the role of tourism in natural resource management in the okavango ...

natural resources and to increase the social and economic benefits to Batswana
(Mbaiwa, 2002). The Botswana Tourism Master Plan (DOT, 2000) highlights the
following specific aims of the Department of Tourism:
• Formulation and execution of programmes designed to promote tourism in
Botswana;
• Research and development, including the collection and analysis of
statistical data;
• Provision to the National Advisory Council on Tourism of such information,
advice, and assistance as it may require; provision to the Tourism Licensing
Board of information, advice, and recommendations on the licensing and
grading of tourism operators;
• Monitoring of tourism operators for adherence to the terms and conditions of
licenses, particularly with respect to progress made by the operators in
pursuing localisation and other high-quality services to tourists; and
• Creating and maintaining an up-to-date inventory of Botswana's tourist
assets to ensure that these are prioritised for development and protection
(DOT, 2000 cited in Mbaiwa, 2002).
As with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, the Department of Tourism
has been ineffective in carrying out some of its responsibilities. Some of the major
shortcomings of the Department include:
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Incomplete staffing appointments due to a lack of suitable candidates;
Incomplete state of some functions, mainly licensing, grading and
inspection;
Inability to secure sufficient financial resources for its activities, and
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