Examples of good practice in the introduction of Community Tourism
Namibia
In 2016, Namibia was named the world’s 13th fastest growing tourist destination by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Namibia is a world leader in approaches to environmental protection and community involvement in tourism development.
Namibia’s development as a destination dates back to 1991 after independence from South African rule. Until 1990, tourism was the preserve of the white population. Tourism development is concerned with eliminating racial disparities in the country. After independence, tourism came to be seen as an important driver of growth and development for all citizens. In 2008, the growth of the tourism sector had already caught up with that of the mining sector, which had been the most important sector until then. As a result of increasing tourism activities, there is a trend towards a better and more holistic approach to environmental protection. Following the adoption of new environmental laws. Before the implementation of the concepts of environmental protection and community-based tourism, even the rural dwellers had no motive to protect the wilderness, wildlife and plants in their territory. Before independence, environmental protection was neglected. Environmental planning was absent from political agendas. At independence, Namibia became the first country in the world to include a law on environmental protection and sustainable development in its constitution. Community-based tourism and community-based natural resource management (community-based protected area management) have become the main tourism development concepts, affecting more than 60% of Namibians. They have also established a development programme, VISION 30, which refers to the sustainable development of the country to ensure that by 2030, Namibians will have a similar standard of living to people in the developed world. It also envisages that tourism is most responsible for protecting the environment, conserving wildlife, protecting biodiversity and eradicating poverty especially in rural areas Vision 30 also identifies the main attributes of Namibia’s tourism offer:
- Photography
- Birdwatching
- Hiking
- Strictly controlled hunting
- Wilderness experiences.
Examples of community-based tourism experiences
- Cooking and tasting local food
- Visiting a local market
- Walk through the village
- Working on the field
- Experiencing the coffee process
- Fishing or sailing with locals
- Biking tour around the village
- Handcrafting or painting
- Storytelling by elders
- Homestay or farmstay
They also adopt a National Tourism Programme, which advocates environmental protection at national level. The essence of community development is to help eradicate poverty among the black population living in rural areas. Community tourism has offered the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of rural people. Protected areas have entered into public-private partnerships. Members of local communities have signed agreements on tourism development or accepted concessions to control entrances to the park. They thus benefit from tourism development through concession fees, employment, formal and informal training. Through the income of these areas, they are invested in local community projects that benefit all members or are distributed to each household individually.
I Briganti di Cerreto
In 2003 a group of young people, residents in Cerreto Alpi, founded the Cooperative “I Briganti di Cerreto”, with the desire to continue to live where they grew up and enhance the environment and the local community. We are in the National Park of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, in a medieval village, built of sandstone and chestnut wood, immersed in an extraordinary landscape, which has entirely maintained its values and traditions. The services that the community offers are many: educational activities for schools, environmental education, guided tours, hiking on foot, on horseback or by mountain bike, Nordic walking instructors, rental of snow shoes and bicycles. All while staying in a rural accommodation between the old mill and the barn converted into a lovely apartment.
Solčavsko, Slovenia
Today, the municipality of Solčava is part of the Savinja statistical region. With 5 inhabitants per km2, it is the most sparsely populated municipality in Slovenia.
The Solčava region has always been attractive for tourism due to its unspoilt nature. In 2009, it was awarded the title of European Destination of Excellence. The three parallel Alpine valleys Logarska dolina (Logar valley), Robanov kot and Matkov kot (Matkov kot) are a special feature of the Solčav region. Many rare animal and plant species live here. There are 104 natural values in 103 km2. These include numerous caves and crannies, rocks, windows, waterfalls, springs and famous trees.
The local people have always lived here with nature, which provides them with everything they need to survive. Today, the people of Solčava are still mainly engaged in farming, but increasingly also in tourism, wood processing, wool processing and the production of home-made products.
History of community tourism in the Solčava region
An important turning point in the development of Solčava was the construction of the road link between Solčava and the Upper Savinja Valley in 1894. Within a few years, the number of mountain huts had already increased, from 213 in 1900 to 400 three years later. In 2012, the number of visitors exceeded 100,000, and it is precisely because of the population growth that the local community has taken control of tourism development.
Logarska dolina d.o.o. is the answer to the negative impact of tourism in the area. The negative impacts have been:
- The valley was full of cars
- Burning in agricultural and forest areas
- Waste dumping
- Destruction and endangerment of the natural environment.
In 1987, the Logar Valley was placed on the map of protected areas in Slovenia, as a landscape park. However, the protected area status did not bring the desired positive effects. Positive effects on the area started to appear after the concession was obtained by the Municipality of Mozirje. Logarska dolina d.o.o. became responsible for the management of the park The company is financed from its own resources and without any assistance from the municipality or the state. The concession agreement allows the company to charge entrance fees to the park, which is also its main source of income. Objectives:
- Sustainable tourism development of the Logar Valley
- To ensure the well-being of local people
- Preservation of the natural and cultural environment
- Arrangement for the treatment of waste from previous years
- Construction of a sewage treatment plant
- Construction of municipal and tourist infrastructure
- Integrating the hospitality offer
- Development of a visitor information and marketing system for the Logar Valley.
The objectives have been achieved, as evidenced by the awards for best practice in sustainable tourism development.
In 2009, Logarska dolina d.o.o. transferred the tourism activities of the Solčav region to the newly established Rinka Centre, which currently represents the latest model of local community participation in the development of tourism in the Solčav region.
Experience Community-Based Tourism with Pachamama Journeys
The Pachamama Alliance was born out of an invitation from the Achuar people to work in partnership with them to preserve their land and culture while bringing forth a new worldview that honors and sustains life. Since the early 20th century, individuals and corporations from the so-called “modern” world have sought to exploit Achuar land for its oil, disregarding its irreplaceable ecological and cultural wealth. By the early 1990s, Achuar shamans and elders were having dreams of an imminent threat to their land and traditional way of life. From contact with neighboring tribes, the Achuar knew that oil companies were poisoning the rainforest and everything alive in it, steadily moving closer and closer to their home.
An Invitation to Allies in the Modern World
The Achuar made the courageous decision to reach out to the modern world that was threatening their very existence. In 1995, a group of people, including John Perkins, and Bill and Lynne Twist, traveled to the rainforest at the invitation of Achuar leaders to learn more. The Achuar shared with this group the urgent threat to their lands and culture, their vision for self-determination, and a request for allies from the North who would “change the dream of the modern world”—shifting our culture of overconsumption to one that honors and sustains life. This group committed to a partnership with the Achuar and upon their return to the United States, Bill Twist and Lynne Twist co-founded the Pachamama Alliance to carry out their commitment.
Pachamama Journeys to Ecuador incorporate community-based tourism as a key component of these culturally immersive trips. Many of these journeys include a stay at Kapawi Ecolodge, which is owned and operated by local Achuar people. Kapawi is located on the Achuar’s ancestral lands in the Amazon and all revenue generated goes to the local communities. Participating in a Pachamama Journey presents travelers with a unique opportunity to learn from local Achuar communities about their culture and way of life deep in the rainforest. At the same time, Journey participants are able to support the Achuar’s efforts to pursue economic alternatives to deforestation and extractivism. In turn, the Achuar are able to preserve their lands, culture and way of life.