Over Reliance on Wildlife Tourism: Impacts and Policy Implications

Wildlife tourism is important to the economies of many countries in Southern Africa. It has brought many benefits in these countries, including employment opportunities, income and foreign exchange and the improvements in the livelihoods of many in society. Wildlife tourism is important to many stakeholders including the private and public sectors and local communities. Using the case of Botswana, the chapter discusses some of the negative impacts associated with countries relying heavily on the tourism sector. Results indicate that the reliance on wildlife tourism and international tourists has resulted in Botswana developing dependence on the sector. Furthermore, results show that during times when the sector is not doing well, communities that are dependent on tourism and participate in community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) are negatively impacted, casting doubts on the sustainability of the sector. It is therefore important to develop destination adaptation and resilience strategies and for tourism dependent communities to diversify their income earning activities to reduce their risk during periods of uncertainty.