The role of participation in community-based tourism in its impacts on community well-being

Community-Based Tourism (CBT) in Tanzania has emerged as vehicles of local economic growth and community strengthening. one of the major platforms of CBT development is citizen participation, meaning that the design implementation, mortaring and evaluation of CBT should be carried out as a joint venture between tourism managers and community members. This research examines how citizen participation in community – based tourism impacts community well-being. Research findings indicate that there is a correlation between the type and frequency of citizen participation and an increase in community well- being several factors, when combined, create an environment conducive to participation including a capable and organized community, a dearly laid out decision- making process effective interaction between tourism stakeholders and the presence of mechanism to promote community sustainability. The dissertation reveals that the realities of community –based tourism development vary from the ideologies CBT has produced several benefits in the community including economic diversification, increased access to resources and improvements to education and health care. However, the process in which these benefits have been produced has not been as participatory as desired by community members. At present, community members are granted only limited opportunities for participation. What is needed is a shift from a power hoarding scenario to a power disbursing scenario. Research participants identified several strategies that would allow for this shift to occur. Potential methods of power sharing include the building of democratic local government institutions, an alteration of community leadership styles, the provision of economic opportunities and the creation of a stronger relationship between CBT stakeholders.