Collaboration and Partnership in Tourism: the Experience of Botswana

Abstract

This study explores the use of management activities (tourism planning and marketing) in explaining collaboration and partnership in a tourism destination. Analysis of findings was based on seven management activities, evaluation of partnerships with tourism-related organizations, and 23 statements measuring the extent of interaction and collaboration between destination players. Data was collected from three tourism areas in Botswana. Factor analysis, reliability analysis and a series of independent t-tests were used to analyse the data. Study results indicate that tourism marketing has more influence than tourism planning in explaining and evaluating tourism collaboration and partnerships. The study found statistically significant differences between organizations which have tourism marketing activities and those which do not. Destination management organizations need to encourage tourism organizations to design and implement tourism marketing plans with a view to enhancing collaboration and partnerships in a destination.