Developing heritage and cultural tourism in Lesotho : the case of Ha Kome cave village

Abstract

“Reported as the fastest growing sectors of the global economy, tourism is rapidly growing in the developing countries for they seek to boost foreign investments and financial reserves” (Third World Network, 1999). Tourism is further being supported by World Tourism Organization as a key tool through which to address the problem of poverty in the developing countries (1987). Lesotho has been exposed to tourism development since 1966 independence. The country has over the years seen changes in the processes of tourism development particularly the shift from promotion of the country as an exclusive natural destination to the addition of other tourist possessions in the tourism package. This thesis is an assessment of Lesotho‟s standing as a tourism destination. In particularly it attempted to confirm the tourism integrity of the Ha Kome Caves; checked the tourism resources and facilities offered by the place; examined how heritage and culture resources are being exploited for tourism and investigatd the tourism impact on the area. Edward Inskeep‟s model has been used as a viable tool to assess value of the key heritage and culture attractions and resources presented by Ha Kome village.