SOUTH AFRICA: Eco-tourism Growing The South African Economy

Eco-tourism is growing in popularity and making a greater contribution towards South Africa’s economic growth, says Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr Edna Molewa.

“Sustainable, nature-based tourism directly benefits our people and communities, and is an important vehicle for rural development, given the location of many conservation areas in rural areas,” Minister Molewa said.

She made the comments on Monday as the Department of Environmental Affairs marked the International Day for Biological Diversity, under the theme ‘Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism’.

According to the department, South Africa is amongst the world’s most mega bio-diverse countries, and its well-managed natural resources have made it a premier destination for tourists.

In 2016, more than 10 million tourist arrivals were recorded in South Africa, representing a 13% increase from the previous year.

Major tourist attractions in South Africa include national parks, nature reserves, world heritage sites, cultural and natural landscapes as well as beaches and marine protected areas.

In the 2016/17 financial year, six million people visited the 19 parks that are managed by South African National Parks (SANParks).

“Tourism has to be developed in harmony with environmental considerations. Sustainable tourism can generate employment and income, thus providing a strong incentive for conservation,” Minister Molewa said.

She said through tourism, public awareness can be raised about the many goods and services provided by biological diversity and the need to respect traditional knowledge and practices.

“Nature-based tourism, or rather eco-tourism, is recognised as a driver and critical component to the sustainability and efficacy of conservation management,” Minister Molewa said.

Tourists are attracted by biological and physical resources, while ecosystems provide the much need resources, such as water and food that supports the tourism sector.

The department said if tourism is not sustainably managed, it may lead to the degradation of the natural environment.

“The conservation of species and ecosystems protection, in conjunction with the promotion of energy and water efficient practices, overall supports responsible tourism,” Minister Molewa said.

The theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity was chosen to coincide with the observance of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The United Nations in 2000 adopted a proposal to proclaim May 22 the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.

“The implementation of the National Tourism Sector Strategy aimed at the development of sustainable and inclusive tourism for the benefit of all South Africans, as well as the ‘I Do Tourism’ campaign launched by South African Tourism is moving South Africa forward to make Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism a reality,” the department said.



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ZIMBABWE: Miss Tourism Unveils Sponsor

Justice Maphosa

Maphosa, through his Big Time Strategic Group and SA Zim Business Connection, was unveiled as the main sponsor at a colourful ceremony held at an upmarket club in the capital on Tuesday.

Pageant patron, Barbara Mzembi told guests at the event that she was grateful for the sponsorship.

“The pageant’s identity had been damaged to an extent that no corporate believed in it. I struggled to sponsor it and (now) after getting a sponsor, I want to show everyone that pageantry can be a good marketing strategy. Thank you for investing in my vision,” she said.

Mzembi said she was hopeful they would get the young woman “with beauty and brains” they were looking for from the 18 going into boot camp.

“The winning queen does not only have to be beautiful, but should have passion, charm and the brains as a brand ambassador to represent Zimbabwe’s culture and diversity to the world and spearhead the country’s tourism campaign, demonstrating how the country offered vibrant religious and eco-tourism,” she said.

The pageant winner, Mzembi said, will travel to the I love New York Conservation Society and the Niagara Falls, courtesy of the International Conservation Caucus Foundation to learn about conservation.

“We have partnered with ChildLine to create projects that can help them come out from their situations,” she said.
“That is the strength and cornerstone of Miss Tourism Zimbabwe.”

Maphosa said sponsoring a pageant was not a licence for one to seek opportunities of preying on contestants.

“That habit of saying ‘after our sponsorship, we want a girl’ must stop. That is not part of our ethics and moral fibre. Miss Tourism Zimbabwe must be the best pageant. Let’s show what Zimbabwe is all about,” he said.

The businessman, who hails from Gwanda, said he was ploughing back into the community to ensure sustainable development in the country and help restore the dignity of the girl child.

ZTA chief executive officer, Karikoga Kaseke applauded Mzembi’s efforts to develop Miss Tourism.

He said ZTA was behind Miss Tourism Zimbabwe, as it was “a key vehicle” in marketing the country.

The 18 finalists drawn from the country’s 10 provinces and the Diaspora are set to troop into the boot camp on November 17.

