Lisa Coughlan - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Lisa Coughlan

Research paper thumbnail of Sustainable urban tourism in African cities

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Jan 8, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Student Perspectives of a Peer Mentorship Programme Introduced at a University of Technology in South Africa

Student peer mentorship programmes have been implemented at many higher education institutions to... more Student peer mentorship programmes have been implemented at many higher education institutions to combat high attrition and failure rates among first-year students. Despite the many perceived benefits of such programmes, key challenges to its implementation and sustainability remain. The purpose of this article is to present students' perspectives of a student peer mentorship programme that was introduced at a university of technology in South Africa in 2013, so as to validate its viability for African students. Focus group interviews were conducted with senior students registered in the Faculties of Management and Engineering. The results point to five key benefits; namely, better adaption to higher education, an impact on learning and understanding, social support, the acquisition of graduate attributes, and personal development. Two key challenges were identified; namely, poor attendance of mentees at planned events and a lack of support from senior students at the university. It is recommended that such programmes be incorporated into the curriculum of all academic programmes, and especially engineering ones, so as to improve academic student support.

Research paper thumbnail of The importance of different culinary aspects when travelling - the case of international tourists to South Africa

European Journal of Tourism Research, 2018

Tourists spend a good portion of their travel budget on food and beverages. Culinary preference k... more Tourists spend a good portion of their travel budget on food and beverages. Culinary preference knowledge should thus be important to numerous stakeholders. Little is, however, known about the determinants of culinary preferences of international tourists. Furthermore, in the context of developing countries, very little has been published about cuisine in tourism. The purpose of this research is to identify the determinants of culinary preferences of international tourists to South Africa. A newly developed questionnaire based on literature was completed by 627 international tourists. Five culinary preference factors were identified from the results of the study, namely social influence, culture and religion, exploration, the culinary experience and environmental sensitivity. Social influence was the most important factor, followed by environmental sensitivity and then the culinary experience. Only two socio-demographic variables were found to influence the culinary preferences of i...

Research paper thumbnail of Food Tourism Enterprises

Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Job satisfaction in selected five-star hotels in the Western Cape

Thesis (M. Tech. (Tourism and Hospitality Management)) -- Central university of Technology, Free ... more Thesis (M. Tech. (Tourism and Hospitality Management)) -- Central university of Technology, Free State, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of A critical assessment of the culinary preferences of international tourists to South Africa

for proof reading, taking study trips with me, advising me, celebrating with me, comforting me, c... more for proof reading, taking study trips with me, advising me, celebrating with me, comforting me, carrying me and for always believing in me. I love you. I thank God for you.  My friends and family for the role you each played during this journey.  My colleagues, Thuso, Reneé, Dalene, Tammy, Dr Haarhoff, Nicole and Chrizaan, for inspiring me, for your friendship, for supporting me, for being genuinely happy for me, for being the beautiful, strong ladies you are and for all the coffee.  Prof Strydom for who you are and the work you do for our faculty and its staff.  Mr Mokoma, my line manager, for doing absolutely everything in your power to help me succeed. For your guidance and mischievous smile. You have felt like my father at work and I am grateful for having had the opportunity to work with you.  My study leader, Prof Saayman, for your incredible pace, leadership, enthusiasm and resolve. It has been an honour being your student and watching you work. If I am able to make a fraction of the impact on the tourism industry that you have, I will be proud.  Dr Suria Ellis for the statistical consultations and guidance to understand the statistical calculations I had to apply.  Ratile Research for the data collection.  Tania van Vuuren and Wilna Liebenberg for linguistic work.

Research paper thumbnail of Job satisfaction of tourism and corporate employees at a South African golf estate

Golf tourism is an important segment of the overall tourism market, generating substantial econom... more Golf tourism is an important segment of the overall tourism market, generating substantial economic growth and job creation. The national objective to "provide excellent people development and decent work within the tourism sector" is a high priority of South African Tourism. Generally, the tourism industry is not regarded as a provider of decent work. The consequences of not providing decent work cannot be ignored as it could negatively impact on both employees and golf tourists alike. Internal job satisfaction can be defined as satisfaction with the type of job employees perform and could thus differ substantially between corporate and tourism employees based on the fact that the jobs are different by nature. The purpose of the research was to measure the internal job satisfaction and overall job satisfaction of corporate and tourism employees employed at a reputable golf estate in South Africa. A newly developed index based on the literature review conducted was used to...

Research paper thumbnail of Local is lekker! The Search for an Appropriate Food Identity for the Free State Province, South Africa

African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 2020

The objective of this paper was to establish a food identity for one of South Africa’s least visi... more The objective of this paper was to establish a food identity for one of South Africa’s least visited provinces, the Free State Province. Twenty-nine qualitative responses were obtained via structured interviews from tourism government and tourism association employees, local restaurateurs, local food and drink producers, local residents and a local historian. Key findings indicate that the Free State’s food identity can be described as hearty, comfort food cooked from ingredients typically found in the Free State, using recipes and preparation techniques passed on from generation to generation in Basotho and Afrikaner families. Meat and beer emerged as fundamental local items to be focussed on and promoted. Implications of the study include local tourism stakeholders gaining knowledge of which food items to promote as Free State food. The study shows that food tourism can assist in growing the tourism sector in the Free State, the development of a food tourism route and lead to the ...

