Towards an integrative tourism development framework for local communities in Namibia

Abstract

This study examines the existing policy and planning frameworks in relation to tourism and local development in Namibia and the level of integration for the respective rural communities. The focus is on the Torra Conservancy in the north-western part of Namibia. The specific objectives are to assess the relative degree to which the local communities have had control in the community-based tourism (CBT) through the community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) programme in terms of rights, empowerment and economic benefits. The study involves a retrospective review of literature on integrative tourism and rural local development and through a survey of key community based tourism (CBT) actors in Bergsig and in Windhoek, Namibia. This study is mainly based on quantitative approach. In addition, thematic interviews were used, where possible, to understand and deepen the views expressed in the survey results. Respondents representing the three main clusters of the tourism industry; government, private sector and the host local communities were examined on their interpretation of the current development of the tourism industry in Namibia. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and factor analysis indicated statistical significant differences between different groups. The research findings revealed that the extent to which local communities participate in the tourism development process depends on the idealistic, and perhaps to some degree unrealistic, expectations, of community-based tourism in the national tourism policy spectrum. Since community perceptions match what is on the ground from development, problems are socially real and necessitated a viable solution for amelioration. Implications are discussed for building a more integrative policy approach that could help guide research, planning, development and evaluation of community-based tourism projects.