The impact of tourism development on the livelihood of local communities in Tanzania

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.