Case Study: Okavango Delta - Conflict, Supply/Demand, Tourism Impacts

This case study examines the Okavango Delta in Botswana, focusing on tourism's impact, stakeholder conflicts, and the balance of supply and demand. It explores the pros and cons of the delta as a tourist destination, highlighting its contribution to the GDP and the influx of tourists. The analysis delves into the importance of balancing supply and demand, the factors influencing customer satisfaction, and the role of infrastructure in the tourism industry. The study also investigates the positive and negative impacts of enclave tourism, including limited interaction with locals and economic dependence on foreign services. Furthermore, it compares tourism development issues in Nepal and Thailand, discussing economic benefits, environmental impacts, and infrastructure challenges. Finally, the study offers recommendations for sustainable tourism practices in Nepal and Thailand, emphasizing environmental protection, government-private sector collaboration, and effective advertising to promote tourism. The paper references several academic sources to support its findings, providing a comprehensive overview of the complexities of tourism development in these regions.

CASE STUDY

1. Examining methods to resolve conflict among stakeholders and discussing pros and cons of
Okavango delta
The Okavango Delta located in north western Botswana consist of wetland zone extended
over 550 square miles and possess an international importance wildlife habitat. It is a home for
more than 1,20,000 people.
From 1966, the tourism has grown in Okavango Delta and it helps in boosting the GDP
upto 5%, due to this it is considered as second largest revenue generating sector(Canosa,
Graham and Wilson, 2017).
Pros of Okavango delta as tourist destination
 At time of independence, there were no tourist in Botswana economy. But after that there
has been development in that region.
 Various tourist visits Okavango delta every year to visit and enjoy the wildlife.
 Many foreign tourists from Europe, USA, Australia and New Zealand and various other
visitors stay in places that ranges from lavishing hotels to camps.
Cons of Okvango Delta as tourist destinations
 Administration of Botswana has considered tourism as one of the most beneficial and
economy developing sector. It provides various opportunities thorough which they are
able to to strengthen their economical structure.
 Distinct developing nature of Okavango, have reduced the positive impact in various
way.
2. Representation of balance between supply and demand.
Demand and supply are considered as essential element for the economic activity. Supply
can be termed as the amount of specific good or services that are given to the customers.
Demand is the desire of consumers and customers spending on a specific good at a particular
price. If one or both changes then according to the principle of supply and demand there will be
no balance in product quantity that are ready to sell and amount to consumers are ready to
purchase.
Therefore, a proper understanding of supply and demand can lead to high profitability in
the region. It is important to balance the demand and supply in that region has it will decrease the
number of unemployed people and also basic facilities will be provided to them.

Supply and demand have an essential terms that will determine the goods prices. Many
organisations make use of such market relationships to make decisions on strategic productions.
This balancing of demand and supply will give a close approximation of allocating resources
according to the demands and requirement of people in that region.
Balancing demand and supply will be beneficial to that area by increasing their growth
and providing facilities to the people that are living there and decrease the situations related to
unemployment and food shortage.
The factors that are related to customer may affect demand and supply. Demand and
supply in various regions depend upon satisfaction of customer. People choose visiting places
that offer overall satisfaction. One of the maintaining this is by providing effective services to the
clients, such as employees provides various details informations related to the travelling. It helps
in demonstrating services and products to their respective customers. Through various options,
customers are able to select one. During the era of extreme competition, effective and promising
services helps in attracting customers and increases growth of company. Along with this various
offers should be also provided, because customers always wants more (Almeida, A. and Garrod,
2017).
The services provided in the form of accommodation and transportation also helps in
identifying tourism supplies and demands. Tourists wants to visit places that offer packages
with facilities of lavishing packages .These things develop memorable travelling experience by
looking for hotels away from the desirable location. These facilities can be easily provided at
different locations, in order to provide effective experience to the customers.
Along with facilities, infrastructure is equally responsible for the growth of supply and
demand of travel industry. Travellers always considers locations that are offering effective
services such as better transportation facilities, good road network, food, health services and so
on. There are considered as major factors behind the high visitor ratio of developed countries
such as USA,France, Spain and so on. Along with this there are various other factors are also
available that plays significant role in the supply and demand chain, like nature, climate,
political stability, terrorist and so on.
The balance of demand and supply in Okavango Delta will also impact the
tourism there and will bring about a positive development benefit and new economic
opportunities.

