Ecotourism as a mechanism for local economic development: the case of communities adjacent to the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Scholars and stakeholders involved in the tourism industry share a common view that ecotourism has demonstrated a great potential for attracting both local and international visitors. Subsequently, the ecotourism sector has been advocated as one of the fundamental components of the tourism industry resulting mainly from its potential for conserving natural resources whilst enhancing the socioeconomies of the nearer communities. A review of literature indicates that most of the developed and developing countries use their scenic natural resources for tourism purposes. The study, therefore, sought to find out how ecotourism contributes towards the local economic development of the study area. The study was conducted at the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve and surrounding communities (Murchison and Eshobeni). The population of the study comprised of the municipal officials, community tourism organisation, Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve’s Management, community leaders, and households of the communities adjacent to the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve. A sample of 384 respondents was drawn from the population using a convenience sampling technique. Exploratory mixed methods design was adopted by the study, which suggests that both qualitative and quantitative modes of research enquiry were used during the collection, analysis and interpretation of data. Survey questionnaires were used to collect the data through face-to-face mode of enquiry. Qualitative data were analysed through content analysis, while quantitative data were analysed through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version. 24). The findings of the study demonstrate that ecotourism contributes to the local economic development of the study area through employment creation and capacity building.