TITLE OF DISSERTATION The social, economic and environmental impacts of ecotourism: case studies of

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TITLE OF DISSERTATIONThe social, economic
and environmental impacts of ecotourism case
studies of the St. Lucia area and the Northern
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg region in KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa.Noel Chellan
Supervisor Prof Urmilla Bob
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TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE

• Environmentally the activity minimizes any
  damage to the environment (flora, fauna, water,
  soils, energy use, contamination, etc.) and
  actually tries to benefit the environment in a
  positive way.
• Socially and culturally- the activity does not
  harm the social structure of the community where
  it is located or damage its culture.
• Economic- the activity does not simply begin and
  then rapidly die because of bad business
  practices more importantly, it contributes to
  the economic well-being of the surrounding
  community.

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ECOTOURISM

• Traveling to relatively undisturbed or
  uncontaminated natural areas with the specific
  objective of studying, admiring, and enjoying the
  scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well
  as any existing cultural manifestations.
• (Thomson, 1995 as cited in Fennel, 200030)
• Responsible travel to natural areas that
  conserves the environment and improves the
  welfare of local people.
• (The International Ecotourism Society,
  20035)

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ONE OF NUMEROUS VIEWS

• Like a modern Midas, tourism has transformed much
  of the worlds natural beauty into gold. In the
  process, the tourist industry may have planted
  the seeds of its own destruction. For the
  suspicion is growing, ever so slowly, that the
  more ecotourism succeeds the more it destroys the
  very basis of its existence-the wilderness, the
  unspoiled landscapes, the quaint villages, the
  unique cultures that drew visitors in the first
  place (Crittendon,1975 as cited in Henry,1992
  49).

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

• Questionnaires
• Formal and Informal interviews
• Observational studies
• Participatory techniques

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INDICATORS

• Negative Social Impacts
• Crime
• Undisciplined tourist behaviour
• Demonstration
• Congestion visitor/tourist composition

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INDICATORS cont

• Positive Social Impacts
• Schools
• Clinics
• Projects and programmes that add value to the
  lives of people

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INDICATORS cont

• Economic
• Established resorts and tourism centres
• Community
• Tour operators
• Informal traders

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INDICATORS cont

• Environmental
• Pollution
• Erosion
• Vandalism
• Signposting
• Erection of buildings
• Sewerage and solid waste disposal
• Energy consumption
• Animal disturbances

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WORLD HERITAGE SITES CRITERIA

• Unique ecological processes
• Highest quality of natural phenomena
• Exceptionally rich biodiversity

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WORLD HERITAGE SITES cont

• 10 of the earths surface are protected areas
• 40 of the protected areas are in developing
  countries
• 6 of South Africas landscape is protected
• Just over 700 World Heritage Sites
• 6 are in South Africa

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Conceptual Framework

• Political-Economy Approach
• Global tourism in its different faces brings
  strangers (some welcome, some not) to far-flung
  localities, often corrupting and compromising the
  very uniqueness the tourists sought. Further,
  very few places and people are isolated from
  global politics and tensions, from the influences
  of superpowers and supranational organizations
  (Rowntree et. al. 2003 15)

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STAKEHOLDERS

• Host Community
• Tourists
• Tour Services
• Accommodation Owners/Managment
• Government Sector
• NGOs
• WESSA and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife

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Research Area

• Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park
• Khula Village
• Dukuduku Forest
• NE of KZN
• 
  
  
  
  

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Research Area

• uKhahlamba Drakensberg Mountains
• Obanjaneni Village
• Mnweni Village
• NW of KZN

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RESULTS Positive Social Impacts

• To interact with tourists
• A crèche -gate-takings
• A soccer field-Royal Natal National Park
• Community members are allowed to have social
  events within the Park
• Commitment to eradicate Malaria
• Wetlands Park poverty relief programmes (pine
  removal)

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RESULTS Negative Social Impacts

• Community not allowed to hunt
• Conflict between animals and community
• Community are rarely consulted
• Sex workers depend on tourists for income
  generation
• Chief and councilor know about the park
  happenings without the community being informed.
• Break-ins at tourists accommodation
• Conflict between ecotourism and community

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SI Race of Accommodation Owners
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Has The Community Respondent Lived Elsewhere
Previously ?
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RESULTS Positive Economic Impacts

• Waiters, security personnel, tour guides,
  community liason officers, gardeners, house
  keepers, etc.
• Satisfactorily positive for the up and coming
  Black-owned enterprises such as Khula Village
  Tourism and Cultural Centre and the Mnweni
  Tourism and Cultural Centre,
• Street traders
• Highly positive for a small percentage of Black
  Economic Empowerment Companies

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RESULTS Negative Economic Impacts

• Few get rich and there is very little trickle
  down effect.
• Nature of jobs was described as, seasonal,
  casual or piece-meal jobs.
• Very limited benefits
• There is the concern of exit of money overseas.
• Disenfranchising communities from a subsistence
  economy

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RESULTS Positive Environmental Impacts

• Introduction of different species of animals into
  the Park (GSLWP)
• Plans to remove 7 200 ha of pine plantations on
  the Eastern Shores of Lake St Lucia

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RESULTS Negative Environmental Impacts

• Solid waste
• The pollution of water
• Designation of zones.
• Air pollution

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RESULTS Negative Environmental Impacts

• Stripping off of paintings in caves.
• Graffiti over rock-paintings

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RESULTS Negative Environmental Impacts

• Damage to natural vegetation
• Erosion along walk trails
• Disturbances of wildlife by tour operators and
  tour boats.

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Figure 6.34. Mnweni Participatory Activity Using
Venn Diagrams

Sewing Group
Grazing Committee
Fence Making Group
Educational Structure
Working for Water Project
Mweni Development Forum 1 female 5 males
Donga Rehabilitation Project
Inkatha Freedom Party
Poultry Group
Sports Forum
African National Congress
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(No Transcript)
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Khula Village Ranking Matrix
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Khula Village Scoring of Ranking Matrix
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Tour Operator
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Tourist
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Pattern/prediction/theory

• The Theory of Cumulative or Aggregate Push,
  with regards to ecotourism the fast pace of
  modern living pushes up the demand for
  ecotourism destinations. The creation of
  protected areas pushes people out of the lands
  and further pushes them into crime prostitution
  etc. The rezoning of protected areas further
  pushes animals within the park into smaller
  spaces.

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RecommendationsSocial Impacts

• Commodify Cultural products such as music, dance,
• CSI component of the ecotourism industry
• Dicriminalising the sex worker industry

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RecommendationsEconomic Impacts

• The Tourism Black Economic Empowerment Charter
  and Scoreboard
• Public Works Programme and the Extended Public
  Works Programme
• Co-operatives

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RecommendationsEnvironmental Impacts

• Terms of the environment
• Recycling solid waste
• Already existing houses
• Specific pricing of commodities
• Accreditation of tour operators
• Micro-ecotourism Parks through Greening the
  Nation

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Conclusion

• Ecotourism at the two World Heritage Sites is
  highly contested by the different stakeholders.
  Except for a few beneficiaries, the communities
  residing alongside the Parks seem to be at the
  losing end of the industry. Conservation and NOT
  ecotourism (in its present form) will ensure that
  the natural environment is intact.