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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Tourism, Communities and National Policy: Namibia's Experience |
Author: | Ashley, Caroline |
Year: | 1998 |
Periodical: | Development Policy Review |
Volume: | 16 |
Issue: | 4 |
Period: | December |
Pages: | 323-352 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Namibia |
Subjects: | rural development tourism Development and Technology Economics and Trade Miscellaneous (i.e. Demography, Refugees, Sports) Politics and Government |
External link: | https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-7679.00068 |
Abstract: | Since independence, the tourism sector in Namibia has grown rapidly. Since 1995, community involvement in tourism has been an explicit government strategy. This article first categorizes tourism initiatives on communal land into five different types and assesses the financial and social impacts of each. However, if the long-term aim is 'rural development', measures of financial and social impact are too limited, and a broader perspective - contribution to livelihood security of different stakeholders - is proposed. This assessment is based on the direct contribution of tourism to a variety of household needs and assets, as well as its indirect impact through conflicts and complementaries with other livelihood activities and land uses. As many community tourism initiatives also have conservation objectives, the article reviews additional criteria that need to be considered to achieve these, such as a tangible link between sustainable management and rewards from tourism, and distribution of benefits across all members of a common property resource regime. Performance of tourism initiatives is assessed against these criteria and constraints identified. The article then outlines the various strategies that have been used to promote community involvement in tourism. Lessons learned and implications for policymakers conclude the article. Bibliogr., notes, ref. |