Residents’ Perceptions of the Benefits of Visitation to a Botanical Garden in South Africa
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the perceived benefits of users and non-users of the Lowveld National Botanical Garden (LNBG) in South Africa; more specifically, users and non-users who are residents living in proximity to the Garden. The study was quantitative, descriptive, and exploratory and employed a survey research design. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 500 residents (including users and non-users). The results of a principal components analysis for users and non-users revealed shared factors (i.e. benefits) between the two groups, including socio-cultural, mental well-being, leisure, and biodiversity benefits. The benefit of escapism was an additional factor elicited for the non-users. Understanding the perceived benefits has practical value in that it may serve as a foundation to develop the product offering of the LNBG and tailor the marketing communication. In this regard, repeat visitation is promoted for users, and non-users may be converted into active users. In turn, this promotes the sustainability of the Garden in an era where visitation needs to be maximized to generate tourist income to supplement limited government funds. The study is considered novel in that it has explored an under-researched population (i.e. residents as users and non-users of a botanical garden) and an under-researched topic in a specific context, i.e. perceived benefits of botanical garden visitation in South Africa.
References
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[39] Wassenberg, Christopher L, Marni Goldenberg, and Katherine Soule. (2015). Benefits of botanical garden visitation: A means-end study. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 14(1): 148–155. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2015.01.002
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[2] Aldous, David E. (2007). Social, environmental, economic and health benefits of botanic gardens. Paper presented at the 3rd Global Botanic Gardens Congress International, April 16, in Wuhan, China. DOI:http://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.762.17
[3] Ballantyne, Roy, Jan Packer, and Karen Hughes. (2008). Environmental awareness, interests and motives of botanic gardens visitors: Implications for interpretive practice. Tourism Management, 29(3): 439-444. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.05.006
[4] Baur, Joshua W.R, Joanne Tynon, and Edwin Gómez. (2013). Attitudes about urban nature parks: A case study of users and nonusers in Portland, Oregon. Landscape and Urban Planning 117, September: 147-162. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.04.015
[5] Benfield, Richard. (2013). Garden Tourism. CABI.
[6] Benfield, Richard. (2021). New Directions in Garden Tourism. CABI.
[7] Bennett, Ellen S, and James E. Swasey. (1996). Perceived stress reduction in urban public gardens. HortTechnology, 6(2): 125-128. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH.6.2.125
[8] Bryman, Alan. (2012). Social Research Methods. 4th ed. Oxford University Press.
[9] Caro-Carretero, Raquel, and Sandra Monroy-Rodríguez. (2025). Residents’ perceptions of tourism and sustainable tourism management: planning to prevent future problems in destination management - The case of Cáceres, Spain. Cogent Social Sciences, 11(1). DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2447398
[10] Carrus, G., et al. (2017). A different way to stay in touch with ‘urban nature’: the perceived restorative qualities of botanical gardens. Frontiers in Psychology, 8(914): 1-9. DOI:http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00914
[11] Chen, Ning C, Larry Dwyer and Tracey Firth. (2014). Conceptualisation and measurement of the dimensionality of place attachment. Tourism Analysis, 19(3): 323-338. DOi:https://doi.org/10.3727/108354214X14029467968529
[12] Chen, Ning C., Colin M. Hall, and Girish Prayag. (2021). Place matters! Introduction to sense of place and place attachment in tourism. Routledge.
[13] Chen, Ning C, and Tina Segota. (2015). Resident attitudes, place attachment and destination branding: a research framework. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 21(2): 145-158. DOI:https://doi.org/10.20867/thm.21.2.3
[14] Chen, Gao, and Weibang Sun. (2018). The role of botanical gardens in scientific research, conservation and citizen science. Plant diversity, 40(4): 181–188. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pld.2018.07.006
[15] Deery, Margaret, Leo Jago, and Liz Fredline. (2012). Rethinking social impacts of tourism research: A new research agenda. Tourism Management, 33(1): 64–73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2011.01.026
[16] Dodd, Jocelyn, and Ceri Jones. 2010. Redefining the role of botanic gardens - Towards a new social purpose. Botanic Gardens Conservation International.
[17] Giovanetti, Manuela, Claudia Giuliani, Samuel Boff, Gelsomina Fico, and Daniela Lupi. (2020). A botanic garden as a tool to combine public perception of nature and life science investigations on native/exotic plants interactions with local pollinators. Plos One 15(2): 1-16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228965
[18] He, He, and Jin Chen. (2012). Educational and enjoyment benefits of visitor education centers at botanical gardens. Biological Conservation, 149(1): 103 – 112. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.01.048
[19] Hermann, Uwe P., and Samantha C. Bouwer. (2023). Motives to visit urban ecotourism Sites: A study of a botanical garden in South Africa. Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, 2(66): 563 - 574. DOI:https://doi.org/10.14505/jemt.v14.2(66).25
[20] Hung, Kam, and John L. Crompton. (2006). Benefits and constraints associated with the use of an urban park reported by a sample of elderly in Hong Kong. Leisure Studies, 25(3): 291–311. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/02614360500409810
[21] Kohlleppel, Tammy, Jennifer C Bradley, and Steve Jacob. (2002). A walk through the garden: Can a visit to a botanic garden reduce stress? Hortechnology, 12(3): 489-492. DOI:https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH.12.3.489
[22] Krishnan, Sarada., and Novy, Ari (2016). The role of botanic gardens in the twenty-first century. CAB Reviews, 11(23): 1-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1079/PAVSNNR201611023
[23] Maller, Cecily, Mardie Townsend, Anita Pryor, Peter Brown, and Lawrence St Leger. (2005). Healthy nature healthy people: ‘contact with nature’ as an upstream health promotion intervention for populations. Health Promotion International, 21(1): 45-54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dai032
[24] Maller, Cecily, et al. (2009). Healthy parks, healthy people: the health benefits of contact with nature in a park context. The George Wright Forum, 26(2): 51-83.
