The Legacy of David Livingstone: A Contribution to Sustainable Tourism

Abstract

This article demonstrates the relevance of the legacy of David Livingstone for the promotion of sustainable tourism. The life and work of Livingstone as a missionary-explorer are analyzed with the aim of distilling those of his thoughts and actions that can contribute not only to the development of plans for sustainable tourism but also to increased ecological justice. The article furthermore shows that current international policies on trade and tourism are not based on principles of equal distribution of resources. A third aim of this article is to consider ways in which David Livingstone’s commitment to the promotion of Christianity, commerce, and civilization in Africa has thus far served to promote legitimate trade and tourism. Finally, the need for economic and developmental policies built on the equal distribution of resources is discussed. The contention of this article is that David Livingstone considered western civilization, Christianity, and commerce as building blocks for the development of Africans, promoting their human dignity and for opening possibilities to create a sustainable tourism industry.