The impact of land management systems on community attitudes towards tourism and conservation in six South African countries

Abstract

Many rural areas of Africa are characterised by high levels of unemployment, poverty and increasing population densities. Arid climates and erratic rainfall also make many of these areas marginal for agriculture and offer few alternative employment opportunities. Ecotourism in these areas can offer a sustainable land use option that promotes biodiversity conservation, can assist in poverty reduction and promote local socio-economic development. Receipt of benefits from ecotourism is also claimed to improve community attitudes towards conservation. Through extensive questionnaire surveys, this study analysed the impact of land management systems on community attitudes towards tourism and conservation in six southern African countries: Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The study found that diverse land management systems such as government-owned land and communal land had differing effects on attitudes. Overall, some level of community ownership or participation, such as in joint ventures, resulted in more positive community attitudes. The results highlight the importance of empowerment and ownership in order to promote biodiversity conservation and ensure the long-term sustainability of ecotourism operations.

Ecosystems say good management pays off

“…Given that 59% of all the large marine ecosystems and all the high seas FAO areas are under shared management, and there are already concerns over transboundary species (e.g., Thornton et al., ), these kinds of understandings will be important for managers located on one side or another of a jurisdictional divide. This will be particularly important given that it is likely that there will be jurisdictional differences in terms of food security (Blanchard et al., ), trade policy (Watson, Nichols, Lam, & Sumaila, ), research capacity (as captured by UNESCO statistics on the Researchers in R&D per million people; https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.SCIE.RD.P6?view=map), societal valuation of conservation (Balmford et al., ; do Paço, Alves, Shiel, & Filho, ; Schultz et al., ; Snyman, ), etc. Such differences may well even lead to tension or open conflict (McClanahan, Allison, & Cinner, ).…”

Assessment of the main factors impacting community members’ attitudes towards tourism and protected areas in six southern African countries

“…Outreach programmes, introduced by the private sector tourism operator, in communities abutting the park could include educational programmes as well as social welfare projects. Such programmes would serve to link PAs and tourism directly to benefits (Snyman 2012b). • Government, NGOs or the private sector need to raise awareness relating to ecotourism, conservation and PAs.…”

Realms of Visitors’ Experience to Ecotourism in Bulusan Volcano Natural Park, Province of Sorsogon, Philippines

“…Indeed, this type of tourism, it promotes biodiversity conservation; socioeconomic development, and emphasises the importance of empowerment and ownership of local community to ensure the long-term sustainability of ecotourism operations (Snyman, 2012). In a premise of modern ecotourism, it is necessary to involve the local communities in the introduction to the implementation of a project.…”

“…These motivations may include physical, cultural, social, and environmental aspects. An understanding of what factors influence the visitors and host residence can assist in managing expectations (Snyman, 2012) and deliver expected experiences. In a natural setting where protected area serves as an endpoint destination of visitors, motivations may be attributed to physical and mental aspects which include physical comfort, safety, and natural environs, while mental elements include searching for meanings, connections, and connotations (Jurowski, 2009).…”