Thesis (M.Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Globally, eco-tourism has been recognised as a tool to enhance rural land transformation, mostly in areas and around eco-tourism destinations or those rich with natural resources. With that, literature has confirmed that there is a well-established principle between eco-tourism and rural land transformation in most countries across the globe. Theoretically, the establishments and expansion of eco-tourism do not necessarily bring only rural land transformation and associated benefits to the society but also entail various challenges. The challenges are inclusive of but not limited to threats to indigenous cultures and environmental degradation. Thus, this study was designed and undertaken to explore the effects of eco-tourism on rural land transformation in Mapungubwe National Park. The study utilised both qualitative and quantitative research methods and both qualitative and qualitative data was collected theoretically and empirically on the effects of eco-tourism on rural land transformation. Data collection techniques included semi-structured questionnaires with a sample size of 43 respondents, interview schedules for 8 respondents and observations. Recordings of the interviews with the participants were transcribed and analysed including the findings which emanated from this investigation. The findings reveal that eco-tourism does play an important part in ensuring improvement of the Musina local municipal area’s economy, where the Mapungubwe National Park is located. However, there still seems to be lot that needs to be done to ensure eco-tourism is sustainable to ensure there is rural land transformation and economic growth by eliminating damage to the natural ecosystems. Economic growth is always affected by the changing environments, either negatively or positively and there, the concept always comes in where tourism is concerned. The minimal positive impact it was making is improving some people’s lives and through job creation (South African National Parks, 2006). The study revealed that eco-tourism does have positive effect on rural land transformation in the Mapungubwe National Park, which include economic growth through tourist attraction. The researcher is of the view that ecotourism is playing significant role in the rural land transformation of Mapungubwe National Park.

In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of: Masters of Commerce University of the Witwatersrand / In recent years, the call for companies to account for their activities to a wide group of stakeholders has grown. Integrated reporting provides a platform for such stakeholder communication. Recent studies have, however, concluded that integrated reporting is viewed merely as an exercise to be undertaken to ensure compliance. This thesis explores the challenges faced by those charged with the preparation of the integrated report in the South African eco-tourism industry. It adopts a social constructivist ontology and is grounded in an interpretive epistemology. The eco-tourism industry is particularly suited to this study as the notion of sustainability and, more recently, integrated reporting is of great importance in a rapidly growing industry which places significant reliance on natural resources. It is required to deliver economic profits whilst ensuring that the differing needs of a range of stakeholders are met. A theoretical framework of change implementation, based on different mechanisms presented by existing literature, was developed and used in exploring the challenges encountered by a case organisation when preparing its integrated report. A qualitative case study was undertaken in which the role-players in the preparation of the integrated report of the case entity were interviewed, and the minutes of internal meetings and workshops and an external assurance report were reviewed. In this context, this thesis provides further understanding of the challenges faced by organisations in the preparation of an integrated report, providing insight into how preparers are interpreting and applying the guidelines found in the integrated reporting frameworks and codes on corporate governance. / MT2017

