Zambia : Economic and Poverty Impact of Nature-based Tourism

This study estimates the contribution of
nature-based tourism in Zambia to economic growth and
poverty reduction as well as to the sustainability of the
management of the wildlife estate. The Zambian Government
has identified tourism along with agriculture, mining and
manufacturing as the most important sectors for economic
development in its various planning documents, including the
2007 Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP). This report is
organized into three sections: chapters two and three
characterize the tourism industry and the economic impact of
nature tourists. Using a variety of sources of information,
the two chapters profile the tourism industry in Zambia and
analyze the barriers to growth. The chapter four
investigates the welfare of communities living in game
management area (GMAs) around national parks. These
communities are the most likely to suffer from wildlife
conflicts and/or benefit from economic activities in and
around the parks. A household survey compares the welfare of
communities living in GMAs with ordinary rural communities.
The chapter five analyzes the performance of Zambia Wildlife
Authority (ZAWA) during its first five year of existence,
and explores the current state of the management of the
wildlife estate and its potential to contribute to economic
growth through tourism.