Sustainable Tourism and the SDG’s in Botswana: Prospects, Opportunities and Challenges Towards 2030

Abstract

The adoption and sustained rise of tourism activities over the past 50 years is one of the most noteworthy economic, social, environmental, and cultural occurrences of our time. In view of these remarkable occurrences, tourism has been earnestly considered in the national sustainable development plans of many developing countries and a subject of many international conferences on the Sustainable Development Agenda. For instance, the 2030 agenda for sustainable development has at its core in the eradication of poverty, while at the same time preserving the planet, eliminating climate change and addressing other societal needs such as the creation of jobs, health, education, gender equality and empowerment for all. As a sector that constitutes around 10% to the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment, tourism has the potential to contribute to the advancement and attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDGs 8 (decent work and economic growth), 12 (responsible consumption and production) 14 (life below water) and 15 (life on land) since it has been adopted as a win-win advancement of both natural resources conservation and human development nexus. For many developing countries such as Botswana the tourism sector is promoted not only to serve the planet but people as well. Due to the heavy reliance on the country’s natural resources, achieving sustainable tourism development is central to Botswana. Using the concepts of Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) and sustainable tourism development, this chapter adopts a case study design, informed by a qualitative research approach and uses document analysis to explore, synthesize and discuss tourism development in Botswana. The chapter uses the CBNRM and eco-certification programmes to analyse socio-economic prospects, standardization prospects and opportunities and challenges experienced through these programmes. Results indicate mixed outcomes. Although sustainable tourism in Botswana has led to some form of community participation and empowerment, natural resource conservation, a range of livelihood options and employment opportunities, there are still a number of challenges being experienced. These include the passive participation of locals in the sector, poor backward and forward tourism businesses linkages, foreign ownership of tourism facilities, environmental impacts challenges and institutional frameworks that continue to marginalize and/or alienate local communities from participating in the sector. Regardless of these difficulties, sustainable tourism development in Botswana has prospects of contributing to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, to reconcile the challenges and prospects facing tourism development in Botswana, environmental sustainability should be the guiding principle, and this requires a planning process that contributes positively to the needs of tourists and tour operators while being considerate to the sociocultural, economic and environmental needs of the country. In view of the chapter’s results, policy implications are also discussed.