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

For example, the government has gone to great lengths to encourage the
development of up-market, high-cost tourism resorts and facilities. The government
has also used the profits from the industry to develop new, and greatly improve the
existing, infrastructure in the Okavango area, such as the road network and airports
and airstrips. As such, the Botswana Government appears to embrace the
'modernisation view' that regional economic development will result from the
development of modern infrastructure.
There are obviously certain problems in this scenario. Firstly, there is the possibility
that any profits accrued will leak from the national economy overseas. Secondly,
economic developments may only benefit existing national or more localised elite. In
both cases the economic relationship will be uneven, if not exploitative, and the
indigenous economy may suffer as a result of catering to the needs of the developed
world (Meethan, 2001).
Such problems with this approach to development are also clearly evident in the
Okavango Delta. As presented in the research findings in chapter six, most of the
tourism facilities and associated tourism infrastructure are characterised by foreign
involvement and ownership, which has several implications for the industry and the
local economy.
Firstly, the dominance of the tourism industry in the Okavango Delta by foreign tour
operators and companies has resulted in the repatriation of revenue from Botswana
to foreign countries. In fact, it has been estimated that Botswana retains less than 29
percent of the total revenue generated from tourism in the country. Although tourism
is contributing 6 percent to Botswana's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is the
second largest contributor after diamonds, failure to retain a larger proportion of this
revenue from the industry does not auger well with sustainable economic growth in a
developing country such as Botswana. This fact indicates that urgent measures
need to be taken to involve local investors (in a significant and meaningful way) in
the tourism sector in the country (Mbaiwa, 2002).
Secondly, as the Okavango Delta's tourism industry is dominated by foreign
involvement and high-prices, the area is also characterised by tourism enclaves,
which are both inaccessible and bring little benefit to the local population. This
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