Definitions, Views and Opinions toward Uplifting Tourism in Namibia

1. BLOOM
E C O T O U R I S M
e n r i c h i n g c o m m u n i t i e s
A p r o m i s e t o w a r d N a m i b i a 2 0 3 0
Kipwe Lounge, Namibia
Kanyiki Vilho

2. i
What is ecotourism 1
Ecotourism and local communities 2
Objectives of ecotourism 3
Who are the ecotourist 4
How can Namibia benefit from ecotourism 5
Ecotourism environmental,socialandeconomicimpacts 9
Conclusion 12
Reference 13
Table of Contents

3. ii
Zuckerman_wildlife_photography
Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves
the environment and improves the well-being of local people.
The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

4. People have their different reasons to travel. Some people travel to discover,
some travel for pleasure, some travel to experience foreign culture while
others travel to contribute for humanity. Some individuals travel because
they understand tourism is an important sector that impact on development of
some country’s economy. In some part of Africa, tourism is the main important
source of welfare. Tourist are travelling to these countries and contribute
to a benefit of greater good, a type of travelling known as Ecotourism.
Ecotourism, as an alternative tourism, involves visiting natural areas in order
to learn, to study, or to carry out activities environmentally friendly, that is, a
tourism based on the nature experience, which enables the economic and social
development of local communities (Kiper 2013). It is a form of sustainable travel
that supports the local environment instead of putting more pressure on it and
exploiting its resources, ecotourism is a complex concept growing in importance
more and more each year (Andrei 2016).
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) defines ecotourism more conceptual
as “Environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, in order to enjoy and
appreciate nature (and accompanying cultural features, both past and present)
that promote conservation, have a low visitor impact and provide for beneficially
active socio-economic involvement of local peoples.”
What is Ecotourism?
Ecotourism
1
1

5. All users here have the same things in mind, the sustainability, preservation
of ecological habitats, tourism-based developments, economic returns for local
communities and the carrying use for the environment. Ecotourism helps in
community development by providing the alternate source of livelihood to
local community which is more sustainable (Kiper 2013), hence eco-tourism is
aimed at improving the well-being of the local people along the process.
The focus is for the benefits to be directly incorporated into the economic well-
being of the local residents. Hence tourist travelling to this aspiring places will
practices a pleasurably non-consumptive use of wildlife and natural resources
to only contributes to these visited areas through labor and financial means.
It is therefore an educative, innovative type of tourism were the interaction is
key to knowledge, incomes and local development. It is almost established to
recognize the livelihood and the importance of local residents to independently
uplift themselves by crafting their own development.
Local communities and ecotourism
2
2
Anonymous_photograph

6. 3
Ecotourismisakeyelementtoconservation,itimpliesthatindividualstravelling
to these areas will practice a non-cosumptive visit. If all travellers travel as
ecotourist, then nature will continuously conserved and nourished even when
millions of visits are made each year.
Thisconcept‘ecotourism’conveytheneedforparticipationoflocalcommunities,
marking the turning theme to local and medium enterprises growth, ownership
and control of resources by local societies, promotion of local management and
engagement of local knowledge at management level.
If the nature can be left to nourish itself without any man-made modification
eventuallyitsnaturalsystemwillinspiremanystudies.Kiper(2013)interestingly
point out that ecotourism focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about
nature, its landscape, flora, fauna and their habitats, as well as cultural artifacts
from the locality.
Objectives of Ecotourism3
Global conservation
Local development
Education

7. Who are the Ecotourist?
4
4
Ecotourist are those that are travelling with the world care in their hearts, those
that are conserving the world through their travelling contributions. THanks
to these people, tourism today is nature-free experience thrilled with reaching
out, contributing, saving, sustaining and learning about others.
Ecotourist therefore are the care-givers, scientist, researchers, photographers,
teachers, doctors, humanitarian and others who are looking and searching
for something extraordinary about life. Ecotourist are interested in seeing the
wonders of nature, experiencing different lifestyles, learn how others survive,
listen to their stories, eat their food and figure out how they can help with
funding to improve living.
Kiper (2013) outline that ecotourism is inspired primarily by the natural
history of an area, including its indigenous cultures hence the visitors are only
in the spirit of appreciation, participation and sensitivity. Duane Silverstein
(Director of Seacology, SA) explains that ecotourists want to feel that they are
experiencing a foreign culture and have opportunity to contribute to a benefit
of greater good.
Nomad_Africa_Magazine

8. 5
How can Namibia
improve to benefit
and attract
Ecotourism?
Chobe_Savanna_Lodge, Namibia

9. 6
Travellers are looking to experience originality. They want to be exposed to
reality, to be wondered by the wilderness and step into the heartiness of a
natural system. A natural system with its people in their natural existence. The
locals, who are already a part of this aspired natural system are the cultural
features that many travellers are thrilled to reach.
A cultural themed tourism may attracts many travellers, hence to supply these
needs for tourists, the country should intensely invest into community-based
tourism. It does not only put Namibia on the ecotourism map, its also a tool
to local investment. The communities will earn income as land managers,
entrepreneurs, accomodators and guiders.
Community-based tourism1
Twyfelfontein_damara_dance (Gondwana)
‘‘ ’’
People selfishly want experiences that are real, they
want to meet the park ranger and want to help in
an orphanage.
Duane Silverstein

10. 7
Travellersareputtingtheirinvestmentsintothesevisitsbecausetheywanttoget
the satisfaction they paid for. If we build more accomodation in the wilderness
of these aspired lands, tourism may boost up. Many travellers want to meet the
wild with its heart-raising wilderness in order to get that thrilling satisfaction
they travelled for.
More adventurous camps and lodges are needed to be installed into the wild
with safe excess roads and adequate camping services. The government will
need to sudside Private lodging and camping companies that already operate
around the counrty to establish these deep Savannah accommodations.
Accommodate like Savannah2
NKasa_Lupala_Lodge, Namibia
‘‘ ’’
Ecotourists to have a greater interest in the culture
and nature of the areas they visit, as compared
to mass tourists.
McMinn

