HUMAN ACTIVITIES AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AT CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES: FOCUS ON GREAT ZIMBABWE

Abstract

Human activities are damaging world heritage sites threatening sustainable tourism development. The study explored the extent to which human activities are affecting sustainable tourism development at cultural heritage sites the case of Great Zimbabwe. Quantitative data was collected using a questionnaire following convenient sampling technique. Using means, standard deviation and variance, results reveal that there are 16 human activities that are affecting sustainable tourism development. Upon factoring 7 factors emerged which are pollution, societal crime and conflict, defacing, hunting, landscape degradation, vandalism and environmental pressure. A linear regression model reveals that human activities are negatively affecting sustainable tourism development at heritage sites with 4 factors significant at p<0.1. However, human factors only explain 14% (Adjusted R2=0.14) of sustainability problems at heritage sites. The study concluded that human activities are in indeed affecting sustainable tourism development and needs proper management for tourism industry and the nation.

Keywords

• heritage sites
• cultural tourism
• heritage conservation
• tourism