Assessing the Extent of Green Practice Adoption in Route Tourism: Evidence from the Mpumalanga Panorama Route Tourism Amenities, South Africa

The study examined the extent that green tourism practices are adopted by tourism amenities along South Africa’s Mpumalanga Panorama Route, a rural scenic destination facing increasing sustainability pressures. The study design combined structured surveys and semi-structured interviews with tourism operators, supported by secondary policy and industry data. The Sustainability Competency and Opportunity Rating & Evaluation (S-CORE) framework was applied to measure performance across environmental and socio-economic indicators. Findings revealed uneven adoption of sustainability practices. Socio-economic contributions, including local employment, gender equity, and support for community enterprises, scored highly and were widely implemented. In contrast, environmental practices remain underdeveloped: energy efficiency relies largely on non-renewable electricity, waste management shows only moderate progress, and advanced water conservation measures such as greywater recycling were rare. Results highlighted a significant gap between sustainability policy commitments and practical implementation. Without stronger adoption of environmental practices, Mpumalanga’s tourism sector risks undermining provincial and national commitments to low-carbon development and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This study provides the first empirical assessment of green practice adoption in a South African tourism destination route. This paper provides original evidence about sustainability transitions and offers policy-relevant recommendations for incentives, enforcement, and capacity-building to accelerate the adoption of green tourism.