Tourism in Transfrontier Conservation Areas: The Kavango–Zambezi TFCA - Responsible Tourism: Critical Issues for Conservation and Development - page 173

Table 8.16 Total non-wage operating expenditures, KAZA region, 2004

Region Non-wage operating expenditures Local expenditure as % of

made 'locally' (US$) non-wage operating costs

Kasane 8,918,000 62

Livingstone 4,903,000 40

Victoria Falls 5,707,000 49

Upper Zambezi 1,141,000 57

Caprivi 1,464,000 75

Total 22,133,000

The future

Tourism in the KAZA region has grown rapidly over the last decade - with one-
third of tour operators and almost half of all accommodation establishments
opening for business since 2000 (and 85 per cent and 84 per cent, respectively,
opening since 1990). This trend is predicted to continue into the foreseeable
future, with 5-6 per cent growth per annum predicted in the region, and growth
estimates as high as 10-15 per cent in some countries (Yunis, 2004; Perkins,
2005). In this context, the KAZA initiative could almost certainly increase the rate
of tourism growth within the TFCA, above that of existing predictions. However,
governments and tourism planners will need to decide whether they wish to accel-
erate this growth beyond predictions, or identify other methods of extracting
value from the industry. Rapid rates of growth are likely to be desirable only if the
growth can be properly planned and managed, rather than occurring in an uncon-
trolled and ad hoc manner. In terms of achieving the multiple aims of the KAZA
TFCA initiative, simply increasing the size of the industry will not necessarily
contribute to its sustainability or to the achievement of biodiversity, social or
economic objectives. As can be seen from the results presented above, leakages of
revenue, operating expenditures, profits and salaries are already a feature of the
industry, and continued reliance on passive approaches to tourism planning and
development will mean that local benefits from growth remain comparatively
small. The adoption of sustainable tourism principles has already been identified
as a primary means of shaping and managing this growth to assist in the achieve-
ment of the economic development and poverty alleviation objectives of the
TFCA, while jointly achieving its biodiversity and natural resource management
goals.

Maximizing returns
Several options are available to increase returns from the industry - to increase
the total size of the industry, to maximize the value extracted from the industry, or
some combination of the two.Tourism planners must decide whether they wish to
accelerate growth beyond predictions or identify other methods of extractive