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

tend to vary in terms of standards and facilities on offer. Some safari camps are
merely campsites with ablution blocks, and can be very reasonably priced, while
others consist of luxury groups of chalets or cottages, or luxury tents, complete with
swimming pools and restaurants. Most lodges and safari camps also hire out boats,
or take tourists to other areas from where boats or mekoros can be hired, organize
game and bird viewing activities, and fishing opportunities, etc. (Table 6.11). Overall,
accommodation in the Okavango Delta can generally be described as being of a
high quality, attracting the more wealthy overseas tourists. The Botswana
Government's 'high-cost, low-impact' tourism policy is partly responsible for the
dominance of up-market accommodation facilities in the Delta, as the policy was
designed to prevent mass tourism through high prices, as the Okavango region is a
sensitive wetland (http://www.safariweb.com... htm).
Table 6.11: Tourist Activities Offered by Interviewed Tourist Accommodation
Facilities in the Okavango Delta Region (2003/2004)
Total Number of
Activity Offered Accommodation Percentage
Facilities (out of 63)
Mobile Safari Trips 36 57
Fishing 50 79
Game Drives 38 60
Birding 42 66
Scenic Flights 47 75
Boat Rides 49 78
Mekoro Trips 47 75
Elephant-Back Safaris 1 2
Horse-Back Safaris 2 3
Scenic WalkslTrails 40 63
Hunting 1 2
6.3.4.2 The Number of Days Spent by Tourists in the Okavango Delta
The number of days spent by tourists in the Okavango Delta depends largely on the
particUlar category of tourists, such as independent (self-drive, low-cost), mobile or
high-cost tourists. On average, high-cost tourists spend 6 to 10 days in the Delta, of
which 2 to 3 day periods are spent in 2 to 3 different safari camps/lodges that they
visit in various parts of the Delta. Mobile tourists generally spend between 7 to 14
243