Society & Governance Ecotourism Seen Environmental Learning Information Sheet no 3 Introduction Tourism has become the world's

number one export earner. It earns more money wor ldwide 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 t he WWF (World Wildlife Fund). Where once people travelled to other countries min dless of the effects of tourism on the destination country, its people and its b iodiversity, today there is a strong movement today towards sustainable tourism or ecotourism. Home Affairs shows that the total foreign arrivals (including per manent residents and day visitors) to Namibia rose from 693 777 in 1999 to 758 9 89 in the year 2000. Namibia has a total of 26 parks and reserves, covering appr oximately 15% of the total land area. In addition to the 12 government-owned res t camps in these parks, managed by Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR), the tourism i nfrastructure throughout the rest of the country is well developed. Hotels, pens ions, guest farms and rest camps are generally of a high standard and are manage d on a similar basis as tourist accommodation establishments in Europe. The Nami bia Tourism Board (NTB) controls the grading and standards of accommodation esta blishments, safari companies and products offered by tour operators. The current National Development Plan of Namibia recognises tourism as an important contrib utor to the national development strategy. As tourism develops, it must support the overall development objectives of the Namibias Second National Development Pl an, namely: Reviving and sustaining national growth; Creating employment; What is ecotourism? There are various definitions of ecotourism. UNESCO describes it as a form of to urism to relatively undisturbed natural areas for the main purposes of admiring them and learning more about the associated habitats. Ecotourism ideally seeks t o 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 ne eds 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 peopl e and its environment. Generally, one hopes that the positive will outweigh the negative. This topic explores some of the positive and negative effects of touri sm. Takes account of cultural and social considerations The contribution of tourism to Namibia is enormous, as it occupies third place i n the economy, after mining and agriculture. Border crossing data obtained from the Ministry of Seen Environmental Learning Information Sheet No 3

Theme: Society & Governance Topic No 3: Ecotourism Socio-cultural effects of tou rism Positive: Tourism can bring the people of the host country together and increase their national pride in their festivals, customs and traditions. Tourism can he lp 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 peop le 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 b een developed for tourism can benefit the residents, for example, roads, communi cation systems, water points etc. Negative: The negative side occurs when touris m 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 a nd favourable foreign exchange rates, the Himba have been increasingly exposed t o tourism. Settlements have arisen around the tourist sites, influencing some of the Himba to experiment with other ways of living. Alcohol, never before indulg ed in, has entered the culture, and with zero tolerance to it, some Himba have b ecome alcoholics. Some women have fallen into prostitution also previously unhea rd of among the Himba as a way of getting money. Tourists sometimes hand out swe ets to the children, with the best of intentions, not knowing that these childre ns diets have previously consisted of meat, milk and stamp, and that access to de ntists for tooth decay is very scarce. In some situations, tourism can become th e only source of income, and if there is a crisis, (for example, a flood), the w hole community may suffer. The devastation caused by the recent tsunami in Phuke t in Thailand will cost billions, (and much suffering) as tourism is such a majo r source of income in Thailand. Local cultures risk being turned into commoditie s when religious rituals, traditional ethnic rites and festivals are made to con form 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 o utsiders a sanctioned, non-intrusive glimpse into their lives, and also earns th e 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 wa ter supply and only limited infrastructure benefits for residents. In Namibia, a reas 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, o r they risk losing their culture and livelihood. The economic contribution of tourism Positive: Tourism can generate valuable income for the host country. The financi al 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 i s 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 pe ople, funds generated through ecotourism can also be used to protect the biodive rsity of the host country. For example, an entrance fee charged to enter the Sos suss 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 viabili ty of the species or other species, or game ranger salaries and park maintenance . Seen Environmental Learning