Only 15 out of the 18 finalists will emerge from the boot camp to contest in the grand finale.

CHINA: China Promotes Tibetan tourism

China has unveiled a sparkling new hotel as part of its drive to get tens of millions more tourists to visit Tibet, even as critics say the push is slowly eroding the local culture.

With a presidential suite that costs $1,000 a night and views over the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas, the luxury Artel hotel is a potent symbol of Chinese plans for the autonomous territory.

Tourism officials are hoping to see visitor numbers increase by nearly 50 per cent in the next four years, said Wang Songping, deputy director of the Tibet Tourism Development Commission.

"Tibet attracted four million Chinese tourists in 2005. We hope we'll get 24 million this year and 35 million by 2020," he said.

Critics say the influx will lead to more of China's dominant Han ethnic group settling in Tibet and eroding native Tibetan ways of life, and argue the majority of economic benefits of mass tourism will not go to locals.

Official figures say that Tibetans currently make up 90 per cent of the local population, but groups opposed to Chinese rule say the real figure is significantly lower.

Beijing says it "peacefully liberated" Tibet in 1951 and insists it has brought development to a previously backward region where serfs were exploited.

But many Tibetans accuse Beijing of repressing their religion, diluting their culture and exploiting natural resources to benefit the Han at the expense of locals and the environment.

The 103-room Artel opened in mid-August in Lulang, a picturesque village situated at 3,700 metres (12,100 feet) in a southeastern forested area in the autonomous region of Tibet.

It is part of a tourist complex built in an old part of town previously occupied mostly by government buildings and restaurants, that now boasts its own shopping street, a lake and an arts centre.

Nicknamed the "Switzerland of the East", the village is seen by authorities as a flagship project for its ambitious plans for Tibet's tourist sector.

Transport links are being developed to cater for the influx, including a motorway opening next year, and a high-speed rail line from the capital Lhasa, expected to open in 2021.

Another high-speed rail line to Chengdu, capital of neighbouring Sichuan province, home to more than 80 million people, should be completed in 2022.

Wang said the number of Chinese tourists, who currently make up 95 percent of visitors to Tibet, has increased by an average of 20 per cent each year since the 2006 opening of the first railway linking Tibet to the rest of China.

But while outside visitors can boost the local economy, mass tourism has down sides, said Tibet expert Francoise Robin.

"Cultural performances shown to visitors are either favourable reinterpretations of Chinese history or Chinese versions of songs or dances," she said.

"Tibetans themselves end up picking up these distorted versions."

And while some Tibetans were developing responsible tourism initiatives and eco-tourism, such businesses could often not be developed on a large scale, she said.

The influx of tourists is expected to bring in billions of dollars but many are concerned that not everyone will benefit from the windfall.

"Travel agents and other people who work in the tourism industry are mostly Han Chinese", said Robin. "The Tibetans are among the last in line to benefit."

At the Artel hotel, Baima Cicuo, a 17-year-old local trainee who works as a housekeeper, said she was happy in her job at least in front of her boss.

"Before, I depended on my farmer parents. But now I earn 1,000 yuan a month and I learn a lot of things," she said in fluent Mandarin.

The hotel, owned by Poly, a Chinese state-owned group, has invested 280 million yuan ($42 million) in the project, says commercial director Ray Peng.

It currently has 40 employees, 15 of whom are Tibetan.

Its guests are likely to be overwhelmingly Chinese. Less than five percent of visitors to Tibet are foreign tourists, who need to obtain an "entry letter" as well as a Chinese visa when travelling to the region, where they must join an authorised tour group.

Despite the widespread perception that the restrictions are meant to stop the outside world from learning too much about the tensions between ethnic Tibetans and Han, officials insist that is not the case.

"These restrictions are in place because we can't yet provide world class services for tourists", said Bianba Zhaxi, deputy governor of Tibet.

"We will be open to tourists from across the world in a few years," he added.

But Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, deputy speaker of Tibet's parliament in exile, said the restrictions serve to hide the truth about Tibet from the outside world.

"If foreign tourists and media are able to travel freely in Tibet, without organised tours, and can collect the views of people, then I think tourism can have a good impact.

"Otherwise, nobody will speak and share the problems of the Tibetan people."

