Ecotourism has increasingly been adopted in many countries as a responsible and sustainable form of tourism. The role of the private sector in ecotourism development and specifically the involvement of communities in their activities, is of interest given that the global system of development and neo-liberalism, advocates for an increased involvement of the private sector in developmental activities. This thesis aims to explore the relationship between the private sector and surrounding communities in the ecotourism sector using Umngazi River Bungalows in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province, as a case study. Literature on neo-liberalism, ecotourism, community participation, and stakeholder theory was used to provide the theoretical framework for the study. A multi-strategy methodology approach was adopted in the study with qualitative and quantitative methods being used. Data analysis included basic quantitative statistical analysis and Dey’s approach of grouping responses for qualitative analysis. The thesis distinguished between three types of ecotourism and social responsibility projects at Umngazi River Bungalows, including service infrastructure, income-generating, and philanthropic projects. It was concluded that those projects where the hotel had substantial operational control were more successful than those that were fully community driven. The hotel was found to practice soft ecotourism. The management of the hotel and communities were proactive in ensuring that the natural environment was protected. The hotel has a positive and open relationship with its employees and the tribal authority in the area, and a conspicuous absence of government involvement as a key stakeholder in the operation of ecotourism in the area was noted. It was also concluded that full participation was not necessarily achieved through involvement in decision making structures, but that communities appeared to be content with the other forms of participation. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

The tourism phenomenon has shifted focus from a purely economic and business development strategy towards sustainable development and community-based tourism. It currently emphasises the importance of responsible tourism development. A growing trend in South Africa and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is the promotion for tourists and host destinations to take responsibility for local resources, including cultural and natural resources. As a result, the proliferation of cultural, heritage and natural centred attractions have emerged throughout the province. However, this shift in thinking has not always managed to result in sustainable and successful tourism projects in practice. The academia emphasises the breach that exists in community participation and levels of management in many community-based initiatives. This research project proposes that sustainable tourism development requires a thorough examination of how communities perceive the tourism phenomenon and how they would like to see their own cultural identity represented to tourists. The case study of the Van Reenen community was interspersed with visual research methods in order to elicit a purer response from the local community. It questions what influences people’s perceptions of their collective and individual social identities. This research used conventional interview methods combined with two visual methodologies, namely auto-driven elicitation and photo elicitation. The former removes the researcher from the image-making process and involves the use of photographs or visual art produced by the research subjects in response to a specific question. The latter method is based on the idea of placing a photograph into a research interview and structuring questions around it. The theoretical framework of this study considers cultural self-representation as a tool to enhance community participation which can result in more sustainable and authentic experiences for both the tourists as well as the host community. Referring to the gap which exists in sustainable tourism development, this method can be very productive to increase community tourism knowledge development and participation. The results of this research will enable the local community to produce marketing literature; enable the N3 Toll Concession (Pty) Ltd (the project sponsor) to enhance community-based tourism (CBT) in the area, and inform future projects. The participant data reveals that this particular rural community is substantially influenced by their most immediate surroundings. It can therefore be assumed that the community has a perception which values that their current cultural and natural heritage can be utilised as vehicles for tourism development. The case study identifies its own limitations in not eliciting enough useful data from participant self-analysis. The visual methods used in this study provide tourism development projects with a tool to increase community commitment through real involvement as well as constructions of authentically unique products for the tourists. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Most rural communities, such as Nsikeni area under the Mabandla Tribal Authority (MTA) in the Eastern Cape (former Transkei), are located in apartheid-created 'homelands'. These rural areas have large human populations that depend on natural resources, but, they do not derive full benefits from natural resource use. This research study examines the socio-economic status and the Nsikeni community people's perceptions on developing the potential for fly fishing under the concept of community-based resource management (CBRM) strategies. The research attempts to assess the Nsikeni community's resource assets in the form of rivers and related infrastructure together with their human resource and to obtain knowledge and perceptions of available potential in relation to fly fishing. Attention is drawn to socio-economic needs which could challenge the sustainability of a community-based project, land use activities and associated impacts for the Ngwagwane River catchment area, and lastly, based on the Nsikeni community's opinion, a proposed model for a community-based strategy. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.

In recent years the use of tourism as a development strategy by third world governments has increased, resulting in the intersection of international tourism and local agricultural strategies. The aim of this thesis is to critically assess the impact of tourism development on local agriculture in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. More specifically, the study appraises the current state of tourism and agriculture in the Okavango Delta, assesses the social, economic and environmental effects of tourism development on the Okavango Delta and its communities, examines local agricultural production and consumption patterns, assesses the patterns of supply and demand of food in the region, and evaluates the impact of tourism on local subsistence agriculture, while making use of both qualitative and quantitative data sources. The Okavango Delta region is faced with several socio-economic problems. These include high unemployment levels, unequal regional development, income inequalities and extreme levels of poverty. 'Rural-urban' migration by local subsistence farmers in search of formal employment opportunities has risen steadily since the early 1990s, resulting in unprecedented social changes to the inhabitants of the Delta, and the abandonment of traditional farming practices. This, together with the limited interaction between the local population and tourism industry, is increasingly leading to tension between local and foreign parties in the region. The large proportion of foreign owned tourist facilities and foreign investment results in major economic leakages, and the exclusion of Motswana from any form of meaningful participation in the tourism industry. The presence of foreign tourists in the Delta enforces the need for imports, increasingly damaging local agricultural production as both production and consumption becomes imported. If tourism is to be of any benefit to the local population in the Okavango Delta, there has to be local involvement and ownership. The fostering of linkages between tourism and other sectors, particularly agriculture, is imperative in attempting to bring about socio-economic growth in this region. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.