NGOs in ecotourism: patrons of sustainability or neo-colonial agents? Evidence from Africa

Abstract

NGOs have become involved in ecotourism because of its potential to balance economic development, environmental conservation, and socio-cultural revitalization. However, some critics have associated ecotourism with neo-colonialism and with the perpetuation of economic and political hegemonies because the concept has been advanced from the West . The present study adopts a qualitative research approach to explore the merits of two opposing viewsthat NGOs facilitate and advance sustainable development or are agents of neo-colonialism. The researchers focus on a nation which was spared the experience of colonization -Ethiopiato explore whether ecotourism practice can be accurately characterized as "neo-colonial". Through a close examination of NGO involvement in ecotourism, the authors challenge the widely held view that NGOs use sustainable development as a pretext to promote neo-colonial ideas. The paper contributes to theory and practice by explaining the relationship between neo-colonialism and ecotourism. Implications and opportunities for future research are also discussed.

Ecotourism governance in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

“…This is the case in Tanzania where Pasape et al (2015), singles out inadequate transparency amongst other governance principles for jeopardizing the sustainability of the ecotourism sector of the country. Results from studies on the principles of equity and efficiency in the East African sub-region also corroborated findings from Southern Africa, with advocacy for amelioration (Wondirad et al 2019, Teshome et al 2021. Studies in West Africa covered the governance principles of participation, conflict management, transparency and equity, with 44%, 16%, 12% and 12%, respectively.…”

“…In Southern Africa, poor implementation of governance principles has been blamed on inefficient funding operations by the local authorities and poor implementation of ecotourism related projects, including the expression of the need for improvement (Schoemann 2002, Snyman 2014). In the Central, East and West African sub-regions, inefficient management is hampering the development and implementation of ecotourism, with calls for improvement in efficiency through public-private partnerships of different stakeholders so as to derive more benefits (Novelli et al 2006, Wondirad et al 2019, Sama and Molua 2019, Harilal and Tichaawa 2020, Forje et al 2021. The Kruskal-Wallis test statistic was used to assess the degree of variation in ecotourism governance principles studied across the different sub-regions in sub-Saharan Africa (table 1).…”

Not just the Big Five: African ecotourists prefer parks brimming with bird diversity

“…7), future research might analyze the impacts of these ecotourist–landscape relationships on local sovereignty and neocolonialism. Specifically, these relationships could further be interpreted as a map of the landscapes and species that receive the largest neocolonial impacts from wealthy travelers (Devine, 2017; Wondirad, Tolkach & King, 2019). That is, the very mechanism by which ecotourism can aid conservation – the provision of external funds – might also constrain local sovereignty and hinder local visions for sustainability and conservation (Ojeda, 2012).…”

Impact of community participation on sustainable development of marine protected areas: Assessment of ecotourism development

“…Economic sustainability ensures individuals have access to a high level of living standard and that advantages are common similarly amid all individuals associated with the activities (Machnik, 2021). Wondirad et al (2020b) believed that ecotourism might be utmost operative as an element of a wider conservation tactic of sustainable dimensions. Ecotourism development emphasizes social, cultural, and environmental aspects and contributes an important role to meet the challenges of world tourism sustainability.…”