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

tourism, the type of skills that are required and the type of worker that is needed
must also be considered (de Kadt, 1979).
Tourism employment can be classified into three levels. Firstly, that of direct
employment in businesses that market goods and services to tourists, such as
hotels and restaurants. Secondly, that of indirect employment resulting from tourist
expenditures in activities such as manufacturing and wholesaling that supply goods
and services to tourism businesses. Examples of indirect employment are present in
construction, agricultural and manufacturing industries. The extent of indirect
employment available is determined by the level of integration of the tourism industry
with the rest of the local economy. Therefore, the higher the level of integration, the
greater the level of indirect employment. The third level of classification consists of
investment-related employment found in construction and other capital goods'
industries (de Kadt, 1979).
In the initial stages of tourism development most jobs are held by people from the
immediate area. As tourism grows and the facilities increase, migrants can become
a large part of the local labour force. This often occurs when resorts are placed in
sparsely populated areas where little or no tourist activity has previously taken place
(de Kadt, 1979).
Tourism not only creates jobs and business opportunities directly related to travel,
such as hotels and attraction establishments, but it also helps diversify and stabilise
the local economy. Tourism tends to create new employment opportunities in the
host community and therefore influences migration patterns in two chief directions. It
aids in retaining citizens who would migrate away, particularly unemployed or
underemployed youths in economically marginal areas. Secondly, it also attracts
outsiders who are seeking economic opportunity or employment and who often
originate from other divisions of the economy, particularly agriculture. Tourism may
also aid in attracting additional industry to the community, thus creating new and
increased economic opportunities and jobs (Schneider, 1993). Cohen (1954, p.76)
states that tourism"...encourages new economic activities in ancillary services and
thus indirectly creates new opportunities for economic mobility among the locals".
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