Society & Governance

Ecotourism
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Introduction
Tourism has become the world's number one export earner. It earns more money worldwide than automotive products, chemicals, petroleum and food. According to the World Tourism Organization, 698 million people traveled to a foreign country in 2000, spending more than US$ 478 billion. The number of international travelers is expected to increase from 698 million to 1.6 billion by 2020, according to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund). Where once people travelled to other countries mindless of the effects of tourism on the destination country, its people and its biodiversity, today there is a strong movement today towards sustainable tourism or ecotourism. Home Affairs shows that the total foreign arrivals (including permanent residents and day visitors) to Namibia rose from 693 777 in 1999 to 758 989 in the year 2000. Namibia has a total of 26 parks and reserves, covering approximately 15% of the total land area. In addition to the 12 government-owned rest camps in these parks, managed by Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR), the tourism infrastructure throughout the rest of the country is well developed. Hotels, pensions, guest farms and rest camps are generally of a high standard and are managed on a similar basis as tourist accommodation establishments in Europe. The Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) controls the grading and standards of accommodation establishments, safari companies and products offered by tour operators. The current National Development Plan of Namibia recognises tourism as an important contributor to the national development strategy. As tourism develops, it must support the overall development objectives of the Namibias Second National Development Plan, namely: Reviving and sustaining national growth; Creating employment;

What is ecotourism?
There are various definitions of ecotourism. UNESCO describes it as a form of tourism to relatively undisturbed natural areas for the main purposes of admiring them and learning more about the associated habitats. Ecotourism ideally seeks to reduce its impacts on the area visited. It contributes to the conservation of natural areas and the sustainable development of adjacent areas and communities, generating further awareness among resident and nearby populations and visitors. Other advantages stated for ecotourism include that it: Is sensitive to the needs of local residents Provides long term benefits Respects the character of an area

Reducing inequalities in income distribution; Eradicating poverty.

The benefits and disadvantages of tourism

Tourism has positive and negative effects on the host countrys economy, its people and its environment. Generally, one hopes that the positive will outweigh the negative. This topic explores some of the positive and negative effects of tourism.

Takes account of cultural and social considerations

The contribution of tourism to Namibia is enormous, as it occupies third place in the economy, after mining and agriculture. Border crossing data obtained from the Ministry of

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Theme: Society & Governance Topic No 3: Ecotourism Socio-cultural effects of tourism

Positive: Tourism can bring the people of the host country together and increase their national pride in their festivals, customs and traditions. Tourism can help to stem the flow of people out of villages and into the cities, by providing jobs. For example, in Namibia, there are various initiatives to train local people as guides, trackers, and in the hospitality industry in general. In addition, the income earned is contributed to the area. It is also a way of ensuring that local knowledge (for example, about flora, fauna, customs, geology etc) is not lost in the community, but is strengthened and passed on. Facilities that have been developed for tourism can benefit the residents, for example, roads, communication systems, water points etc. Negative: The negative side occurs when tourism comes into conflict with the culture of the community. A well-known example of this in Namibia is the Himba people, once a fairly isolated people. As tourism to the North has increased, made possible by charter planes, overland vehicles and favourable foreign exchange rates, the Himba have been increasingly exposed to tourism. Settlements have arisen around the tourist sites, influencing some of the Himba to experiment with other ways of living. Alcohol, never before indulged in, has entered the culture, and with zero tolerance to it, some Himba have become alcoholics. Some women have fallen into prostitution also previously unheard of among the Himba as a way of getting money. Tourists sometimes hand out sweets to the children, with the best of intentions, not knowing that these childrens diets have previously consisted of meat, milk and stamp, and that access to dentists for tooth decay is very scarce. In some situations, tourism can become the only source of income, and if there is a crisis, (for example, a flood), the whole community may suffer. The devastation caused by the recent tsunami in Phuket in Thailand will cost billions, (and much suffering) as tourism is such a major source of income in Thailand. Local cultures risk being turned into commodities when religious rituals, traditional ethnic rites and festivals are made to conform to tourist expectations. There is much controversy over cultural villages, for example, Lesedi cultural village in South Africa, where the lifestyle of the different ethnic groups are portrayed in a staged setting. Some argue that it is corrupting the authenticity of the ethnic group; others maintain that it gives outsiders a sanctioned, non-intrusive glimpse into their lives, and also earns the people income. Another very serious issue of how local people can suffer from tourism development is when access to certain areas are cut off from the locals and reserved for tourist use. On Boracay Island in the Philippines, one quarter of the island has been bought by outside corporations, generating a crisis in water supply and only limited infrastructure benefits for residents. In Namibia, areas that were once hunting grounds have been cordoned off for the protection of wildlife. Communities, such as the San, need continued access to these areas, or they risk losing their culture and livelihood.

