Perceptions of tourism operators towards adaptations to climate change in naturebased tourism: the quest for sustainable tourism in Botswana

Abstract

The effects of climate change have become increasingly evident, andhave been the subject of discussion in the Southern African contextrecently. How climate change impacts on the tourism sector is an issuethat can no longer be ignored because the industry is the mainstay ofmany developing economies, including Botswana. Adaptation strategiesare necessary if the industry is to be sustainable and continue to benefitthe host regions, communities and the tourists. This paper investigatesthe adaptation strategies that Botswana tourism operators have, or areplanning to put in-place, in order to cope with or benefit from climatechange. Surveys and interviews were conducted on local tourismoperators in Tshabong and Maun. The findings indicate that most of theoperators did not have any adaptation strategies in place, even thoughthe majority believed that climate change was a reality. This led usto conclude that the industry will be reactive rather that proactive indealing with climate change