Impacts of Wildlife Tourism on Rural Livelihoods in Southern Africa - Responsible Tourism: Critical Issues for Conservation and Development - page 153

Table 7.8 Benefits to local communities in southern Africa from different forms of tourism

Issue Type of business structure

Private sector Joint venture (Community Trust and private sector) Community based

Relative size Majority of tourism enterprises. Minority of tourism enterprises. Minority of tourism enterprises.

of market
Ownership/ Equity None.

Sometimes partial (e.g. land ownership) Community owned.

but limited responsibilities of community. Dividends to community.

Dividends to community.

Commercial Yes, generally market related Yes, as market related. Turnover often poor (rarely have business plans).

viability and operated as a business. Conservancies often profitable for communities, Wages/operating costs may be subsidized by NGO.

particularly when hunting and photographic

Success varies between countries and institutional

nature-based tourism are both operated. structures.

Dividends Not to communities (to private Variable annual dividends distributed related Variable annual dividends distributed in relation to

sector shareholding). to turnover.Trust and community decides turnover.Trust and community decides how

how distributed. distribution is done (e.g. split between households;

Dividends include flat fees, bed night levies, for local infrastructure, etc.).

rental fees, percentage of income, and meat
from hunting.

Institutional Not necessary. Elected community trust. Sometimes Elected community trust. Sometimes transparency and

support Sometimes within a conservancy. transparency problems with Trust. power dynamics problems with Trust.

Sometimes within a conservancy. Sometimes within a conservancy.

Employment Yes. Mostly menial labour with Yes. Often employ local staff. Some seasonality. Yes, at all levels. Skills are not always sufficient

low wages, and can be seasonal, (e.g. book keeping, marketing, reservations)

(expatriates earn more). Little seasonality of labour (often retain staff on

minimal wages).

Skills development Some, for positions that require it. Yes, for positions that require it. Often employ Often at initiation of enterprise at all levels, but with

Limited promotion of local people. local staff and train them for promotion. limited follow up.