Impacts of Wildlife Tourism on Rural Livelihoods in Southern Africa - Responsible Tourism: Critical Issues for Conservation and Development - page 146

Luangwa Safari Association Wage Contribution in the Mfuwe Area

600,000

500,000

400,000

Sub-total
Average

300,000

200,000

100,000

0

1990 1992 1993 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2003

Years

Source: Luangwa Safari Association, 2004 cited in Pope, 2005

Figure 7.1 Luangwa Safari Association personal employment contributions
to the Mfuwe economy, 1990-2003

Overall, LSA members employed 700 permanent and temporary staff in 2005 in
the Mfuwe area, which reflects a significant growth from about 80 people
employed in 1990. In terms of the dependants of employees, Pope (2005)
estimates that their wages supported around 4200 individuals. Pope (2005)
reports that approximately 90 people were formally employed by the 5 safari
outfitters operating in the immediate vicinity of the core South Luangwa National
Park tourism area and about 30 in the Lupande. Pope (2005) also estimated that
the majority of companies also employed another 20 casual employees during
camp building and closure (about two months of the year). The salary and wage
contributions to the local economy grew from US$2800 in 1990 to US$510,000
in 2003 (see Figure 7.1).
The contribution from purchases and other business items has shown a
similar pattern of exponential growth, particularly between 2000 and 2003. Total
non-wage contributions now amount to close to US$240,000 per annum (see
Figure 7.2). Combined with salary and wage contributions, the LSA tourism
group places nearly US$750,000 per annum into the economy in Mambwe
District (Pope, 2005).
Adding the probable figure for labour payments for safari hunting outfitters
in the Lupande GMA (say US$17,000), and the retained hunting fees (about
US$60,000), this would indicate a total contribution into the local economy in the
Lupande hunting blocks of approximately US$90,000. The contributions to the
local economy from all tourism operations in 2005 were estimated at approxi-
mately US$850,000, with the non-consumptive tourist sector contributing nearly
90 per cent (excluding ancillary non-consumptive services and enterprises
producing tourism-related goods (Pope, 2005)).