Tourism as a Means for Development in Livingstone, Zambia: Impacts among Local Stakeholders Tourism as a Means for Development in Livingstone, Zambia: Impacts among Local Stakeholders

As the Zambian government has attempted to diversify the national economy following the collapse of the copper price in the 1980s, tourism has become an essential focus. Livingstone, undeniably Zambia's tourism capital, has experienced rapid growth both economically and socially, becoming a tourism hotspot within the Southern African region. With this growth has come the opportunity for local people to become involved in the tourism industry, giving tourism the potential to become an industry that is both socially and economically sustainable. Whilst a number of recent reports, policies and external comments focus strongly on tourism's economic potential, many have failed to include the perspectives of local industry stakeholders. This article addresses three key local stakeholder groups: workers in the craft industry, tourism-based employees, and guesthouse and lodge operators, in order to gain understanding of the current impact of tourism at the grassroots level, and to identify possible future pathways with the potential to ensure that tourism in Livingstone contributes to positive livelihood development.