Tourism Joint Venture Partnerships and Conservation in Southern Africa

This chapter reviewed literature to assess tourism joint venture partnerships (JVPs), their sustainability and conservation in Southern Africa. Results show that CBOs engaged in the Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme have initiated JVPs to aid community participation in natural resource management. The literature indicates that private companies are better placed as partners in tourism businesses because they bring resources such as capital development, tourism business management skills, knowledge and market access. The partnerships are expected to improve local communities’ tourism business skills. However, indications are that the JVPs have failed to contribute fully to capacity building and skills transfer. Consequently, JVPs are accused of creating power imbalances between communities and private sector companies. As a result, communities remain with limited skills to run tourism businesses as they are not fully involved in decision making and management processes. The minimal contribution of JVPs to the optimal participation of local communities in tourism development has implications on tourism best practice and policy devices that guide sustainable tourism development in Southern Africa.