Research paper thumbnail of The relationship between the culinary preference and culinary satisfaction

Tourism and hospitality management, 2018

Purpose-South Africa is considered to be the least prepared culinary tourism destination in the w... more Purpose-South Africa is considered to be the least prepared culinary tourism destination in the world. This paper puts forth a model portraying the relationship between culinary preference and culinary satisfaction to be used to prepare South Africa as a culinary tourism destination. Design/methodology/approach-A questionnaire was used to determine the importance of specific culinary aspects while travelling, as well as the level of culinary satisfaction experienced in South Africa by a sample of 627 international tourists. Factor analysis established culinary preference and culinary satisfaction factors and structural equational modelling tested a hypothesised model of the relationship between the factors. Findings-Social influence, culture and religion, environmental sensitivity, exploration and the culinary experience emerged as culinary preference themes. Culinary satisfaction themes were identified as satisfaction with affordability, satisfaction with personal preferences being met and satisfaction within the dining environment. Of the hypothesised, 15 relationships between the importance of culinary preference factors and the culinary satisfaction factors, only five relationships existed. Originality of the research-The developed model serves to explain the relationship between culinary preference and culinary satisfaction. In order to improve the culinary satisfaction reported by international tourists, the supported hypotheses should be focused on.

Research paper thumbnail of Ceding to Their Appetites: A Taxonomy of International Tourists to South Africa

Advances in Hospitality and Leisure, 2018

Tourism is a key source of income to South Africa. Food and beverages is a key part of tourism an... more Tourism is a key source of income to South Africa. Food and beverages is a key part of tourism and the literature reveals that tourists spend up to a quarter of their budget on cuisine. South Africa has, however, been rated as the least-prepared culinary travel destination and the travel destination with the greatest potential for growth. Therefore, a segmentation taxonomy based on culinary preferences of international tourists to South Africa is put forth which can be used to prepare South Africa as a culinary travel destination. The 627 international tourists surveyed were divided into five segments with the use of factor analyses, t-tests, Spearman rank correlations and analysis of variance. The segments were named conservationists, experience seekers, devotees, explorers and socialisers (CEDES taxonomy). Multiple results and implications are discussed in the paper.

Research paper thumbnail of Sustainable urban tourism in African cities

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Jan 8, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Student Perspectives of a Peer Mentorship Programme Introduced at a University of Technology in South Africa

Student peer mentorship programmes have been implemented at many higher education institutions to... more Student peer mentorship programmes have been implemented at many higher education institutions to combat high attrition and failure rates among first-year students. Despite the many perceived benefits of such programmes, key challenges to its implementation and sustainability remain. The purpose of this article is to present students' perspectives of a student peer mentorship programme that was introduced at a university of technology in South Africa in 2013, so as to validate its viability for African students. Focus group interviews were conducted with senior students registered in the Faculties of Management and Engineering. The results point to five key benefits; namely, better adaption to higher education, an impact on learning and understanding, social support, the acquisition of graduate attributes, and personal development. Two key challenges were identified; namely, poor attendance of mentees at planned events and a lack of support from senior students at the university. It is recommended that such programmes be incorporated into the curriculum of all academic programmes, and especially engineering ones, so as to improve academic student support.

Research paper thumbnail of The importance of different culinary aspects when travelling - the case of international tourists to South Africa

European Journal of Tourism Research, 2018

Tourists spend a good portion of their travel budget on food and beverages. Culinary preference k... more Tourists spend a good portion of their travel budget on food and beverages. Culinary preference knowledge should thus be important to numerous stakeholders. Little is, however, known about the determinants of culinary preferences of international tourists. Furthermore, in the context of developing countries, very little has been published about cuisine in tourism. The purpose of this research is to identify the determinants of culinary preferences of international tourists to South Africa. A newly developed questionnaire based on literature was completed by 627 international tourists. Five culinary preference factors were identified from the results of the study, namely social influence, culture and religion, exploration, the culinary experience and environmental sensitivity. Social influence was the most important factor, followed by environmental sensitivity and then the culinary experience. Only two socio-demographic variables were found to influence the culinary preferences of i...

