Assessment of Community Empowerment and Sustainable Tourism Development: The Case of Zege Peninsula, Bahir Dar

Eyassu, Alubel Workle (2011) Assessment of Community Empowerment and Sustainable Tourism Development: The Case of Zege Peninsula, Bahir Dar. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.

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Abstract

Community empowerment has become rapidly the most fundamental instrument to meet sustainable tourism development demand across the world at large and LDCs in particular. The main purpose of this research is to assess community empowerment and its contribution for sustainable tourism development in Zege Peninsula. The study design is descriptive and employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Field survey, interviews and direct observation were the main data gathering instruments employed. 96 household representatives and 24 key informants were taken from tourism officials, tourism businesses and tourists through both probability and non-probability sampling methods to understand the underlying scenarios. Qualitative approaches used to analysis predominantly qualitative variables that are subject to descriptions of phenomena and narrations where as quantitative analysis used for the quantifications of major themes and phenomena that consisted of quantifiable variables expressed in numerical figures and magnitudes using version 19 Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The results of the study showed that the status of CE process is in its infant stage despite local communities showed high interest levels (mean 3.9) to involve in identifying problems, management, decision-making, problem solving, equitable benefit sharing and tourism operation. 76.87% (mean 4.03) of the respondents acknowledged the positive effects of community empowerment where as 53.9% (mean 3.1) of the respondents observed negative effects of community empowerment that deteriorate sustainable tourism development. Thus, economical, social, political and psychological empowerments of community are not well practiced. It would have been strong support of sustainable tourism development in terms of socio-cultural, economical and environmental dimensions within and around Zege Peninsula if there had been sufficient community empowerment. Local people, tourism officials, tourism businesses and visitors conveyed that community empowerment practice is very limited though it is the best alternative to ensure STD of Zege. To conclude, even if community empowerment can play central role to achieve sustainable tourism development, the process is very limited and in its infant stage in terms of economical, social, political and psychological empowerments. The final consequence will be nonsustainable tourism development characterized by dependency syndrome, diminishing livelihood options, out breaks of conflicts, accumulations of benefits by few individuals, decrease in tourist flows, pollution, displacement of communities, propagation of illegalities and aggressive degradation of nonrenewable tourism resources.

Item Type: Thesis (Masters)
Uncontrolled Keywords: Community empowerment; Degradation; Equitable benefit sharing; Sustainable tourism development
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races
Divisions: Africana
Depositing User: Tim Khabala
Date Deposited: 20 Sep 2018 13:48
Last Modified: 20 Sep 2018 13:48
URI: http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/5304

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