Community participation in South African tourism products: A case study of Molemane Eye Nature Reserve

Abstract

Although the government established various policies and strategies to improve community participation in the tourism industry, generally, communities often do not have necessary resources and power to fully participate in any development and management of neighbouring nature reserves. This results in community exploitation and poor relationship between communities and tourism products. Therefore this study was aimed at identifying and analysing the nature and extent of community participation in the development and management of nature reserves in South Africa, and Molemane Eye Nature Reserve (MENR) was considered as a case-study. Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were used in this study. Thus, a mixed method of data collection in the form of a community questionnaire survey technique and indepth interviews were adopted in this study. Convenience sampling method was considered to distribute 354 questionnaires at Ottoshoop and Bakerville villages. Additionally, all 8 MENR officials were interviewed. A 100% response rate was recorded from both research techniques used. The results of this study indicate that communities feel their participation is only through social functions (weddings, parties, camping etc), attending meetings, being offered seasonal temporary employment and fetching grass. They decry not taking part in decision making and economic spin-offs as a result of lack of information, absence of formal community structures and lack of cooperation by MENR management. Conversely, MENR officials believe that the reserve encourages community participation through encouraging entrepreneurship, partnerships, information sharing, employment opportunities and incentives provision. Nonetheless, the study concluded that there are very few activities that community members participate in, and these activities have little impact on the community‟s socio-economic upliftment. Consequently, this study recommended the following interventions: an advisory park forum constituted by representatives of community and MENR must be formed. Also MENR may consider procuring some of its services or goods from local communities, MENR consider giving the two communities (Ottoshoop and Bakerville) joint concessionaire rights to operate business inside MENR, and lastly MENR must endeavour to ensure vi meaningful community participation when developing or reviewing its reserve management plan.