Exploring the Resilience of Wildlife Tourism in Zimbabwe: Global Risks and Sector-Specific Coping Strategies

Wildlife tourism is a significant socio-economic pillar of most Sub-Saharan countries, including Zimbabwe. For the past few decades, it has maintained a remarkable upward growth trajectory worldwide sustaining diverse economic value chains and livelihoods riding on an abundant wildlife resource base. However, there is a growing concern about emerging trends of multiple global risks and crises, which threaten the resilience of wildlife tourism hence putting economies and communities’ livelihoods under significant threat. Consequently, it becomes important for policymakers, governments, institutions governing wildlife resources, and tourism practitioners to strengthen the resilience of such an important sector against the volatility of the broader global environment. This is pertinent amid a resurgence of global headwinds with potential to impact adversely on wildlife tourism. This chapter examines the resilience of wildlife tourism in Zimbabwe in a multi-faceted way using interpretive research methodologies. This chapter seeks to address the following research questions. What are the global risks and local crises which threaten the resilience of wildlife tourism in Zimbabwe? What aspects of the wildlife tourism subsector were negatively affected by crises at an enterprise level? What are the wildlife tourism sector-specific coping strategies? A key informant interview technique was employed with 15 managers purposively selected from the wildlife tourism sector, and a thematic content analysis was then used for data analysis. Findings suggest that despite the dominance of wildlife tourism in Zimbabwe, the sector is reeling under tremendous pressure from a combination of unresolved trophy hunting issues, incessant bickering among wildlife resources governance institutions, wildfires, and climate change-induced ecological challenges. Closure of facilities, underutilisation, loss of jobs, income, sources of livelihood, and reduced gate takings are significant negative impacts caused by crises at an enterprise level in the wildlife tourism value chain. Furthermore, findings reveal that increasing ground boots coupled with aerial surveillance, community engagement, and undertaking broad-based wildlife tourism educational campaigns can significantly strengthen the resilience of the sector. The study has policy and practical implications.