The Tourism Growth–Poverty Paradox: Explaining Persistent Rural Poverty in Zambia’s South Luangwa Tourism Corridor

Tourism is promoted as a pathway for poverty reduction, employment creation, and rural development in developing countries. However, persistent poverty in tourism destinations raises questions about whether tourism growth produces inclusive livelihood transformation. This study examines the tourism growth–poverty paradox in Zambia’s South Luangwa Tourism Corridor by assessing how tourism influences household livelihoods and the factors limiting community access to tourism opportunities. A pragmatic mixed-methods design was adopted, combining a survey of 200 households with 20 key informant interviews involving tourism stakeholders, government officials, conservation authorities, traditional leaders, and community representatives. Quantitative data are analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data are analyzed thematically. Guided by the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework and Inclusive Development Theory, the study reveals that tourism growth alone does not reduce poverty where communities experience limited participation, inadequate skills, weak market linkages, and unequal access to tourism benefits.

Tourism growth; rural poverty; livelihood transformation; mixed methods; inclusive development; tourism value chains.

1. Bianchi, R. V., & de Man, F. (2021). Tourism, inclusive development and the politics of sustainability: A critical perspective. Tourism Geographies, 23(4), 673–691. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2020.1761827 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Bramwell, B., & Lane, B. (2018). Governance, the state and sustainable tourism: A political economy approach. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 26(7), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2018.1423175 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis? Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 328–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Chidakel, A., Child, B., & Muyengwa, S. (2021). Evaluating the economic impacts of wildlife tourism in Zambia’s South Luangwa Valley. Ecological Economics, 182, 106933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106933 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2023). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (6th ed.). SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Dossou, T. A. M., Asongu, S. A., Kambaye, E. N., Dossou, K. P., & Alinsato, A. S. (2024). Governance, tourism and inclusive growth in Africa. International Social Science Journal, 74(252), 687–712. https://doi.org/10.1111/issj.12476 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Hall, C. M. (2019). Constructing sustainable tourism development: The 2030 agenda and the managerial ecology of sustainable tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 27(7), 1044–1060. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2018.1560456 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Higgins-Desbiolles, F. (2020). Socialising tourism for social and ecological justice after COVID-19. Tourism Geographies, 22(3), 610–623. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2020.1757748 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2018). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 45, 533–544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Pierre, J., & Peters, B. G. (2020). Governance, politics and the state (2nd ed.). Red Globe Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Rogerson, C. M., & Rogerson, J. M. (2021). Tourism and local economic development in Africa: Contemporary debates and emerging issues. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 10(1), 1–18. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Scheyvens, R., & Biddulph, R. (2018). Inclusive tourism development. Tourism Geographies, 20(4), 589–609. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2017.1381985 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Spenceley, A., Snyman, S. L., & Eagles, P. F. J. (2017). Guidelines for tourism partnerships and concessions for protected areas: Generating sustainable revenues for conservation and development. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. United Nations World Tourism Organization. (2023). Tourism and sustainable development goals: Journey to 2030. UNWTO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. World Bank. (2024). Zambia economic update: Unlocking Zambia’s tourism potential for inclusive growth. World Bank. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Impact of Ownership Structure on Dividend Payout Policy of Listed Plantation Companies in Sri Lanka
• Urban Sustainability in North-East India: A Study through the lens of NER-SDG index
• Performance Assessment of Predictive Forecasting Techniques for Enhancing Hospital Supply Chain Efficiency in Healthcare Logistics
• The Fractured Self in Julian Barnes' Postmodern Fiction: Identity Crisis and Deflation in Metroland and the Sense of an Ending
• Impact of Flood on the Employment, Labour Productivity and Migration of Agricultural Labour in North Bihar