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

• The 5-year review policy left many operators feeling insecure about the
future of their tourism developments as, due to problems associated with
racism and abuse of power by Tawana Land Board officials, leases could
be cancelled after just five years, for no conclusive reasons; and
• The 15-year lease policy generally prevents operators from developing their
ventures to their full potential.
Many of the managers of tourist facilities under the authority of the Tawana Land
Board, interviewed in the Delta, also stated:
• That they experienced racism from Tawana Land Board officials, which
made dealing with the Land Board 'difficult and unpleasant'; and
• That during inspections and the five-year review process, many of the
Tawana Land Board officials were biased towards expatriate tourism
operators, abused their power and authority, making it increasingly difficult
for tourist operators to have their leases renewed, and making review
periods 'difficult and unpleasant' for tourism operators.
According to Mbaiwa (2002), other, more general problems associated with the
Tawana Land Board include:
•
•
•
The poor monitoring of concession areas, hence some of them are run by
safari operators as semi-autonomous states in the country;
Failure to ensure proper waste management and disposal in lodges and
camps under their authority. The Land Board conducts inspections of
tourism facilities and activities in areas under its control, however, problems
of failure to follow prescribed guidelines and agreed terms by operators are
common; and
Failure to ensure that environmental regulations such as the monitoring of
the aesthetic value of the Okavango Delta are maintained. For example,
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