User:Chloeluh/New sandbox

Development of the Tourist Industry
Botswana's tourism industry began to develop in the context of favorable geopolitical conditions in the 1990s. Southern Africa experienced political stability following the end of apartheid as well as the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990. The global improvements in transportation and communication systems of the time further served to make tourism in Botswana more viable. In 1990 Botswana implemented a Tourism Policy aiming to increase tourist numbers, government revenue, and employment opportunities. The policy focused on attracting up-market international tourists from Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand to increase revenue. While employment rates were successfully increased with the tourism industry representing 4.5% of the total formal employment in Botswana, most higher paying management level positions in the industry were reserved for expatriate workers. Additionally, Botswana's liberal foreign investment policies favored international tourism companies, which created a predominantly foreign owned and controlled tourism industry.

Social and Environmental Impacts
Botswana relies on natural resources for both general livelihoods and tourism. The scarce and fragile natural resources of the country are particularly crucial for rural livelihoods, which utilize water, forests, and rangeland. The Okavango Delta region is both a popular tourist destination and a world heritage site as well as one of the largest inland deltas in the world. Its popularity with tourists has stimulated the growth of infrastructure, facilities, and services in the region including banks, hotels, and airstrips. However, local communities of Khwai, Mababe and Sankoyo villages in the Okavango complain they lack access to natural resources of the Moremi Game Reserve because it has been dominated by international tourists and foreign tourism companies.

While the vast majority of attractions are based on the country's natural resources, the tourism industry itself makes the very resources it has commodified vulnerable to damage. Large groups of people in tourist groups can disrupt wildlife and lead them to migrate to other habitats that may be unsustainable. Litter left behind by tourist groups can also alter soil composition and introduce harmful invasive species to the region. Other popular tourist activities like speedboating can further disturb aquatic wildlife while wildlife and bird photography can distort the behavior of certain species including their feeding and breeding patterns.

Botswana has experimented with various methods of preserving natural resources including community based natural resource management (CBNRM), which is based on the assumption that local people have more incentive and are more committed to the sustainable use of natural resources where they live compared to the more removed government. In Botswana, a CBNRM Policy was officially endorsed by parliament in 2007, which provided communities with a 15 year lease of land where they could utilize its natural resources. The CBNRM model is designed a a grassroots initiative, however, the lack of resources and skills in local communities has often led them to depend on the assistance of international partners to achieve their dual goals of increasing economic prosperity and preserving natural resources. Additionally, the model's focus on wildlife allows men to dominate the projects as official owners while women use natural products such as firewood and wild grasses.

Expanding cultural tourism in Botswana has the potential to make tourism more sustainable by reducing the pressure and traffic in existing wildlife attraction sites while simultaneously creating a more equitable distribution of tourism-based development by providing more opportunities for local communities to engage in the tourism economy. Cultural tourism provides opportunities for tourists to learn about art, heritage, and local traditions. Some argue it can boost the economic status of the people, create employment, enhance community cohesion and cultural pride, and contribute to the development of infrastructure. Similarly, village based tourism also focuses on exposing tourists to traditional crafts and daily life, which particularly advantages women, who have often been left out of the benefits of tourism. Revenue from village based tourism creates opportunities for vocational training and entrepreneurship for local women. Employment in their own home village allows women to fulfill their familial obligations while gaining financial independence.