Local Economic Development in Mozambique - Responsible Tourism: Critical Issues for Conservation and Development - page 4

engagement with all relevant stakeholders and must promote equitable develop-
ment and access to resources.
This chapter assesses whether the promotion of tourism has achieved its goals
against Vázquez Barquero's (1999) framework that LED strategies ought to focus
on three criteria: hardware , software and orgware (in Rodriguez-Pose, 2001,
pp10-11). Hardware is the facilitation of the physical environment by the govern-
ment to assist the development process (Vázquez Barquero, 1999 in
Rodriguez-Pose, 2001). This often includes the development of infrastructure,
legislative and tax systems, enabling an efficient environment in which businesses
can operate. Software is the construction and implementation of comprehensive
and sustainable development strategies. Vázquez Barquero asserts that these
strategies ought to be balanced between the competitiveness of local firms, the
attraction of investment and the advancing of human capital (Vázquez Barquero,
1999). Orgware goes beyond the structural development of the economy, seeking
to involve and empower civil society in the decision-making process and the recip-
ients of the end goal: sustainable development 1 (Vázquez Barquero, 1999). The
criteria, recommended by the International Labor Organization (Rodriguez-Pose,
2001), focused on balanced growth, rather than traditional strategies, which were
designed to attract foreign investment. It is an appropriate tool for assessment
because it satisfies the preceding definition of LED as involving communities,
encouraging local control and job creation. Therefore, this chapter assesses the
implementation of PARPA upon reflection of these criteria, using practical field
data, and whether it has achieved its goals of poverty alleviation, employment
creation and local capacity building.
Although Rodriguez-Pose provides an applicable monitoring tool for assess-
ing strategies, the organizational effort involved in developing a strategy that
incorporates all relevant stakeholders may be viewed as inefficient and it cannot
be guaranteed that the most effective strategy will evolve (Rodriguez-Pose, 2001,
p12). There is not one single comprehensive tool for assessing LED strategies but
this enables current practice to be compared to the objectives of policy. The crite-
ria allow broad observations and recommendations to be made. In addition, this
study is confined by the lack of empirical data on Mozambique. The Strategic
Plan for the Development of Tourism in Mozambique confirms that there is
'limited reliable statistical data and satellite accounts to form a base for planning
and to measure the actual economic impacts of tourism on the national economy'
(Ministério de Turismo, 2004, p46). Consequently, this chapter aims to stimulate
debate and highlight issues around the impact of tourism on local economies.
Economic background to Mozambique
The economic development of Mozambique has been variable. Whilst it has
maintained strong macroeconomic management, it remains characterized by high
levels of corruption, inefficiency and poor infrastructure. In turn, this has discour-
aged foreign investment in the country. Nevertheless, since 1993, real GDP