The Royal Mutanda River Lodge, Zambia : an example of landscape design in accordance with ecotourism principles

Abstract: Our project in Zambia has been to design a new lodge, the Royal Mutanda River Lodge (the Royal Mutanda), according to ecotourism principles for CSM SOLWEZI DEVELOPMENT CO INC. (CSM) In this essay we will present and discuss the landscape design aspects of our proposal. The global natural resources are depleting and the growing tourism industry is partly responsible for this. An alternative is ecotourism, which seeks to give tourists the experience of nature at the same time as nature is preserved. The Royal Mutanda is located along the Mutanda river in the northwestern part of Zambia in relatively untouched nature with the Kaonde tribe as a close neighbour. The design proposal calls for a planning and a design that is site-specific and suitable for the location. The lodge should be part of the natural environment and respectful to the local culture. A neccessity for success of the project is to attract local and international tourists, this can be done through enhancing the unique qualitites of the area. Our objective with this essay is to answer these questions: - What is ecotourism? How can landscape architects relate to the concept of ecotourism? - What is an attractive design solution for the Royal Mutanda River lodge with the principles of ecotourism in mind? - What are the consequenses of the lodge for the local community?