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

Some cultural modifications due to tourism are not as readily apparent, such as
changes in eating habits of the host culture (Martha, 1993). For example, eating
habits changed in the Kingdom of Tonga, a Polynesian island country. Food is
imported for the tourists due to the belief that tourists prefer familiar cuisine. Even
though many tourists enjoy the local fruits and bread, few would be content for long
on the relatively bland Tongan diet of yams, taro and fruit. Furthermore, native
Tongans are favouring the imported foods over their traditional diets and this
competition negatively affects Tonga's agricultural industries, because demand for
locally grown products has decreased (Martha, 1993).
Tourists do not have to come into direct contact with the host community for social
impacts to occur. New employment opportunities, brought about by the growth of
tourism will result in social change. Additionally, the provision of new forms of
communications, transport and infrastructure, for tourism development will also
influence this process of social change. These impacts are considered to be 'indirect
social effects' and are evident within many sectors of economic development, not
just tourism (Cooper et aI, 1993).
An increase in income levels, from the creation of employment for the local
population within the tourism industry, and the spread of the monetized sector, will
alter traditional consumption patterns. Such changes, if they include consumer
durables such as television and radio, will expose the host community to a wider
range of wants, and speed up the process of social change. These effects may be
viewed as 'induced social impacts' (Cooper et aI, 1993).
The severity of the social impacts resulting from tourism development will be
dependent upon the difference in socio-cultural characteristics between hosts and
guests (Cooper et aI, 1993). It is suggested by Inskeep (1991) that these differences
include the following:
• Basic value and logic systems
• Religious beliefs
• Traditions
• Customs
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