PASOS Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural (Jan 2012)

Community-based tourism and local culture: the case of the amaMpondo

  • Andrea Giampiccoli,
  • Janet Hayward Kalis

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 173 – 188

Abstract

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Tourism, managed constructively, can play a role in poverty alleviation and community development. This paper suggests ways in which Community-based tourism (CBT) can be used as a strategy to develop poor communities. Looking at the specific social context of contemporary rural Mpondoland, which is characterised by high degrees of poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition and unemployment, the paper considers ways in which local culture itself can contribute towards positive CBT outcomes. Local culture is not only seen as a tourism attraction, but also a resource upon which CBT development can be built. This paper considers various ways in which the local cultural context can be linked to CBT development, thereby enhancing the CBT development process.

Keywords