11. 8
Festive like International3
Namibia has beautiful towns with potentials to become internationally
recognized. For example Swakopmund, it is one of the towns that receive
magnitude of visitors in the country, the town is favoured for its aesthetical
designs, its access to the atlantic ocean and its marvelous sand dunes. Walvis
Bay along side the coast is also favoured for its Wide-open Vambo beach and
the Long beach Hotels. Many travellers already travel to Namibia to come enjoy
variety of activities in these towns but still, the number of travellers visiting
Namibia can still be maximized.
Imagine having international-inviting festivals that are social connected
in almost every country. Music festival on the Vambo Beach, Fish festival in
Swakopmund, Kapana festival in Windhoek, Traditional foods festival in the
North, all international calling rather than national.

12. 9
Ecotourism:
environmental, social
and economic impacts
Albury_Travel

13. 10
Ecotourism entails a combination of conservation and tourism (the economics
relatedwithit)tobenefitlocalcommunities,especiallyfocusingonsustainability
(Myburgh & Saayman 2002).
Natural and cultural landscape values form a basis for ecotourism. These values
are geographical position, microclimatic conditions, existence of water, natural
beauties, existence of natural vegetation, existence of wildlife, surface features,
geomorphologic structure, local food, festivals and pageants, traditional
agricultural structure, local handicrafts, regional dress culture, historical events
and people, heritage appeals, architectural variety, traditional music and folk
dance, artistic activities and so on.
Ecotourism operates for one or more of the eco-friendly alternatives for the
economic use of natural resources compared with mining, hunting, farming
and so on (Li 2006). Ecotourism promotes an enhanced appreciation of natural
environments and environmental education by exposing visitors and locals to
nature and conservation (Bob et al 2008).
Ecotourism is largely perceived to safeguard natural areas and thereby to
contributetotheconservationofbiodiversity.Itfocusesprimarilyonexperiencing
and learning about nature, its landscape, flora, fauna and their habitats, as well
as cultural artefacts from the locality. In ecotourism planning the first issue that
emerges is the environment and its conservation. An ecotourism destination
must in no way be developed without planning in terms of environmental
concern (Rahman 2010).
Adopted from Kiper 2013: Role of ecotourism in sustainable
development.

14. 11
Climatic features of a region influence tourism directly and indirectly and play
a crucial role in the development of tourism. Plants drawing interest thanks to
their size, age or appearance are other appealing components of ecotourism.
Flowering plants are important resources in ecotourism. Historical, natural and
folkloric values are important sources for ecotourism.
According to Soykan, traditional commercial products are one of the most
significant appeals leading to development of ecotourism in a region. This is
because whole production process from planting to harvest and processing
bear cultural differences, and most of them are performed in traditional ways
(Kiper 2011).
Ecotourism has the potential to seriously impact local communities, largely due
to the tendency of ecotourists to have a greater interest in the culture and nature
of the areas they visit, as compared to mass tourists (McMinn 1997).
Ecotourism destinations are always environmentally sensitive because
ecotourism activities directly involve various environmental phenomena
including bird watching, trekking, mountaineering, horse riding and elephant
riding within the forest wilderness trail, staying in natural caves, studying about
flora and fauna, simple bush walking, fishing, animal behaviour study, ecological
studies (Rahman 2010).
Ecotourism always incorporates various activities in nature (hiking, mountain
climbing, observing the living beings in their natural habitat, etc.), but it
may include cultural activities, too. Ecotourism is an important educational
component, it is a chance to learn respect for nature, for the local culture, and
for some it is a chance to self-reflection being inspired by the beauty of the
surroundings.

15. 12
Ecotourism is a good approach for supporting conservation and providing
income for communities. It can contribute to economic development and local
employment. The implementation of ecotourism can moderate the dependence
ofcommunitiesfromthegovernment.Ecotourismalsoabletheuseofindigenous
knowledge of locals in the management of natural resources, inculcating a sense
of community ownership.
Ecotourism is the development tool that Namibia should implement toward
achieving the outspoken 2030. It promote the interaction of local communities
with environmental organisations that can help in the management, funding
and in building strategies that will increase economic return. Ecotourism is also
an educational approach to sustainability and conservation of natural resources.
If carefully adopted in Africa, ecotourism will be the strategical approach to
decrease poverty and urban migration. It is important for African governments
to start introducing this conceptual approach at early stages of economic
difficulty and monitor its effectiveness.
Hence the implementation of ecotourism will increase tourism activities in our
country and ensure local participation in the process of development. It will
also build association between government bodies and local communities. Case
studies and more research are needed to ensure that ecotourism practice will
not pose danger to our environment or bring conflict of ownership.
This paper therefore offers a small portion of information to we need to draw
our attention on strategic development and provide you with thoughtful insights
about this concept ecotourism.
Conclusion

16. 13
Author details
Vilho Kanyiki
University of Namibia, faculty of Agriculture and natural resources, fisheries
and aquatic science department. Namibia
References
Agaraj X. & Murati M. 2009. Tourism an important sector of economy
development. University of Târgu Jiu, Economy Series, Issue 1/2009.
Andrei M. 2016. What is ecotourism and why we need more of it. ZME Science
newsletter.
Kiper T. 2013. Role of ecotourism in sustainable development. Namık Kemal
University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Design and Architect, Department of Landscape
Architecture. Turkey.
Hoanib_Camp_Skeleton_Coast, Namibia