Nature-based Tourism in Zimbabwe: Sustainability Issues

Nature-based tourism in Southern Africa is seen as a vehicle for spearheading sustainable rural development. In the past, various frameworks have been conceptualised in different countries in the form of Community-Based Natural Resource Management practices (CBNRM) to ensure equitable benefits to the local communities. Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) is seen as a pioneer CBNRM initiative in southern Africa that has brought about numerous benefits to the local communities. In the last two decades, the viability of CAMPFIRE to sustain rural livelihoods and contribute to conservation goals has come under threat due to a number of socio-economic challenges. This chapter, therefore, aims to evaluate the historical development of CAMPFIRE in Zimbabwe and provide recommendations on how the programme can be re-designed to ensure sustainable benefits to the locals. The study is based on a review of extant literature in the form of published journal articles, book chapters and reports to analyse the evolution of CAMPFIRE and draw conclusions on its future developments. The results of this research reveal that CAMPFIRE is facing varied challenges that make it difficult to contribute to improved rural livelihoods and sustainable tourism development. It is also argued that there is a stronger need to re-evaluate the programme so that it fits into the current nature-based tourism dynamics. Lessons learnt over time and the way forward to improve wildlife tourism and community participation in CAMPFIRE areas are provided in this chapter.