TASMANIA: Tasmanian Architects' Promote Tourism

Eco-tourism projects inspired by the Tasmanian landscape are among the winners in this year's state architecture awards.

Dale Campisi from the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Institute of Architects said local architects played a key role in the current wave of success being enjoyed in the tourism sector.

Several tourism developments took out top awards at a ceremony on Saturday, including the Devil's Corner winery near Bicheno, lodges on the Three Capes Track, and accommodation "pods" at historic Hatherley House in Launceston.

Mr Campisi said architects were often inspired by the state's untouched landscape.

"The Three Capes Track is a great example of that, a really sensitive insertion," he said.

"But then you know, compare Cumulus Studio's very bold statement at Devil's Corner on the east coast, that is a big piece of architecture but what an amazing vista you get from it, and it's a really interesting and a bold architectural statement.

"Certainly when we think about tourism in Tasmania, we need to recognise that architecture plays a key role in the success of that industry at the moment.

"The setting for architecture in Tasmania is a really important thing to our local architects."

Another of the night's big winners was the Dunalley House, built to replace a holiday home lost in the 2013 bushfires.

Architect Stuart Tanner won an award for new residential development, as well as a people's choice award.

"My clients lost their house in the Dunalley fire, it was quite an emotional experience for them, and so it's quite an honour to be asked to give them a place that they can return to and enjoy," he said.

"For it to be recognised in this way is really nice for them.

"I think everyone involved, the engineers, the builders, they all contributed and it's great in that sense that people can be recognised."

Architect Craig Rosevear, from Rosevear Stephenson, worked on Jenny's House, a Georgian home in the historic Hobart neighbourhood of Battery Point which won two awards.

He said there was a deep appreciation for built heritage in the area.

"The process requires you to do it sensitively and respect the place. I think it's come out of a bigger objective by the people who look after the city really, and it's really just up to us to make sure we engage with it properly and respect those qualities," he said.

"It was a very modest project - a very personal one too, for a retired woman whose husband had passed away ... so it was a very moving project to be involved in."

Hobart College at Mount Nelson was recognised with an Enduring Architecture Award.

The Mountain Retreat Medical Centre in South Hobart, built by Circa Morris-Nunn won the prestigious John Lee Archer Triennial Prize for the best example of commercial architecture from the previous three years.

SURINAME: Know Suriname

Environment:
Suriname is in northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana. Julianatop at 1,230 meters is the highest mountain in Suriname. Suriname is mostly tropical rainforest, with a great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development. The relatively small population lives mostly along the coast. Environmental issues include deforestation from timber cutting for export, and pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities.

The Central Suriname Nature Reserve was created in 1998 by Conservation International (Conservation International – Suriname) and the government of Suriname. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 for its pristine tropical rainforest ecosystem, and contains 16,000 square kilometres (6,178 sq mi). The regional office for WWF-Guianas is based in the capital city of Paramaribo. STINASU, the Foundation for Nature Conservation in Suriname, founded by a former head of the Nature Conservation Division of the Forestry Department, is funded largely through nature tourism.

IUCN members: Suriname Conservation Foundation

Culture:
Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to rule through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1989, the military overthrew the civilian government, but a democratically-elected government returned to power in 1991.

The Suriname Tourism Foundation is a semi-government organization, established in 1996. IntEnt Suriname is the local branch of the Dutch NGO, involved with SME business development including tourism. TOURS, the Tourism Union of the Republic of Suriname, organizes the annual Suriname Heritage Festival.

World heritage:
Central Suriname Nature Reserve (2000)
Historic Inner City of Paramaribo (2002)
References:

Creating sustainable primate-based tourism: a view from the Central Suriname Nature Reserve by L Kauffman, 2011
Diasporic tourism and investment in Suriname by K Nurse, 2011
Does sustainable tourism offer solutions for the protection of the Amazon rainforest in Suriname? by HA Sijlbing, 2010
Effects of tourism on the behavior and health of red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) in Suriname by JL Westin, 2007
Suriname and Sustainable Eco-tourism, Reality Or Mirage?: Research Into the Level of Sustainability of Eco-tourim in Suriname by J Monsato, 2006
The Perceived Image of Suriname as en Ecotourism Destination by EH Koradji, 2006
Assessment of Impact of (eco) tourism in the Nature Conservation Areas of the Foundation for Nature Conservation in Suriname (StiNaSu) by S Wytema, 2005
Tourism Development in Galibi, Suriname by L Beekman, 2005
Development Through Ecotourism in the Interior of Suriname by JR A-Kum, 1996

INDIA: Telangana New Tourism Destination

The formation of Telangana has certainly improved the prospects of Adilabad emerging as a prime tourist destination in the near future. Telangana is a landlocked state in South India and one of the 29 states in India. It was formed on 2 June 2014 with the city of Hyderabad as its capital.

