Leveraging Community-Based Ecotourism for Socio-Economic Empowerment: A Case Study of The People’s Path Project in North-Western Botswana

Olivia Unopa Nthoi; Tonderai Vumbunu; Ivy Rose Mathew; Nametsegang Motshegwa; Sethunya Mogami

doi:10.2991/978-94-6463-906-3_25

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Leveraging Community-Based Ecotourism for Socio-Economic Empowerment: A Case Study of The People’s Path Project in North-Western Botswana

Authors

Olivia Unopa Nthoi¹^{, *}, Tonderai Vumbunu¹, Ivy Rose Mathew¹, Nametsegang Motshegwa¹, Sethunya Mogami¹

¹Botho University, Gaborone, Botswana

^*Corresponding author. Email: olivia.nthoi@bothouniversity.ac.bw

Corresponding Author

Olivia Unopa Nthoi

Available Online 12 December 2025.

DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6463-906-3_25 How to use a DOI?
Keywords: Community-based tourism; ecotourism; Botswana; empowerment; qualitative research; cultural heritage
Abstract: The People’s Path Project (PPP) was a community-based ecotourism initiative implemented in north-western Botswana between 2021 and 2025. Designed to integrate marginalized communities into the tourism economy, it focused on empowering women and youth, enhancing market access, and preserving cultural heritage. Using a qualitative design underpinned by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and thematic analysis, the study explored stakeholder experiences across five communities. Findings reveal that PPP fostered multi-dimensional empowerment, including economic participation, cultural revival, and psychological confidence, but also faced challenges in governance, digital capacity, and brand cohesion. The study concludes that community-led ecotourism can advance sustainable development when supported by robust governance, digital literacy, and cooperative frameworks. It offers practical guidance for scaling and institutionalizing inclusive ecotourism models in similar contexts.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access: Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title: Proceedings of Botho University International Research Conference (BUIRC 2025)
Series: Atlantis Highlights in Sustainable Development
Publication Date: 12 December 2025
ISBN: 978-94-6463-906-3
ISSN: 3005-155X
DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6463-906-3_25 How to use a DOI?
Open Access: Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

ris enw bib

TY  - CONF
AU  - Olivia Unopa Nthoi
AU  - Tonderai Vumbunu
AU  - Ivy Rose Mathew
AU  - Nametsegang Motshegwa
AU  - Sethunya Mogami
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/12
TI  - Leveraging Community-Based Ecotourism for Socio-Economic Empowerment: A Case Study of The People’s Path Project in North-Western Botswana
BT  - Proceedings of Botho University International Research Conference (BUIRC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 411
EP  - 417
SN  - 3005-155X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-906-3_25
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-906-3_25
ID  - Nthoi2025
ER  -

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