This balance will reduce the heavy dependence on foreign services as most of food supplies are
from South Africa. Effective plans and strategies need to be made to balance the demand and
supply. The supply can change due to lack of availability for a specific material, scarcity etc. The
number of factors that might affect the demand of products like customer preferences, gradual
increase in cost of services can also influence the supply and demand chain of travel and tourism
industry, can results in the form of reduced income and number of buyers etc. The supply of
goods and services can be made from various factors like production capacity, production costs
etc.
The impact of balancing the demand and supply in Okavango Delta will bring out
positive outcome as it will lead to the growth of that area and equal opportunities will be given to
all. It will reduce the number of unemployment population and also will reduce the poverty of
people residing over there (Marmo, R. and Baggio, 2017).
3. Positive and negative impact enclave tourism for Okavango Delta
The enclave tourism has both positive and negative impact on Okavango Delta
Positive impact of enclave tourism for Okavango Delta
 With the help of enclave tourism, the tourism has developed in the Okavango Delta.
Negative impact of enclave tourism for Okavango Delta
 The Botswana government adopted tourism as a sector that would bring positive
development benefits and new economic opportunities. Distinct developing nature of Okavango, have reduced the positive impact in various
way.
The negative impacts are-:
 Limited interaction of domestic and travellers. Most of the travellers prefers airway
transportation services. Therefore, the visitors of Okavango are shifted and reduces into
air and road travelling modes. Due to lack of tourism culture they are provided with small
expenditure by the visitors in the villages and outside areas.
 Dependence on the foreign services are heavy and there are weak connection with
remaining sector is affecting the economy of Botswana. More than 70% of tourist
infrastructure are controlled by international organisation and most of food services
provider are South Africa.

 From tourism, the Botswana region I not benefited much. Wit increased partnership of
foreign companies, customers are delivered tourism services outside the country. The
companies handling bookings and other arrangement are also foreign. Over about 70% of
revenue from tourism Okavango is not a part of it.
 Tourism have led to the development of employment by giving 1,60,000 job in the
region, and such jobs are provided to local community and are low-skill jobs such as
maid, kitchen staff, drivers etc. And the higher level job posts are occupied by the
workers of foreign who are experienced and are expertise in their field.
There are problems to recover from local taxation from companies registered outside of
Botswana, only 11% of people residing in Okavango delta pay taxes (Reitsamer, B.F. and
Brunner-Sperdin, 2017).Comparing the current tourism development issues related to
Nepal and Thailand.
The current issues that are faced by the development of tourism in Thailand and nepal are as
follows-:
 The tourism brings about a lot of economic benefits to Nepal and Thailand unlike
Okavango Delta. It contributes towards a GDP and enhance the creation of job
opportunities.
 Through economic benefits the GDP of both Nepal and Thailand not only gives direct
income to GDP, they also contribute indirectly. The government spend too much in
tourism marketing and promotion unlike the government of Okavango Delta that pay a
very little attention to its tourism promotion (Shrestha, 2017).
 There are bad impact on the environment due to the tourism in Nepal such as air, noise,
water pollution. Along with this soil erosion and deforestation are also increased.
 Deforestation is considered as one of the biggest environmental issue. The Khumbu
national is highly influenced. The tourist makes use of firewood to make food and heat
due to lack of resources in these areas. The cleaning of mountains by cutting trees results
into deforestation. It is creating huge loss of soil and also affecting wildlife.
 The research conducted on geographical location are limited.
 The population of Thailand is to large due to which they are not able to interact with
every visitors or travellers.

 Lack of effectiveness of the awareness programs in a proper manner on roads, electricity,
communication that is related to infrastructure.
 There is a lack of advertisement and communication due to which proper promotions are
not done.
5.Recommendations for future development of Thai and Nepal
To stop deforestation in Nepal and Thailand tourism one should plant more trees, go
paperless, recycle and products that are recycled and search for Forest Steardship Council
certification on wood. To ensure the development of Nepal tourism the government, private
sector, public sectors need to work together so as to meet the objective. Proper advertising and
promotions need to be done to promote Nepal tourism throughout the world. Sustainable
practices required to be followed in tourism of Nepal to stop the harmful impact that tourism is
creating on environment. Go green practices need to be followed like using LED lights to save
electricity etc.
Today more and more tour operators use sustainability approach. Not just because the
consumers want this but also, they know that these eco-friendly practices are important for
survival of tourism (Thomas, 2017). The operators act in sustainable manner by saving water and
electricity etc. This use of practices in Nepal tourism will access increased job opportunities in
travel and tourism industry. For this they are providing various training, learning and
development activities. A successful tourism industry with healthy private sector decrease the
dependency on the government. The sustainable practice will be beneficial for economic, social
and environmental factors.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Almeida, A. and Garrod, B., 2017. Experiences With Local Food in a Mature Tourist
Destination: The Importance of Consumers' Motivations. Journal of Gastronomy and
Tourism, 2(3), pp.173-187.
Canosa, A., Graham, A. and Wilson, E., 2017. Growing up in a tourist destination: negotiating
space, identity and belonging. Children's Geographies, pp.1-13.
Giraldi, A. and Cesareo, L., 2017. Film marketing opportunities for the well-known tourist
destination. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 13(2), pp.107-118.
Marmo, R. and Baggio, R., 2017. Building confidence measures for tourist destination
choice. International Journal of Tourism Sciences, 17(1), pp.61-66.
Reitsamer, B.F. and Brunner-Sperdin, A., 2017. Tourist destination perception and well-being:
What makes a destination attractive?. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 23(1), pp.55-72.
Shrestha, J.K., 2017. Development of a decision support model for optimization of tour time to
visit tourist destination points in a city. Geographical Journal of Nepal, 10, pp.29-38.
Thomas, T.K., 2017. Measuring Community Impact Assessment for Internal Destination
Performance Evaluation in an Exploring Tourist Destination. Atna Journal of Tourism
Studies, 10(1), pp.53-71.