Cultural and Heritage Tourism as an Alternative Rural Livelihood Diversification Strategy for Communities Living Adjacent to the Sehlabathebe National Park in Lesotho

Abstract

Risk, uncertainty and impoverishment of the factors for production have changed rural development strategies which were traditionally based on agricultural activities. The objective of the study was to examine the impact of cultural and heritage tourism as a basic strategy for rural survival and active social process in which households construct diverse portfolio of activities and social support capabilities for survival and well-being in Sehlabathebe National Park. The study adopted a mixed method design. Through stratified random sampling researchers administered questionnaires to 286 households in 12 villages and conducted in-depth interviews to a snowball sample of 11 experts. The results show that diversification of rural livelihoods using cultural and heritage tourism was found to be an important element in catering for tourist’s interests. Despite the importance of cultural and heritage tourism in livelihood diversification, its impact was found to be low in reducing house vulnerability and poverty. This paper contributes to the current discourses on cultural and heritage tourism as a tool for reducing shocks, vulnerability and poverty in the rural areas as to achieve household food security. Hence, the ownership of property such as land or livestock or a collection of different activities can give sufficient remuneration for survival.

Keywords

• diversification
• livelihoods
• development
• cultural and heritage tourism
• poverty