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ABSTRACT
The study was about assessing the contribution of cultural tourism to the socio-economic development of local communities in Mbarara district and it was guided by objectives; to identify the cultural tourism activities available in Mbarara district, to assess the social, economic benefits of cultural tourism to local people of Mbarara District and to assess the challenges of developing cultural tourism in Mbarara district and how they can be solved. The study was a case study design that employed both qualitative and quantitative. A sample size of 50 respondents was obtained in Biharwe sub-county making use of the simple random technique. There are various cultural tourism activities available in Mbarara district which include Ankole traditional dancing, milk churning and cattle watering. Cultural tourism can positively affect local people through provision of employment opportunities, income and infrastructure development, however there are also negative effects related with cultural tourism development which include congestion, cultural erosion and high prices affecting the local people. Challenges affecting cultural tourism development in Mbarara district include limited funds, inadequate multi-lingual guides and inadequate community awareness about cultural tourism. Challenges can be solved by increasing government and private sector funding of cultural tourism, multi-lingual training of site guides and sensitization of locals. The study recommends awareness campaigns amongest the locals about cultural tourism, proper signage, product diversity and increased funding of cultural tourism | en_US |
