidelines achieved high levels of support, more could be achieved through greater proactive engagement and communication between all stakeholders in this sector, which should advance responsible tourism activities, the sustainability of the events sector and potentially the tourism industry as a whole.