Tourism as one of the biggest industries in the world has been changing continuously and rapidly. The publishing of the Brundtland Report in 1987 has accelerated the discussion about combining economic, social and environmental factors – the so-called triple-bottom line – in order to secure long-term sustainable living conditions on a finite planet for both business and society. This has lead to occurring pressure from different stakeholder groups as for example policy makers or non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) urging for more sustainable business practise within the industry whereas one important pressure group appears to be missing out in this context: the customers of mass tourism products and therefore the demand side within the economic equation. Tourists have been observed to be overall reluctant to pay price premiums for more sustainable travel alternatives and seem to “take vacation” from their everyday green behaviour. Hence at the current point of time eco-tourism appears to be a market niche in which mainly small-scale providers and NGO’s like Nature’s Best in Sweden operate. However integrating mass tourism into the consideration can be seen as a promising opportunity and from an environmental standpoint an urgent necessity as it can be argued that within an industry of this scale, even small improvements towards more sustainable behaviour bear the potential for a substantial impact. The purpose of this study therefore lies in researching the two marketing tools of brands and eco-labels and the influence they can have individually and in combination on the tourist’s decision making delimitated to the context of charter tourism in Sweden. Through the research of this study it was found that currently no directly applicable theory about the combination of brands and eco-labels seems to exist for marketing neither in general, nor for the tourism industry in particular. This strongly indicates the novelty of the topic of combining brands and eco-labels and points out research opportunities. In order to achieve this purpose, a mixed-method research design was used combining qualitative expert interviews from direct business representatives and a quantitative data collection utilizing the scholarly acknowledged marketing research method of conjoint analysis in one of its most up-to-date forms of an adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis. Theory from different fields of study as consumer behaviour and decision making, branding and eco-labelling as well as sustainability marketing was combined and translated into the new and emerging service category of sustainable tourism. From this a conceptual framework was developed combining the data collection results from the mixed-method approach. This leads to the identification of ways for improving current charter tourism companies’ marketing based on the customers’ current view on utilities within certain aspects of the tourism package. Overall this study therefore contributes to the discussion on how demand for sustainable products evolves and can likely be increased. This is seen as a valuable theoretical, practical and societal contribution as it helps improving tourism companies’ understanding of their customer base and supports offering products/services with an improved perceived individual and societal value for charter tourism companies that aim for a higher degree of sustainability in their objectives.

The overall aim of this qualitative study is to investigate the area of new sustainable tourism in theory and practice. The theoretical part, which consisted of a literature study, was made to help find the essence of new sustainable tourism. To bring out tourisms impact on society and environment in practice, a case study was made during an excursion with Södertörn University College to Babati in Tanzania. Semi structured interviews were held with people in Babati. The excursion is being evaluated according to WTO’s sustainable tourism development guidelines and management practices, and finally, these guidelines are analysed. The result of the literature study showed that there is no absolute true core in new sustainable tourism. It is a highly subjective judgment if a tourism venture is sustainable or not, depending on personal values, ideology and personal interests. There is features commonly associated and used in new sustainable tourism, like the sustainability of the three pillars of sustainable development, and the focus on the local, educational and conservational effects, but the essence is subjective. The evaluation of the excursion showed that it is by two third a sustainable tourism venture. It is the economic part that fails, since the guidelines put much focus on stable employments and frequency; ingredients that the excursion lacks. The analysis of the WTO guidelines resulted in confusion. They could be both very useful, but also very poor, according to how they were interpreted and used. The results highly depend on the user. Positive is that the guidelines address all pillars of sustainable development equal, and that the interaction between host and guest gets highlighted. Shortages are that the guidelines lack a gender perspective, a historical and political sensibility, a place specific flexibility and a perspective of inter- and intra-generational equity.

