Local community involvement in promotion of sustainable tourism development: a case study of Sanga Town, Lake Mburo National Park
Abstract
The purpose of this report is to offer information about the local community involvement in
promotion of sustainable tourism development around Lake Mburo national park in Sanga town.
The objectives for which the research was carried out include the general objective as to gather
and obtain information on how the local community has participated in the tourist Industry to
promote a sustainable tourism development around Lake Mburo national park, to identify the
tourism activities that the local community participates in the park, the roles played by the locals
to promote tourism around the park and the challenges faced by communities during
participation in tourism activities. This research was based on research questions that intertwined
with the objectives so as to provide responses during data collection. Random and purposive
sampling were the primary data collection methods by use of interviews, the data collection tools
included the questionnaires under the sample size of 98 respondents. The findings show that out
of the 98% (96 respondents) who are aware of the tourism in Lake Mburo national park, 91%
respondents know about the activities that take place in Lake Mburo national park and the rest
8% don't know any activities that take place there. The respondents listed tourism activities such
as nature walks, forest walks, student trips, boat cruise, game drives, cycling, bird watching and
sport hunting. The results about how the park has been beneficial to the local community shows
they benefit from firewood, water, cattle rearing, sensitization about tourism, employment
opportunities, revenue sharing, hospitals built by the park and schools. Further results show roles
played by community members to promote sustainable tourism development which include
community contribution in decision making, sensitization about tourism, cooperation with the
rangers in order to protect the animals from being hunted or harmed or even escaping from the
park and paying of taxes. The study findings about challenges faced by the local communities
include crop damage as the biggest challenge, attack from wild animals onto people and their
animals and pest and diseases. However, it’s absurd that the local communities are not satisfied
of how much the management of Lake Mburo national park has solved the challenges which thus
comes up with recommendations from the respondents that the patk should compensate for the
losses and also that it should be fenced.