Hotel companies, poverty and sustainable tourism in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
| Pages | 47-58 |
| Published date | 01 April 2011 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/20425961201000030 |
| Date | 01 April 2011 |
| Author | Joseph E. Mbaiwa |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management |
Copyright © 2011 WASD 47
*Corresponding author: University of Botswana, Botswana; e-mail: Jmbaiwa@orc.ub.bw
Hotel Companies, poverty and
sustainable tourism in tHe
okavango delta, botswana
World Journal of Enterprenuership, Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2011
Joseph E. Mbaiwa*
University of Botswana, Botswana
Abstract: Multinational hotel companies operate accommodation facilities in nature-
based tourism destinations of many developing countries. This paper uses the sustain-
able tourism framework to examine the relationship between the hotel industry and
the wildlife-based tourism in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. The paper further exam-
ines the socio-economic and environmental impacts of the hotel industry in the Delta.
Through the use of primary and secondary data sources, results indicate that the hotel
tourism industry in the Okavango Delta is lucrative. The industry relies on multina-
tional hotel tourism companies originating from rich countries and South Africa. Ho-
tels and lodges in Delta offer game drives, walking safaris, boating, accommodation and
restaurant services. Its socio-economic impacts include employment, income and infra-
structure development. Negative impacts are: revenue leakages, poor jobs for citizens
and the failure to alleviate rural poverty. Sustainable tourism approaches which include
citizen participation in tourism can reduce the negative impacts of the hotel industry.
Keywords: hotel industry; multinational companies; wildlife-based tourism; international tourism.
introduCtion
The global tourism industry has been on
the increase in recent decades. This is par-
ticularly so because on the increasing num-
ber of international tourist arrivals espe-
cially in developing countries. According
to UNWTO (2009), international tourist
arrivals reached 922 million in 2008 (up
by 1.9% on 2007). International tourism
receipts grew to USD944 billion (euro 642
billion) in 2008, corresponding to an in-
crease in real terms of 1.8% on 2007. Re-
ceipts from international passenger trans-
port are estimated at USD165 billion,
bringing the total of international tourism
receipts including passenger transport (i.e.,
visitor export) to USD1.1 trillion or over
USD3 billion a day. However, internation-
al tourist arrivals declined by 8% between
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