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The richness and diversity of ecosystems in
Mpumalanga underpins a flourishing tourism industry, which
contributes significantly to the provincial and national economy.
This indicator measures the annual number of visitors utilising
conserved areas and thus the potential tourism value of these areas.
Through tourism and an increased awareness of conservation and
biodiversity, employment opportunities within the tourism sector
have increased significantly in the province. It is important to
understand the link between conservation and its economic potential, especially in light of the
country's development goals. In contrast the higher
the visitor numbers, the greater the potential negative
impact on conserved areas, although increased use of these
areas will however provide greater justification and support for their
maintenance.
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| Assessment of
Data |
Although potential sources for such data would obviously be the
tourism authorities in the province, such as Mpumalanga Tourism
Authority (MTA), South African National Parks (SANP), Forever
Aventura Resorts (Badplaas and Loskop) and Mpumalanga Parks Board
(MPB). Obtaining data for this indicator has however been a problem
and there is therefore an obvious need for a provincial
database to be established for the compilation of this data and a
record of tourism numbers is essential in order to establish trends
to determine the development of appropriate mechanisms to respond to
either increases or decreases in tourist numbers and their potential
impacts on biodiversity in the province.
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