An increased number of visitors during the Christmas vacation is a strong indicator to this.

Though adventure sports enthusiasts were the first to come to the district some four years ago, it did not catch the imagination of many.

Adilabad has so far turned out to be an excellent place for both leisure and adventure tourism, within the ambit of eco-tourism and village tourism.

Nature and culture are possibly two genres that would be of interest to photographers. The government should promote nature tourism and tours to interior tribal villages like Jodeghat during the Adivasi festival season,” she added.

The government should plan the development of tourism, keeping in view the fragility of the environment and interests of the locals.

Tribal people living close to eco-tourism spots could help to offer accommodation to tourists. It would generate income and make this new region sustainable in tourism.

INDIA: Unique Idea To Stop Poaching At Pench National Park

Located at a distance of around 70km from Nagpur, the tiger reserve — which was declared as India's 25th reserve in 1999 — has a 257.26 sq km core area bordering Madhya Pradesh and a 483.96 sq km buffer zone. It also has an eco-tourism area.

The state forest department is trying to kill two birds with one stone. To deter poaching, illegal tree felling and grazing in the buffer zone of the Pench wildlife sanctuary, the authorities have begun a unique experiment where tourism and increased footfalls would be used to deter intrusions into the protected areas.

On an experimental basis, the authorities would allow tourists to take part in guided foot patrolling, machan watch tourism (during summers) and vehicle patrolling. The revenue earned from the initiative would be ploughed back into the local community from where guides would also be selected, so that they are involved in the conservation effort and collude with poachers.

"This would act as a protection mechanism against poaching. Poachers would not enter the forest areas due to the presence of people. It will also provide employment for the locals," MS Reddy, chief conservator of forests and field director of the Pench Tiger Project, told dna, adding that this was the first time that the experiment was being tried out in Maharashtra.

Otherwise, night time movement is not allowed in the forest. "We do not have sufficient vehicles and staff. So, we are encouraging more people to come to the area," Reddy said, adding that "people will enjoy moving around in the forest at night as it would enable them to witness nocturnal life."

The pilot project will be undertaken in the Nagalwadi range, which is part of the buffer zone of the tiger project. This range, coupled with the Pavni range, together cover 202 sq km area of the buffer zone, and sees illegal tree felling, grazing of animals and poaching. The Nagalwadi range was handed over to the reserve from the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) in April, 2015.

Located at a distance of around 70km from Nagpur, the tiger reserve — which was declared as India's 25th reserve in 1999 — has a 257.26 sq km core area bordering Madhya Pradesh and a 483.96 sq km buffer zone. It also has an eco-tourism area.

The reserve — which has 21 tigers, 33 species of mammals, over 160 bird species, reptiles, fishes and amphibians — is an important corridor between the forest areas of Madhya Pradesh (Pench Tiger Reserve) and Nagzira-Navegaon and Tadoba- Andhari Tiger Reserves in Maharashtra.

Patrolling on foot in the jungles during the night and afternoon will be a unique experience for tourists and enable them to see bio-diversity as against travelling by vehicle in forest areas, wherein they can sight only big animals. The tourists will be accompanied by forest guards and guides on these trails.

The machans in the forests are otherwise used once a year for wildlife counting. Now, tourists would be able to use them seven times a month, i.e. during full moon nights and three days before and after it to sight animals from February 15 to June 15. Tourists will also be able to travel with forest guards in vehicles at night and the wee hours of the morning for patrolling.

However, to prevent poachers from infiltrating as tourists and prevent unruly behavior, the department has taken a series of measures like restricting numbers, allowing small batches, taking identity proofs, making it mandatory for visitors to register at least four days in advance and giving priority to people and NGOs working for conservation.

