Community-Based Tourism as a Pathway Towards Sustainable Livelihoods and Well-being in Southern Africa

Community-based tourism (CBT) has become an integral part of national economies through its potential ways of sustaining the livelihoods of many local communities. This chapter focuses on the role of community-based tourism in fostering sustainable livelihoods and contributing to development in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The SADC region has had the challenge of diversifying the regional economies as countries relied heavily on extractive industries, especially mining. With the declining revenues from mining, it has become necessary for the region to explore ways of harnessing the tourism sector to reduce unemployment and poverty, especially in rural areas. The chapter explores how initiatives like trans-border frontier parks and community-based natural resources-based management (CBNRM) programmes promote more inclusive development. Furthermore, the chapter highlights the need to incorporate conflict management and peacebuilding into biodiversity conservation through CBNRM programmes.