By Noah Vetter.
This post highlights some of the benefits of the ecotourism model in promoting sustainable development, with a specific focus on Botswana and its successes in community empowerment, sustainable economic development, and wildlife conservation.
Are you a global traveler? Or do you want to become a global traveler? Do you want to explore the Amazon rainforest, see the savannahs of East Africa, snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, or climb the Himalayas? If you’re anything like me the answer to these questions is yes. But, let me ask another question. Do you ever think about the positive or negative impacts that your tourism has on the communities and environments that you visit? Have you ever considered your tourism as a tool for or impediment of development? Again, if you’re like me the answer to these questions is not often enough. Too often I've found that I, and others, get caught up in the experience and the joy of visiting these wonders of the natural world and don’t pay enough attention to the effects that we can have on the communities and natural environments that we visit.
Ecotourism
While there are several models of sustainable tourism, the model that we will focus on in this post is ecotourism. In the past 30 years, ecotourism has become an increasingly important source of revenue for many developing communities because of its dual appeal as a source of revenue and a driver of sustainability. There are several definitions of ecotourism, but each bears similar characteristics. In his book, Ecotourism, David Fennell defines ecotourism as “a sustainable, non-invasive form of nature-based tourism that focuses primarily on learning about nature first-hand, and which is ethically managed to be low-impact, non-consumptive, and locally oriented (control, benefits, scale)” (24). The general characteristics of ecotourism are that it is nature-based tourism, it promotes sustainability and conservation, and it is focused on local communities. In contrast to more traditional forms of tourism, which are focused almost exclusively on the tourist’s experience, ecotourism is designed to have as low of an environmental impact as possible and to directly benefit the communities in which it is conducted. Ecotourism can be a driver for sustainable development by creating strategies that include provisions for community engagement and empowerment by investing in local training and education programs, developing local infrastructure, and encouraging the use of local value chains. These factors help to increase employment opportunities for local communities, build capacity among community members, and increase the agency of the community in the tourism industry.
Ecotourism can be a driver for sustainable development by creating strategies that include provisions for community engagement and empowerment by investing in local training and education programs, developing local infrastructure, and encouraging the use of local value chains.
Ecotourism in Botswana
Botswana is an example of a country that has embraced both natural conservation and ecotourism. Conservation began in Botswana in the early 1960s, before it gained independence from the United Kingdom, and since then Botswana has maintained a commitment to conservation. The United Nations Environmental Program estimates that 29.1 percent of Botswana’s total landmass is protected through a combination of National Parks and Game Reserves. In establishing conservation zones, Botswana also recognized its potential to further develop its tourism industry, so in the 1990s Botswana began creating and implementing tourism policies, including the 2002 Botswana National Ecotourism Strategy. Today, tourism is Botswana’s second largest industry, behind diamond mining, and as such it is an integral part of Botswana’s economy. Through its national strategy, Botswana hoped to minimize negative impacts of tourism, maximize community involvement, maximize reinvestment into conservation, educate visitors and local communities on the importance of conservation, and deliver a quality experience for tourists.
In many of its conservation areas Botswana has adopted a Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) approach, which assumes that if rural communities derive benefits from natural resources, they will be obliged to use such resources sustainably. One of the primary rationales behind using CBNRM is that governments cannot effectively protect natural resources outside of protected areas like Natural Parks and thus it is more effective to rely on community management for better development and conservation. Thus, many local communities are encouraged to take a stake in conservation, natural resource management, and ecotourism through both active participation and direct ownership. Before the introduction of CBNRM, few community members felt that they had any stake in conservation or the protection of wildlife, whereas after CBNRM, they have a much higher perception of tourism and support for wildlife-based tourism. This, in turn, makes communities more likely to help in the protection of their natural resources, so that they can continue to see the benefits of ecotourism. As an example, ecotourism has led to a decrease in poaching and illegal hunting, with 23 incidents of illegal hunting reported in 1998 and only 5 in 2006.
Before the introduction of CBNRM few community members felt that they had any stake in conservation or the protection of wildlife, whereas after CBNRM, community members have a much higher perception of tourism and support for wildlife-based tourism.
The primary method by which local communities engage in CBNRM in Botswana is through Community Trusts. The communities form these trusts in order to ensure that all members of the community are able to benefit from ecotourism and its outcomes. Community trusts, even more so than governments and the private sector, work to empower local populations and ensure that they are actively invested in the ecotourism industry. A great emphasis is placed on sustainability, social equity, and environmental conservation, and attempts are made to include members of the community from all different backgrounds and skill levels, in order to ensure that the trust is benefitting all members. This empowerment often extends to more vulnerable populations as well.
One example of a community trust in Botswana is the Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust (KRST), which operates the Khama Rhino Sanctuary in central Botswana. The purpose of the KRST is to preserve dwindling rhino populations, while also bring about economic benefits for local communities through tourism and the sustainable use of natural resources. The sanctuary has become an important source of employment for the local communities, employing people in various sectors, including as cleaners, guides, drivers, and servers. In addition to these permanent employees, the sanctuary also occasionally hires local laborers for construction and repair work. The wages that these employees earn have been shown to lift household living standards, providing them with more income to spend on their families and to spend in the local economy, thus allowing other businesses to benefit. The Sanctuary also provides indirect employment through the use of local value chains, because it frequently sources its goods and services from within the local communities. This local sourcing benefits many small and medium-sized business in the community as well some members of the informal sector who are able to provide goods or services. In addition, KRST has made several donations to the community for various projects, including a donation in 2004 to construct a house for local orphans.
While much of the analysis of this post has focused on the benefits of ecotourism in Botswana it is not to say that all tourism or tourism companies in Botswana are sustainable because there is room for improvement. However, my hope is that through this post you have been encouraged to think critically about tourism. The goal of our tourism should always be to protect the environments that we visit so that others can enjoy them too, and to make sure that the communities we visit are benefiting from tourism. So, the next time you start planning a trip, I hope you will look at the places and companies you work with to find those that practice sustainable models and support their local communities.
By Noah Vetter
Noah is from the United States. Prior to starting at IDS, he completed undergraduate degrees in International Business and International Studies. He is interested in the role of inclusive businesses in promoting sustainable development and finding ways to encourage innovation in development practice.