Browsing by Author "Msimbano, Josephat Simeon"

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    The contribution of ecotourism in income poverty reduction: a case of Local communities living adjacent to Magamba Forests Nature Reserve in Lushoto District - Tanga
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2012) Msimbano, Josephat Simeon
    This study examined the contribution of eco-tourism in income poverty reduction for the communities living adjacent to Magamba Forest Nature Reserve in Lushoto District. The study was conducted in the two villages namely Kwembago and Ndabwa. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. With qualitative method, local communities, tour guides, taxi-drivers, and key informants were interviewed using a checklist of questions. Quantitative method involved the use of household questionnaire to complement data collected through qualitative methods. Purposively sampling was used to select the villages as the representatives of the study. The study sample involved 125 respondents from local communities, local tour guides, taxi-drivers and key informants. The study found that local community perceptions are negative about eco-tourism although they support the initiatives of eco-tourism activity in their villages. Majority of local community don’t benefit from eco-tourism either directly or indirectly. The study revealed that about 16% of the respondents are participants of eco- tourism and mainly involves local tour guides and taxi-drives whereas about 84% are non-participants of eco-tourism and this includes local communities who practice agriculture and animal keeping. Local community don’t get any income from eco-tourism but rather receive very little amount of money after selling their agricultural products. Agriculture is a main livelihood activity in the two villages. The study depicts that eco-tourism is not a driving force in the conservation of the forests. The study revealed that participants of eco-tourism (local tour guides and taxi drivers) and non- participants of eco-tourism (local communities of Ndabwa and Kwembago) face some limiting factors such as language barrier , lack of capital , few number of tourists , competition, seasonality of business , lack of customers , transportation , cultural distortion and insecurity. The study therefore recommends the following measures to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and Lushoto District council to provide training on entrepreneurship skills to local community, provide capital to local community, initiate eco-tourism projects as well as marketing and promotion of the villages as eco-tourism destinations.