The importance of rural communities’ participation in the management of tourism management : A case study from Lesotho

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to analyse the importance of rural communities’ participation in the management of tourism development. Design/methodology/approach – A case study was conducted at the Katse and Mohale Tourism Development Area of Lesotho. This study was conducted in three villages adjacent to the Ts’ehlanyane Nature Reserve: Ha ‘Mali, Bokong Nature Reserve; Ha Lejone and Liphofung Nature Reserve; and Phelandaba using a mixed method design. In-depth interviews were conducted with Conservation Committee Forum members, and a survey was conducted on various stakeholders that included local rural communities, local authorities, nature reserve managers, tourism officers and environmental/conservation officers. Findings – Respondents from all three villages (Ha Lejone, Ha ‘Mali and Phelandaba) shared the same preference of greater community involvement and decision-making power in the management of tourism. Ha ‘Mali and Ha Lejone respondents recognised community members’ participation but the Phelandaba respondents generally disagreed that the communities were involved in management, as they indicated not being consulted in any planning about tourism. Practical implications – This study concluded that governments should not merely set aside conservation areas or construct tourist destinations in rural areas but should also empower local communities to participate in all stages of planning, developing and managing the tourism venture. Involving community members in the formulation of supporting tourism regulations, implementation, monitoring and evaluation procedures would be beneficial for sustainable development of rural tourism. Building partnership amongst all tourism-related stakeholders in rural tourism management is an ideal tool for promoting rural tourism. Originality/value – Although the case study specifically referred to KMTD, the information gathered was used to formulate a model of the elements influencing rural tourism benefit-sharing processes from the perspective of a rural local community.