Abstract
There are high aspirations to foster growth in Namibia’s Zambezi region via the development of tourism. The Zambezi region is a core element of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), a mosaic of areas with varying degrees of protection, which is designed to combine nature conservation and rural development. These conservation areas serve as a resource base for wildlife tourism, and growth corridor policy aims to integrate the region into tourism global production networks (GPNs) by means of infrastructure development. Despite the increasing popularity of growth corridors, little is known about the effectiveness of this development strategy at local level. The mixed-methods approach suggests a link between a tandem of infrastructure development and tourism-oriented policies on the one hand, and increased value creation from tourism in the region on the other hand. Yet, the promises of tourism-driven development reach only a very limited number of rural residents.
Highlights
The promotion of tourism is a central pillar of Namibia’s economic development strategy
History reveals that the formation of a tourism industry did not unfold before three interrelated trends led to more favourable conditions: firstly, the transition from a conflict-affected region to a more peaceful region, secondly, nature conservation policy efforts to expand tourism and thirdly, the improvement of infrastructure connections
This paper aimed to examine the questions as to whether or not growth corridor policies fulfil the promise of fostering tourism in peripheral regions and, if this is the case, whether local residents appropriate value from it
Summary
The promotion of tourism is a central pillar of Namibia’s economic development strategy. While the TCC was limited to investments in infrastructure and the smoothing of logistic procedures, the WBNLDC is designed to incorporate more advanced spatial development policies, such as the creation of hubs, gateways and targeted value-chain promotion In these plans, the promotion of tourism is a proclaimed means of fostering economic growth in the Zambezi region. This vision meets a partly synergetic vision of the future, which is promoted by a network of transnational actors aiming to create one of the world’s largest nature conservation landscapes, the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) Both visions bear the promise that conservation policies and infrastructure connectivity will increase gains for local residents through participation in the wildlife tourism sector.
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