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

earth's wilderness areas shrink rapidly, the Okavango Delta is becoming an
increasingly treasured global resource. It therefore deserves urgent attention as a
priority conservation area (OPWT, 1998).
6.3.1 Profile of Tourists in the Okavango Delta Region
There are generally four main types of tourists that visit the Okavango Delta every
year. These are the 'high-cost' tourists, the mobile safari tourists, the 'Iow-cost'
independent tourist, and safari and trophy hunters.
6.3.1.1 The 'High Cost' Tourist
The most important type of tourist visiting the Okavango Delta are the 'high cost'
tourists. According to Borge et al (1990), this type of tourist chooses to stay in a
permanent camp/lodge operated by private camp operators/owners. In the
Okavango Delta 'high cost' tourists generally come from Europe, North America and
New Zealand/Australia. These clients usually fly into Maun from Johannesburg or
Windhoek, from where they are flown directly to their camps/lodges in the Delta.
This type of tourist is termed 'high cost' by several groups (including the
government), as a high price is generally paid for the tourism package in advance,
and the client is usually confined to camps/lodges owned by the company from
which they bought their package. Such tourists generally pay around US$ 6 000 for
a safari package in the Delta. They usually visit two to three camps/lodges owned
and operated by the same company, spending two to three nights at each (Borge et
ai, 1990; Ndubano, 2000; Main, 2001).
6.3.1.2 The Mobile Safari Tourist
The second most important type of tourist visiting the Okavango Delta is the 'mobile
safari' tourist. This type of safari tends to be less costly than a permanent
camp/lodge package, but certain aspects of the costs are comparable. Mobile safari
tourists tend to stay in both public, private or Hotel and Tourism Association of
Botswana (HATAB) campsites. Like the 'high cost' tourists they also fly into Maun,
from where they depart on a circuit of 'bush camping' in the Delta. Mobile safaris
take from 5 to 21 days, with fees ranging from US$200 per night to US$ 6 000 for
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