University of Cape Town Faculty of Science February 2019
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Responsible Tourism in rural South Africa: Lessons from two case studies on the Wild Coast Town Cape of Photo: Coffee Bay, credit: Elena van Doorn Elena van Doorn VDRELE001 Supervisor:University Associate Professor Merle Sowman A minor dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy in Environment, Society and Sustainability University of Cape Town Faculty of Science February 2019 The copyright of this thesis vests inTown the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes Capeonly. of Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University Plagiarism Declaration I, Elena van Doorn, know the meaning of plagiarism and declare that all of the work in the dissertation (or thesis), save for that which is properly acknowledged, is my own. Signature: __________________________ Date: 9 February 2019 2 Abstract In Post-Apartheid South Africa tourism was seen as an important tool for economic development and poverty alleviation, especially in rural communities. The term Responsible Tourism was adopted by government in the 1996 White Paper and encouraged tourism that creates competitive advantage, maintains natural, social and cultural diversity and promotes sustainable use of local resources. This study looks at two case studies on the Wild Coast of South Africa, namely; Coffee Shack in Coffee Bay and Bulungula Lodge in Nqileni, which have both been awarded for their responsible tourism efforts. Through a review of the literature, document analysis and semi-structured interviews, this thesis identified a set of responsible tourism criteria applicable to tourism ventures in rural South Africa, while also identifying some of the challenges that come with tourism development in rural areas. The study discusses how responsible tourism approaches and practices can enable not only job opportunities, but also contribute to improving basic living conditions and enhance education and skills development of local communities. Gaining ownership of the tourism venture, meaningful participation of local communities in management and decision making, equal power relations as well as sharing in the benefits were all found to be important enablers in the case studies. A responsible tourism approach also focuses on promoting sound environmental management practices, including respect for local cultures, institutions and local knowledge, thereby contributing to biodiversity conservation efforts and promoting sustainable livelihoods. The study recognised how partnerships with government and NGOs can enable better implementation of responsible tourism policies and approaches, while monitoring results and accreditation can measure these benefits delivered to the economy, community and environment. 3 Acknowledgements This project would not have been possible without the wonderful people at Coffee Shack and the community of Coffee Bay, as well as Bulungula Lodge and the wider community of Nqileni. Thank you for welcoming me into your accommodation and communities. I am ever so grateful to my supervisor, Merle Sowman, who has put so much effort into meeting with me regularly and providing me with feedback throughout this project. I thank her for her dedication to my work and for checking in with me time after time (I hear that is a rare quality in supervisors). I would like to acknowledge the scholars who have done studies on responsible tourism before me, for allowing me to build on their knowledge. Thank you to my family and friends for providing me with lots of support and love, even when they doubted this project would ever come to an end – I am talking to you, mam and pap. Thank you to my partner for your endless love and support and for always knowing what to say whenever I had a breakdown regarding finishing this project. Thank you to the incredible friends I made in Cape Town, for teaching me more about the world than any university could have ever taught me. I am quite sure you will be the changemakers of the future. 4 Abbreviations AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome BLC Bulungula Lodge community BLM Bulungula Lodge management BLS Bulungula Lodge staff CBT Community-Based Tourism CSC Coffee Shack community CSM Coffee Shack management CSS Coffee Shack staff CWP Community Work Programme DEA Department of Environmental Affairs DEAT Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism DT Department of Tourism ECD Early Childhood Development FTTSA Fair Trade Tourism South Africa HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature ILM Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori NGO Non-governmental organisation NPO Non-profit organisation PDI Previously Disadvantaged Individual SMME / SME Small(, Micro) and Medium Enterprises SATC South African Tourism College UN United Nations 5 Table of Contents Responsible Tourism in rural South Africa ............................................................................. 1 Plagiarism Declaration .......................................................................................................... 2 Abstract ................................................................................................................................. 3 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 4 Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ 5 Chapter 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 8 1.1. Background of the study .......................................................................................................... 8 1.2. The case studies ...................................................................................................................... 9 1.3. Research question and objectives .......................................................................................... 11 1.4. Outline of the study .............................................................................................................. 11 Chapter 2 Literature Review ................................................................................................ 13 2.1 Introduction of the chapter.................................................................................................... 13 2.2. Sustainability thinking in tourism ......................................................................................... 13 2.3. Responsible tourism and similar terms in the literature ....................................................... 15 2.4. Opportunities for inclusive tourism development ................................................................ 19 2.5. Small, Micro and Medium---sized Enterprises (SMMEs) .......................................................... 23 2.6. Natural Resource Management and social justice................................................................. 25 2.7. Certification and identification of responsible tourism criteria ............................................. 27 2.8. Development on the Wild Coast ........................................................................................... 30 2.9. Conclusion of the chapter ..................................................................................................... 31 Chapter 3 Methodology ...................................................................................................... 33 3.1. Research design .................................................................................................................... 33 3.2 The Case Studies .................................................................................................................... 33 3.3 Data collection ....................................................................................................................... 33 3.3.1. Semi---structured interviews .......................................................................................................... 34 3.3.2. Document review ......................................................................................................................... 36 3.3.3. Observation ................................................................................................................................. 36 3.4 Data Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 37 3.5 Limitations and ethical considerations to the study ............................................................... 38 3.5.1. Limitations ................................................................................................................................... 38 3.5.2. Ethical considerations .................................................................................................................. 39 Chapter 4 Findings ............................................................................................................... 41 4.1 Introduction of the chapter.................................................................................................... 41 4.2. OvervieW of the Wild Coast .................................................................................................