EXPLORING CRISIS MANAGEMENT THEORIES TO STRENGTHEN TOURISM RESILIENCE WITHIN WILDLIFE RESERVES IN MPUMALANGA, SOUTH AFRICA

Wildlife tourism is the cornerstone of the economy of the province of Mpumalanga, South Africa, serving as a crucial economic and conservation pillar that supports biodiversity protection and rural livelihoods. However, wildlife tourism has been affected by natural and manmade crises that have tested the resilience of the tourism sector in the Mpumalanga region. The focus of this study is on crisis management for the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) managed wildlife tourism sites. The study aims to explore the application of robust crisis management theories, including preventive measures and response plans, to safeguard both tourists and the tourism sector as a whole, analyse how these theories have been applied in practice across various wildlife contexts, and synthesise best prac tices and gaps in the existing literature to inform future crisis resilience strategies in the wildlife tourism sector. The theories considered in the study are resilience, crisis communication, community-based natural resource management, and stakeholder theories. This study employs a desktop research methodology to explore and synthesise existing theories and documented practices used in wildlife tourism crisis management. Drawing on secondary data and global case contextual analysis of 20 publications, which assisted in generating insights through the systematic review and analysis of secondary data sources to build a theoretical understanding. Using the research onion framework by Saunders, a qualitative, interpretive research approach was employed to investigate how theories can be applied to crisis management in wildlife tourism sites. The results of the study highlight the lack of a formalised, site-specific crisis management plan; a lack of adaptive scenario planning and dedicated risk assessment practices, which already exist but are reactive rather than proactive; limited local community involvement; and stakeholder coordination that is often dependent on personal networks rather than institutional frameworks. The interpretation of these results points to a gap between theoretical best practices and operational reality, further highlighting that theories are understood conceptually but not integrated into an overarching crisis management system. The MTPA-managed wildlife tourism sites would benefit from formalised multistakeholder crisis platforms to ensure cohesive, timely responses from stakeholders.