An Analysis of the Status of Ecotourism and Related Developments in the Zimbabwe’s Component of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area

Abstract

This study analysed the status of ecotourism and related developments in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) with some specific examples drawn from Zimbabwe. The objectives of the study were to: (i) explore the evolution of wildlife conservation and ecotourism related enterprise development by local communities, and (ii) determine factors influencing local community-owned wildlife conservation and ecotourism related enterprises in the GLTFCA. The study was based on two data collection methods, i.e., documentary review of academic literature and reports, and key informant interviews with 30 selected stakeholders from Chipinge and Chiredzi districts conducted between January and June 2018. The findings showed that there is some progress related to initiatives to help improve community-based wildlife conservation and cross border ecotourism. However, some challenges attributed to lack of market linkages and networks, macro-economic challenges faced by Zimbabwe which escalated since the year 2000 and limited institutional capacity of community-based institutions are negatively affecting the achievement of the desired targets. It is recommended that participatory planning and enhanced involvement of the local communities in wildlife conservation and ecotourism related enterprises be prioritized.

Research on Landscape Ecology of Planning and Management of Ecotourism Area Considering Scientific Calculation Method

“…ese advantages can attract enough tourists to visit and thus create an appropriate label for the ecological attribution of the landscape. rough these characteristics and superiority, the landscape can not only make visitors linger on and leave a stunning scenery in the ordinary perspective but also can further enlarge and transmit through the visitors from a certain angle, and enhance the image of the tourist attribution [17][18][19][20].…”

Local perceptions on poverty and conservation in a community-based natural resource program area: a case study of Beitbridge district, southern Zimbabwe

“…Zimbabwe's Government rolled out CAMPFIRE in marginal and peripheral areas where agriculture was not viable in 1989 (Child, 1996;Taylor, 2009;Jani et al, 2019). It has taken long for local communities in Zimbabwe to embrace CAMPFIRE with only a few groups recording success in CAMPFIRE initiatives, and this has been largely caused by a number of factors including culture (not flexible to change), governance (centralized political and economic institutions), local politics, the people, and the scales of benefits and costs (Chiutsi and Saarinen, 2017;Zanamwe et al, 2018). CAMPFIRE projects have a key role in developing rural economic and resource management institutions through the effective, transparent, and sustainable use of natural resources (Gandiwa et al, 2013;Tichaawa and Mhlanga, 2015).…”

“…Poverty undermines the performance of livelihoods, and where livelihoods performance is low or poor, households fall, and the result of such performance is what is termed or measured as poverty (Sunderlin et al, 2005;Shackleton and Gumbo, 2010). Previous studies conducted in Beitbridge district focused on CAMPFIRE and economic benefits, ecotourism, and the protection of biodiversity without considering community perceptions, community benefits, costs, and the impact of these conservation initiatives on poverty and livelihoods (Zanamwe et al, 2018;Tchakatumba et al, 2019). This study is therefore grounded on the concept that there is a relationship between livelihoods, poverty, and conservation and that conservation initiatives contribute towards alleviating rural poverty.…”

Study on Ecological Value Co-Creation of Tourism Enterprises in Protected Areas: Scale Development and Test

“…As one of the main responses to the lack of financial resources, many protected areas are actively using their excellent natural environment and resources to develop ecological tourism activities, expanding the intensity and scope of development as well as increasing the number of tourists received year by year [12,13]. These enterprises have become a very important element of tourism, with an important service function, which are an integral part of ecological tourism in protected areas [14,15]. The importance of tourism enterprises is not only due to their numerical dominance but also because they play an important role in the sustainable development of tourism destinations [16][17][18].…”