Local participation in transfrontier tourism : case of Sengwe community in Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Transfrontier cross-border nature conservation has become a fashionable target in many parts of the world, including Southern Africa. Transfrontier conservation initiatives are considered to have great capacity for biodiversity conservation and sustainable tourism development by providing employment and revenue opportunities for poor people and communities. However, many previous studies have indicated that in spite of expectations and rhetoric there is often rather minimal community awareness and participation in conservation management, tourism economy and related opportunities. This study aims to discuss local people's perceptions of community participation, opportunities and constraints in sustainable transfrontier tourism in south-eastern Lowveld, Zimbabwe. The results based on community interviews show that the people are aware of the potential role of tourism in improving livelihoods. The major challenge, however, is to address how this can be turned into concrete benefits for households and communities.