[25] Marin, Diana, Ionuţ M. Petroman, Ramona Ciolac, and Loredana Văduva. (2021). Parks and gardens resources for garden tourism. Agricultural Management, 23(1):186-192.
[26] Mock, Steven E, et al. (2016). The contributions of parks commitment and motivations to well-being. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 34(3): 83-98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18666/JPRA-2016-V34-I3-7041
[27] Moskwa, Emily C, and Gary Crilley (2012). Recreation, education, conservation: the multiple roles of botanic gardens in Australia. Annals of Leisure Research, 15(4): 404-421. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2012.744276
[28] Moyle, Brent D, and Betty Weiler. (2017). Revisiting the importance of visitation: public perceptions of park benefits. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 17(1): 91-105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1467358416638918
[29] Pai, Chen K, et al. (2023). The impacts of under-tourism and place attachment on residents’ life satisfaction. Journal of Vacation Marketing 30(4): 694-712. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/13567667231164807
[30] Powledge, Fred. (2011). The evolving role of botanical gardens. Bioscience 61, 743–749. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2011.61.10.3
[31] Ren Hai, et al. (2022). The view on functional changes of botanical gardens and the establishment of China’s national botanical garden system. Biodiversity Science, 30(4): 22113. DOI:https://doi.org/10.17520/biods.2022113
[32] Ruiz, Elena C, Elena R.R. De La Cruz, and Francisco J.C. Vázquez. (2018). Sustainable tourism and residents’ perception towards the brand: The case of Malaga (Spain). Sustainability, 11(1): 2-16. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/su11010292
[33] Ryan, Chris, and Michelle Aicken. (2010). The destination image gap - visitors' and residents' perceptions of place: evidence from Waiheke Island, New Zealand. Current Issues in Tourism, 13(6): 541-561. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500903215008
[34] Sanders, Dawn L, Amy E. Ryken, and Katherine Stewart. (2018). Navigating nature, culture and education in contemporary botanic gardens. Environmental Education Research 26(8): 1077-1084. DOI:http://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2018.1477122
[35] Stylidis, Dimitrios, Jason Sit, and Avital Biran. (2016). An Exploratory Study of Residents’ Perception of Place Image: The Case of Kavala. Journal of Travel Research, 55(5): 659–674. DOI:http://doi.org/10.1177/0047287514563163
[36] Taber, Keith S. (2018). The use of Cronbach’s Alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education, 48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2
[37] Tam, Pui S, Chun K. Lei, and Tianqi Zhai. 2022. Investigating the bidirectionality of the relationship between residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts and subjective wellbeing on support for tourism development. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 31(8): 1852–1868. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2022.2071911
[38] Ward, Catherine D, Caitlin M. Parker, and Charlie, M. Shackleton. (2010). The use and appreciation of botanical gardens as urban green spaces in South Africa. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 9(1): 49-55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2009.11.001
[39] Wassenberg, Christopher L, Marni Goldenberg, and Katherine Soule. (2015). Benefits of botanical garden visitation: A means-end study. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 14(1): 148–155. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2015.01.002
[40] Wassler, Philipp, Liang Wang, and Kam Hung. (2019). Identity and destination branding among residents: How does brand self‐congruity influence brand attitude and ambassadorial behaviour? International Journal of Tourism Research, 21(4): 437–446. DOI: https://doi.org/DOI:10.1002/jtr.2271
[41] Williams, Sophie J, Julia P.G. Jones, James, M. Gibbons, and Colin Clubbe. (2015). Botanic gardens can positively influence visitors’ environmental attitudes. Biodiversity and Conservation, 24: 1609-1620. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-015-0879-7
[42] Botanic Gardens Conservation International. “Botanic gardens and plant conservation.” https://www.bgci.org/about/botanic-gardens-and-plant-conservation/
[43] South African National Biodiversity Institute. “Annual Report 2022/2023.” https://www.sanbi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SANBI-Annual-Report-2022-23.pdf
[44] South African National Biodiversity Institute. “Lowveld National Botanical Garden.” https://www.sanbi.org/gardens/lowveld/
Published
2025-05-30
How to Cite
MIDDEL, Izak J.; BOUWER, Samantha C.; HERMANN, Uwe P..
Residents’ Perceptions of the Benefits of Visitation to a Botanical Garden in South Africa.
Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, [S.l.], v. 16, n. 2, p. 106 - 118, may 2025.
ISSN 2068-7729.
Available at: <https://journals.aserspublishing.eu/jemt/article/view/8873>. Date accessed: 05 june 2025.
doi: https://doi.org/10.14505/jemt.v16.2(78).02.
Section
Article
Copyright© 2025 The Author(s). Published by ASERS Publishing 2025. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of CC-BY 4.0 license.