The Importance of the Fashion Industry in the South African Tourism Context

The nexus of fashion and tourism is analyzed in this investigation. This study unpacks the creative event industry in the South African context, making a case for it as an emerging, and potentially powerful contributor for tourism development. Using semi-structured surveys conducted with key role players (models, agents and other related professionals) across fashion events in South Africa, the research uncovers the importance that the fashion industry has on South Africa’s tourism economy. Findings show that the creative fashion industry attracts both domestic and international crew participants, who have a high earning power and spend money on shopping and visiting local attractions. Additionally, they tend to stay longer than the traditional tourists, and visit other local destinations after the event. The study concludes that the fashion industry represents a hidden aspect of the South African event industry that must be taken seriously by destination managers in the planning and development of tourism as it has significant implications for marketing, strategy and policy.