Community based tourism a tool for socio-economic development in Budadiri County: A case study of Busulani Sub-county

Abstract

Community-Based Tourism is taking place in the world as an approach to traditional tourism especially in developing countries. This form of tourism allows for greater contact with the local community and for the tourist to experience new sensations while enabling the economic and social development of the geographic area. The study was conducted to establish the nature of community based tourism in Busulani Sub County, assess the extent of local community involvement in CBT development and to examine the impact of tourism to the socio-economic development of the local economy. The study was conducted using a case study design and data was collected using a questionnaire and interview method. A total of eighty one respondents were interviewed. Data was analyzed using SPSS. It was found that the nature of CBT in Busulani sub county include accommodation, food, transport and guiding. The local community members are involved in CBT by providing local food to tourists, guiding on community walks and heritage trail, cultural performance and festivals. The results also show that CBT has influenced the development of infrastructure, promoted agricultural production, and also the craft and manufacturing industries. In addition some of the challenges hindering CBT development in Busulani Sub County include absence of reliable road network, limited access to clean water and electricity supply, conflicts among community members, mismanagement of community based tourism projects, lack of financial support. The study has established that there are issues which need to be addressed to increase involvement of local people in CBT like involving the community in local policy formulation, awarding the community an opportunity to formulate their own ideas, and empowering communities with responsibilities and rights for management and receive benefits from them.