Community-Driven Tourism Projects’ Economic Contribution to Community Livelihoods—A Case of Makuleke Contractual Park Community Tourism Project

Susan Matiku, Jethro Zuwarimwe and Ndivhuwo Tshipala
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Susan Matiku: Institute for Rural Development, University of Venda, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa
Jethro Zuwarimwe: Institute for Rural Development, University of Venda, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa
Ndivhuwo Tshipala: Department of Tourism Management, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0183, South Africa

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 19, 1-16

Abstract: Tourism is a known rural economic development tool. Furthermore, sustainable tourism seeks to enhance the quality of the resident lives through its economic benefits, among others. One way of diversification economic bases in rural areas is through community-driven tourism projects (CDTP). The tourism projects provide a livelihood strategy to the communities who are involved in the projects. This study makes an attempt to build an understanding of the economic contribution of community-driven tourism projects to sustainable livelihoods. The study draws on a qualitative survey carried out in South Africa’s Makuleke contractual Park Community Project. The study utilized the community capital framework (CCF) to examine the community tourism economic capitals’ (CTEC) contribution to the community livelihoods. The study also investigated on the ripple effect of the economic capital towards other capitals within the community. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data while descriptive statistics were used to analyze the demographic data. Findings indicate that through the Makuleke Contractual Park (MCP) tourism project, the community benefited economically in terms of employment and creation of small & medium tourism related enterprises which provided a livelihood strategy for the community. Through the projects’ partnerships with private investors, there was a ripple effect from the economic capital contribution to other community capitals (physical, human, social and natural). Community-driven tourism projects (CDTP) if well managed can transform community capital resources to economic multipliers which can be a livelihood strategy for the community.

Keywords: economic contribution; tourism projects; community economic capital; livelihood; ripple effect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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