The economic contribution of tourism

Positive: Tourism can generate valuable income for the host country. The financial contributions to the host country through tourism are collected in two ways: directly (through spending) and indirectly (through taxes, such as, for example, airport taxes. Money that is spent directly reaches the community; money that is spent indirectly may reach the community if the local authority or government ploughs it back, for example, in roads, electricity, public transport, education and health services. Apart from services aimed at improving the lifestyle of people, funds generated through ecotourism can also be used to protect the biodiversity of the host country. For example, an entrance fee charged to enter the Sossuss vlei area can be used for the protection of this ecosystem. Monies charged for sustainable trophy hunting in Namibia can also be used to ensure the viability of the species or other species, or game ranger salaries and park maintenance.

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Theme: Society & Governance Topic No 3: Ecotourism

Negative: Although tourism may appear to be financially beneficial to the host country, this is not always not the case. Enclave tourism is the term used to describe the way some tourism is structured, with "all-inclusive" packages that are paid for in the country of origin. This means that very little money is actually spent locally. Exclusive lodges, flying in a small number of guests from overseas, may fall into this group. Tourism in developing countries also has many costs. For example, tourists often insist on the same standards as they are used to in their country of origin. To meet their demands, the host country must import food and drinks, for example. This is called import leakage: when much of the income from tourism expenditures leaves the country again to pay for imports. The same applies to spending on infrastructure to accommodate tourists demands. In addition, in peak seasons, there is pressure on infrastructure. For example, water is a scarce resource in Namibia and it is under even more stress when there are a significant number of tourists using the water resources. the proximity within which whales can be watched. The same may apply to Walvis Bay.

Ecotourism initiatives in Namibia

CBNRM The Ministry of Environment and Tourism started the Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme 1996, in co-operation with NGOs, donors and local communities (see info sheet on CBNRM). The CBNRM programme fosters: Natural Resource Management: A natural resource management and conservation programme - it promotes wise and sustainable management of natural resources, and encourages biodiversity conservation by creating the necessary conditions for sustainable use Enterprise Development: A rural development programme - it seeks to devolve rights and responsibilities over wildlife and tourism to rural communities, thereby creating opportunities for enterprise development and income generation

Effects biodiversity
Positive: Tourism can significantly contribute to environmental protection, conservation and restoration of biological diversity and sustainable use of natural resources. Because of their attractiveness, pristine sites and natural areas are identified as valuable and the need to keep the attraction alive can lead to creation of national parks and wildlife parks. Where there has been careful planning, tourism can preserve the environmental assets of a country. Namibias dunes, for example, are a unique asset, but have to be protected against vehicle tracks, which remain imprinted forever. Whale and other mammal watching in south Africa has become very controversial, as boats go ever-closer to get a glimpse of the Southern Right Whales that come to mate and nurture off the cape Coast. However, venturing too close to the whales may disturb their natural tendencies and prevent them from returning. South Africa is in the process of enacting legislation regarding

Institutional Development: An empowerment and capacity-building programme- it encourages and assists communities and their local institutions to develop the skills and experience to sustainable develop and pro-actively pilot their own futures.

The programme took the shape of the creation of conservancies, which are large tracts of communal land legislated for management by communities. Tourism in conservancy areas is making a major contribution to tourism in Namibia generally. For example, a number of communities own and manage their own tourism enterprises. These include campsites, craft businesses, paying attractions particularly traditional villages and guided tours around prime tourist attractions, examples of which include, the bushman rock engravings at Twyfelfontein and the famous White Lady rock painting at Brandberg Mountain. Some

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Theme: Society & Governance Topic No 3: Ecotourism

