Abstract:
ourism is the act of travelling from one destination to another by both foreigners and
locals. One pays a visit to preserved game parks and other historical sites in a country at
their own expense as part of relaxation, enjoyment and fulfillment of a dream or for
business purposes. As a result they contribute to the government revenue. The main
objective of this study was to examine the impact of tourism development on the livelihood of
local communities living within and adjacent to the tourism sites in Tanzania, a case of Arusha
region. The study used quantitative research method where both primary and secondary
data were used in analyzing the linkage between tourism development and their impact on
the local communities adjacent to and within tourism sites in Arusha region. The study
areas were the villages around Arusha National Park, Manyara, Ngorongoro
Conservation Area and Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. Primary data was collected through
interviews and structured questionnaires while secondary data was gathered through a
literature survey of relevant textbooks, reports, legislations and journals. The findings of
the study show that tourism resources contribute to local community development
specifically on the educational and infrastructural development. Furthermore, the findings
revealed that while a relationship which shows positive perceptions of increased tourism
resources contributing to poverty reduction and local community development is strong, the
local communities are not accessing the tourism market to increase their earning. It was
recommended that the government of Tanzania should take a leading role to
encourage performance of tourism resources on local communities’ development process
within and around the national parks in Arusha region through updating tourism policies by
highlighting various approaches to ensure that the local communities within and adjacent to
tourism sites also benefit from the revenues generated from the tourism sector.