The objective of this study is to look into the changes in land-use patterns on the mostly private land properties brought about by the envisaged Dinokeng Pilot Project on State-owned land properties since it was introduced in 1995. This is a critical parameter for the success of otherwise of the implementation of the broader project on the mostly private properties earmarked for inclusion in the project surrounding the pilot site. The method employed entailed analyzing progress indicators to gauge whether adequate progress was made between 1995 and 2001 in implementing the project. Indicators used were the finalization of the project process by DACEL, large scale sales and consolidation of affected properties and applications to the Metsweding District Municipality for change of land use by the present landowners. Several procedures were employed to determine whether there was adequate progress or not. The initial programme of Dinokeng Project Concept was studied and envisaged progress was compared with the implementation phase the project was in as at December 2001. The records of the Metsweding District Municipality were studied to find out the types and number of land use change applications by private landowners. The deeds records were also sampled to detect any large scale property sales and consolidations that can be ascribed to the envisaged project. The response of DACEL to criticism by affected landowners was also studied. A literature review of similar projects was undertaken to understand the methods employed to achieve desired results. The study found that there is lack of adequate progress on the finalization of the precise site for the project and agreements with present landowners on the tenure issue and other administrative matters that are a prerequisite for the proclamation of the project. Proclamation is necessary to restrict the land use activities within and around the proposed project site so as to make all affected stakeholders to be committed to the implementation of the project. The failure by the project to achieve the desired results of being in whole or partially up and running within five years of its inception is ascribed to the initial adopted strategy of depending on complementary changes in land use patterns in the privately owned land properties to consolidate the properties into a contiguous ecological area large enough to accommodate the Big Five. This shows that although the political developmental framework has changed, certain old order strategies and procedures are still as effective as ever. It is recommended that the project area be subdivided into phases without any regard to land ownership. The core area should consist of land properties ecologically suitable and forming a large enough area to contain the proposed Big Five. The total project area should be proclaimed with provision being made for a phased implementation approach with definite timetables and concrete deliverables. This will separate the totally unwilling landowners from the others who want to be part of the project on condition that that their minimal interests and requirements are met. / Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Rural Development Planning))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

Abstract There are a lot of ecocertifications in Sweden for a variety of different categories; for example the Swan, which is a label for both hotels and products; KRAV, a label for farms and what farms pro- duce; Nature’s Best, a label for tourist adventures; the Sápmi Experience, a newly developed label for Sámi tourism, and The Green Key, a certification offered by Håll Sverige Rent for hostels, ho- tels, mountain cabins and camping grounds. Nature’s Best and the Green Key I have chosen as the focus for this paper, because they are the most relevant for my research. I will also give some atten- tion to Sápmi Experience because it is an interesting development in indigenous tourism. In the World Heritage area of Laponia, where I conducted fieldwork, there are several actors that have in- terest in the ecotourism business. Some of the actors are Sámi, the indigenous people whose princi- pal livelihood in Laponia is reindeer herding, and some are non-Sámi, like the Swedish Tourist As- sociation (STF) or other small-scale businesses. Some of them have the Nature’s Best label on their adventures, some do not. I find the Sámi culture and way of life very interesting, and since they are a big part of the World Heritage area Laponia landscape and an indigenous people, it was natural for me include them in this thesis. In this thesis I want to address the questions of for whom and why there are ecocertifications and quality markings. Are they for tourists, for traveling agencies, for people living in popular tourist areas, or perhaps for the environment?

[pt] A criação de Áreas Naturais Protegidas foi um movimento iniciado no final do século XIX e difundiu-se por todo o mundo ao longo do século XX, sendo, em 1960, criada a Comissão Mundial de Parques Nacionais e Áreas Protegidas (WCPA). Em 1937 foi criada a primeira e efetiva Área Natural Protegida brasileira – o Parque Nacional de Itatiaia /RJ. A Lei número 9.985 criou no ano 2000 o Sistema Nacional de Unidades de Conservação (SNUC). A conservação das Áreas Naturais Protegidas enfrenta inúmeras dificuldades por todo o mundo sendo vários os exemplos de parques de papel, que são criados mas nos quais quase nada é feito. Mas as medidas relativas à regularização fundiária, à implantação de infra-estrutura, à existência de funcionários e ao funcionamento de esquemas de gestão participativa não são por si só suficientes para garantir a efetiva conservação das Áreas Protegidas; é fundamental a adoção de mecanismos de Uso Sustentável dessas áreas, fomentando sua visitação, de forma ordenada e racional. Os usuários, conscientizados da importância da conservação ambiental, tornam-se efetivos fiscais do Parque. Nos Parques mais distantes dos centros urbanos e onde a vida selvagem está mais preservada, seu Uso Sustentável é assegurado pelo ecoturismo. No caso das Áreas Naturais Protegidas Urbanas, ganha destaque o Lazer Ecológico, com atividades ligadas à recreação, relaxamento, contemplação, etc. O trabalho analisa a situação do Uso Sustentável dos principais Parques do município do Rio de Janeiro e detalha as ações necessárias no Parque Natural Municipal Marapendi para que o mesmo possa efetivamente tornar-se um Parque de Uso Sustentável. / [en] Since ancient times man used to protect certain areas for religious or historical reasons, but from the nineteenth century the main objective of protecting natural areas became the preservation of scenic beauty and ecological purposes. It was thus consolidated the concept of Natural Protected Areas, which are called today, in Brazil, of Conservation Units. Although most extent of these areas are situated outside cities environments, there are also Urban Protected Areas, of enormous importance. Over the decades, however, many parks created in Natural Protected Areas became just paper parks, not reaching their purposes.