enterprises are communally-owned and managed, that is by conservancies (e.g. Okarohombe Campsite in the Marienflss Conservancy and Salambala Campsite by the Salambala Conservancy); by villages (e.g. Khowarib Campsite and Lizauli Traditional Village); or through cooperatives (e.g. Mashi Craft Market); while others are owned by individual entrepreneurs from within local communities (e.g. Aba Huab Campsite and the Anmire Traditional Village). In other cases, communities have entered into joint ventures (for example, Damaraland Camp, in Torra Conservancy). In still other cases, private businesses (for example a hunting company) lease a concession from the local community, or periodically pays a bednight levy as a goodwill gesture. Conservancies A conservancy is set up to encourage good relations between conservation and farming. A group of land owners come together to conserve and use wildlife sustainably in their area. The land is to be used by both wildlife and by livestock and so is used in a way which is sensitive to the needs of both of these groups. Conservancies are community-run and the benefits go to the people who live in the conservancies. Once a conservancy is running its members, the local inhabitants, can harvest an appropriate amount of game for their own consumption. Conservancies can also invite professional hunters who will pay for trophy hunting and as well as selling live animals. Money can also be made from tourism in other ways such as game drives and lodges . Conservancies were made possible by the creation of new legislation that allowed land owners and conservancies certain powers which they did not previously have. The new legislation allowed conservancies to use, manage and benefit from wildlife on communal land. They are also permitted to propose recommendations for quotas for wildlife utilisation and to decide the form of utilisation. They are now allowed to enter into agreements with private companies and to establish tourism facilities within the conservancy boundaries. Under the legislation registered conservancies are given ownership over huntable game and game birds such as warthog, kudu, springbok and oryx. Conservancies can help communities to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions by benefiting from the natural resources in their area. Often people have only experienced the damage caused by animals who come on to their land, but through conservancies and giving people the rights over the natural resource on their land they can start benefit from them. If people can benefit directly from the natural resources in their region they are more likely to manage them more carefully because they have a stake in them. The government has also realised that jobs can be created out of wildlife in the rural areas and this can help towards the development and towards the economy of these areas. Conservancies decide how to spend income from wildlife and tourism. They can pay dividends to individual households or use income for community development projects. Conservancies give communities new economic opportunities which can help them in times of drought. All conservancy members have equitable shares and the benefits provide incentives for people to manage the wildlife for the future. Conservancies can help lead to improved numbers and variety of wildlife through certain species being reintroduced into areas where they had previously dwindled or been eliminated. They can also help to protect habitats for the local species and conserve biodiversity. There are many conservancies springing up all over Namibia. The main concern with conservancies is when there are many different economic interests in an area and this makes it difficult to decided how a communal resource can be used for the benefit of everyone involved. The economic benefits to be derived from conservancies also have to be substantial if they are to compete with other land practices. Apart from the income-earning aspect of tourism through conservancies, communities also benefit

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Theme: Society & Governance Topic No 3: Ecotourism

through capacity training. The Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC), for example, is an NGO in Namibia that evolved out of the Community Game Guards project. IRDNC works with a community game guard network in the Kunene and Caprivi regions. It consolidates and expands communitybased ecotourism initiatives in the programme area, trains local community members as game guards; and encourages the involvement of local communities in other income-generating activities associated with wildlife and tourism.

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Theme: Society & Governance Topic No 3: Ecotourism Important ideas to stress in your teaching and learning

Tourism is now the worlds number one export earner, earning more than automobiles, chemicals, petroleum or food. Ecotourism or people visiting undisturbed natural areas to admire and learn about them, is increasing rapidly. Tourism is Namibias third major economic activity. Much of it is ecotourist based. Ecotourism can have positive and negative effects On the one hand it may increase national pride, contribute to environmental conservation, provide employment and training and earn valuable taxes and foreign exchange. On the other, it may conflict with the local culture, limit local peoples access to their land and resources and lead to social problems such as alcoholism, theft and violence. Ecotourism initiatives in Namibia include Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) projects, and Conservancies.

Glossary
Biodiversity Conservation Ecosystem Ethnic Flora and fauna Geology Habitat Infrastructure Legislation NGO Sustainable The variety and range of living organisms. The preservation, management, and care of natural and cultural resources by protecting them from change, loss or damage. A group of interdependent organisms in an environment they inhabit and depend on. Belonging to a group in society by descent or culture rather that by nationality. Plant life and animal life. The rocks, minerals, and physical structure of a particular area. an environment for example a forest where a human, plant, or animal lives or is usually found. The basic organisation of anything, for example a company, a country or a body. A law or laws passed by an official body such as government. Non-governmental organisation. Something which is able to be maintained. Environmentally it refers to the exploitation of natural resources without the destruction of the ecological balance of a particular area. The making use of something.

Utilisation

Sources/Further Reading
Sustainable Wildlife Management, WWF. Planeta.com Understanding the Market for Sustainable Tourism by Paul F. J. Eagles The Northern Namibia Environment project WILD Project (Wildlife Integration for Livelihood Diversification)

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Theme: Society & Governance Topic No 3: Ecotourism

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