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

commodities to be sold in the global market place. As such, the growth of
international tourism provided the opportunity for less developed countries to carve
out a niche in the global market. This is possible as the rise of globalisation has
provided a means of internationally promoting their many and varied tourism assets.
Hence, tourism has/is developing in even the most isolated and seemingly detached
from the global economy, regions as a form of economic growth and development
(Ugarteche, 2000; Meethan, 2001).
It was during the 1980s that tourism as an actual form of development first appeared
in the African economies. As noted in the theoretical framework in chapter three, in
the first stages of its global spread, tourism, as with many other forms of economic
development, may have appeared as a path to modernity for many of the Less
Developed countries. Unlike other forms of development, tourism has one major
attraction to Less Developed economies, it is an industry 'without chimneys' which
requires relatively low capital input (Harrison, 1994). Additionally, tourism is a means
of earning foreign currency and therefore, it may be considered an 'invisible' export
earner and a relatively low-cost means of balancing payments (Harrison, 1997;
Archer and Cooper, 1998; Meethan, 2001).
Most developing economies, including the Okavango Delta, have approached the
use of tourism as a development strategy from a modernisation perspective. As
discussed in chapter three, modernisation assumes that development occurs on a
linear or evolutionary basis, and that given the right conditions, less developed
societies can 'catch up' with the developed world and this should be encouraged
through strategic development organised at a state level. In regards to tourism, this
form of development assumes, for example, that the building of large hotels or resort
areas will act as a catalyst to promote some form of 'trickle down' effect, which will
be of benefit to the overall economy. Additionally, the development of modern
infrastructure, such as airports, roads, etc., will also benefit the economy as a whole
(Meethan, 2001).
This 'modernisation approach' to development is clearly evident in the Okavango
Delta. As noted in the research findings in chapter six, the Botswana Government
has largely concentrated its efforts, with regard to the development of the tourism
industry, on the development of the necessary infrastructure to support the industry.
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