| Summary: | This study addresses the misunderstanding in the tourism development literature about the role and importance of locals’ leaders in promoting participation of local communityies in tourism activities. It can certainly not be denied that no person knows the affairs of an area better than locals, in particular community leaders, as they are in the forefront of community affairs. This is correspondingly the case in this research as it confirms that community leaders in tourism development are undoubtedly well
placed community constituents to access the knowledge and resources of local people for tourism. The question that is on everyone’s mind remains unanswered as to whether community leaders fully understand their role in pushing the agenda of community participation as far as tourism is concerned.
This study was conducted to examine the role of community leadership in promoting the idea of active participation by their community members in matters relating to tourism activities. Lack of funding opportunities, lack of skills and education, and negative perceptions towards tourism, were all identified as challenges that render community leaders ineffectual in their quest to include the broader community in tourism affairs. However, it is worth noting that the existing leadership of for example, Umhlwazini in
South Africa, has done nothing tangible to foster the element of community participation into tourism activities. If community participation is in fact at the top of the agenda for tourism authorities, transformational change is urgently required.
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