Governance Structures and the Distribution of Tourism Income in Namibian Communal Lands: A New Institutional Framework

Abstract

This paper applies a new institutional framework to analyse the generation and distribution of tourism income in Namibian communal lands. Utilising two of Williamson's four levels of institutions, it is shown that reallocating and securing property rights (rules of the game), is essential to allow rural communities to benefit from tourism activities on their land. Contingent to those rights and local communities' capacity and social capital, a typology of institutional arrangements (play of the game), is proposed that govern relationships between actors (local communities, the private sector and the State), in the tourism sector. Overall, this framework facilitates understanding of why and how actors craft specific governance structures in order to operate tourism activities, redistribute revenues and minimise transaction costs.

Tourism and rural community development in Namibia: policy issues review

“…Especially in the Global South the growing tourism demand is seen highly beneficial as evolving tourism can create direct and indirect income and employment effects to the host regions, which have further emphasised community involvement and community-based tourism initiatives in many countries (Sinclair & Stabler 1997;Binns & Nel 1999;Saarinen & Rogerson 2014), including Namibia (Novelli & Gebhardt 2007;Jänis 2009;Lapeyre 2011). Tourism services and facilities can also improve the general level of infrastructure of a region which benefits local population by providing new, or maintaining the old, services and infrastructure (see Brown & Hall 2008).…”

Conflict management within the context of community based tourism: an exploratory study

“…To the contrary, there were also several studies that examined CBT and/or community development aspects within developing or underdeveloped countries (Lapeyre, 2011a(Lapeyre, , 2011b(Lapeyre, , 2011cMgonja et al, 2015;Salazar, 2011;Tolkach & King, 2015;Tolkach et al, 2011;Tosun, 2005;Zapata et al, 2011). The examination of the literature uncovered several underlying concepts that were applicable to both developed and developing country scenarios, such as leadership and resource management.…”

“…Generally speaking, tourism development is often criticised for creating an economic dependency, whether present or imagined, and instilling socio-cultural influences, which include acculturation and community conflicts (Lapeyre, 2011b). Even if a specialised tourism product, as is the case in most CBT projects, would generate economic growth, other 'instances' associated with benefits that raise conflict include unfair benefit distribution, which could involve disbursement to local elites only, and foreign investment (Asker et al, 2010;Choi & Sirakaya, 2005;Goodwin & Santilli, 2009;Hemson et al, 2009;Kibicho, 2008;Nawijn et al, 2008;Okazaki, 2008;M.…”

“…Generally speaking, tourism development is often criticised for creating an economic dependency (whether present or imagined) and instilling socio-cultural influences, which include acculturation and community conflicts (Lapeyre, 2011b). One of the problems that has evolved from trying to implement sustainable tourism within communities has been the difficulties involved in establishing an economically productive tourism initiative that also offers an improved lifestyle or benefits to local communities, while at the same time adhering to the principles associated with maintaining the native (pre-tourism) culture and environment ( Simpson, 2009).…”

“…-a series relation (in which A leads to B), which is the characteristic cause-and-effect type relation of classical science (Hall, 2008) -a parallel relation in which two elements are affected by another element (Hall, 2008) -a feedback relation, which describes a situation in which an element influences itself (Hall, 2008) Jamal & Eyre, Jamal & Getz, 1995;Jamal & Getz, 1999;Jamal & McDonald, 2010;Kibicho, 2008;Lapeyre, 2011aLapeyre, , 2011bLapeyre, , 2011cLopez-Guzman et al, 2011;Okazaki, 2008;Reed, 1997;Ruiz-Ballesteros, 2011;Sebele, 2010;K. Simpson, 2001; M. C. Simpson, 2008Simpson, , 2009Spenceley & Goodwin, 2007;Stone & Stone, 2010;Tolkach et al, 2011).…”