article · Rural Society
This research assesses the environmental implications of ecotourism activities and their connections to climate change and sustainability in South Africa. Focusing on the Musina Municipality in Limpopo Province, the investigation examines local biodiversity management, ecotourism administration, and community subsistence needs. Evidence was gathered through focus group discussions and field observations to benchmark natural resource management against standards for sustainable, responsible tourism and conservation. The findings reveal a detrimental association between environmental consequences originating from rural ecotourism and practices that carry potential climate change effects. Conversely, when ecotourism activities strictly adhere to responsible and sustainable tourism practices, ecotourism management can achieve meaningful sustainability goals. Ultimately, the work shows that environmental sustainability strategies can be successfully balanced with local livelihood support.
Tourism in protected and rural areas often aims to protect biodiversity, but mismanaged activities can cause environmental harm and contribute to climate risks. Understanding how to benchmark and align ecotourism with responsible practices ensures that local communities can continue earning livelihoods without degrading the ecosystems and natural resources they depend upon for survival.
The insights could inform policy and management frameworks for municipal planners, conservation managers, and rural ecotourism operators seeking to align their practices with sustainability standards. The research represents early-stage, observational fieldwork, and the abstract does not indicate a direct pathway towards commercial products or proprietary technologies.
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The research focuses on the current and potential implications of ecotourism activities, and their environmental consequences for climate change and sustainability, in South Africa. By linking data and reports on the Musina Municipality's environmental biodiversity management, ecotourism administration, and local community subsistence issues in Limpopo Province are presented. The methods used include focus group discussions and field observations to examine the municipality's natural and tourism resource management and benchmarking ecotourism, conservation, and environmental degradation in terms of sustainability, sustainable tourism, and responsible tourism within the municipality. A detrimental association was uncovered between rural ecotourism-borne environmental consequences and exercises possessing potential climate change effects. When tourism activities adhere to the ideals of sustainable and responsible tourism, however, ecotourism management can result in sustainability achievements. In conclusion, the article argues environmental sustainability strategies can be achieved while permitting livelihoods.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1080/10371656.2024.2368301
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