Stakeholder relationship management in African rural tourism development

Abstract

Stakeholders are one of the key components of rural tourism development, especially the stakeholders of the community-group. Rural tourism and its sustainable development can complement diverse economic drivers and link various economic sectors while preserving natural resources and local culture. The purpose of this paper was to ascertain a rural African community’s notion of tourism development and its relationships with stakeholders in the community-group. Using a questionnaire survey methodology, our findings indicate that the community regards the stakeholders in the community-group as important, as well as the trust and commitment associated with relationship building. The implication for managers is that they should involve the local community and other stakeholders such as educational institutions and local government in the development of tourism for the the benefit of the rural community.

Keywords

• africa
• rural tourism
• stakeholder relationship management
• tourism development