Angolan battlefield tourism: Impact on the quality-of-life of South African Defence Force (SADF) veterans. Issue 5 (2nd September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Venter, Dewald
• Is Part Of: Journal of psychology in Africa. Volume 30:Issue 5(2020)
• Page Start: 451
• Page End: 458
• Publication Date: 2020-09-02
• Subjects: battlefield tour -- life domains -- quality-of-life -- SADF -- travel motives -- veterans; Psychology -- Africa, Sub-Saharan -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Latin America -- Periodicals; Black people -- Latin America -- Psychology -- Periodicals; Black people -- Africa, Sub-Saharan -- Psychology -- Periodicals; 155.8496
• DOI: 10.1080/14330237.2020.1821986
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1433-0237

Abstract

Abstract : This study sought to determine the tourism travel motives of former South African Defence Force veterans with Angolan civil war battlefield experience . Nine veterans completed qualitative interviews on their travel motives, influences across their life domains, and quality-of-life overall, three months pre- and post the tour . Thematic analysis yielded travel motives of social, camaraderie, and friendship as well as a sense of family belongingness . The veterans reported with a heightened quality-of-life overall from achieving a sense of closure to the battlefield experience events that troubled them for many years . The findings contribute to the knowledge base on the travel motives of military veterans with psychological trauma from historical conflicts, and the psychological recovery they would benefit post-conflict from visiting as tourists.