The Grootberg lodge partnership in Namibia: towards poverty alleviation and empowerment for long-term sustainability?

Abstract

This paper analyses socio-economic impacts of a tourism community–public–private partnership in a rural area in Namibia and its contribution to achieving some of the Millennium Development Goals. Building on an institutional analysis as well as an applied sustainable livelihoods approach, it is argued that the Grootberg lodge partnership contributes to nature conservation, poverty alleviation as well as capacity-building and empowerment at both the individual and collective levels (the triple bottom line). Indeed, empirical data gathered in 2006 and 2007 show that the Grootberg lodge has helped to improve the livelihoods of some rural households by distributing to them secure wage revenues, building their financial and physical assets and reducing their vulnerability; it has further provided employees with essential training sessions (human capital) and has involved community members in some of the tourism management decisions. These results, however, remain context related and dependent on some important unpredictable and intangible variables (trust and openness); as a result, further systematic livelihood studies in other contexts are called for in order to better inform policy-makers on the future promotion and development of tourism partnerships both in Namibia and worldwide.