Joseph E. Mbaiwa
Abstract
Thirty years ago, conservationists, host communities, academics, and
tourism practitioners perceived ecotourism as a panacea to conservation
and poverty problems in tourism destination areas, especially in
developing countries. This paper, therefore, analyses the performance of
ecotourism as a tool designed to achieve improved livelihoods and
conservation in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. The concept of ecotourism
is debated and the context used in this paper is explained. Secondary
data from published and unpublished sources on ecotourism in Botswana
and the Okavango Delta are used. Primary data were collected through
informal interviews with key stakeholders to update secondary data.
Results indicate that in its 30 years of existence in the Okavango
Delta, ecotourism had mixed results. That is, it succeeded in some areas
and failed in others. Where ecotourism succeeded, it generated economic
benefits such as income and employment opportunities, leading to
positive attitudes of residents towards ecotourism and conservation.
Where ecotourism failed, the lack of entrepreneurship, and managerial
and marketing skills of local communities are cited as some of the key
factors contributing to the failure of projects. Despite the failure of
particular projects, this paper argues that ecotourism has proved to be a
tool that can be used to achieve improved livelihoods and conservation.
However, this depends on the socio-economic and political dynamics of
host communities in a specific ecotourism destination area.
No comments:
Post a Comment