scholarly journals The socio-economic impact of the Table Mountain National Park

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 439-458
Author(s):  
Melville Saayman ◽  
Andrea Saayman ◽  
Riaan Rossouw

This article will determine the socio-economic impact of South Africa’s largest urban national park, and the one that attracts the most visitors. Because national parks have more functions than mere conservation, the following questions arise: “What economic and social impacts are created by such parks?” and “How do communities benefit from allocating land for conservation?” Little research on this topic has been conducted in Southern Africa, and this research therefore contributes to our knowledge. Two surveys were conducted. One focused on the communities surrounding the park and the other on visitors to the park. A Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) determined the economic value. Results showed that, although the park attracts the most visitors, it does not generate the greatest income when compared to other national parks. Results concerning the community survey revealed that the surrounding communities have very positive perceptions, although they believe the impacts to be more economic than social. Problem areas were also identified.

Koedoe ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melville Saayman ◽  
Andrea Saayman ◽  
Madelien Ferreira

National parks in South Africa are seen as major tourism assets due to the wildlife and various activities for international and local visitors. Little is known of the socio-economic contribution of these parks to their respective local economies. The purpose of this research was to determine the socio-economic impact of the Karoo National Park (Karoo NP) in South Africa, especially the economic impact of the Karoo NP on the local economy, the impact of tourism business development in the Karoo district, and how the park affects the community. Three surveys were used to determine the socio-economic impact: a community survey, a business survey and a tourist survey. The results show that the park has an impact in terms of production, income generation and employment in the area, but this impact is not as significant as that of other national parks in South Africa. A small percentage (4%) of businesses in Beaufort West owe their existence to the Karoo NP, but most rely on tourist spending. For the park to have a greater impact, it is imperative to increase accommodation capacity, offer more activities and promote activities and attractions in the region.Conservation implication: The importance of this article lies in the economic value that conservation management generates as well as identifying the benefits that communities derive from the existence of a national park. It also supports the notion that conservation entails more than just conserving fauna and flora and highlights the interdependence of conservation, tourism and community participation.


Koedoe ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Oberholzer ◽  
Melville Saayman ◽  
Andrea Saayman ◽  
Elmarie Slabbert

South African National Parks (SANParks) plays a major role in the tourism industry and has three primary functions, namely to conserve biodiversity, to create tourism and recreational opportunities and to build strong community relations. These parks, therefore, have a definite socio-economic impact on adjacent communities, although little is known about this impact. The main aim of this study was to determine the socio-economic impact of Africa’s oldest marine park, namely Tsitsikamma National Park, which forms part of the newly created Garden Route National Park. This was done by conducting three surveys during April 2008: a visitor’s survey (156 respondents), a community survey (132 respondents) and a business survey (11 respondents). We found that the park has a positive economic impact on the surrounding area and that the community exhibits a favourable attitude towards Tsitsikamma National Park. The results also differed when compared to similar studies conducted at other national parks in South Arica and one of the main reasons for this was that the park is located in a touristic area. For a greater impact however, the park should expand its marine activities, while communication with the local community could also be improved.Conservation implications: Good community relations and ecotourism activities are important components of good conservation practices. This research indicates that tourism activities not only generated funds for conservation, but also benefited the local communities of Tsitsikamma National Park. The positive attitude of local communities makes conservation of biodiversity more sustainable.


2021 ◽  
Vol 940 (1) ◽  
pp. 012065
Author(s):  
N S Lestari ◽  
G K Sari ◽  
Kusmayanti ◽  
W V Ponekke ◽  
F Saputra ◽  
...  

Abstract As a conservation area, national parks play essential roles in environmental services provision and have the potential to support the REDD+ program. This study aims to estimate appropriate incentives for national parks based on carbon units by integrating the economic value of environmental services and carbon stock provided by the lowland dry forest ecosystem in Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park (BNWNP) consisted of North Sulawesi and Gorontalo areas. Carbon stock was estimated by establishing sample plots, including five carbon pools. While the economic valuation of environmental services includes biodiversity using the market approach, ecotourism using the zonal travel cost method, and water service using simulation water regulation services method and market approach. The total ecosystem carbon stock in BNWNP is estimated at 73.67 Mton. Meanwhile, the estimation of the economic value of environmental services is about IDR 70.57 trillion. Based on these results, the appropriate carbon values are IDR 683,308 and IDR 1,304,238 per ton carbon for the lowland dry forest ecosystem in Gorontalo and North Sulawesi areas. This result indicates that given its essential environmental services, the incentive for protecting national parks may exceed the carbon value used in result-based payment scheme in REDD+ initiatives that have been implemented.


Author(s):  
Gulsun Yildirim

This study finds out how the balance of use and protection of Kackar Mountains National Park is from the perspective of visitors. In the study, a method based on tourist perception was used by using the website reviews of the tourists. The data was obtained using Trip Advisor, which is one of the most visited travel sites. Website reviews of the tourists for Kackar Mountains National Park is primarily collected through this website. 150 visitor comments were content analyzed. The themes were defined based on the report of Kackar Mountains National Park Directorate. The results show that Ayder plateau is the one which is under high risk related to the protection and usage balance in Kackar Mountains National Park, and it was found that the capacity of the ecological carriage and the administrative / physical carrying capacity were exceeded in that plateau. Ecological indicators have warned against significant danger. Therefore, authorities should take urgent measures as soon as possible.


1996 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 229-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
JEFF BENNETT ◽  
ROB GILLESPIE ◽  
ROY POWELL ◽  
LINDEN CHALMERS

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