Search

Community-based tourism has been promoted in many parts of the developing world as an alternative to private sector-led tourism projects. Supporters of community-based tourism contend that projects might not only reduce rural poverty and advance conservation by strengthening local economies and empowering communities but also manage natural resources for long-term economic, social, and ecological benefits. In countries of Southern Africa notions of community-based tourism linked to conservation benefits have become popular. In Botswana, community-based natural resource management is one of the foundations for national tourism planning. This article examines the case of Nata Bird Sanctuary in Northeast Botswana and highlights serious shortcomings in terms of the local community's perceptions of the management, distributional benefits, and ownership of this project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]