Environmental management plan as a tool for tourism development within
| dc.contributor.advisor | Nzama, A.T. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Magi, L.M. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Mhlongo, Sabelo Khayelihle | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2013-01-08T08:26:00Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2013-01-08T08:26:00Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2011 | |
| dc.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, 2011. | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | The study on the Environmental Management Plan as a tool for Tourism Development within uMkhanyakude District Municipality was conducted in consideration of tourism industry being the tourists' destination as well as the major source of income in the region. There are various factoid that contributed immensely toward the growth of tourism in the study area. This study has identified that Environmental Management Plan (BMP) as one of the factors that played a significant role in ensuring authenticity of natural environment which forms the basis for tourism development. The objectives of the study are an important component of this research because they paved the direction that this study followed. The objectives of the study were as follow: • Objective 1: To investigate the strategies used for protection and conservation of environment and natural resources for tourism development; • Objective 2: To find out if the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) serves as tool for tourism development; • Objective 3: To establish the status quo of tourism development within uMkhanyakude District Municipality; • Objective 4: To investigate the level of implementation of Environmental Management Plan (EMP) of uMkhanyakude District Municipality. Data were collected through the use of questionnaires which had both open and close ended questions. After the data were collected, it was analysed using SPSS. This programme was used to fomiulate frequency tables, graphs and related analysis. There were vanous findings that were deduced from the responses of the interviewees. The findings of the study depicted that strategies and methods for protection and conservation of environmental resources exist in the study area. The strategies linked the importance and value of environmental resources towards tourism development. It prevailed that the inhabitants of uMkhanyakude District Municipality value the nature and its role in providing tourism related opportunities as well as other benefits to the local people. There are organisations and departments that played a major role in ensuring that the environment remains the first priority in the operations of local communities. According to respondents' perceptions, organisations such as Reperial Reforestation, WWF, WESSA, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, DEAT, Water Affairs and Forestry have played a significant role in inculcating the essence of the environment in the local communities of the study area. The findings of the study led to several recommendations that would assist in enhancing the implementation of BMP. The proper implementation of BMP will positively influence tourism development and directly contribute to economic growth of the study area. Recommendations included the following: (a) that methods and strategies to protect and conserve the environment should be reinforced, (b) that stakeholders (including government, private sectors and community) should be involved in developing and implementing BMP in their local municipality, (c) that the EMP should be developed taking into cognizance both environmental and tourism issues, as these two aspects are assumed to be intertwined, (d) uMkhanyakude District Municipality should provide personnel that will monitor the implementation of the EMP in the local municipalities and finally (e) that tourism as a subject should be introduced and promoted in schools. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10530/1126 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | University of Zululand | en_US |
| dc.subject | Environmental management -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal -- Umkhanyakude | en_US |
| dc.subject | Tourism development -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal -- Umkhanyakude | en_US |
| dc.title | Environmental management plan as a tool for tourism development within | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |