Maximising the Local Pro-Poor Impacts of Dive Tourism: Sodwana Bay, South Africa

Abstract

This article examines the local impacts of dive tourism in a South African case study, namely Sodwana Bay in Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal province. Using extensive primary research interviews with key tourism stakeholders and local product owners, dive tourism at Sodwana Bay is considered an example of niche tourism in small-town South Africa. It is argued that opportunities exist for extending local pro-poor impacts if several challenges are addressed concerning improved skill levels, the institutional environment and extending local small business opportunities.