Community-based tourism enterprises: challenges and prospects for community participation; Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust, Botswana

Abstract

This study assesses community participation in a community-based tourism enterprise in Botswana, the Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust, founded in 1992. Data were collected using structured and semi-structured questionnaires, interviews with key stakeholders and community focus group discussions. Results indicate that although Community-Based Natural Resource Management is popular in many southern African nations, communities still face challenges and constraints which hinder their participation in community-based enterprises. While some other studies in Botswana indicate the value of community-based tourism, 95% of adult residents in the Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust area did not know who owned the Trust, and 98% had never been to the Trust's lands. There was community disappointment about loss of cattle grazing and other land-related benefits, lack of communication with the community, lack of benefits, the low numbers employed and the slow progress of the project which did not record a profit until 2008. But the Trust now has over 25% of the rhinos in Botswana and has seen visitor numbers rise from 1820 in 1996 to over 21,000 in 2008. Suggestions for the future include appointment of a community liaison officer, training for local people in tourism and management and use of single-community rather than multi-community trusts.

以社区参与为基点的旅游企业所面临的挑战和机遇：以博茨瓦纳的卡玛犀牛庇护机构为例

成立于1992年, 卡玛犀牛庇护机构 （KRS）是一个在博茨瓦纳的以社区为发展基点的旅游机构。该研究以此为例, 主要调查社区在该机构的参与情况。研究数据收集主要是通过全结构性和半结构性的面对面采访来完成的。采访对象包括社区中的主要参与人员和一般的居民。结论指出, 尽管以 社区为考虑基点的自然资源管理方法在许多的南非国家已经非常普及了, 但居民们在实际参与中仍面临很多的挑战和困难。 尽管有许多现有的研究都说明了社区为基点的旅游的好处, 但是95%的成年居民并不知道KRS机构的存在, 而98%的居民从未去过该机构活动所在区域。当地居民对KRS的失望包括由于土地被征用和失去放牧造成的损失。他们抱怨缺乏和他们的沟通, 缺少好处, 缺少就业机会, 并且他们抱怨说该机构的财政收入增长非常缓慢, 到2008年才开始有收益。但是该机构声称他们已在博茨瓦纳保护超过25%的犀牛, 并且, 参观人数从1996年的1820人在2008年增长到超过21000人。该研究对比提出一些建议包括雇佣一个社区调解员, 教育当地居民关于旅游管理的知识, 并且让机构能注重对单一社区而不是 多个社区同时展开活动。

Keywords:

• community development
• community participation
• community tourism
• conservation
• economic development
• qualitative research

Keywords:

• 社区发展
• 社区参与
• 社区旅游
• 保护
• 经济发展
• 定性研究

Notes

1. A kgotla is a traditional meeting place for Tswana communities, where issues affecting the community are discussed and disputes are settled. The kgotla meeting is usually led by a Kgosi (chief) with the help of his advisors.

2. A metal grilling/barbeque stand, common in southern Africa, pronounced brr-eye.