Feasibility Study of Proposed Tourism Dev in Shewula, NE ...

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Chapter 6 - Tourism, Marketing and Business Planning for the proposed Tourism Development 6.1.4. Conclusions The original proposal for tourism development in the Shewula area has been deemed unfeasible, from a tourism and marketing perspective because of several weaknesses in the approach adopted for tourism development planning. These weaknesses stem from the lack of planning around the original proposal, and have resulted in poor market targeting and a poor marketing strategy. Alternatives for a possible tourism development in the Shewula area were identified, with the two-phase alternative now being implemented by the relevant stake-holders. This entails developing a small-scale tourism facility along the edge of the escarpment, thus allowing sufficient time for planning of a larger tourism development within the Shewula Reserve. For the second phase of the proposed tourism development in the Shewula area, an integrated planning approach would inform the project proponents and planners on who the target market should be, and what the marketing strategy for the proposed tourism development should be. Even with the best tourism product, if the right people do not know about it (what it is and how it can be obtained), it will not sell. These principles need to be adapted to the scale of the development. The core attractions of the Shewula area could potentially be attractive to the ecocultural tourism market. However, further research along community, conservation, tourism and market lines will help to determine what the specifics of the core attractions will be, and how they can be integrated to form a feasible tourism product. The supporting attractions to the Shewula tourism product only serve to enhance the tourism product that the Shewula area can offer, and thus to broaden the market base that could be attracted to the area. A Shewula Tourism Development Strategy, possibly within the framework of a Lubombo Conservancy Tourism Policy, would integrate the benefits and impacts of tourism into the planning process. Such a strategy could determine how the Shewula tourism development(s) could be integrated into regional, national, and transfrontier initiatives. 123 This would promote a far more efficient planning process for sustainable tourism development and activities, and would facilitate the allocation and use of resources as efficiently as possible, whilst mitigating the potential impacts of tourism and maximising the benefits. Having stated all of this, it must be noted that the above-mentioned top down . analytical approach may seem daunting to members of the Shewula Trust and of the Shewula Community. It would be advisable to adapt these recommendations to the scale of the proposed tourism development. But the principles remain the same. In one way or another, an efficient planning process is required. This applies even if the aims of an initial development are a small scale development, with minimal profit-making, sustainability, and the use of the tourism development as a training and capacitybuilding tool for community members to learn more about tourism. 123 These includes the Lubombo SDI, Maputaland TFCA, and the proposed Biodiversity Conservation and Participatory Development Initiative. __
Chapter 6 - Tourism, Marketing and Business Planning for the proposed Tourism Development 6.1.5. Recommendations The recommendations below refer to a biodiversity conservation strategic management plan, a tourism policy, tourism plan, market research, and a marketing strategy. The scale and breadth of these studies, and the timing will be dependent on the approach and alternatives adopted by the Shewula Trust (with possible advice from the Bush Camp Steering Committee). The concern is that yet another community-based tourism initiative will flounder if not founded on an efficient focused participatory community-owned planning process and on a capacity-building strategy that should prepare the community for tourism and for its associated benefits and impacts. The key elements to kick-start initial small-scale tourism developments are as follows: • Community ownership of the tourism development through participatory planning and/or assessment; • Setting the aims of the tourism development at achievable levels, and thus informing the community about these aims so as to manage expectations; The key elements to sustain initial small-scale tourism developments are as follows: • An efficient planning process to market the tourism development so that it is sustainable; • Capacity-building and training via interaction and consultation with marketing and tourism professionals in Swaziland via the Bush camp Steering Committee; • Capacity-building and training on tourism development management, if the tourism development is community managed, so as to facilitate the efficiency and sustainability of the small-scale development. The aim of this assessment is not to impede tourism development in the Shewula area, but to point out that efficient planning, community participation, community ownership of process, capacity-building, and outside expertise are key elements to enhance the potential of community-based tourism development succeeding in the long term. 6.1.5.1. Immediate Actions (small scale tourism development) • Those responsible for the proposed tourism development in the Shewula area should consider using the services of independent professionals to develop and possibly implement marketing strategies and a tourism plan for the Shewula area. It would be advisable to use professionals who have a participatory approach to their work, and who know the tourism situation in Swaziland. 124 • The tourism planning and marketing professional should also help to identify the specific features of the tourism product, in terms of what the core attractions.and supporting attractions of the Shewula area are. • A marketing strategy should be determined with the aim of attracting sufficient visitors to the area and to the tourism development. A possible focus, for marketing, especially initially, could be a curio market, which if it made a name for itself similar to Ngwenya glass or Swazi candles could become a major draw card for the community and/or area. 124 One such person could be Darron Raw of Swazi Trails, Mbabane.
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A Feasibility Study of the Proposed
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would
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2.3. Biophysical Context ..........
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6.1.4. Conclusions ................
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Box 9.1 Figure 6.1. Consideration o
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
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Executive Summary INTRODUCTION The
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Executive Summary The findings of t
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Executive Summary Positive aspects:
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Executive Summary • Tourism input
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Chapter 1 - Introduction This chapt
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Chapter 1 - Introduction Objective
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Chapter 1 - Introduction It has bec
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Chapter 1 - Introduction • Local
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Chapter 1 - Introduction Sustainabl
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Chapter 1 - Introduction 1.4.2.2. G
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Chapter 1 - Introduction A particip
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inevitably lost. In some instances,
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the translation that occurred durin
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2.1. INTRODUCTION This chapter prov
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Chapter 2 • Situational Assessmen
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Although the reserve is relatively
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Chapter 2 ■ Situational Assessmen
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parks and reserves. As SNTC oversee
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2.4.3.4. British Council The Britis
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2.4.4.3. Economic support structure
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One of the transfrontier initiative
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The iNcwala or 'first fruits' cerem
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These political changes have eroded
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Chapter 2 - Situational Assessment
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Chapter 2 - Situational Assessment
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Chapter 3 - An Initial Assessment o
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3.5. RECOMMENDATIONS The recommenda
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4.2.2. Positive reactions At two of
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4.4. PROBLEMS This section presents
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and therefore how the benefits to t
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c) Re-establishment of game The bel
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) Indirect income generation Sugges
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Chapter 4 ■ Socio-Cultural Findin
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4.6.2. Requirements for successful
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Chapter 4 - Socio-Cultural Findings
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Chapter 4 - Socio-Cultural Findings
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4.8.1.4. Schools • Schools need t
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