Information Sheet No 6 2

Theme: Society & Governance Topic No 3: Ecotourism Negative: Although tourism may appear to be financially beneficial to the host c ountry, this is not always not the case. Enclave tourism is the term used to des cribe 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 actuall y spent locally. Exclusive lodges, flying in a small number of guests from overs eas, may fall into this group. Tourism in developing countries also has many cos ts. 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 i ncome from tourism expenditures leaves the country again to pay for imports. The same applies to spending on infrastructure to accommodate tourists demands. In a ddition, in peak seasons, there is pressure on infrastructure. For example, wate r is a scarce resource in Namibia and it is under even more stress when there ar e a significant number of tourists using the water resources. the proximity with in 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 Natura l Resource Management (CBNRM) programme 1996, in co-operation with NGOs, donors and local communities (see info sheet on CBNRM). The CBNRM programme fosters: Na tural Resource Management: A natural resource management and conservation progra mme - it promotes wise and sustainable management of natural resources, and enco urages biodiversity conservation by creating the necessary conditions for sustai nable use Enterprise Development: A rural development programme - it seeks to de volve rights and responsibilities over wildlife and tourism to rural communities , thereby creating opportunities for enterprise development and income generatio n Effects biodiversity Positive: Tourism can significantly contribute to environmental protection, cons ervation 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 cr eation of national parks and wildlife parks. Where there has been careful planni ng, tourism can preserve the environmental assets of a country. Namibias dunes, f or 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 prev ent them from returning. South Africa is in the process of enacting legislation regarding Institutional Development: An empowerment and capacity-building programme- it en courages and assists communities and their local institutions to develop the ski lls and experience to sustainable develop and pro-actively pilot their own futur es. The programme took the shape of the creation of conservancies, which are large t racts of communal land legislated for management by communities. Tourism in cons ervancy areas is making a major contribution to tourism in Namibia generally. Fo r example, a number of communities own and manage their own tourism enterprises. These include campsites, craft businesses, paying attractions particularly trad

itional villages and guided tours around prime tourist attractions, examples of which include, the bushman rock engravings at Twyfelfontein and the famous White La dy rock painting at Brandberg Mountain. Some Seen Environmental Learning Information Sheet No 6 3

Theme: Society & Governance Topic No 3: Ecotourism enterprises are communally-owned and managed, that is by conservancies (e.g. Oka rohombe Campsite in the Marienflss Conservancy and Salambala Campsite by the Sala mbala Conservancy); by villages (e.g. Khowarib Campsite and Lizauli Traditional Village); or through cooperatives (e.g. Mashi Craft Market); while others are ow ned by individual entrepreneurs from within local communities (e.g. Aba Huab Cam psite and the Anmire Traditional Village). In other cases, communities have ente red into joint ventures (for example, Damaraland Camp, in Torra Conservancy). In s till other cases, private businesses (for example a hunting company) lease a con cession from the local community, or periodically pays a bednight levy as a good will gesture. Conservancies A conservancy is set up to encourage good relations between conservation and farming. A group of land owners come together to conser ve and use wildlife sustainably in their area. The land is to be used by both wi ldlife 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 memb ers, 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 m ade possible by the creation of new legislation that allowed land owners and con servancies certain powers which they did not previously have. The new legislatio n allowed conservancies to use, manage and benefit from wildlife on communal lan d. They are also permitted to propose recommendations for quotas for wildlife ut ilisation and to decide the form of utilisation. They are now allowed to enter i nto 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, springb ok and oryx. Conservancies can help communities to improve their social, economi c 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 th e 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 likel y to manage them more carefully because they have a stake in them. The governmen t 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 p ay dividends to individual households or use income for community development pr ojects. 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. C onservancies can help lead to improved numbers and variety of wildlife through c ertain 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 N amibia. The main concern with conservancies is when there are many different eco nomic 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 benefit s to be derived from conservancies also have to be substantial if they are to co mpete with other land practices. Apart from the income-earning aspect of tourism through conservancies, communities also benefit Seen Environmental Learning Information Sheet No 6 4

Theme: Society & Governance Topic No 3: Ecotourism through capacity training. The Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservat ion (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 Kun ene and Caprivi regions. It consolidates and expands communitybased ecotourism i nitiatives 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. Seen Environmental Learning Information Sheet No 6 5

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 natura l areas to admire and learn about them, is increasing rapidly. Tourism is Namibi as 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 prid e, contribute to environmental conservation, provide employment and training and earn valuable taxes and foreign exchange. On the other, it may conflict with th e local culture, limit local peoples access to their land and resources and lead to social problems such as alcoholism, theft and violence. Ecotourism initiative s in Namibia include Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) project s, and Conservancies. Glossary Biodiversity Conservation Ecosystem Ethnic Flora and fauna Geology Habitat Infra structure Legislation NGO Sustainable The variety and range of living organisms. The preservation, management, and care of natural and cultural resources by pro tecting 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 d escent or culture rather that by nationality. Plant life and animal life. The ro cks, minerals, and physical structure of a particular area. an environment for e xample a forest where a human, plant, or animal lives or is usually found. The b asic 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 organis ation. Something which is able to be maintained. Environmentally it refers to th e exploitation of natural resources without the destruction of the ecological ba lance of a particular area. The making use of something. Utilisation Sources/Further Reading Sustainable Wildlife Management, WWF. Planeta.com Understanding the Market for S ustainable Tourism by Paul F. J. Eagles The Northern Namibia Environment project WILD Project (Wildlife Integration for Livelihood Diversification) Seen Environmental Learning Information Sheet No 6 6

Theme: Society & Governance Topic No 3: Ecotourism Seen Environmental Learning Information Sheet No 6 7