Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Defining community tourism in Zambia
Before presenting the key findings on community tourism in Zambia there is a
need for conceptual clarity of the vocabulary. The concept of 'community' has
reached the forefront of discussions on tourism and sustainability but what is
meant by 'community' requires critical evaluation (Swarbrooke, 1999; Richards
and Hall, 2000). This is particularly important in community tourism as the
'amorphous term' can hide the power of local elites (Mowforth and Munt, 1998,
p252). For the purposes of the PROFIT study, 'community' was interpreted as
locational, i.e. the people living in a geographical location. The nebulousness of
the concept was acknowledged and the importance of understanding the local
context with all its given ambivalences, uncertainties and divisions of power were
recognized. This is particularly important in Zambia as traditional leaders are
powerful. At the smallest geographic level there is one village with a village
headman. Each village usually belongs to a group of villages that form a larger
community organized under a chief or chieftainess. At the next level there maybe
a paramount chief for an ethnic group. Customary authority presents critical
challenges to community conservation and development projects in Zambia, as
they are incompatible with citizenship rights, particularly equality, and the misuse
of resources and accountability is problematic (Virtanen, 2003). These challenges
were reflected in the PROFIT study. A plethora of definitions of community
tourism exist internationally (CTO, 2007). For the purposes of the PROFIT
study, it was defined as 'tourism which is owned and/or managed by communities'
with the aim of generating wider community benefit. As the introduction of the
term in Zambia was relatively new, it was frequently misunderstood.
Institutional frameworks and planning for
community tourism in Zambia
Government departments with significant roles in tourism development fall under
the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources (MTENR). The
Department of Tourism is responsible for the implementation of policy, regula-
tory and legislative frameworks for tourism. Representatives interviewed
envisioned a government-led approach to community tourism through regional
tourism development offices to facilitate product development and tourist
bookings. Officials asserted that few companies were supportive and most
excluded village visits as they had an antagonistic relationship with local commu-
nities. It was also stated that outsourcing the management of community tourism
assets such as lodges was against policy directives and that the licensing of
community tourism was unnecessary. The PROFIT report questioned the appro-
priateness of the Department engaging in community tourism product
development.
Two key initiatives had been undertaken by the Department of Tourism to
promote community tourism. The Tourism Development Credit Facility intro-
duced in 2004 had a revolving fund of ZMK5 billion (approximately US$1.2
million); 78 loans had been disbursed by late 2005. Only one was awarded to a
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