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

Chapter 8 - Recommendations
This chapter summarises the recommendations arising from the study.
8.1. GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
The following is a list of requirements believed to be essential ingredients to any future
actions that are taken regarding the project:
• Information: Information should be made available to the Shewula community
and explanations about many issues provided, in order to dispel confusion and
clarify misunderstandings. Answers to each of the questions listed in section 4.3
need to be furnished. Information is also required for informed decisionmaking
about aspects of the project such as the target market and a marketable tourism
product.
• Communication: Effective and efficient communication between all parties
involved in the project is essential. The community members must be aware of
the decisions that have been made about the reserve and tourism development
and how these affect them. These decisions must be communicated to ail
interested and affected parties.
• Participation: The general Shewula community should participate in the project
process. Members should be involved in and/or consulted during the decisionmaking
processes around conservation and the tourism development
• Knowledge: In order to participate effectively in the proposed developments,
the members of the Shewula community need to know more about tourism,
natural resource management and business management.
• Policy: A Tourism Development Strategy (TDS) for Shewula, which should
embrace both tourism policy formulation and implementation, should be
determined for long-term development planning. It would need to reflect the
current situation, in terms of concerns and opportunities, as well as future
aspirations. This should be the framework within which all planned and future
tourism development and activities occur in the Shewula area. The TDS should
be informed by a Strategic Management Plan for Biodiversity Conservation.
• Planning: Planning for integrated tourism development and conservation
management in Shewula, should be undertaken, preferably within the broader
context of local and regional developments (both existing and planned) and in a
participatory manner. The planning process for the proposed tourism
development should consider the various alternatives for the tourism
development in the Shewula Reserve. Such planning should include involvement
of and co-operation with other parties who are working towards goals similar to
those of the project and/or who have something to contribute to the project; 128 and
should be based on the principle of integration. The information contained in this
report should be used as baseline information for the integrated tourism and
conservation plan for the Reserve.
• Decision-Making: The alternatives for development must be assessed and
evaluated. A decision should be made on what the strategy for tourism
development will be in Shewula; and this should be based on market research. The
design for the accommodation facilities that are to be built must be finalised and it
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Such as the Biodiversity Conservation and Participatory Development Project.
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