Sustainable Tourism

The Okavango delta provides an open-air laboratory for intellectual exploration of issues relating to sustainable tourism. Enter the Sustainable Tourism programme at ORI!

Immerse yourself in an environment where tourism issues continuously outplay themselves in your very eyes by doing research with us. You will encounter diverse research scholarship provided by our varied range of researchers, as illustrated by our past research, publications and projects.

Sustainable tourism is a worldwide theme but for the Okavango delta, the uniqueness is in the landscape, the people and the conservation policies of Botswana. We cover the areas of economic, social and environmental perspectives of tourism.  The practical realities of tourism faced by indigenous communities of the Okavango delta form a significant component of our research.

Come join us as we tackle tourism issues from different angles through different lenses.

Take a journey through sustainable tourism research that is crucial for conservation of the natural and cultural resources of the Okavango Delta. Find out how at …

Current Projects

  1. Dr Keitumetse - NEF – Sexaxa village cultural research (from the P2million community funding) – to implement research findings of the Community Based Cultural Heritage Resources (COBACHREM) model, published at: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-32017-5_4
  2. NEED - Fossil Free Wetlands: Renewable Energy Use in Hotels/ Lodges in the Okavango Delta, Botswana – Prof Mbaiwa
  3. Prof Mbaiwa - SASCAL – Task 314 - Exploring Human-Wildlife Interactions in Agro-Ecosystems in northern Botswana  - Prof Mbaiwaiii) SASCAL – Task 349 - Research Capacity Development for the SASSCAL Countries.

Core Members

Name Position Department
Mr Dandy Badimo Lecturer Okavango Research Institute
Dr. Susan Osireditse Keitumetse Research Fellow Okavango Research Institute
Prof. Joseph Elizeri Mbaiwa Director & Professor of Tourism Studies Okavango Research Institute
Prof Patricia Kefilwe Mogomotsi Associate Professor Okavango Research Institute
Dr. Chiedza Ngonidzashe Mutanga Senior Research Fellow in Sustainable Tourism Okavango Research Institute
Dr. Lesego Senyana Stone Senior Research Fellow Okavango Research Institute

Selected Publications

  1. Keitumetse, S. O. (2016). African Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management. (9 chapters) Springer International Publishing: https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319320151
  2. Keitumetse, S. O. (2011). Sustainable development and cultural heritage management in Botswana: Towards sustainable communities. Sustainable Development, 19(1), 49-59.
  3. Madigele, P. K. and Mogomotsi, G.E.J (2017). Polluter pays or polluter enriching the retailers? The case of plastic levy in Botswana. Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management. 10(4): 472 – 481
  4. Madigele, P.K. (2017). Efficiency of Common-Pool Resource Institutions: Focusing on Water Users Associations in South Africa. Environment, Development and Sustainability. DOI: 10.1007/s10668-017-9912-1
  5. Mbaiwa, J.E., Motsholapheko, R.M., Kgathi, D.L. & Monnamorwa, S. (2017). Tourism and Energy Use in Lodges and Camps in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. International Journal of Tourism Policy.
  6. Mbaiwa, J. E. (2003). The socio-economic and environmental impacts of tourism development on the Okavango Delta, north-western Botswana. Journal of arid environments, 54(2), 447-467.
  7. Stone, L.S., Stone, T.M. & Mbaiwa, J.E. (2017). Tourism in Botswana in the last 50 years: A review. Botswana Notes & Records, 49 (1): 57-72
  8. Stone, L. S., & Stone, T. M. (2011). Community-based tourism enterprises: challenges and prospects for community participation; Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust, Botswana. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 19(1), 97-114.

In pursuit of academic excellence

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