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

weakest with agriculture, construction, water and electricity (Bank of Botswana,
1999; Mbaiwa, 2002).
According to the Botswana Tourism Development Programme (BTDP, 1999), the
hotel and restaurant sub-sector generated 43 percent of the total tourism GDP in
1999, with the remaining 57 percent coming from other economic sectors such as
wholesale trade, transport, banks, insurance and business services.
The majority of tourists visiting the Okavango Delta come from Europe and North
America (Table 6.7; Figure 6.3). This has great implications for the generation of
foreign exchange for the region as well as impact on the balance of payments. The
economic role of international tourism in the region can be examined through both
the tourist trade balance and the share of tourism receipts in total exports. The share
of tourism receipt in total exports is inversely related to the size of a region,
especially in GNP terms (Table 6.22) (Briguglio et aI, 1996).
Table 6.22: Total National Receipts From Tourism (Botswana, 2001)
Year US $ Million
1995 162
1996 184
1997 184
Source: Adapted From Africa Contemporary Record, 2001.
With regard to the indirect economic impact or the multiplier effect of international
tourism, the larger the region, the higher the tourism multiplier. This is due to the
magnitude of the multiplier depending largely on the degree of tourist goods and
services supplied domestically, and how closely various sectors of the economy are
linked. In a large country or region, a more diversified resource base and a complete
industry system will enable it to enjoy both a high level of inter-industry linkages and
a low level of leakage, as most of the international tourists demand can be met by
domestic products. In a small state or region, such as the Okavango Delta, the small
scale and limited variety of industries limit the range and volume of linkages and
enforce the need for imports (Table 6.23) (Briguglio et aI, 1996).
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