FN ISI Export Format VR 1.0 PT J TI Tourism Development in Namibia AF Bättig, Nicole AU Bättig, N AB A community’s culture, history, people and natural environment are the main attractions for tourists. Negative and positive impacts resulting from the tourism industry are most visible on community level. Therefore, it is imperative that tourism is developed in a sustainable way by considering the collective needs and interests of the host community. Community-based tourism is one form of tourism which considers the economic, social and environmental needs of community members. Additionally these community members are involved in the decisionmaking process. Namibia’s community-based tourism projects are known as innovative best case examples. However, it has rarely been questioned if community-based tourism is the right approach for sustainable tourism development in Namibia. Therefore, this thesis aims to elicit this question. The research is conducted with expert interviews from tourism establishments in Namibia as well as national and international sustainable tourism development experts. Finally, the recommendations for project developers and owners of lodges will be drawn from these findings. ER