The use of liquor, narcotics, cigarettes, tobacco and search lights, gutkha, mobiles will also be banned, though binoculars would be allowed.

"Our forest guards will accompany them, which will prevent activities like drinking. Vehicles will also be checked," said Reddy.

Part of the funds generated will be given to the guides, who will be locals, while the remaining amount will be ploughed back into the local gram samiti and the Pench Tiger Conservation Foundation.

ANGOLA: The Changing Face Of Tourism

The fish market in Namibe. There is now competition over catches between locals and established fishing lodges with modern equipment and speedboats.

Fishermen lay nets in the Kwanza river at dusk. The tide is low and the silence is a far cry from Angola’s busy capital Luanda, an hour’s drive away. The river was an important gateway into Angola for slave traders during the colonial era. Now, the government has started to search for oil along the riverbanks, while Kissama national park is adjusting to life after civil war.

Angola’s tourist plans, which focus on attracting wealthy visitors, risk sidelining local people’s needs and could threaten their livelihoods on the Kwanza river

The park reopened in 2002 with species including elephants and the endangered giant sable antelope, imported from Botswana and South Africa, which had been wiped out by hunger and poaching.

The Kwanza river is important to thousands of Angolans. There is now competition over catches between locals and established fishing lodges with modern equipment and speedboats.

Kwanza Lodge is a popular weekend fishing resort, owned by a relative of Angola’s President, José Eduardo dos Santos. The manager is a South African called Manny Milner. Angola is developing as a result of the influx of expats and oil revenues in one of the world’s fastest growing economies. But the new Angola isn’t accessible to everybody. Nine out of 10 visitors this weekend are expats: Portuguese soap opera actors, Chinese engineers and Brazilian construction workers.

Milner believes that eco-tourism is the future for Angola. “It’s a way to protect the rural community from a large-scale tourist industry,” she says. In 2016, Luanda will host a large professional golf tournament where enthusiasts of the sport will be encouraged to visit Kissama national park.

Angola’s official tourist plans focus on wealthy visitors who will sample luxury and stability experienced by only a minority of the Angolan people.

According to Paul Wesson, a South African who runs Eco-Tur, Angola’s 12 years of stability have finally opened up the country to the outside world. “There’s always been interest,” he says. “Angola is the only country in southern Africa left for well-travelled people to explore, who’ve already seen the Serengeti and Kalahari. This is the final frontier of wildlife tourism in southern Africa.”

One of the attractions of tourism in Angola is fishing, an industry threatened by demand from locals for food and tourists for sport. But, according to Roland Goetz, director of Kissama national park, fishing in the Kwanza river is unregulated, which could disturb both the river and the park’s ecosystems.

In 2007, the regional thinktank Institute for Security Studies warned of the permanent degradation of the marine environment in southern Africa as a result of overfishing. Its report, The crisis of marine plunder in Africa, concluded: “This in turn will continue to adversely impact on food security and economic development, with coastal communities dependent on fishing being the hardest hit.”

This is already the case in Namibe province, where fishermen risk their lives in small rowing boats on rough seas, lacking equipment and earning next to nothing. Not far away, modern fishing equipment and robust boats rest in the sand at tourist lodges.

Namibe province accounts for 65% of Angola’s fish production and has in recent years gained the interest of the global fishing industry. Before the second world war, when Angola was a Portuguese colony, only Lisbon’s freighters were allowed in these waters. Now, with the market open to foreign investors, even Angola’s waters have become pieces of a geopolitical jigsaw puzzle. There is no way for Namibe’s fishermen to compete with the larger boats: while the former do small-scale fishing, vessels from South Africa, the EU, Russia and China operate in eco-certified areas.

Pedro Soares is a former fisherman who now works as a chef at a fishing resort. He’s worried about the Angolan people’s place in society. He wants the tourist industry to blossom and provide jobs, but not if it means catering only for foreigners. “That’s the case with the oil,” he says. “We need to break through as a people and claim jobs outside the service sector. As now, the region’s best fish goes to Luanda while we’re left with the scraps.”

Soares believes that Angola’s young people can change this. “We must mature, educate ourselves and make wise decisions, which I’m sure we’ll do. We want more out of life than just providing the rest of the world with oil and fish.”