The Swaziland Environment Action Plan (SEAP)

RECOMMENDED POLICY AND STRATEGY FRAMEWORK

1.11 TOURISM

Strictly speaking, the tourism development policy does not fall under the rural land and environment policy. It is accommodated here considering that most tourism activities are related to rural land use and its environment, most prominently the nature reserves. However, it is obvious that strong links exist with the urban and peri-urban policies (e.g. accommodation, tourist markets, sports, recreation).

ISSUES SUMMARY

Environment

Role and potential of ecotourism insufficiently emphasized and promoted.
Importance of biodiversity in the overall context of ecology and tourism not adequately addressed.
Erosion and land degradation (along roads, hill sides, valleys, etc.) not conducive to tourism in general and ecotourism in particular.
Pollution, waste and rubbish dumps occurring in areas with potential for tourism.
Inadequate ecological management of tourist attractions.
Insufficient development of national parks.

Management

Urgent need for a central tourism coordinating agency.
Lack of a comprehensive national tourism development policy and strategy.
Need to improve management of tourist sites and events.
Lack of community involvement in managing tourist attractions.
Lack of flexibility in the tourist industry to follow market developments and adapt to changes in the tourism sector.
Need to improve collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Lack of cooperation between owners/managers of game parks and nature reserves; there is competition rather than coordination.
Decline in occupation rate of hotels and other facilities.
Short duration of the average stay of tourists in Swaziland.
Favourable location of Swaziland in the region not optimally exploited.

Administration/Facilities

Insufficient promotion, advertising and marketing of Swaziland tourist attractions.
Constraints with immigration and customs operations, including opening hours of border posts, visa restrictions, luggage handling and import declarations.
Accessibility by air not favourable due to low flight frequencies, low capacity and airport irregularities.
Problems of tour operators with Customs Union permits.

SUMMARY POLICY PROPOSALS

Status of Policy

An undated draft Swaziland National Tourism Development Policy available, prepared by the then Ministry of Broadcasting, Information and Tourism. This draft has a strong bias towards strengthening government capabilities and is weakly defined in terms of practical strategies. There is a current initiative to formulate a comprehensive policy.

Broad Overall Objective

To establish, support and promote a sustainable, efficient and diversified tourist industry, based on the broad scala of integrated cultural and ecological attractions of Swaziland.

Policy Principles

Tourism be developed in harmony with the cultural traditions and environmental values.
Tourism be considered as inextricably linked with the environment and natural resources and be managed accordingly.

Policy Practical Elements

Tourism be promoted making full use of the scenic, environmental and biological diversity of Swaziland.
Ecotourism be promoted and developed as one of the key areas of tourist interest.
Archaeological, historical and cultural heritage sites be safeguarded and where possible made accessible for tourism.
Game park/nature reserve facilities be carefully appraised and monitored with respect to carrying capacity.
Tax on tourism be raised and the revenue be used for the management of natural and cultural resources.

Policy Supportive Elements

Existing legislation be appraised and comprehensive legislation on tourism be formulated, endorsed and implemented.
Education programmes be introduced to emphasize the economic and environmental importance of tourism.
Tourism awareness campaigns be formulated and executed to identify opportunities for tourism and to introduce sustainable communal management of sites and attractions.
Research be conducted with respect to tourist markets in order to identify and analyse demands, priorities and preferences.
Institutional support be strengthened to promote tourism, with proper definition of one central coordinating body consisting of representatives of the public and private sectors.

SUMMARY STRATEGY PROPOSALS

Overall strategic approach

On the basis of the above proposed policy it is important to work out a coherent overall strategic framework in which the separate strategy elements and action plans will fit. On a national basis it is essential to define priorities in the development of tourism.

To develop tourism in zonal concentrations of major activities and attractions.

A pattern of small-scale elements and scattered locations is not attractive to the average tourist. Planning of zonal development should take advantage of recent regional developments and proposals, as the Maputo corridor and the proposed linkages of parks and reserves across the border in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. The Lebombo ridge of Swaziland forms an essential link in this chain.

To strongly promote ecotourism as essential in the overall context of tourism, with strong emphasis on developing the potential of the communal rural areas.

Ecotourism is one of the fastest growing forms of tourism. Swaziland has an excellent potential to develop ecotourism. The biodiversity of the game parks and nature reserves should form the backbone, with cultural and historic attractions as added values. The communal rural areas are largely unexplored and unexploited in terms of ecotourism. Programmes should be worked out for tourists to visit unspoilt rural areas, with the opportunity to contact communities, and seeing the daily routine in villages and homesteads.

The various options of ecotourism need to be offered in attractive combinations and packages, supported by biophysical, cultural and historic background information as well as by accurate location and route descriptions.

To attract ecotourism Swaziland has to ensure that the impact of tourism on the environment is minimal. Swaziland has also to demonstrate that her natural and ecological resources are sustainably managed. At present there is room for improvement. Environmental Impact Assessment has to be carried out by all developers in all relevant areas.

To ensure community participation in the planning, decision making, development and management of tourist attractions, especially if these occur associated with the community.

