WHITES STILL CONTROL SAFARI TOURISM IN AFRICA

Something to consider next time you’re touring Africa. 

In this clip, travel creator Weyni Tesfai said the tourism industry was built on colonialism, with devastating consequences for local wildlife, as trophy hunting destroyed the harmonious human-wildlife dynamics that preceded colonialism. Much of the same remained even after independence, with the industry catering to and profiting Europeans, leaving Africans with crumbs and ruined ecosystems.

Tourism has grown more than five-fold from 6.7 million visitors in 1990 to 33.8 million in 2012, contributing 2.8 per cent to Africa’s GDP, according to the Africa Policy Research Institute. However, local communities have barely benefited due to the heavy reliance on foreign-owned businesses, imports and profits flowing out of Africa. A World Bank case study of the Tanzanian archipelago of Zanzibar shows that while tourism makes up 27 per cent of GDP and 80 per cent of foreign exchange earnings, locals hold only 25 per cent of jobs, mostly in low-skilled roles, with foreign-owned hotels dominating the market.

The International Monetary Fund and World Bank also played a role in the current affairs as they promoted tourism as a development tool, prioritising foreign investment over local empowerment. These policies liberalised economies to attract international capital, leading to foreign-dominated tourism sectors with minimal local ownership or control. 

On land ownership, the rise of Western conservancies has resulted in the displacement of people under the guise of protecting wildlife. This conveniently leaves out the fact that the only reason wildlife exists in the first place is thanks to custodianship by the same communities.

Video credit: @planbacktoafrica (IG)

Sources

https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/stealth-game-community-conservancies-devastate-northern-kenya

https://afripoli.org/consuming-africa-the-impact-of-tourism-on-local-african-economies