Marine turtles have historically contributed to economic activity through consumptive harvest for food, tools, and decorative objects. Only recently have they begun to benefit humans economically through non-consumptive roles, primarily as a focal point of educational eco-tourism. In recent years, the annual number of turtle walks conducted around the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (ACNWR) has risen. This expansion contributed to a statistically significant increase in attendance from 2,162 in 2001 to 3,047 participants in 2014. I examined the regional economic impacts of marine turtle eco-tourism around the ACNWR using social surveys and an economic impact analysis tool. IMPLAN, an input-output modeling package, has been used in tourism industries around the U.S. since 1992, but this study is the first to use this tool to evaluate the holistic economic effects of marine turtle-based eco-tourism within a selected region. During the 2014 turtle walk season (June through July), surveys were distributed at six different turtle walk locations within Brevard and Indian River Counties, Florida, along the central Florida Atlantic coast. Adults attending the turtle walks (n=2,274) were given time before the educational presentation began to complete a one-page survey. Approximately 93% of turtle walk participants completed surveys. Due to market interactions within this two-county region, turtle walks contributed a minimum of three new jobs and a conservative estimate of almost $250,000 (USD) to the local economy during the two-month turtle walk season. Using financial comparisons and economic impact tools, like IMPLAN, can improve our understanding of the many roles, especially non-consumptive uses, sea turtles have in our communities. This information can be useful in resource management and conservation-based decision making.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Technology in Environmental Health In the Faculty of Applied Sciences Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies At Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013 / Southern Africa region is experiencing a multiplicity of transfrontier conservation projects, which simply put in its metaphorical name ‘Peace Parks’. The rapid growth of transfrontier conservation areas present the fulfilment of a vision of a ‘boundless’ and ‘borderless’ Southern Africa, straddling geo-political boundaries of once colonially imposed cartography of sovereign statism. The ecological amalgamation of these vast conservation areas are underpinned by various social, political, ecological and economic fundamentals envisioned by governments in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region together with conservation partners to transform the life of people and enhance sustainable management of natural resources. The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) that involves Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, was born out of this vision. Equally so, from its conceptualisation, the GLTP sought to achieve sustainable biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, promote economic growth, support rural development, be a building block for peace and regional economic integration. The planners also criticized inappropriate geo-political boundaries imposed by colonialism, which historically separated biospheres and the people of identical culture. The artificiality of boundaries, therefore, obstructed cultural links of communities and restricted wildlife migration as well. This affected natural dispersion of fugitive wildlife. Thus, the GLTP’s ambitious conservation plan address these issues. In so doing, the GLTP governance architecture as it stands today produced multi-level governance institutions whose approaches were found in this study to be at variance with local people’s livelihood expectations and conservation processes. It is in this view that this research sought to examine the impact of governance institutions on communities’ livelihoods and sustainable conservation of natural resources in the GLTP. Using various methods of empirical research such as interviews, household questionnaires, focus group discussions (including using the Schutte Scale), field observations and secondary data analysis, the researcher found that the current GLTP institutional configurations and its resource governance philosophy are at variance with local natural resource governance processes, and contradict local resource needs. Thus, there is inherent mistrust and conflict over skewed natural resource benefits. Most of them benefits accrue to government entities and the private companies that invested in tourism. Furthermore, it was found that the GLTP administrative governance architecture from the onset, presented complex competing environmental interests among conservation stakeholders against those of communities. The GLTP resource