Implications of Responsible Tourism for Conservation and Development in Southern Africa - Responsible Tourism: Critical Issues for Conservation and Development - page 349

tion); cannot reach (because of poor infrastructure); where the establishment is
product-rather than demand-led (because no market research was done); where a
low level of service is given (because of poor training); and which does not make a
profit (because expectations remain unrealized, and third parties have to
subsidize the operations in the long term). It is clear that the concept of commu-
nity-based tourism should be reconfigured, to take a market-led approach that
concentrates on small business development and maximizing linkages between
tourism and communities through the supply chain, rather than stressing collec-
tive ownership and management. Where donors and NGOs work with the poor to
establish small tourism businesses, they have a responsibility to provide an
enabling framework for partnerships with tourism professionals, to ensure a
realistic and commercial approach is adopted. Policy makers also have a key role
to play, by providing a consistent enabling policy framework that empowers
communities to capitalize on their natural environment and heritage in a sustain-
able way.

Implications for responsible tourism

This topic has, I believe, provided a wealth of critical issues for conservation and
development that should be considered in the future adaptation of existing enter-
prises, and when planning new tourism destinations and operations. In answer to
the question 'Can responsible tourism be used for conservation and develop-
ment?' the response is a resounding 'Yes', with a caveat: whether it does or not
depends on a multitude of factors relating to policy framework, governance,
planning, operation and also market demand. The practitioners who have
contributed to this tome have used empirical evidence and a suite of analytical
approaches to demonstrate that responsible tourism is taking place in southern
Africa - but that there is much work to be done by government, civil society, the
tourism industry, local communities and academia to make the positive results
more consistent and less fragmented.
Building on the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism (Cape
Town, 2002), the Kerala Declaration resulting from the Second Conference on
Responsible Tourism in Destinations contains recommendations for responsible
tourism that are highly relevant to the chapters and critiques presented in this
topic, and serves as a useful list of actions to take forward. Among a suite of other
considerations, the Declaration states (Kerala, 2008):

• Planning control, highways, environmental management, police and a host of

other government agencies at the national and local government level need to
be encouraged to play their role in managing tourism. All relevant depart-
ments in national and local government need to exercise their responsibility
for ensuring the formulation and implementation of regulations.

• Tourism has to contribute to socioeconomic development by supporting the

conservation of natural and cultural heritage.