There are many opportunities to develop tourism activities managed by communities. Emphasis should be put on the rural areas, but not be restricted to them: urban and peri-urban areas also have communities which can be involved in the running of tourist attractions, e.g. markets.

Community involvement can take place in many different ways, such as in the management of archaeological monuments and cultural sites (e.g. bushman paintings and engravings), folklore shows, handicraft production, showing the traditional rural Swazi way of life, local markets, guidance to springs and caves, scenic walking routes showing the beauty of the landscape, picnic sites, impressive erosion sites, traditional land use, etc.

Communities need to be activated and guided in the development of tourism. Workshops and community meetings have to be arranged in order to make communities familiar with tourist opportunities and assist them with the planning.

To establish a National Tourism Development Board with representatives of all stakeholders in the tourist industry (government, NGO's, private sector, game park/reserves management, communities, tourist markets, etc.).

The coverage should be as wide as possible and also include representatives from sectors or departments where interests may be opposite to those of the tourist industry (e.g. roads, manufacturing industry, plantation forestry, agriculture). The board as such should also function as a forum.

Tasks include the following:

To enhance international cooperation.

To strengthen liaison with regional and international tourist institutions.

To promote intersectoral collaboration, especially between competing government ministries and departments.

To advise and assist communities in developing tourist opportunities.

To coordinate management of tourist sites with all stakeholders, including communities.

Practical Strategy Elements

The tourism industry to be developed with the flexibility to respond to changes in tourism patterns and tourists demands.
To expand the tourism base in order to prolong the average stay of tourists in Swaziland.

This may be achieved by creating additional tourist locations and destinations or by making attractive combinations of existing ones. It is important to compare the offered tours and packages with comparable destinations in neighbouring South Africa, in terms of accommodation, quality, price, security and variety. The tourist industry in the region is very competitive.

To identify and prioritize places of tourist interest and to develop sites and attractions in an ecologically sound manner.
To coordinate, link and integrate small tourist components into attractive packages.
To identify and describe scenic routes to link cultural, historical and other interesting sites.

The above strategic points need to be addressed in a systematic way. The aim should be to define a variable and flexible set of well documented ecotrips and other tours. The following procedure can be applied, the first part with respect to the inventory of each individual site, the second to the formation of packages and ecotrips:

(1) - Identify and categorize places of interest (cultural, historical, biophysical, landscape, preservation, etc.), actual and planned.
Define and map the locations and access roads.
Collect background information.
Complete comprehensive documentation for each site.

(2) - Combine sites and areas into packages of attractions with various length and interest, following the zonal approach.
Identify and describe scenic routes to link the tourist destinations.
Prepare documentation on ecotrips and other touristic tours, including maps and route descriptions.

To improve the infrastructure of tourist attractions, such as access roads, public facilities, water, electricity, communications, health service, emergency services, security.
To balance tourist activities with other major land uses such as forestry, agriculture, mining, industry etc., and where possible include these in the overall package of touristic destinations.
To link tourism arrangements with set dates and venues of major recurrent cultural events such as Umhlanga and Incwala. Dates need to be fixed far in advance to include the events on the international tourist calendar.
To further develop and secure international dual-location package tours with KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga/Northern Transvaal destinations.

Operational and Supportive Strategies

Present recommendations as in the draft tourism policy suggest a strong coordinating and active role of the Tourism Department in matters as promotion of tourism overseas. This should not be the responsibility for the government alone, but be one of the main tasks of the proposed Tourism Board. The relevant recommendations need be reviewed.

The most efficient way of promoting Swaziland tourism is probably not through the establishment of Swaziland tourist offices overseas and additional staff with embassies and consulates. Such operation is going to be very costly and its efficiency may be doubted. There are too few diplomatic posts to ensure a comprehensive coverage and network.

The preferred option would be to enhance the liaison of the Department of Tourism and the proposed Tourism Development Board with commercial tourist bureaus and tour operators.

To improve marketing, advertising, dissemination of information and sale of Swaziland tourist destinations through enhanced liaison of the Swaziland Government and Tourist Development Board with international tourist bureaus and tour operators.
To improve the information base on tourism, including statistical analysis and research.
To improve administrative support and planning in the Tourism Department though improving the training and budget facilities. In this respect an appraisal of the present capabilities and functioning would be required.
To review and extend border opening hours, including assessment of the feasibility to re-open the Mhlumeni border post.
To improve border services, including immigration and customs control. To introduce joint Swaziland/RSA single border stops.
To review and facilitate visa requirements for tourists in order to eliminate uncertainties, especially with individual travellers (from e.g. EU countries), which may influence the decision making on selecting holiday destinations.
To introduce Environmental Management Plans in order to improve the environmental aspects of hotel and other facilities (sewerage, solid waste treatment, water and energy saving, etc.).
To introduce a Tourist Tax System, which revenue should be used to support the Tourism Development Board and the rural communities in the management of touristic sites.
To improve licensing procedures for casinos.

KEY REFERENCE MATERIAL

Remmelzwaal, A. 1996. Summary Paper on Tourism (with Annexes).

MINISTERIAL INVOLVEMENT

Primarily MTEC, secondarily MNRE and MEE, but also with MOAC, MPWT & MHUD involvement.