The Ts 'ehlanyane National Park in Lesotho as a sustainable resource: community perspectives, participation and perceptions
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Date
2010
Authors
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
This study is about community perceptions, perspectives, management and
benefits relating to sustaining Ts'ehlanyane National Park as a natural resource
facility in Leribe; Lesotho. The study seeks to examine the extent to which the
community benefits from the natural resource. In this regard, Mowforth et aJ
(2008) suggest that people whose present quality of life is not of an acceptable
standard, the resources that they have if sustained, could be available for them
and their children to potentially achieve a better quality of life in the future.
Achieving sustainability is now the underlying principle for all types of human
activities, including tourism. Following this research approach, it is realistic to
map out the objectives listed below, so as estimate what the study seeks to
achieve in the final analysis. The objectives are as follows:
a) To establish the extent to which Ts'ehlanyane National Park
stakeholders understand the meaning of sustainable tourism,
b) To identify the participation of the local community in managing
the Ts'ehlanyane National Park.
c) To reveal the management practices and strategies used in
sustaining the Ts'ehlanyane National Park as a tourism resource.
d) To examine the community's viewpoints pertaining to the
sustainability of the development on Ts'ehlanyane National Park.
e) To investigate tourism-related community benefits acquired
through sustainable development of Ts'ehlanyane National Park.
f) To propose a strategic management model that can be used as a
scheme towards improving the sustainable management of
Ts'ehlanyane National Park.
These objectives were formulated in order to find out about the communities'
perceptions, perspectives and participation on sustaining Ts'ehlanyane National
Park as a resource facility. Data was collected through the use of
questionnaires, which had open ended, closed ended and Likert type of
questions. Data was therefore collected and analysed through the use of a
computer programme called Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS).
This research inquiry fundamentally came up with the following findings: (a)
The local stakeholders (tourists, service providers, park officials and the
community) at the Ts'ehlanyane National Park (TNP) have a good
understanding of the meaning of sustainable tourism, (b) The participation of
the community in managing the TNP was found to be adequate and worthwhile,
(c) The management practices and strategies used in sustaining the TNP as a
tourism resource were found to be sufficient and well attuned to establish
sustainability. (d) The tourism-related community benefits acquired through
sustainable development of the TNP were sufficiently developed. Finally, the
study was able to propose a general strategic management model, which could
be used as a scheme towards improving the sustainability of the TNP. The
scheme was based on the literary sources used, the empirical findings and the
interpretation of the data used in the study.
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for Master's degree in
Recreation and Tourism, in the Department of Recreation and
Tourism at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2010.
Keywords
National Parks -- Lesotho