ABSTRACT
As a global phenomenon, ecotourism is influenced by numerous stakeholders ranging from local charities to international governments and non-governmental organisations (NGO). Within the continent of Africa, multinational NGO and government involvement is at the forefront of ecotourism development as a strategy for natural resource management, economic gains, and increased quality of life. While many African countries are attempting to create a ‘self-reliant’ society, they still encourage extensive direct foreign investment. This paper asserts that, as the international voice that attempts to link conservation with domestic and foreign audiences, multinational agencies control the power structures that invariantly reinforce the concept of neoliberal conservation. It is argued that there is a need to better understand a multinational agency's role in ecotourism development; therefore, through an analysis of six multinational conservation agencies headquartered in Washington, DC, this paper presents an analysis of prevailing approaches to ecotourism development in Africa. The qualitative findings relay four overarching organisational values: sensitivity to local needs/culture, organisational partnerships, capacity building, and monitoring. Additionally, policies and protocols that encourage the sustainability of these values are presented, along with lessons learnt.