governance as it stands, is conspicuously not inclusive with the local communities playing a minimal role to leverage on the abundant natural resource for to support local livelihoods. One thing that came out clearly from the research is that they are not included to participate in conservation of the GLTP natural resources. This study therefore argues that there is potential to jeopardize prospects for the GLTP to achieve its objectives of sustainable conservation, promoting rural development and reduction of rural poverty. Empirically, it was also confirmed that the GLTP is at cross-purpose with the expectations of the communities. Local participation in sustainable conservation is consequentially subdued and weak. Perhaps, if the lofty aims of the GLTP are to be achieved, this study noted that the local people prefer the natural resources governance, conservation decision-making processes and conservation stakeholder relationships to be fair and acceptable to a cross-section of stakeholders. This includes ascertaining broad participation of the local people in conservation and environmental decision-making as crucial ingredients in guaranteeing local livelihoods and motivating communities to support conservation initiatives through use of wildlife proceeds for the development of communities. In addition, a concern was raised that powerful state agencies and conservation organisations are at the fore in defining institutional processes and resource governance systems with no regard to the local institutions. Thus, the envisaged win-win situation in conservation to transform rural communities is far from being realised. The GLTP governance structure forecloses the local people from participation. Consequently, local conservation morale and collaboration has adversely diminished, with overt preponderance of multi-level institutional processes over local processes in terms of natural resource management. This has tended to marginalise local institutions and prevent the local people from complementing conservation efforts. Manifestly, there is deep-seated livelihood insecurity, local environmental conservation marginalisation. This led the study to question the sustainability of the GLTP considering its exclusionary governance approach when dealing with communities. Another major concern is that planning of eco-tourism projects are paternalistically government led processes and exclusively private sector driven than being community oriented. Concerns arise that the much-lauded and publicized promise of eco-tourism benefits to the communities, have not materialised in the last ten years since the GLTP establishment in 2002. This has led local communities to question the GLTP’s economic benefits and impact on their lives. Instead of working with communities as equal stakeholders, the GLTP governance architecture has isolated them from playing an effective collaborative role in conservation and reaping of benefits. It was observed that the attendant GLTP governance trajectories reflect a narrow web of contesting conservation interests at variance with communities’ expectations. The heavy-handed administrative role of multi-level institutions and that of conservation agencies, have therefore, not fostered synergies for local residents’ participation in the management of natural resources. The elusiveness of the GLTP governance therefore puts it far from ensuring that the local people are part of conservation processes, hence falling short of capturing local contributions and local buy-in. Such governance injunctions complicate guaranteeing equal opportunity of resource access and equity, and it is less enabling for communities to hold together, cooperate and collaborate in conservation. Perhaps, an ideal situation would be to have a resource governance system that prevents the ‘tragedy of the commons’ and at the same time preventing the ‘tragedy of the local common man’. In this regard, this research made proposal in chapter 8, suggesting a synergised governance, decision-making and an a cocktail of an amalgam economic framework that can be adopted to solve the problems identified. These frameworks enable local people’s resource rights to be realised and the fusion of local expectations for conservation sustainability. This study aimed at examining the GLTP governance process impact on Makuleke and Sengwe communities in terms of their livelihoods, local participation in natural resource conservation and participation in natural resource decision-making process in the governance of the GLTP.

The purpose of this study is to examine the possible influence that local communitieshas over the development of eco-tourism in Madhya Pradesh. Interviews with people invillages around the Satpura Tiger Reserve have shown several failings of the Panchayatiraj system as well as testimonies of violation of human and democratic rights inconnection to displacements that occurred.