Research paper thumbnail of Food Tourism Enterprises

Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Job satisfaction in selected five-star hotels in the Western Cape

Thesis (M. Tech. (Tourism and Hospitality Management)) -- Central university of Technology, Free ... more Thesis (M. Tech. (Tourism and Hospitality Management)) -- Central university of Technology, Free State, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of A critical assessment of the culinary preferences of international tourists to South Africa

for proof reading, taking study trips with me, advising me, celebrating with me, comforting me, c... more for proof reading, taking study trips with me, advising me, celebrating with me, comforting me, carrying me and for always believing in me. I love you. I thank God for you.  My friends and family for the role you each played during this journey.  My colleagues, Thuso, Reneé, Dalene, Tammy, Dr Haarhoff, Nicole and Chrizaan, for inspiring me, for your friendship, for supporting me, for being genuinely happy for me, for being the beautiful, strong ladies you are and for all the coffee.  Prof Strydom for who you are and the work you do for our faculty and its staff.  Mr Mokoma, my line manager, for doing absolutely everything in your power to help me succeed. For your guidance and mischievous smile. You have felt like my father at work and I am grateful for having had the opportunity to work with you.  My study leader, Prof Saayman, for your incredible pace, leadership, enthusiasm and resolve. It has been an honour being your student and watching you work. If I am able to make a fraction of the impact on the tourism industry that you have, I will be proud.  Dr Suria Ellis for the statistical consultations and guidance to understand the statistical calculations I had to apply.  Ratile Research for the data collection.  Tania van Vuuren and Wilna Liebenberg for linguistic work.

Research paper thumbnail of Job satisfaction of tourism and corporate employees at a South African golf estate

Golf tourism is an important segment of the overall tourism market, generating substantial econom... more Golf tourism is an important segment of the overall tourism market, generating substantial economic growth and job creation. The national objective to "provide excellent people development and decent work within the tourism sector" is a high priority of South African Tourism. Generally, the tourism industry is not regarded as a provider of decent work. The consequences of not providing decent work cannot be ignored as it could negatively impact on both employees and golf tourists alike. Internal job satisfaction can be defined as satisfaction with the type of job employees perform and could thus differ substantially between corporate and tourism employees based on the fact that the jobs are different by nature. The purpose of the research was to measure the internal job satisfaction and overall job satisfaction of corporate and tourism employees employed at a reputable golf estate in South Africa. A newly developed index based on the literature review conducted was used to...

Research paper thumbnail of Local is lekker! The Search for an Appropriate Food Identity for the Free State Province, South Africa

African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 2020

The objective of this paper was to establish a food identity for one of South Africa’s least visi... more The objective of this paper was to establish a food identity for one of South Africa’s least visited provinces, the Free State Province. Twenty-nine qualitative responses were obtained via structured interviews from tourism government and tourism association employees, local restaurateurs, local food and drink producers, local residents and a local historian. Key findings indicate that the Free State’s food identity can be described as hearty, comfort food cooked from ingredients typically found in the Free State, using recipes and preparation techniques passed on from generation to generation in Basotho and Afrikaner families. Meat and beer emerged as fundamental local items to be focussed on and promoted. Implications of the study include local tourism stakeholders gaining knowledge of which food items to promote as Free State food. The study shows that food tourism can assist in growing the tourism sector in the Free State, the development of a food tourism route and lead to the ...

Research paper thumbnail of The relationship between the culinary preference and culinary satisfaction

Tourism and hospitality management, 2018

Purpose-South Africa is considered to be the least prepared culinary tourism destination in the w... more Purpose-South Africa is considered to be the least prepared culinary tourism destination in the world. This paper puts forth a model portraying the relationship between culinary preference and culinary satisfaction to be used to prepare South Africa as a culinary tourism destination. Design/methodology/approach-A questionnaire was used to determine the importance of specific culinary aspects while travelling, as well as the level of culinary satisfaction experienced in South Africa by a sample of 627 international tourists. Factor analysis established culinary preference and culinary satisfaction factors and structural equational modelling tested a hypothesised model of the relationship between the factors. Findings-Social influence, culture and religion, environmental sensitivity, exploration and the culinary experience emerged as culinary preference themes. Culinary satisfaction themes were identified as satisfaction with affordability, satisfaction with personal preferences being met and satisfaction within the dining environment. Of the hypothesised, 15 relationships between the importance of culinary preference factors and the culinary satisfaction factors, only five relationships existed. Originality of the research-The developed model serves to explain the relationship between culinary preference and culinary satisfaction. In order to improve the culinary satisfaction reported by international tourists, the supported hypotheses should be focused on.

Research paper thumbnail of Ceding to Their Appetites: A Taxonomy of International Tourists to South Africa

Advances in Hospitality and Leisure, 2018

Tourism is a key source of income to South Africa. Food and beverages is a key part of tourism an... more Tourism is a key source of income to South Africa. Food and beverages is a key part of tourism and the literature reveals that tourists spend up to a quarter of their budget on cuisine. South Africa has, however, been rated as the least-prepared culinary travel destination and the travel destination with the greatest potential for growth. Therefore, a segmentation taxonomy based on culinary preferences of international tourists to South Africa is put forth which can be used to prepare South Africa as a culinary travel destination. The 627 international tourists surveyed were divided into five segments with the use of factor analyses, t-tests, Spearman rank correlations and analysis of variance. The segments were named conservationists, experience seekers, devotees, explorers and socialisers (CEDES taxonomy). Multiple results and implications are discussed in the paper.