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

2.8.5 Environmental Benefits of Tourism
The environment is perhaps one of the most important contributors to the desirability
and attractiveness of a destination. Scenic sites, amenable climates and unique
landscape features have an unquestionable influence in tourism development and
the spatial distribution of tourist movement. Consequently, sustainable development
(which can be defined as "development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (Eber, 1992,
p. 1)) is needed to preserve the environment as an asset for the tourism industry
(Buhalis and Fletcher, 1992). Therefore, as Mathieson and Wall (1982) state, there
should be a symbiotic relationship between tourism and the environment.
National tourist organisations also recognised the importance of natural resources
for continued tourism activity and therefore concentrate on preserving and
enhancing attractions. This may lead to the adoption of a number of administrative
and planning controls, and the initiation of several projects. It can therefore be said
that "tourism provides the incentive for 'cleaning up' the overall environment through
control of air, water and noise pollution, littering and other environmental
problems, and for improving environmental aesthetics through landscaping
programmes, appropriate building design controls, and better building
maintenance" (Inskeep, 1991, p. 343).
Additionally, most tourists themselves are becoming increasingly environmentally
conscious. Apart from the alternative forms of tourism, in which isolated and
unspoiled natural settings are visited, the trend for 'green considerations' is
emerging in the mass tourism market as well (Buhalis and Fletcher, 1992).
The "protection, conservation, renovation and transformation of historical and
heritage sites, monuments, and buildings have also been stimulated by tourism
activity. As tourists express their demand for these sites, they help finance their
preservation" (Buhalis and Fletcher, 1992, p. 5). Numerous existing attractions,
throughout the world, would never have survived without contributions from the
tourism industry (Mathieson and Wall, 1982).
Tourism can also stimulate the creation of natural parks, and conservation units. As
a direct result of the tourism industry, on a global scale, millions of plants have been
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