ABSTRACT

Nature' is often the main attraction of so-called 'ecotourism'. Using an interpretative approach, this chapter explores the indigenous 'people of nature' –in particular the Bushmen of Namibia – who play a crucial role in cultural ecotourism. It focuses on ecotourism's conflation with 'ethnic tourism', 'indigenous tourism' or 'cultural tourism'. Therefore, the use of 'ecotourism' is focused on indigenous peoples' engagement in tourism, in association with nature activities. Tourism in general is an exponent of contemporary neoliberal capitalism and helps to spread its values. This also applies to cultural ecotourism, which creates various problems that are associated with capitalist development, such as the creation of 'inauthenticity' and poverty. These problems are then often addressed using capitalist mechanisms. The chapter provides in-depth descriptions of two contradictions of capitalism in cultural ecotourism: a contradiction about the search for authenticity; and a contradiction about the idea of development. The chapter also analyses fieldwork findings from cultural ecotourism among Namibian Bushmen.